Senior deaf dog abandoned for years becomes internet sensation overnight after his goofy photo for vet file goes viral

As people sometimes do with awkward photos on official documents, a senior deaf dog with a tragic past had his own perfectly timed picture in his veterinary file. Dog owner Connor Bo shared a viral post on Reddit under the username u/xlM3NACElx that showcased his special pup, Mowgli, an Australian Shepherd, pulling a face hardly appropriate for a medical report. The photo captured Mowgli’s personality in the most unexpected way.

“They needed to take a picture of my dog for his file at the veterinarian today…” stated the post with 7,900 votes. Bo made sure to include a snapshot of the file with Mowgli’s goofy picture on display, boldly labeled “Medical Note.” The 14-year-old dog seemed startled, with his tongue partly out, as if he were hilariously posing for the camera. “Why’d they do my boy like this?” the owner joked. Bo and his dog had visited the vet clinic to update his vaccinations when the wide-eyed photo was taken. "They requested to take a picture of him for his file, leading to the funny photo you see in the post.” 

In an interview with Newsweek, Bo got candid about his beloved pet’s difficult past and living with an acute disability. "He is deaf in both ears. And he is very skittish around new people,” he revealed. Mowgli was adopted from a dog kennel where the owner previously worked. A family had surrendered him because they couldn’t care for his special needs. Therefore, Mowgli faced the challenge of both complete deafness and abandonment simultaneously. It is surprising to Bo that Mowgli remains a friendly pup regardless of everything he’s been through. “Seeing that he was a special needs dog and assuming it would be difficult for him to find a new home, I decided to adopt him myself and give him the loving environment he needed to thrive,” the dog dad said. 

Now, the duo live together in Dallas, Texas, and communicate through sign language. Bo shared that Mowgli is a good listener and has bonded with his two young children. "Mowgli is such a good dog given his circumstances, and the attention he is receiving is well deserved." The dog owner was elated by the overwhelming response to his post and the love and support from kind strangers on the internet. He hopes that the post will encourage more people to adopt dogs with special needs, as they, too, deserve another chance at a good life. 

Bo acknowledged that while going to a breeder to buy the ideal pet is convenient, shelter animals deserve love, too. Reddit users joined in with their own humor, with u/Lyrera writing, “That’s not a dog photo, that’s a passport pic for the Goodest Boy Union.” Meanwhile, u/LastDitchTryForAName joked, “If dogs had a driver's license or state ID, this would be the exact photo the DMV would have taken and used.” “He was definitely not ready for that photo, bless him,” added u/Embarassed_Bell7717.