Hundreds of hounds are expected to descend on the Schuylkill Banks Sunday morning as Elias Weiss Friedman, the Narberth-raised photographer behind The Dogist, leads a free group dog walk through Philadelphia that ends with a group photo on the Rocky steps. The meetup kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Schuylkill River Dog Park and winds along the river to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where walkers and their dogs will climb the famous steps together.
Friedman will lead the walk along the Schuylkill Banks, according to The Inquirer, which reported that the group plans to walk along the river up to the Art Museum and climb the Rocky steps for a group photo. The Dogist Company Vitality Walk begins at Schuylkill River Park, 30 S. 25th St., at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 4. Walkers without dogs are welcome, the outlet reported, making it an open invitation rather than a strictly canine affair.
A Homecoming for Philly's Favorite Dog Photographer
Friedman is a Narberth-raised canine street photographer who founded The Dogist. The project features dogs and their humans, and Sunday's event brings him back to the region for local fans.
Friedman plans to attend with his dog Elsa, a six-year-old white husky mix who was dog of honor at his 2025 wedding to Samantha Cutler. The Inquirer's report notes that Friedman credits Elsa as chief wellness officer of The Dogist Company, the canine wellness brand he's now launching. Sunday's walk is part of a broader Dogist tour tied to that launch, timed to the debut of the company's first product.
Vitality Launch Ties the Walk to a New Wellness Brand
That first product is Vitality, advertised as a board-certified vet-formulated antioxidant chew meant to support brain, joint, and immune health, the outlet reported. The Dogist Company says the chew was developed with board-certified veterinary nutritionist Dr. Angela Rollins, according to The Dogist Company. It's salmon flavored, and Friedman has described it as a supplement rather than a treat, even though a dog might see it differently.
Friedman has said The Dogist ecosystem is evolving toward products meant to improve dogs' lives, a framing that lines up with the timing of Sunday's walk. The Philadelphia walk is free and open to people with or without dogs, tying the community event to the company's launch.
A Rocky Steps Photo
The Philadelphia walk is planned as a riverfront gathering that ends with participants climbing the Art Museum steps for a group photo.
A Narberth Homecoming
Friedman grew up in Narberth, giving Sunday's walk along the Schuylkill an added homecoming layer, even as it doubles as the public launch event for his company's first product. Anyone hoping to join, with or without a dog of their own, can meet at the Schuylkill River Dog Park at 10 a.m. Sunday for the walk to the Art Museum and the climb up the Rocky steps.
