Some of the most active communities (or “sub-reddits”) on social networking site Reddit are dog-centric. One of these “subs,” r/WhatsWrongWithYourDog, encourages users to share cute photos and stories of dogs doing weird things or just looking goofy as heck.
On Feb. 2, 2022, user “pixieclifton” posted a photo to this sub-reddit of a black dog with pointy ears and a killer underbite. The dog, named “Bat” (for the simple fact that she looks like a large bat,) was brought to a kill-shelter in Arkansas.
In the post that ended up receiving 38.8k upvotes, u/pixieclifton wrote:
“This little derp-faced cutie is up for adoption in my town. If I didn’t already have two dogs, my feet would have wings on the way to the shelter. Meet Bat. A more apt name does not exist.”
Dog Lovers Of Reddit Fall In Love With “Bat”
It turns out the Reddit community adores this quirky-looking Chow-mix. Hundreds poured into the comments to compliment Bat and wish for a happy life for her.
As the views of “pixieclifton”‘s post kept climbing, so did genuine interest in adopting Bat from the Arkansas shelter. When they called the next day, the shelter told “pixieclifton” there had been four calls about Bat that day.
At that point, the dog was still up for adoption. The shelter said Bat wasn’t in danger of being euthanized since they aren’t currently full, but no one on Reddit would allow that to happen in any case.
“If anyone is considering adopting her, GO NOW! I am going to continue to check on her in case the shelter does get full. In that case, I’ll go get her and try to find a rescue group to take her. But you guys…BAT AWAITS YOU.”
Bat Gets Adopted!
On Feb. 8, six days after she went viral, a volunteer shared on Facebook that Bat had been adopted. The family that ended up taking Bat home saw the dog’s photo in a Facebook group. Just like thousands of others, they fell in love with Bat’s face.
“pixieclifton” got in touch with Bat’s adopters to update the curious Reddit community. They wrote in a comment:
“I’ve talked to them and they sound like the best possible people to have Bat. They found out how many people here were loving on Bat and decided to reward us with info and photos! How lucky are we?”
Bat’s new family made her an account: u/MynameisBAT. Follow them for updates on how she’s adjusting to her new life and home.
“Bat is getting settled in to her new home with her new family. She’s doing great from what I am told! As she gets better acquainted with her new, cushy life, there will be many more Bat photos and updates.”
“pixieclifton” also noted how “sincerely touched” they were at “how wholesome and kind this whole thing has been.”
“I just saw Bat on FB, fell in love, and wanted to share that sweet, quirky face. I had no idea Bat would get so much love.”
Other Dogs Like Bat Await Rescue
When shelter dogs go viral online, they tend to receive more adoption inquiries. One Reddit user, u/beccab309, had this to say to anyone who wanted to adopt Bat but was too late:
“Hey redditors! If you show up to the shelter tomorrow looking for Bat and she’s been adopted, make sure you go look at the other animals too! She may have been you[r] reason for coming, but someone else might be waiting for you!”
Bat’s “derpy” face is now the featured image of the “What’s Wrong With Your Dog” sub-reddit. She represents the “ugly cute,” the dogs whose unconventional looks have no bearing on what they bring to an adoptive family.
A new subreddit, r/MyNameIsBat, is dedicated to not only Bat, but the shelter dogs she represents.
H/T: Reddit
Featured Image: Reddit
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