Few things bring a tear to the eye of an animal lover quicker than a sad video depicting a homeless pet being ignored or neglected. One little fella named Bob included in a recent adoption event in New York City’s Central Park was the object of this type of sadness for the complete lack of attention he garnered. His foster mom, Julie Zeilinger, was so disappointed at the fact he was being passed over that she took to social media to vent and hopefully up Bob’s chances of finding a forever home. With a little help from an attendee, the tactic seems to have worked.
Badass Animal Rescue
Hosted by Brooklyn-based Badass Animal Rescue, dozens of animals were on display in hopes of finding permanent lodging with a new family. Bob, who is 3 years old and weighs 10 pounds, was at his very first adoption event after undergoing treatment for heartworms. He arrived in June from Georgia, and he’s been with Julie ever since. Bob was caught on video by Andrea Caceres, a pet illustrator who happened to be there. While all of the other animals were receiving attention, nobody stopped to look at Bob.
TikTok to the Rescue
Social media is well known for allowing subjects to catch fire after posting, but Julie wasn’t expecting Bob and his sad plight to go viral. Since Caceras uploaded the video, more than 470,000 people have liked it and the post has received nearly 3,000 comments — most of them were aghast that Bob was treated this way and completely overlooked. No worries, because now Bob has received hundreds of inquiries about him, and the applications to adopt are flowing in like water. So much for being ignored.
Getting Over Shyness
Interviewed by DailyMail.com, Zeilinger said that some people did indeed come up to him, but that it was difficult because Bob is extremely shy and that it “took him a while to warm up to us.” She believes the real reason he wasn’t as popular as the other animals was that he was so frightened being at an event like that. “He was very overwhelmed, and I think people sensed that and wanted to give him space,” she explained. Zeilinger added that whoever adopts him is in for a treat. “He is an incredibly sweet dog who just wants to love and be loved,” she shared.
