Most pet owners will use any excuse to lavish their animals with treats and rewards, but when it comes to their birthdays, they go above and beyond to ensure that it is a day to remember.
That was certainly the case for Apollo the pit bull who got to visit one of his favorite places on his birthday, Dunkin’ Donuts for a pup cup. Apollo’s owner Alysha Sophy, 24, captured the heartwarming moment he waited patiently for his delicious treat and was even serenaded with a rendition of “Happy Birthday” by the staff.
Sophy, from Orange County, New York, loved seeing how much her pup enjoyed his special birthday surprise. She told Newsweek that it was the sweetest thing the staff could have done.
Footage of the adorable moment Apollo, who was wearing his very own birthday hat, was shared on TikTok (@apollothebluenose), much to the delight of social-media users. In just a matter of days, the clip has already been viewed over 3.3 million times and gained more than 520,000 likes on TikTok.
“We go to our local Dunkin’ Donuts about once a week, and I usually take him with me as it’s our tradition,” Sophy said.
“I did mention to the workers that his birthday was coming up, but I was surprised when they started singing to him. I thought it was so cute, and I know he absolutely loved it. Dunkin’ is one of his favorite places, and he gets so excited to see everyone. They always greet him and give him lots of pets.”
Pets are more than just animals that take up half the sofa and spill food all over the floor. Indeed, 9 in 10 owners think their pets are part of the family, according to a YouGov poll.
As they are so integral to our lives, it is no wonder we love to spoil them and show them how much they mean to us. While 64 percent of owners do that by letting their pets sleep in the bed with them, 57 percent buy them gifts on birthdays or holidays. Just like Apollo, 40 percent of pets get their own birthday celebrations, too.
After being serenaded on his big day, Apollo devoured the pup cup and managed to get the cream all around his mouth. Sophy has no doubt he enjoyed every mouthful and loved receiving so much fuss from everyone around him.
Sophy said: “I wanted to do something special for his birthday, and Dunkin’ Donuts was able to help me do that. I’d like to thank the workers for their generosity.”
The response to the video has been unlike anything she expected, but Apollo has certainly won over millions of hearts online. Pit bulls may not always have the most positive connotations, but Sophy hopes that showing moments like this with Apollo will show that they have a much softer nature too.
“Most of the comments I received online were really sweet, and so many people thought it was a cute video,” Sophy told Newsweek. “I honestly didn’t think it would blow up on TikTok like it did, but I’m glad people got to see a sweet story about a pit bull because they get such a bad reputation.”
Apollo has certainly melted hearts on his birthday and the clip has gained over 9,100 comments on TikTok so far. One comment reads: “Honestly all other customer would’ve had to wait. He’s getting served first.”
Another person responded: “Happy birthday cutie! Shoutout to those amazing workers.”
A third TikTok user wrote: “I actually wanna cry, this is too cute.”
