A heartbreaking photo of an English bulldog looking longingly at the children he used to play with before the coronavirus pandemic has gone viral — with thousands of fans admitting that they can relate to his quarantine woes.
Costume designer Rashida Ellis, 38, from Atlanta, Georgia, took to Twitter on Tuesday to post a snapshot of her three-year-old dog Big Poppa looking dejected while sitting on their balcony.
‘Big Poppa has been so sad today, I think he miss[es] playing with the kids in the building. He just watches them from the patio,’ she captioned the image, which has attracted the attention of Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres.
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Heartbreaking: Rashida Ellis, 38, from Atlanta, Georgia, took to Twitter on Tuesday to post a snapshot of her three-year-old dog Big Poppa looking sad
So sad: Rashida (left) said her dog misses playing with the kids from their building, and when she took his photo, he was staring at two young brothers
‘Not being dramatic but I would literally die for Big Poppa,’ Maisie, 23, tweeted, and she wasn’t the only one who has fallen in love with the sad pooch.
Since Tuesday, Rashida’s photo of her crestfallen dog has been retweeted nearly 50,000 times and has received more than 450,000 likes. ‘Big Poppa’ even became a top trending topic in the U.S.
‘We need to make the world a better one for Big Poppa,’ author Jessica Valenti commented, while John Paul Brammer wrote: ‘I detest the world that hurt Big Poppa.’
Ellen, meanwhile, was among those who stressed the importance of social distancing and staying quarantined so the dog can be reunited with his pals as quickly as possible.
No luck: The costume designer said she has been trying to make Big Poppa feel better to no avail. She even bought him a new doggie bed
‘Stay inside. Flatten this curve. Do it for Big Poppa,’ the comedian tweeted.
Rashida explained in the comments that she has been trying to give her beloved pet hugs to make him feel better to no avail.
‘I’ve been trying but he loves children more than anything and not being able to play with them daily but he can see them… I think it’s taking a toll on him,’ she admitted.
She later posted a video of Big Poppa still looking sad while lounging in his new doggie bed on their balcony.
Going viral: Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres were among those who commented on the photo of the sad pooch
‘I bought Poppa a new bed during lockdown,’ she explained. ‘It arrived too small but he wouldn’t get out of it.’
Big Poppa’s @popthebulldog Instagram page has amassed more than 18,900 followers and features plenty of photos of the dog moping around during the global crisis.
‘The sad thing is we have to social-distance even him,’ Rashida told BuzzFeed News. ‘When he’s inside, he just walks out to the patio looking for people. He’s sleeping more. He’s a little sluggish. I can tell he’s not as happy and excited as he usually is. He’s probably tired of just me playing with him.’
She also revealed her viral photo of Big Poppa has a tear-jerking back story. The dog was staring at two young brothers playing in the courtyard when she snapped the picture of him looking depressed.
Famous pooch: Big Poppa’s @popthebulldog Instagram page has amassed more than 18,900 followers
Hard to handle: Many of the quarantine pictures show him looking forlorn because he can’t play with anyone else besides his owner — even when they’re on walks
Too cute: After his photo went viral, Rashida shared a heartwarming throwback photo of Big Poppa as a puppy
‘He kept making noises to get their attention, but we’re six stories up and they can’t hear him,” she recounted. ‘I was like, Oh my god, he’s really sad.’
Many people have shared photos of their forlorn dogs in the comments of Rashida’s post to let her know that Big Poppa isn’t the only one who is feeling down and out in quarantine.
‘My bulldog is also kinda bored but is enjoying the quarantine cuddles. But on HIS terms,’ one person wrote while sharing a photo of his dog laying on his leg.
‘Same energy from my girl, Large Marge,’ someone else captioned a picture of his sad pup on the couch.
And one woman shared a picture of her dog looking miserable, writing: ‘Charlie understands.’
Dogs in quarantine: Many people have also shared pictures of their forlorn dogs in the comments of Rashida’s post to let her know that Big Poppa isn’t alone in his sadness
