Man Celebrates His 100th Birthday With Dog Parade Of 200 Canine Pals

Jun 29, 2023

Living for 100 years is a big milestone for a person as it could be the biggest accomplishment they had in their life. For some people, this should be an event worth celebrating, and there should be a grand festivity. 

However, a man named Dr. Robert Moore, who turned a century old in 2023, didn’t want a grand gesture from his family as he only wanted to pet dogs.

According to Dog Time, the family wanted to grant Moore’s wishes, so they took to Nextdoor, a neighborhood app.

They invited nearby residents around San Jose, California, to come over and have a parade of canines. 

In an interview with NBC Bay Area, the celebrant’s daughter, Alison Moore, told the outlet that they were expecting around 20 to 30 dogs to join the unique festivity.

However, when the day came, they were surprised to find out that there were over 200 dogs who accepted their invitation, and most of them were dressed in silly costumes like cowboy hats and tuxedos. There were also canines who rode cars, as well as dogs who had disabilities.

Since the then 100-year-old celebrant, who was a retired dean from San Jose University, was a dog lover himself, the daughter said her father was touched by his unique visitors, and he petted every single dog who partook in the special day.

In addition to having his wish come to life, dog owners also went the extra mile as they gave him lovely gifts like drawings, flowers, cupcakes, posters, and more.

The Moore family extended their gratitude to those who attended and helped pull off the celebration, as it was a birthday to remember.

In videos and photos shared online, the celebrant can be seen dressed for the occasion as he wore a blue long-sleeve polo, a pair of jeans, and a beret.

As he sat down in his wheelchair, countless dogs lined up across the street to greet him personally, and he knew what breed they were.

In a post made by We Rate Dogs on Instagram, the father of three received a big birthday card with signatures from those who attended. There were also several stickers of dogs in quirky costumes. 

The grandfather of five can also be seen with a big smile on his face seen in a video shared by News AU as canines go up to him one by one.

“Just hard to explain how special it was, he really felt the birthday love,” the dog-loving celebrant’s daughter said in an interview with NBC Bay Area.

His other daughter, Vickie Mallon, also shared her thoughts on the big day as she noted that it was “probably the biggest thing that’s happened to our family, that’s given us the most joy.”

Alison further expressed her happiness as she told the outlet that the grand move made her feel wonderful about the community, and the experience was special because most of the people who helped her family were strangers.

Online users who never got the chance to witness the heartwarming moment in real life shared their thoughts on social media. One person wrote, “It must have been a great day for all involved. It's a really nice story.”

“Such a beautiful thing to do!!!! I can’t believe so many wonderful people showed up!!Happy birthday Robert!!!” another one commented.

What do you think of the community’s big effort to celebrate the man’s 100th birthday with hundreds of dogs? Would you also want a celebration like this? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.