AARP’s Real People, Real Stories series celebrates ordinary individuals from diverse backgrounds whose actions have made an extraordinary impact on themselves and their communities. In this episode, “Animal Lover Opens His Heart and Home to Older Dogs,” we highlight Steve Greig, a retired accountant and Instagram influencer dedicated to caring for aging rescue dogs.
Our objective was to showcase how one person's compassion can transform the lives of marginalized animals and inspire a movement around senior pet adoption. Greig’s story exemplifies empathy in action and aligns with AARP’s core values.
Older dogs are often placed up for adoption due to circumstances such as new living arrangements, health issues, or the untimely passing of their owners, leaving them vulnerable and struggling to find new families. According to the ASPCA, senior dogs have a bleak adoption rate of only 25%, compared to 60% for younger dogs. Greig has addressed the issue personally, rescuing close to 30 senior dogs since 2012 and providing them with comfort and companionship in their final years.
With over 1 million Instagram followers, Greig advocates for aging animals by showcasing the happiness they bring to his life. His story has inspired many of his followers to adopt older pets, demonstrating the power of social media to inspire change.
By highlighting Greig’s story through AARP’s social platforms, we aim to continue his mission of raising awareness about the plight of older dogs and showing how empathetic actions can improve the lives of these marginalized animals.
Our strategy for this video was to provide viewers with an inside look into Greig’s daily life as the caretaker for ten senior dogs, a cat, a pig, a turkey, a duck, and four chickens, while also highlighting his journey to becoming an unlikely Instagram influencer. Our series, Real People, Real Stories, showcases how everyday individuals can turn simple ideas into actionable steps that inspire positive change in the world and we believe by giving an in-depth look into Greig’s life and work, we could give that inspiration.
We began by developing a relationship with Greig through several pre-interviews and discussions about our objectives and his. Greig then invited our crew into his home to spend the day with him and his fur family. We brought in a three-camera team to accurately capture the loving chaos of caring for aging pets—such as feeding, ensuring proper hydration, administering medications, and creating a nurturing environment. This immersive approach, along with an in-depth sit-down interview (also amid the pets), allowed us to bring Greig’s personal narrative to life.
To maximize exposure, we used Meta’s “Collaboration” feature to post on both AARP’s and Greig’s Instagram account, reaching a broad audience interested in the needs of aging animals. Our message resonated throughout the piece, emphasizing the importance of cherishing everyday moments with living beings and not taking time for granted. Understanding that an animal's time is limited makes the care provided feel even more urgent and significant. With a combined reach of 3.5 million followers across Facebook and Instagram, we raised awareness about the needs of aging animals and the compassion required for their survival. We aimed to encourage viewers to engage with the message of caregiving for all living beings.
Through documentary filmmaking techniques, collaboration with social media accounts, and consistent messaging, we crafted a video production blueprint and final product that highlighted Greig’s meaningful work to help dogs find safer homes while advocating for animal rights.
This Real People, Real Story episode was an overwhelming success and was our top post on Instagram in 2024. In fact, it was our most viewed Instagram post ever – receiving 7.2 million views, and driving more than 500,000 engagements and 180,000 shares. The audience was inspired by Steve Grieg’s compassion, selflessness, commitment to honoring older dogs, and a genuine life-changing story and mission.
Through AARP's collaboration with Greig’s social media followers, we were able to amplify our content’s voice and impact. Our video garnered more than 8 million across all platforms, which included Facebook, Instagram, and the Members Only section of our website.
People are drawn to cute, but imperfect dogs, and Greig’s easygoing, good-natured energy drew viewers in. Comments mentioned that audience members were inspired to adopt senior dogs, which pushed our reach into actionable choices that helped aging animals in need.
Here are some comments from enthusiastic viewers:
"You are living my dream! I adopted a senior and loved her so much. I made her last years on earth happy. The best feeling in the world. I only wish I could do what you do. I live in an apartment and can only have one dog. Thank you for doing what you do ❤️"
"I’ve been following you for years but I’ve somehow never seen this video. Now I’m crying at work!! 🥲 💞"
"My gosh you are absolutely a beautiful, loving human. Thank you so much❤️"
