Good Enough to Be True: Man’s 100th birthday dog parade draws 200 canine friends

Sometimes, all you really want is to pet a dog.

This was the case for Robert Moore, a retired university dean who lives in San Jose, California, and, according to his family, adores dogs and petting them. 

So when Moore’s 100th birthday was approaching June 14, online posts said his family decided to organize a dog parade. But the canine congregation that showed up exceeded anyone’s expectations.

That’s how the story goes, according to a June 23 Facebook reel that displayed photos and videos of Moore’s big day. "This man just wanted to pet some dogs for his 100th birthday, so his family organized a neighborhood dog parade!" the video’s caption read. "Over 200 dogs showed up and lined up around the block to wish Robert a happy birthday." 

That reel amassed more than 440,000 likes and was shared more than 90,000 times, for good reason — the heartwarming story is Good Enough to Be True. Hundreds of dogs visited Moore for his 100th birthday, complete with birthday outfits and gifts, and he petted them all.

Our Good Enough to Be True stories are intended to highlight social media claims about uplifting news that would earn a True rating on our Truth-O-Meter. 

Moore’s daughter, Alison Moore, told The Washington Post that her father has loved dogs all his life and wants to pet each one he sees. The family wanted to do something special to mark his milestone birthday and posted on the neighborhood app Nextdoor, and on Facebook, asking  dog owners in the area to stop by with their canines for a June 17 pet parade.

With Robert set up in front of the house with a 100th birthday banner, the family expected 20 or 30 dogs. Instead, more than 200 dogs lined up, waiting patiently for their turn with Robert.

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The dogs wore their birthday best — which included tuxedos and mini cowboy hats — and came with cards, flowers, cupcakes and, of course, doggy kisses. 

"He was so overwhelmed," Alison told the Post. "He was just so sweet and talking to the kids and petting all the dogs and saying their names. It was so much fun."

We rate the claim that more than "200 dogs showed up and lined up around the block" for a man’s 100th birthday celebration Good Enough to Be True.

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