Albert On Wheels: Handicapped Dog From Connecticut Up For Instagram Award

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) – Judging by his social media followers, an "Instafamous" dog from Fairfield, Connecticut is not just one man's best friend, but thousands.

Now, he may be getting a big reward.

Other than using a dog wheelchair to get around, Albert is just like any other pooch, CBS2's John Dias reports. He loves to run, play with other animals and eat lots and lots of treats.

But the 8-year-old Shih Tzu mix is also Instagram famous.

"Albert has a P.O. Box and he probably gets a couple hundred pieces of mail a month," owner John Lawson told Dias.

It was his handicap that launched his social media success nearly three years ago, after the Lawson family adopted him and brought him to Fairfield.

"They think he was hit by a car. A lady found him on the side of the road in a ditch, paralyzed," said owner Jill Lawson.

Now healthy as can be, his nearly 100,000 Instagram followers know him as Albert on Wheels. Almost every day his owners post a picture of him either sleeping in bed or showing off his energy by the marina – garnishing a ton of likes and a nomination.

"One of Albert's fans said, 'I just voted for Albert.' And I was like, 'What are you talking about?'" Jill said.

It turns out, the Shorty Awards, which honor the best of social media, chose Albert to be in its animal category this year. In the past, people like Taylor Switch and DJ Khaled have won in other groups.

"They do the nominating themselves. They find what they believe are inspirational or influential social media accounts that have some purpose," said John.

Albert's Instagram purpose is to spread the word about rescuing animals, specifically those with handicaps, and proving no matter if they have a disability, they're just as loving, if not more, than any other pet.

"Albert has done a good job of bringing attention to handicapped animals," John added.

The Lawsons eventually want to turn Albert's story into a children's book, so that too can spread awareness about handicap adoption.

To vote for Albert in the Shorty Awards, click here.