When I was in college, in between my English and creative writing classes, I would race a few blocks downtown to volunteer at an animal shelter on the east side of Manhattan.
Getting lost in books and spending time with shelter dogs were the twin pillars that held together the chaos of my twenties, and what kept me sane and motivated day after day. The north star of my career has been telling stories about animals in need.
My first job out of college was working for a dog photographer. I followed him around New York City, and then the country, and then the world, helping to carry camera equipment and making notes of all the dogs we met that day. I didn’t make good money, but I loved it.
After seven years, I was unexpectedly let go.
It was the eve of my 30th birthday, and I was suddenly without a job. I had two options: I could find another position, or I could try to make it on my own. The choice, for me, was simple. I had to at least try to make a name for myself, doing what I loved most, which was helping dogs.
Sharing my foster dogs with the world
This upheaval all coincided with me moving into a new apartment with my now-fiancé, Jacob, and our special needs rescue dog, Simon.
This apartment was special because after living in seven New York City apartments, I had a backyard for the first time. I had fostered some dogs over the years, but with a big yard and a rare dog-loving landlord, I decided it was a great time to really lean into it again.
Sitting in our backyard with Simon and one of our foster dogs, Twinkle.
Photo: Isabel Klee
We welcomed our first foster, a Heeler mix named Ken, a few months after moving into the new apartment. On our way to pick him up, I handed Jacob my phone and asked him to take a video of me. I had an Instagram audience of about 50,000 followers, where I posted videos about my dog.
But I decided that I wanted to highlight the process of fostering, every step of the way. I wanted to show people exactly how it was done, so it wouldn’t be so intimidating for people who might want to try it themselves.
I spoke to the camera and explained what we were doing in the sweltering subway tunnels, my excitement and nervousness bubbling off me. We recorded the entire thing: Ken coming off the transport van, bringing him back to our apartment, and introducing him to Simon.
One of our fosters, Whimsy, hanging out with Simon on our couch. Simon always seems to know what his foster siblings need to feel comfortable.
Photo: Isabel Klee
Afterwards, I edited the clips together and posted it to Instagram and TikTok. Miraculously, for whatever reason, people loved it. The video blew up. On TikTok it got 257,000 views, 27,000 likes, and over 500 comments.
I was in shock by how people responded to it, and the immediate emotional connection these strangers on the internet felt with Ken. So I continued: a video of us giving Ken a bath, a video of Ken playing with Simon, a video of Ken chasing bubbles I blew for him in the backyard. And, finally, a video of Ken getting adopted by his new mom.
The magic of seeing a dog be loved for the first time
Over the week that we had Ken, my audience grew. People wanted to see his journey, and the process of fostering a dog in New York City. But, more than anything, I think people wanted to see a happy, feel-good story play out in front of their eyes, to feel a piece of magic that happens when a dog is loved for the very first time.
After that first foster, I decided to focus on fostering primarily medical and behavioral cases. Simon has struggled with idiopathic epilepsy his entire life, and my experience caring for him completely shifted the way I interacted with the world and the level of patience I have.
Poutine, one of our medical fosters, who stole the internet’s heart.
Photo: Isabel Klee
Plus, most rescues and shelters cover all costs associated with fostering: supplies, food, and any medical procedures a dog might need, so the only thing I needed to sacrifice was my time and heart.
I wanted to tell the stories of the dogs who would otherwise be forgotten and show the world how incredible they are.
One of our fosters, Gus, was actually adopted by my parents.
Photo: Isabel Klee
Since Ken, I have fostered nearly 30 difficult medical cases and found them all loving homes. I’ve raised over half a million dollars for animal welfare organizations. I’ve worked with brands like Toyota, Chewy, The Farmer’s Dog, and Williams Sonoma. I’ve grown my audience to over two million followers across platforms.
And, my greatest dream came true. I wrote a memoir called “Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About,” and it will be published in the spring.
I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have made a career doing exactly what I’ve always dreamed of: helping dogs and telling stories. I have more freedom, I make more money, and I’m making a bigger impact.
Our foster dog Itsy perching with Simon in the bedroom.
Photo: Isabel Klee
My best advice for turning your passion into a career
My biggest advice for people who hope to make their passion their full-time job is to start small. Before I went out on my own, I did freelance content creation for a year and a half. I reached out to every dog brand I could think of and asked if they needed help creating content or managing their social media.
My biggest client was Adopt a Pet and Kinship, where I got to travel to shelters and highlight adoptable dogs. It wasn’t until it became unsustainable to work full time and do content creation that I actually stopped those jobs. But the connections I made absolutely helped forge my way as an independent creator.
Spending time with Simon never gets old.
Photo: Isabel Klee
Every day looks different for me: Some days I’m picking up a dog from the shelter and scrubbing feces off of them, some days I’m doing a photoshoot with my previous foster dogs for Oscar de la Renta, and some days I’m sitting in a coffee shop, hoping to meet my writing deadline on time.
What has become most apparent to me, through every foster dog and every journey I document, is that dogs are one of the greatest human connectors that we have.
They represent life, love, loss, joy, sadness, and living each day in the moment. They ground us, motivate us, and when you tell their stories, people can’t help but listen. Never in a million years did I think that telling my stories could turn into a career. But as I sit in my Brooklyn apartment with my rescue dog snoring at my feet, I am eternally grateful that it did.
Isabel Klee is a dog owner, writer and content creator. She shares her experiences rehabilitating foster dogs on social media @SimonSits. She lives Brooklyn with her fiancé, Jacob and her rescue dog, Simon. She is the author of the upcoming memoir “Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About.”
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