Dog TikTok Star Living Near the North Pole Plays in 24/7 Sunshine: ‘Living His Best Life’ (Exclusive)

Grim the Finnish Lapphund lives in Svalbard, Norway, with his owner Cecilia Blomdahl

Grim the Finnish Lapphund lives an arctic dog’s dream, enjoying the 24/7 snow and sunshine of polar day in Svalbard, Norway.

If Grim’s furry face looks familiar, it might be because the 9-year-old dog is the canine star of owner Cecilia Blomdahl’s social media accounts. Between Instagram and TikTok, the pair have over 3.9 million followers.

Blomdahl was inspired to start posting about her life in Svalbard—an archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole—after taking a minute to absorb her unique surroundings while walking with Grim during polar night. Polar night is a months-long period in the winter when Svalbard receives no sunlight.

“It’s polar night, it’s 3:00 p.m., and it’s pitch black, and the Northern Lights are dancing across the sky. We don’t have any streetlights or anything out here, so if we turn off our headlights, it’s just pitch black and the Northern Lights. And it was absolutely gorgeous,” Blomdahl recalls to PEOPLE while speaking about her recent partnership with Peet’s Coffee. “And we passed by some polar bear tracks, and I’m like, ‘Where do I live?'”

Blomdahl decided to make a “talkative TikTok” about the moment, posted it to her account, where she had only a few other posts, and went to bed.

“I woke up, and it had gone so viral,” Blomdahl says. The clip now has over 9.1 million views.

She embraced others’ interest in the Svalbard style of living and started posting regularly about her life near the North Pole.

“It’s fun to share where you live and teach people about a different place,” she says.

Soon, a lucky individual will experience the thrilling beauty of Svalbard with Blomdahl and Grim as their guides. The duo has teamed up with Peet’s to celebrate the brand’s Bright Collection with the Peet’s Bright Contest.

The winner will get a trip for two to Svalbard in August when the village is experiencing polar day, meaning 24/7 sunshine, making it one of the brightest places on Earth. The contest is accepting submissions through June 28.

“We’re really looking forward to that. We’re going to see walruses. It’s my favorite place; there’s a walrus colony, so we’ll take the lucky winners to go there,” Blomdahl says. “We will be sipping coffee and looking at the walruses.”

While Blomdahl shares her daily life on her social media accounts — including her morning walks with a coffee in hand — she says it’s Grim who’s become the Celebrity.

“When I meet people in the village, they can ask me to hold the camera because they want me to take a photo of them with Grim. It’s the best thing,” the dog mom says of the pooch’s fame.

The Arctic may seem like a strange home for a canine, but Grim is built for the locale. According to the American Kennel Club, Finnish Lapphunds like Grim were bred to be reindeer herders with thick, weatherproof coats.

Grim adores having a chilly winter wonderland year-round, especially during polar day.

“During polar day, the world is his oyster. He wants to be outside, wants to live outside,” Blomdahl shares.

Even better than polar day is the “sunny winter” weather of March in Svalbard.

“I’ve noticed that he loves polar day, but he is also a snow dog, so I don’t think he loves the sun and warmth. For him, six degrees Celcius is very warm,” the Pet parent explains.

In March, “it’s cold, but it’s also sunny. I think that’s when he’s living his best life: winter dog deluxe,” she adds.

Grim does face a few obstacles in his life that are foreign to other Pets. Blomdahl always carries a firearm when she walks Grim, so she is prepared to scare off polar bears.

Blomdahl says Grim has not come “face-to-face close” with a polar bear yet, but he saw one near their house while outside several weeks ago.

“He didn’t bark. He came inside straight away. He came to the door and asked to go inside, and that tells me everything I need to know. That means that he understands,” the proud owner says of Grim’s reaction to the bear.

While only one winner will get the trip to Svalbard to meet Blomdahl and Grim in person, anyone can get to know the pair better on social media. Blomdahl hopes these interactions leave people smiling.

“I love that a dog can give people so much joy. People can just love watching him,” she says.