There are loads of social media accounts dedicated to dogs, cats, and people loving both of those things. Some are highly edited and curated, while others are little organic gems of goodness, like Gideon’s. Gideon is a 10-year-old from Iowa that documents all the dogs he pets.
According to Outside, the pet-lover had interacted with more than 600 dogs, and Twitter is noticing: “One day in May, he went to school in the morning and had 100 followers and came home to find 5,000: with a few high-profile retweets, the internet had done its thing.”
I pet Tucker. He is an 8 week old Australian Shepherd. He was just adopted yesterday, when I took this picture. His new caregivers were buying Tucker food and toys. Tucker was the runt of his litter. He is an outgoing dog who likes to chase blowing leaves. pic.twitter.com/IJTXZPAd10
— I’ve Pet That Dog (@IvePetThatDog) November 7, 2018
Gideon’s account is managed by his mom and is currently at 45K followers. He writes little stories about the dogs he meets…and it’s adorable. Outside notes that he “asks owners a series of questions about each dog: How old is she? What’s unique about him? Do you have any funny stories? If it’s OK with the owners—in his posts, Gideon calls them caregivers—[his mother] takes a photo, and Gideon composes a description, which he dictates to his [her].”
I pet Jax. He is a Pitbull mix @CedarBendHS who needs a home. He was surrendered because his family moved. Jax is a curious pup who gets nervous around new people. He loves to play, especially in water. He does not like cats. Jax thinks of cats as treats. pic.twitter.com/QgC2O52qDo
— I’ve Pet That Dog (@IvePetThatDog) November 6, 2018
I love that while social media often keeps real-life interaction at bay, this 10-year-old has found a way to connect with hundreds of owners and animals and share it all over the world. Go, Gideon!
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