Laura Siu Nyguen, local event planner and dog mama, was on the hunt for an account relevant to puppy life in the Baton Rouge area but always felt like nothing ever satisfied her search. That’s when she got the idea to start All Pups Welcome, a platform dedicated to all the things a dog owner living in the Capital City might want to know. Recently we spoke with Nyguen about her puppy platform and discovered just why her page deserves that “follow.”

1. What is All Pups Welcome?

All Pups Welcome started as an idea to create a one-stop shop for those interested in adopting a furry friend or for those who have furry friends but do not know what to do in the city. The information is very scarce, and I want to solve the problem by giving the community the resources needed. My big idea and goal is to create a community where we get more animals adopted from the shelter and to bring more joy. Dogs bring joys all the time!

2. What is your professional background? How did you get into blogging?

My professional background is in communications and event planning. I own my event planning company (Laura Siu Planning & Events) and I’m a marketing consultant to different businesses. I got into blogging because I wanted a platform where I can express myself and share my thoughts and ideas with others.

3. What was the inspiration for starting the page?

I got the idea to start the page was when I was about to take a road trip with my Pembroke corgi, Taco, and I couldn’t find information online on where to go, what to pack and what to do. So that started as an idea to form All Pups Welcome, where I hope that I can inform others about things happening in the city, as well as use the platform overall to promote more adoptions in shelters and to raise funds for all the nonprofits. For example, we hosted a Yoga with Puppies event for Friends of the Animals where we raised over $1,000 for them. The community was very involved and very open to the idea.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8DUU2Gl-dR/

4. When did the blog come to life and how has it changed since its beginning?

I will be very honest—I haven’t finished it completely, but I want to definitely finish it by this fall. The blog started in 2019, and I am always looking for ways to spread the word. It started as a message that all pups are welcome everywhere and then it turned into more of an informational place.

5. What do you hope people will learn from from All Pups Welcome?

I hope that people would learn to celebrate our blessings in this world–our pups–that bring so much joy into our lives. I hope in the future to grow it to where we can raise more money for all the shelters (CAA, CAAWS, FOTA), in addition to being a one-stop shop where people can find events in the city to take their furry friends to, hopefully turning Baton Rouge into a more dog-friendly city.

6. What sets your page apart from other dog-inspired websites and accounts?

We are fully inclusive to everyone. Some pages only support one shelter; others support a specific breed. For this one, I want to shine more light on all events, shelters and breeds, making pet ownership more fun for Baton Rouge.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-UikWFlDKI/

7. I know that you have hosted pet-friendly events in the past. What was that like, and do you hope to be part of more events once the world returns to some sense of normalcy?

As someone who has an event planning background, I love to give back to the community. I hope to bring Yoga with Puppies again, as well as a dog art show where artists can sell their art on behalf of a shelter, a dog outfit fashion show, and puppy ice cream meet-ups. Creating an event where the community is having fun, raising money for a cause and informing others has been quite rewarding and amazing. We hope to be part of more events once we go back to normal.

8. What has been the best part about running your own blog?

The best part is the amount of support from our followers and the amount of information out there that we can use to spread the word or use the platform to help others.

9. In what ways do you see the page growing going forward?

I can see getting lots of followers and engaging different businesses and spreading the word about services that they offer. I think our community needs a place where they can find all the information, and that is something that I am very proud to spearhead.

Learn more about All Pups Welcome at allpupswelcome.com.