The Adorably Funny Story Of How An Astronaut Fooled NASA Into Letting Him Do A Photoshoot With His Dogs (Viral Twitter Thread)

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Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Nov 19, 2023 11:00 AM EST

Dogs are everything to us. Dogs are the cutest thing in the whole wide world. Dogs are funny as heck without even trying. Dogs are life, dogs are love, and we are willing to do pretty much anything to be with them just a little bit longer. Now, we knew that we were a bit pupper-crazy, but now, after reading this story, we think that this obsession is universal to all doggo people. Because if you're someone who's willing to trick NASA into bringing your dogs to work… well, then you simply must be doggo-crazy. 

And that is definitely true for Leland Melvin. He is an ex-NFL player turned astronaut who is clearly obsessed with his doggos. We are sure that you have seen this photo before - two adorable doggos running up to their favorite astronaut. Who hasn't seen it? But do you know the whole story behind it? Because we didn't, and we didn't know just how much we needed to know it. 

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  • 01
    Historic Vids → @historyinmemes Follow Pictured above is Astronaut Leland D. Melvin's official NASA portrait. When NASA astronaut Leland Melvin was assigned to a space shuttle mission in 2008, he was told he could bring his family for the official photo shoot wearing the famous orange "pumpkin suit." They didn't specify two-legged or four-legged family members, and even though dogs were not typically allowed on the NASA base, Melvin considered his dogs part of his family.
    via @historyinmemes

    We all consider our doggos part of the family, that is simply true. And anyone who tells us that is silly is someone who has clearly never had a dog before themselves. Honestly, our dogs are even better than some members of our family, and we are not even shamed to say that. Dogs are pawfection. 

  • 02
    So, Melvin brought his rescue dogs, Jake and Scout, along with a neighbor who could hold them and keep them quiet in the back of his van. "I got to the guard shack, flashed my badge, and I gunned the van and drove to the photo lab," Melvin said.
    via @historyinmemes

    We swear, with every single sentence that we read of this twitter thread, we only fell in love more - both with Leland Melvin and with his dogs and even with this friend and the photographer. We have not read such a wholesome story in such a long time, and goodness, but we needed it. 

  • 03
    He then climbed the back stairs, where the photographer was waiting. Melvin went into the photo lab with 100 MilkBones to keep the dogs busy while he changed into his suit and came out. "They (the dogs) ran toward me, and I told the photographer to hold his finger on the shutter, and that's how the photo was born." After the photo shoot, Melvin had to change, and the MilkBones had disappeared.
    via @historyinmemes
  • 04
    "The dogs started barking, and a security guard came in and asked if there were dogs in there," Melvin said. "We said, 'No, that's the doggy screensaver!"" After he changed, he was able to quiet the dogs and leave the area.
    via @historyinmemes
  • 05
    9:46 PM 10 Nov 23 23.5M Views 7,339 Reposts 532 Quotes 106K Likes 3,975 Bookmarks
    via @historyinmemes
  • 06
    Cheezburger Image 9839662848
    via @historyinmemes
  • 07
    Time Capsule Tales @timecaptales Follow Replying to @historyinmemes Not just a former astronaut, Melvin is a former NFL player, current engineer, educator, speaker and dog rescue advocate. He grew up with family dogs including a collie named King. "I've always loved animals, but I didn't rescue any before Jake and Scout, which was later in my life."
    via @timecaptales
  • 08
    First came Jake, "who was being held by a family in a small closet during the day," Melvin said. It was approximately 2002 when Melvin found out about him from a former Russian teacher who said, "You need a dog. This dog is for you." Melvin was moving to D.C., and didn't think he needed a dog, but he checked out Jake and said, "I need this dog," and then adopted him.
    via @timecaptales
  • 09
    Fast forward four years later while Melvin was in his kitchen cooking for Thanksgiving. A neighbor came by and said that Jake was sitting outside Melvin's house. "No, he's not," Melvin said. "He's in my kitchen." Melvin went outside to find a dog that looked like Jake sitting in his front yard. He had no tags, and Melvin searched for an owner but none was found. "I believe the dog scouted me out. I think someone dumped him." He named him Scout, had him treated for heartworms, and the rest was hi
    via @timecaptales
  • 10
    9:47 PM 10 Nov 23 1.1M Views 20 897 Reposts 39 Quotes 18.6K Likes 371 Bookmarks
    via @timecaptales
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    Cheezburger Image 9839663360
    via @timecaptales
  • 12
    20 LELAND MELVIN NASA
    via @timecaptales
  • 13
    Time Capsule Tales @timecaptales Follow Replying to @timecaptales and @historyinmemes Leland talks about his new dog, Zorro. "I called the president of Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue, and I said, "Hey, do you guys have any puppies?" She just started laughing. She said, "This is Rhodesian Ridgeback rescue, OK? We usually rescue dogs that aren't wanted. Older dogs." And I said, "Well, OK, I'm going to keep looking for some puppies, but I'd like to get some rescues." A week later, she calls me back, an
    via @timecaptales
  • 14
    9:59 PM 10 Nov 23 94.8K Views .
    via @timecaptales
  • 15
    MIND CHANGER @Mindchangerx Follow Replying to @timecaptales and @historyinmemes Leland recent picture with his Rhodesian Ridgebacks. 10:12 PM 10 Nov 23 35.8K Views
    via @MindchangerX

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dogs twitter thread history doggo tweets viral astronaut true facts
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