Popeye the pup is a furry 4-year-old living it up in Southern California.
All photos courtesy of Popeye the Foodie Dog/Instagram.
But things weren't always so bright and sunny for the little guy.
About three years ago, his human, Ivy Diep, spotted him wandering the streets alone — dirty, heavily matted, and skinny.
"He had just crossed a major street and I thought, 'Oh, I hope that pup's going to be okay,'" Diep wrote in an email. "I had returned home that day and was about to head out again when I saw him again across the street from my house."
This is what Popeye looked like when Diep first found him on the street.
Concerned for his safety, Diep called out to him.
"He actually came to me!" she said. "Some dogs would bolt, but he didn't."
Diep loved Popeye but was hesitant to welcome him to the family at first. After all, she already had a house full of pets; she wasn't looking for any more canine additions. But no one else would take him.
She decided it must be meant to be. And boy, was it a great decision.
Although Popeye can sometimes be "a loud barky monster to new people and dogs," Diep said, now he fits right in.
"It wasn't long before he made himself at home at my place with my other dogs," Diep told Bored Panda. "And of course, my husband and I fell in love [with him, too]."
Popeye, like many dogs, loved being out and about. So Diep began bringing him on lunch dates and documenting the fun.
Their foodie adventures are as adorable as they are delicious.
So adorable, in fact, that a friend of Diep's recommended she start Popeye's own Instagram account to share their lunch dates with the world.
Today, Popeye the Foodie Dog has over 131,000 followers on Instagram.
It's difficult to know what fans enjoy most — the mouth-watering food they get to scroll through, or Popeye's delightful little expressions.
"He has a lot of personality in his face," Diep said. "It's adorable to capture."
Don't worry, though — Popeye doesn't eat any of the human food that could harm him. The photos are mostly just for show.
"He'll get nibbles of anything that's safe," Diep explained. "I also carry a bag of treats for him, in case there's nothing he can have."
Mostly, though, Popeye just loves getting out there and seeing the world.
Sometimes he'll dress for the occasion, too. Like on St. Patrick's Day.
"Where's the green beer?" reads the caption on Popeye's Instagram. "Giant prawns with garlic butter sauce over rice for our St. Patrick's Day lunch."
When Popeye's itching to get a taste of some French crepes, he's got to look the part.
And when he's enjoying a plate of BBQ? Cowboy hats are mandatory.
Diep is so glad she saved Popeye from the streets that day three years ago. Who knows what would have happened to him otherwise?
Many dogs aren't so lucky. It's difficult to tally the exact numbers, but the ASPCA estimates roughly 7.6 million cats and dogs stay in shelters across the U.S. each year. That figure, of course, doesn't include the millions more that are living on the street, like Popeye had been.
Tragically, when they're not adopted or returned to their humans, many of these animals are euthanized. That's why helping rescue dogs (and cats) find forever homes is so crucial.
Diep certainly recommends welcoming a rescue if it's right for you and your family, but with one big disclaimer: You must practice patience.
"Although Popeye was pretty easy as he's a really mellow, chill dog," she noted. "He was not house-trained and had a lot of fears — loud noise or a stick of any kind."
"He used to bolt anytime he saw us lift a broom or duster, even chopsticks. It made me wonder if he was possibly traumatized in his past," she said.
"I don't know what he went through before us, but I'm just glad that he's learned to love and trust that we won't hurt him."
As is the case with welcoming any new dog to the home, there have been a few bumps in the road. But the pros of accepting Popeye far outweigh the cons.
"All the work in house-training him and the property damage he caused was all worth it," Diep said.
There are probably plenty of cats and dogs in your own area that could use a warm bed and four walls to call home.
Help dogs like Popeye find forever homes in your own community today.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
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Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."