Stormi, a Rottweiler from Durban North, has landed her first job as a model for a dog treat company’s social media advert campaign and is well on her way to being a social media influencer.
At just five months old, Stormi has been a natural and her love for the camera can be seen in videos on a Tiktok page created for her by her owner, Nateil Veerabudrun.
Clive Veerabudrun, Nateil's dad, said Stormi and her brother Tyson were born to the family’s pet Rottweilers, Diesel and Nala, in October last year.
“My wife, Evelyn, and my daughters, Nateil and Leah, were part of the birthing process. They helped Nala deliver the puppies. It was a special moment because our dogs are part of our family.
“We decided to keep two of the puppies. Stormi and Tyson went to the Kindred K9 Training School. Nateil watches pets from other countries becoming famous on TikTok and who were social media influencers, so she decided to start Instagram and TikTok accounts for Stormi,” said Veerabudrun.
He said his family were ecstatic when Stormi landed her first role as an influencer.
“A yoghurt company in Ballito offered her a sponsorship and she does ads for them. She has attracted many fans and we are looking to expand her career as a model. She has had training as a pup and is disciplined. We would one day like to see her play a role in a film, like the Lassie movie,” he said.
When she is not cooking up a storm on social media, Stormi loves walks on the promenade and enjoys running in the mud in the garden.
“Stormi also loves chicken necks, which we feed her and her brother raw for a balanced diet. My daughters enjoy doing videos of their walks, and have been documenting Stormi’s journey from the time she was a pup. We are a family of dog lovers. We have six dogs, which include Stormi, her sibling, her parents and two pugs, named Kylo and Kiki. Stormi is our special girl, and I think she was born to be a model and an influencer,” Veerabudrun said.