In Memphis, Tennessee, Oliver was discovered as a stray after he refused to leave a family’s property. He was being collected by animal control agents, but every time one of them approached him, he would leap over the fence and leave the yard, as though it were a game. Finally, a humane trap had to be put up in order to capture him, and he was then sent to Memphis Animal Services.
Oliver’s new shelter companions immediately recognized that he had probably once had a home or someone caring for him. He was extremely intelligent, adored food and treats, and was aware that if he paid attention and behaved well, he would be showered with them.
According to Katie Pemberton, community engagement specialist at Memphis Animal Services, “I met him the first day he came in, and he sat for me instantly before I even showed him I had goodies.” Katie Pemberton told The Dodo. “Of course, he was much more eager to sit when the sweets were brought out. He would put himself up to the kennel bars more frequently as we got to know one another so I could pet him.
Oliver was so obsessed with eating that he rapidly developed a strong attachment to his dish and began taking it everywhere he went.
“The very first night he got here, our field supervisor passed by his kennel in our ACO intake room and noticed him with his bowl in his mouth,” Pemberton said.
“His cute trick was very effective because she gave him more food! Then when he moved to his permanent kennel, he kept doing it. He had his bowl in his mouth most of the time.”
It’s possible that someone from his past taught Oliver to pick up his food bowl as a fun little trick. It’s also possible that he’d been without food at one point, and was worried if he lost sight of his food bowl, he might not get fed again.
Oliver carried his food dish everywhere he went while staying at the shelter, and the workers there thought it was the cutest thing imaginable. It didn’t take long for the rest of the globe to start falling in love with Oliver once they started capturing images of his habit and sharing them on social media.
After Oliver’s images went viral, “we had a really uncommon quantity of enquiries about him – I wish every dog had as many people interested in adopting them,” Pemberton said.
Because of Oliver’s bowl fixation, he attracted a lot of attention and eventually had his forever family come to claim him.
On April 16, Oliver was adopted and left for his new family’s house. Oliver was ecstatic to learn that his food bowl was traveling with him.
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