The Celebrity Pets team has been fans of sassy Sapphie the Pomsky since we wrote about her last year. Then we saw that Sapphie and her human Sheena just released a new children’s book on mental health titled Sapphie: The Dog with Feelings. So what better time than now for an interview! (And luckily they had time for us)
CP: Your book serves as a reminder to explore your emotions and not bottle them up. Can you summarize that topic?
Sheena (Sapphie’s mom): It is extremely important to say how you feel. Too often, we tend to suppress or hold onto our feelings which can be toxic to our mental health and well-being. It helps to release our feelings in order to clear our minds, nurture trust and open communication, and build stronger relationships with others!
CP: Why did you decide to create this book for children?
Sheena (Sapphie’s mom): I am a healthcare provider that specializes in psychiatry. I see children on a day to day basis struggle to verbalize how they feel. I myself am going to be a first-time mom in a few weeks, and I really want my baby to be able to have a foundation of self-expression. I want to inspire and encourage the next generation to vocalize how they feel and remind them that they are not alone!
CP: That’s very cool. And it also can help humans of any age?
Sheena (Sapphie’s mom): Yes! As an adult, I still to this day have trouble sometimes expressing how I feel! So many people go to therapy as a way to release how they feel. Although this is a children’s book, an adult can benefit from reading it too, as it serves as an important reminder that we are human and have a multitude of feelings. We don’t need to be happy all the time, and it’s okay to not be okay.
CP: When writing this book, did you have personal experiences that influenced it or motivated you to write it?
Sheena (Sapphie’s mom): Yes! I wanted to merge all the things I am passionate about: my job in psychiatry, writing, my future baby boy, and Sapphie to create a book that inspires children to get in tune with their emotions and express how they feel! This video explains the why:
CP: We’re very impressed that you did all the illustrations without an opposable thumb. Or did your humans or an illustrator help with them?
Sapphie: We hired an illustrator through thumbtack: Sasha Beytler! She is so talented and did an extraordinary job capturing exactly what we wanted.
CP: For many notable pet social media influencers and content creators such as yourself, they feel a lot of pressure to be always “on.” What are your thoughts on this? Is it ok to let your followers know you’re feeling “off”?
Sheena (Sapphie’s mom): Absolutely! My husband and I are both full-time healthcare providers, and we know how important it is to prioritize our mental health. When Sapphie took off on social media, we actually created a boundary from the beginning which included spending no longer than 10 minutes making a video and skipping days we were mentally drained. In order to inspire others to do the same, we must practice what we preach. At the end of the day, we make content when we can because it genuinely makes us feel good to know Sapphie is helping others by making them laugh/smile.
I am supportive of each and every pet influencer, and I want to build a dog community where we can encourage and lift each other up and help each other out! It is not a competition, and I know that all my fellow pet influencers have impacted people around the world in such a positive way!
Sapphie the PomskyCP: Thanks so much for sharing aspects of your lovely book. Now onto some personal questions for Sapphie. So how did you and your human(s) meet?
Sapphie: My hoomans got me during COVID and they knew I would be able to lift their spirits! It was love at first sight for them 🙂
CP: Your humans are both healthcare professionals. Can you share what they do?
Sapphie: My mom is a Physician Assistant specializing in psychiatry, and my dad is a doctor specializing in Internal Medicine And oh yeah, dad also specializes in doing chores!
CP: Why would you say your humans consider you special? Do you have any funny quirks?
Sapphie: I say how I feel and hold nothing back! My hoomans think I am special because I can communicate with them using my buttons or my sassy facial expressions.
CP: That’s great, I can see why you helped inspire the book. Can you share a story (or video) that captures your personality?
Sapphie: This video captures how happy and excited I get on a daily basis. It’s the little things for me. I usually get the zoomies after coming back from a long walk!
CP: Sassy since birth, you must really enjoy being able to talk sass via your dog training buttons. How was it to start learning how to communicate with them?
Sapphie: It was pretty easy… Give me a treat and I will do whatever you want!
CP: How does having talking buttons benefit your daily life?
Sapphie: I actually love communicating with the buttons because it makes my hoomans smile and laugh (and because I get treats)
CP: What’s the naughtiest thing you’ve done? (We promise not to tell your humans)
Sapphie: My pawents already know because they saw it happen in real time, but we were coming back from our flight, and let’s just say that I pooped in the right spot at the right time. As the entry doors were closing, I decided to mark my territory in a way where my hoomans couldn’t go back to clean up my mess. (You’re welcome mom and dad)
CP: Followers are well aware of your notorious “white button.” Is it true for canine beings that the b**** word is a term of endearment and not the insult that many humans consider it?
Sapphire: Yes! I say this word out of love! Now that my baby brother is arriving soon, I will be switching to the orange button which is “B!” for brother!
CP: If you hosted a TED talk, what would the topic be?
Sapphie: MENTAL HEALTH (but that may involve the white button for motivational purposes) I want everyone to know that they are not alone!
CP: If you just won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d buy or do?
Sapphie: Get the zoomies and then buy unlimited treats!
CP: Are there any charities or non-profit organizations you’d like to give a shoutout to?
Sapphie: Yes, I was diagnosed with subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma when I was 8 months. I am happy to say that I am currently in remission, but I would like to give a shout-out to the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation!
CP: Have any exciting plans coming up? Maybe a book tour?
Sapphie: I am really excited to meet my baby brother. He is going to be my best friend, and I will make sure I protect him at all costs and teach him to express how he feels!
You can follow @sapphie_the_pomsky on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. If you have children in your lives (or if you’re a big kid at heart) make sure to grab her book, Sapphie: The Dog with Feelings, on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. For international orders, head to Sapphiethepomsky.com
And don’t miss our follow-up interview: Sheena and Sapphie the Pomsky – Adjusting to life with a sassy dog and newborn baby.
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