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He might be the most famous bus rider on the internet this week – and he’s a dog.
A minute-long video posted to TikTok, showing dozens of canine commuters all being adorable dogs as they board their own special bus and claim their seats, has so far garnered around 50 million views and counting.
It “really touched a lot of people’s hearts,” said Mo Thompson, who made the video with her husband Lee in Skagway, Alaska. Both operate pet walking and training businesses in remote coastal communities.
The dog bus is real, and not just an internet skit. Every day of the week, Thompson travels around Skagway taking his furry charges to take people out on adventures.
“We specialize in off-leash group socialization. We do trail manners, puppy socialization, take them out for hikes,” Mo said.
A viral video, taken from inside the bus, shows the dog – Jake – tied to the door and happily amble on board. He greets the photographer, stumpy tail wagging, before going to claim the seat and get buckled in. A half dozen other dogs chilling on another couch.
A few others were picked up – including Amaro, seen waiting patiently in the front yard before boarding – and soon the bus was almost full. It may be the only commuter bus in North America where no passengers look at their phones.
Mo has been running the dog business for some time. First, he will use his bike to go around town collecting a handful of mutts he will take care of. After a few puppies were added to the mix, she traded in the bike for her minivan.
That doesn’t go well.
“I learned that if you use a vehicle as a dog-walking vehicle, it will only be trashed. It smells like a wet dog and a dog fart,” he said.
Then last year he found a good bus for a good deal. Internet fame is just around the corner.
During the pandemic, Lee lost his job and so he helped his wife with the dog. Often those involved take photos or take videos to post online, for dog owners to see if the rascals have gone up for their hike.
“I’ll go back in my time, talk to the owner about everything. So it’s a lot easier to be like, ‘Yeah, just go ahead, I’ll make sure I deliver,'” Mo said.
They usually walk about 20 to 40 dogs a day, but in groups of no more than 12 or so. All the dogs have been given seats on the bus.
The Thompsons — two “goofballs,” Mo says — began to have fun with the video. One of them shows Mo walking down the aisle of the bus handing out snacks like a flight attendant. Another has Lee acting like a regular transit bus driver before the camera pans to show a seat full of dogs.
“People only lose to one,” Mo said.
The video started getting thousands of views and growing followers. When one video reached 50,000 views, the Thompsons were floored. But the number kept increasing – 100,000 views, then 300,000, then 8 million…
Now the biggest viral video — created because fans begged to see the dogs in it — is “amazing,” Mo said. He’s had calls this week from the likes of CNN and NBC.
“So it really spread beyond Skagway,” he said.
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