The moment a dog walked straight past his owner at the airport arrivals gate has left the internet in hysterics.
Many dog owners picture the special moment when they finally get to reunite with their four-legged bestie. It doesn’t matter if it’s been days, weeks, or even just a few hours – dogs know how to give a warm welcome.
At least, that’s what Laura Santos hoped for when she took Ritchie the Great Pyrenees to Fort Lauderdale Airport. They were there to pick up Santos’s ex (and Ritchie’s co-parent), Vinny, who had spent three months away.
They may have hoped for a heartwarming reunion, but that didn’t go to plan. Santos jokingly told Newsweek that Ritchie lives “in slow motion,” and his brain doesn’t automatically engage.
The footage shows Vinny standing with his arms outstretched, waiting for Ritchie to approach him, only for the huge dog to walk straight past him. Instead, Ritchie sniffed his owner’s neck pillow (which was, unsurprisingly, right next to Vinny), before wandering over to some other people nearby.
“For the summer, me and Ritchie stayed in California so it’s not as hot, and then he gets to spend a lot of time with dad,” Santos said. “We came back to Florida in September, and when I was on the way to the airport, Vinny had the idea to do the trend where you pass by the dog and see if they recognize you.
“Vinny’s problem was not carrying a beef stick with him – Ritchie can sniff that from miles away.”
The hilarious moment was shared on the dog’s dedicated social media page (@ritchiethepyr on Instagram and TikTok), and the internet is obsessed. In just a matter of days, the Instagram Reel has generated over 59 million views, while the TikTok post has attracted more than 13.8 million views so far.
The caption alongside the TikTok clip jokes, “He did a full on investigation to find dad.”
Thankfully, Ritchie was able to find his owner eventually and came running over. It was certainly a special moment for the duo, as Vinny gave Ritchie plenty of fuss and scratches.
Santos explained that she and Vinny have “shared custody” of Ritchie for the last four years. They originally got him when they lived together in Dallas, Texas, and he’s been an entertaining presence in their lives ever since.
The Great Pyrenees has given both his owners plenty of laughs and joy, and this latest moment was just another example of that. Santos told Newsweek that his oblivious confusion is just “so Ritchie,” and she wouldn’t have him any other way.
Social media users can’t get enough of Ritchie’s antics, leading to more than 2,200 comments on TikTok and 9,400 comments on Instagram.
One comment reads: “He checked everyone out first and you were the last option.”
Another person replied: “It’s a good thing he has a home because he would not make a good hunter lol.”
While one commenter joked: “He’s like just kidding dad, I knew that was you.”
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