Potato is an incredibly social dog, and her favorite thing in the world is saying hi to everyone who lives in her neighborhood on a daily basis.
“Her personality is like a door greeter at a grocery store,” Cee, Potato’s parent (who asked that their last name not be included), told The Dodo.
Ever since she was 6 months old, Potato has always loved spending all day outside in the front yard, waiting for people to come by and pet her. It was her favorite hobby — until the pandemic started, and people were suddenly worried that Potato’s family wouldn’t want anyone petting her anymore.
Potato’s parents wanted to find a way to let everyone in the neighborhood know that it was OK to keep giving her love and attention, so they decided to make a sign.
“We wanted to reassure people it was OK to pet her,” Cee said. “Plus, she was getting depressed from the sudden lack of attention. She started barking at people she knew who normally pet her who had stopped. And we figured it would be a nice way to be connected to our neighbors and to help people feel a little less lonely during this weird time.”
Potato’s parents spent time crafting the perfect intro sign for Potato, something cute and friendly that showcased her personality. They posted it on the fence outside their house — and suddenly, people were even more in love with Potato than they were before.
Since the pandemic, it seems a lot more people are out and about taking walks where they live, trying to find ways to still get outside. Potato’s sign is such a cute thing to see, and has definitely brought many people so much joy.
“I first met Potato walking with my girlfriend in our neighborhood,” Sean Carr, one of Potato’s neighbors, told The Dodo. “With COVID my photography business was basically shut down, and she was working from home. We’d walk around looking at houses and all of the flowers and plants. One day we noticed the sign and that sweet little Potato. We’ve probably gone by at least once a week since to see if Potato is out.”
The sign has definitely drawn more attention to sweet Potato, and she couldn’t be more excited about it. She loves greeting her fans every day, and her family is thrilled that she’s so happy.
“People have been waiting 6 feet apart in a line on really nice days,” Cee said. “We are thinking of getting those spacer circles for the ground on the sidewalk. Sometimes people call her name in the yard while she’s indoors, and she anxiously rings her door bell to go out because she doesn’t want to miss them. If it’s a nice day and not raining and we’re home, she’s out there all day, from 10 a.m. to sunset.”
The pandemic has meant a lot of people are home more, and of course Potato loves spending time inside with her family too — but she has a responsibility to her fans, and she’ll never ignore that.
“She prefers being [with] her fans over her family,” Cee said.
