I’m sure most of you have heard of Boo the pomeranian. I know I certainly grew up loving the dog breed and giving my best attempt to try persuading my parents to adopt one. From shirts to stuffed animals, this dog became extraordinarily popular. 

Boo was not the only famous pet, however. Pigs, dogs, birds, etc., have risen in fame for a multitude of reasons. Their heroic actions, like dragging humans from their burning homes to attacking intruders, and jumping in front of bullets have gotten much attention from the media.

In one case, a cat named Meatball living in an apartment building in France saved 11 people by alerting them to a fire. When she saw the fire, she began scratching the floor, alerting her owner and the people below to the threat. Everyone got out safely and the fire was quickly put out.

Along with cats being able to sense danger, a bird named Pearly also managed to save her family from a fire. Pearly’s family woke up in the middle of the night to loud screeching and after venturing downstairs to calm her, took note that the bird was trying to warn them. As it turned out, the fire’s smoke had not set off the fire alarm but with the help of Pearly, they were alerted quickly enough to get out unscathed.

Cat, bird, now of course we have to talk about this dog’s heroic actions in saving his owner from a fire. In 2014 Indianapolis, a 13-year-old deaf boy was saved by his pit bull, Ace. The boy, Nick, had fallen asleep without his hearing aids and would’ve most likely slept through the fire if it hadn’t been for his dog licking his face. According to Nick, his dog wouldn’t stop licking him until he had gotten up and upon seeing the smoke filling his room, was able to get outside.

Heroism is not the only way some of these pets can get famous though, I mean look at Boo for example. Funny videos and cute posts have made animals go viral. From Thomas Edison who filmed the first cat videos on his kinetoscope to Grumpy Cat, these animals have grown in popularity thanks to memes the comedy people find in their expressions or actions.

For Chloe Kardoggian, the chihuahua of graphic designer Dorie Herman, fame rose because of viral videos and her comedically oversized tongue. Sporting over 90,000 followers, this dog’s social media has not only gotten her advertisement deals with companies like Clorox but, has raised awareness for other senior rescue animals.

Thanks to platforms like Tiktok, the viral videos of animals are at an all-time high. Following trends like “What would my pet do” or doing parodies of relationship trends only continues to bring pets and their personalities to light. 

This being said, who knows what would happen if you posted cute or funny videos of your pet now? Maybe hop on the trend and see what happens and if you do, I hope I get the chance to see it!!