NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An Arkansas dog has taken the internet by storm recently, and it's all thanks to an uncanny resemblance to another type of animal.
Meet Bat, a rescue dog from North Little Rock that looks very similar to the animal that inspired her name.
The story of Bat is an uncanny one, from the dog's appearance to what led to her getting adopted.
The unusual nature of it all turned Bat into an overnight sensation online the moment she reached the North Little Rock animal shelter.
Meet Bat, the Arkansas Dog that looks like a bat
The fascination with Bat started after someone posted her unorthodox look into a Facebook group, with her pointed teeth and ears, grabbing the attention of thousands of users on the social media platform and even on Reddit.
That same popularity would later lead to her finding her forever home, with a Little Rock couple finding Bat through that same Facebook group.
"My wife and I live in the local Little Rock area and are dog and animal fanatics. We have multiple rescued pups and are always on the lookout for shelter animals," one of the owners said. "We've been out of the market for years since moving to Arkansas until I stumbled upon a picture of the most bizarre, adorable dog I'd ever seen! It was on a Facebook group called "Toofers" which has amusing pictures of dogs across the country. When I noticed the location I had to stop everything and learn more. The ad showed that Bat was about 15-miles from work at our local shelter. I immediately sent the link to my wife."
Bat has gotten so popular that she even has her own Reddit account, subreddit on the website, and Instagram account.
After coming to an agreement with his wife, the couple headed straight for the shelter to pay a visit immediately after work. But as he walked straight through the doors to see Bat, he had no idea just how famous his soon-to-be dog was.
"As we walked to the back I was informed 'you know she's pretty famous right,'" he said. "I was aware of the Facebook page but was notified of Bat's overnight fame on Reddit! Now I was getting a bit nervous. No name tag was required to identify our target. Bat was in full Bat-mode displaying her teeth, ears in full extension."
He knew that it was a perfect fit the moment that he locked eyes with Bat for what he said "seemed like a full minute." She walked straight to the front, wagging her tail for the entirety of their visit.
Bat's popularity wasn't just online either, it translated to real life with multiple people visiting and calling the shelter to ask about the dog's adoption status, all while he was there.
That's when he knew this was an opportunity that he had to take advantage of.
"A couple more texts and phone calls later we knew this was an opportunity we couldn't pass on. While hearing the North Little Rock shelter phone ring multiple times in regards to Bat and seeing multiple visitors arriving to visit with Bat, we opened her adoption packet and got the process going," he said.
"One poor family was devastated after they had a short visit with Bat hearing the news she had found a home."
Following her adoption, Bat has other new four-legged friends that will be roaming the household with her. She immediately became friends with the other dogs and the cats that the family owns.
"Our dogs were ecstatic to have a new member! Even our two cats quickly embraced Bat as one of the pack," he said.
The transition has been going well, but the family is still trying to figure out the little details about Bat, such as how old she is.
"Shelter vet felt like she was around 4-years-old. Our vet at Animal Care Veterinary Center in Conway is thinking closer to 8-years-old," he said. "Still up for debate. Her teeth unfortunately have shown a great deal of wear and tear."
While age remains a mystery for the time being, so does Bat's breed as well.
"Originally labeled as a chow mix. We’ve had a lot of great input from Reddit followers who feel like she is likely a schipperke. The vet agreed with both thoughts. We'll find out more with DNA testing later this week," he said.
After remembering that Reddit was the primary source of Bat's fame, with the family already receiving Bat-inspired fan art and poems, they decided to use the platform for a good purpose.
Bat's original post on r/WhatsWrongWithYourDog had gathered more than 30,000 interactions online, and with the help of fellow Reddit user r/pixieclifton, they created a personal page for Bat-- r/MyNameIsBat.
The page is dedicated to sharing photos of Bat and giving updates on her transition into her new forever home. The account also hopes to bring visibility to other foster animals and increase their odds of getting adopted.
"We hope to make 'MyNameisBat' a future domain for Pet adoption to help more awesome dogs, cats, or really any animal find a new loving home," he said. "Due to Bat's online post - her probability of adoption went from a possibility to an inevitability. Currently, we are promoting one awesome pup/cat per week on Shelter Pet Wednesday. Please visit your local shelters to help these animals find a new home."
In a very fitting fashion, Bat is serving as the mascot and spokesdog for her Reddit account which will hopefully lead to more animals finding a permanent home in the future.