MADRID — Lucas may be the most famous dachshund on the internet — at least among the Taylor Swift community.
The 14-year-old Swiftie is the star of hundreds of social media videos where his owners, twin sisters Ana and Carmen Almudi, dress him in outfits and have him act to the lyrics of Swift’s songs.
“He has gradually become the star he is now,” says Ana. “We’ve had to increase his pay for each video, no more cutting treats in half.”
Lucas, who lives outside Madrid, has more than 580,000 followers on TikTok and 198,000 followers on Instagram. Fans love watching him asleep in bed with headphones listening to a Swift album. They also love the reenactments; one of his most recent is a “Fortnight” snippet. The videos usually take about 10-15 minutes to create.
“Lucas sets the pace, and he’s very good at what he does,” jokes Ana. “He nails every scene on the first or second take. It takes us more time when one of us has to appear in the video. We don’t have the talent Lucas has and that’s why we prefer to stay behind the cameras whenever we can.”
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
“Like every dachshund, he is stubborn,” says Ana. “He’s like a gentleman, although a bit sassy at times. He’s also very affectionate with the people he knows and good-natured. He’s shy, but very brave.”
Lucas has been on social media since 2014, but the account didn’t take off until September 2020 when Swift shared a TikTok video of him looking out the window in a white cardigan with a glass of wine to the tune of “Exile” from “Folklore.” From there, the followers came by the tens of thousands every day.
Swift’s team has never reached out. Fans hoped the dog would be the first animal recipient of the “22” hat when he attended the tour in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Dressed as a “Mirrorball,” he qualified as a support animal and was let onto the stadium floor. Ana and Carmen stood near the back of the arena with the pup wearing headphones, and truth be told, he slept through most of the show.
He will not go to either Madrid show, but the three will travel to London in June when Swift will perform her first round of shows at Wembley Stadium.
“Our big and only goal is to make Taylor smile as many times as possible and to make her life even happier with Lucas’ existence,” says Ana. “He brings all the light and love into our lives, and sharing this little one with her is the biggest gift we could give her.”
Don’t miss any Taylor Swift news; sign up for the free, weekly newsletter This Swift Beat.
Follow Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
