One pup had an unforgettable celebration for his milestone adoption anniversary.
On Sept. 21, Sophie Vershbow shared a post on X about how her friend sent $100 to a group of them to take her dog, Sweeper, out to a special lunch. The friend was out of town, but she wanted to make sure her pup got a proper meal to mark 10 years since he had been adopted.
The post included two photos and a video of Sweeper taking a seat at a table with the girls, eyeing and drooling over a cheeseburger plate with fries, and the internet couldn't get enough. Now, the post has accumulated over 10 million views and about 500,000 likes.
Speaking to TODAY.com, Vershbow explains the friend's request and how Sweeper is "special" to the group at large.
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Sweeper, likely a spaniel mix, was adopted from Ruff House Rescue in New York when he was 1, which makes him 11 years old today.
“He was really the first dog of the group, so he holds a really special place in our heart," Vershbow says. "And (my friend) realized she was going to be gone for his anniversary, and asked if we could take him out to lunch, a little treat for him."
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The group went to Fred’s on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, which is a dog-friendly establishment — and, by the looks of it, knows how to make a mean cheeseburger.
“We gave him parts of our cheeseburgers and then french fries, so he had plenty to eat," Vershbow says. "He also got some bacon off someone else’s plate." She clarified that Sweeper did not consume any onions, per concern in the comments section.
Fred's is known for hanging framed photos of dogs inside, and Vershbow noted that her own dog, Simon, has a coveted place on the photo wall. Vershbow goes to the American spot every year for Simon's adoptaversary.
Though Sweeper may not be a regular at Fred's, Vershbow says the dog seemed "really happy" and sensed it was a special occasion.
“We kept joking that he knew. I mean, we all love him," she says. "I think he’s just happy to be out to lunch with the gals anyway. But we’re not normally giving these dogs significant portions of hamburgers."
“We all want them to live healthy, long lives on non-special occasions. So, I think he picked up that it was (a) special day for him," Vershbow continued.
As for the rest of Sweeper's big day, Vershbow says the group took him on a long walk in New York City's Riverside Park.
Though Sweeper was the first pet to be adopted by someone in their close-knit group of friends, Vershbow says more of them now have dogs of their own, all of whom hang out together.
"Our dogs go a lot of places with us, a lot of outdoor dining and drinks. When we’re all together, at least one of our dogs will be there, usually," she says.
Vershbow also enjoys sharing fun adventures with her friends and their dogs on the internet. Simon has his own Instagram page, too, which has over 20,000 followers.
"I truly believe in putting positivity and just cute stuff out to the internet," Vershbow says. "Everyone's having a hard day."
"And so I tweet a lot of what I think are cute, positive things involving dogs, just because I genuinely think that that improves people's day, and that we all need that."
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