While out for a jog in Long Beach, California, Alyson Aguerrebere spotted a fluffy white dog standing alone on the sidewalk. The little pup looked completely out of place — no leash, no owner in sight — and Aguerrebere immediately grew concerned.
“She looked totally lost,” Aguerrebere said. “She just stood there, staring at me from like 40 feet away. I was ready to help her.”
But as she got closer, something unexpected caught her eye — a sign posted on the lawn nearby. It featured a photo of the dog and a hilarious message:
“I’m Harper. I live here. I pretend to be lost so you’ll stop and pet me.”
Aguerrebere quickly realized she’d been duped by Harper, a clever 3-year-old rescue dog with a talent for attracting attention — and she wasn’t even mad about it.
“The sign was so funny,” Aguerrebere said. “It turns out this is just her thing. So I gave in — I sat down and petted her and rubbed her belly for like 25 minutes.”
Harper clearly lives for affection. Her family allows her to hang out in the front yard during the day, where she happily lures in unsuspecting passersby for cuddles. Her humans always keep an eye on her from nearby, but they know there’s no stopping Harper’s love for love.
“About 25 minutes in, her owner came out and laughed,” Aguerrebere said. “She was like, ‘Oh yeah, she gets people all the time. She never wants to come inside because everyone pets her.’”
Harper fully embraced her new visitor, rolling onto her back and even climbing into Aguerrebere’s lap like they were old friends.
“I completely fell for her scam,” Aguerrebere said. “And honestly, I loved every second of it. She made my whole day.”
Harper continues to brighten lives one fake “lost dog” encounter at a time. If you’d like to keep up with her daily antics, you can follow her on Instagram.
