A Chicago-based English Bulldog, Pancake, has been crowned the Mid-Tier Influencer winner at the first-ever Pet Lover’s Choice Awards. The fan-driven event drew more than 10 million total votes from pet lovers, making her win part of an unusually large wave of online engagement. The awards also support the Best Friends Animal Society, tying the celebration to animal welfare fundraising.
The win brought Pancake a $10,000 cash prize, a trophy, and an invitation to the live awards ceremony in Los Angeles this June, hosted by comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias. The event brings together top pet creators from across social media and underscores the growing cultural footprint of animal influencers.
© Pancake/IGKnown online as @thebabypancake, Pancake has built a large following across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook. Her popularity is fueled by a personality fans describe as full of “unhinged” energy and “sassy chaos,” along with a signature “lopsided smile” and what her owners jokingly call “questionable life choices.”
© Pancake/IGRather than remaining just a household pet, she has evolved into a recognizable internet figure. Her everyday behavior has become the core of her online identity, shaped by consistent habits that fans have come to expect. These include performing “elite zoomies,” refusing to move unless food is involved, and spending long stretches lounging under the bed.
A defining part of her persona is her tendency to “judge everyone,” expressed through what fans see as an intensely expressive, critical stare. Across her website and social channels, this is reinforced through playful descriptions of her “attacking her hoomans” and her overall tendency toward controlled chaos.
© Pancake/IGHer rise to fame began around 2023, when her owners first started sharing casual clips of her life with no major expectations. What began as a simple hobby gradually expanded into a large and active online community following her across multiple platforms.
One early viral moment played a key role in shaping her identity online, showing Pancake standing motionless in a kitchen corner to ensure “no food is left behind.” That clip quickly resonated with viewers and became a defining example of her behavior-driven humor.
© Pancake/IGAs her audience grew, her owners embraced her unexpected fame, often describing her as a “sassy, crazy and loving girl” whose online presence took on a life of its own. She has also appeared in media segments highlighting her chaotic yet entertaining behavior, typically framed as harmless and playful rather than disruptive.
Outside her social media persona, Pancake is sometimes referred to as a “crazy potato,” a nickname tied to her body shape and sudden bursts of energetic zoomies. She is also known for an unusual fear of cardboard boxes, a trait fans humorously interpret as her belief in “monsters of boxes.”
© Pancake/IGHer daily routine adds another layer to her character. She reportedly sleeps for around 18 hours a day, reserving her waking hours for short but memorable bursts of household chaos.
Alongside Pancake, the Pet Lover’s Choice Awards also recognized several other prominent pet influencers. Crusoe the Dachshund won the Mega Celebrity Influencer category, while Winky the Dwarf Cat took Mega Influencer. Prince was named Micro Influencer, and Bradford received the Macro Influencer title.
