A rescue dog interrupting an important Zoom meeting to show off his favorite stick has delighted the internet, as many TikTok users praised the devoted “branch manager.”
Many remote workers know the perils of trying to be professional while having a needy dog by their side. Among them is Kristen Hoyt, 31, who captured the hilarious moment her Border collie and pit bull mix, George, leaped onto her friend’s lap during an important Zoom call. Hoyt told Newsweek that the meeting included “a variety of teams” across the company, but George’s playtime was more important.
Hoyt, from San Francisco, California, said her friend and colleague quickly turned her camera off before George came into view. While she managed to save herself from any embarrassment, she still couldn’t stop laughing at the rescue dog’s insistence that she pay him attention.
“He gets these zoomie modes where he just wants attention and is very vocal,” Hoyt said. “He started nudging my friend with his head, and when that didn’t work, he started using his voice to convey he needed attention. When that also didn’t work, he went and got the bone and tried sitting on my friend’s lap.”
She continued: “The camera got turned off very fast when my friend saw him coming. But that’s not to say that he hasn’t made an appearance in my Zoom calls before. I thought to myself, ‘You’re right, George, this could have been an email, and your bone should take top priority.’”
Hoyt, who rescued George in 2021 when he was 5 months old, couldn’t help but capture the moment he interrupted the meeting and shared the clip with their colleagues. George tends to make a weekly appearance in Hoyt’s calls, so seeing him interrupt her friend’s call was nothing out of the ordinary.
Indeed, he’s become a work celebrity and many joke that it’s “classic George” behavior. “Sometimes, I don’t get the opportunity to mute or turn off my camera before all 60 pounds of him are on my lap,” Hoyt said.
The footage was shared on George’s TikTok account (@oh_so_curious_george) and delighted social media users. The video has gained more than 135,900 views and 30,300 likes in just a few days.
While George doesn’t understand personal boundaries, Hoyt loves that about him, and she’s very used to him wanting to be on her lap at all times. Even if she’s on an important work call, his toys take precedence.
She told Newsweek: “He sleeps on me, sits on me, and doesn’t believe in sitting on the ground at restaurants or at bars because it’s too far from us. He is the most lovable and emotional animal I’ve ever met. You can see the emotion in his eyes and the love he has for my friends and family, and he shows it by giving them no personal space.”
Since the video was shared online, Hoyt has been amazed by the overwhelmingly supportive reaction. Fellow remote workers could relate to this everyday problem, and they even shared similar experiences of their pups prioritizing their toys over professionalism.
After showing how much joy and laughter George has brought into her life, Hoyt hopes to encourage more people to consider adopting a pet as she says they will “change your life.”
“George has gone from being extremely anxious to having the most personality in the room and loving everyone,” she said. “He came into my life when I was going through a breakup and saved me just as much as I saved him. He is my entire world, and I would encourage everyone to adopt a dog in need.”
With over 120 comments on the viral TikTok post so far, many hailed George’s hilarious work ethic.
One comment reads: “He’s saying, this could be an email, come play.”
Another person wrote: “He heard you had a zoomies meeting and clearly misunderstood.”
A TikTok user joked: “Listen to your manager, he says to throw the stick for him right now.”
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