On a recent muddy spring weekend, at least a dozen corgis and their owners were hanging out at the Sparty Statue on Michigan State University’s campus.
While the dogs played and held the occasional bark-off, MSU community members passed by, some stopping to pet the loaf-shaped dogs.
It wasn’t a coincidence that all the corgis were in the same place at the same time: they were here for a meetup organized by the Michigan Corgi Club.
Founder Katelyn Sakkinen said what started as an idea for an Instagram page for her first corgi Ella has now turned into a corgi-loving community with more than 7,000 followers on Facebook and throughout Michigan.
“What we do is monthly events or meetups,” Sakkinen said. They try to meet at a different dog park every month in the spring, summer and fall and hold special events, like corgi races at MSU basketball games and the annual Michigan Celtic Festival.
“The corgis get to connect, and owners get to connect. And it's really, really fun,” she said.
Beyond the events, Sakkinen says the club provides an opportunity for socializing and has helped people — including her — form lifelong friendships.
MSU engineering student Jenny Nguyen agrees.
Nguyen said she first heard about the club after the 2023 campus shooting, when the corgis were on campus for support. When she got her corgi Cannoli, she knew she wanted him to participate.
“I just love how everyone's so friendly,” she said. “If I ever have any troubles or need any more, like, tips and tricks for my corgi, I can lean on them.”
While some corgis like Cannoli are just now attending their first dog meet-up, other corgis have been a part of the club for a while.
Vanessa Kaczynski’s dog Duke competed in last year’s Celtic race.
“Duke probably came in last place because he was a puppy then, and when he ran, he tripped over his own legs, rolled, did a somersault, but he thoroughly enjoyed it,” Kaczynski said. She’s taken Duke to other meet-ups, and even events like Doggies at the Disco in Detroit.
“He just loves being around all other corgis,” she said.
Sakkinen says the club welcomes corgi fans from across Michigan and aims to host meetups throughout the state.
Expect to find corgis at upcoming events including the Lansing Lugnuts game on April 26, Cocktails and Corgis in Detroit on May 18 and the Kalamazoo Do-Dah parade on June 7.
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.