Every city dog loves some off-leash park time, and Simon is no exception.
However, this New York pup has something really special. For most pups, when they come home, they immediately grab their favorite toy or run to their designated spot on the couch.
But, Simon has a special sash full of custom merit badges!
A Very Good Boy
Simon is something you call a professional good boy.
When he came into Sophie Vershbow’s home as her fifth foster through Hearts & Bones Rescue, he was the only one who became a permanent member of her family.
“It sounds ridiculous, but I saw one photo of him in the group of dogs coming up on the next transport from Dallas, Texas, and knew he was the one. I only had 48 hours to decide if I was going to foster or adopt him, but it was an easy decision. He blended into my life right away,” Vershbow told The Dodo.
But, Simon didn’t just blend into her life… he became the cutest part of it.
His adorable ears that bounced around whenever he had the zoomies or his need to curl up at her feet while she worked was something that truly brightened her day every single time.
However, his incredible response to emotional distress is what gave Vershbow the idea to bestow badges of excellence upon him.
“Simon’s first badge was a teardrop for ‘Outstanding Achievements in Emotional Support. If I so much as mumble, ‘Crap’ under my breath, he comes running from the other room to comfort me,” Vershbow said.
His hooman proudly crafted the badge using embroidery thread, making it known just how much she appreciated Simon’s attentiveness.
Of course, she also had to make a little doggo sash out of an old pair of jeans, giving this incredible pup the full experience. And, to no one’s surprise, he loved it!
“Simon looked so proud in the badge-ceremony video that I decided to keep going and do more,” Vershbow said.
Luckily, she captured this adorable moment, allowing us to get in on the fun as well:
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From that day onward, Vershbow made sure that her good boy got a badge for various good deeds.
Not long after his teardrop badge, he also received a badge for successfully hosting their houseguest and another for attending the family Passover seder.
Of course, as a proud New Yorker, his proper usage of public transport earned him am “MTA Ridership” badge.
“Simon has been awarded his 10th merit badge for being a good citizen of New York City. He eats lox, walks fast, and never pees on historically important monuments,” Vershbow wrote on X.
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As of now, this professional boy has 17 badges. Vershbow created a badge for his ‘Emotional Support,’ ‘Hosting Houseguests,’ ‘Attending Passover Seder,’ ‘Migraine Support,’ ‘MTA Ridership,’ ‘Thunderstorm Bravery,’ ‘Respecting The Ocean,’ ‘Extraordinary Ear Design,’ ‘Pup Cup Connoisseurship,’ ‘NYC Good Citizenship,’ ‘Self-love,’ ‘Park Patronage,’ ‘Advocacy [And] Fundraising,’ ‘I Did My Best’ (aka fostering), ‘Excellence In Winter Fashion,’ ‘Patience,’ and ‘Horticultural Appreciation’.
No Plans Of Stopping
Even though all of his badges are adorable and very much deserved, Vershbow stated that she is mostly proud of his migraine support and “I Did My Best” badges.
“Emotionally, my favorite badges are ‘Migraine Support’ for spending countless hours in bed comforting me, and ‘I Did My Best’ for tolerating his foster siblings. He really is doing his best,” Vershbow said.
Even though his collection is pretty large, neither Simon nor Vershbow plan on ending this cute tradition. They are currently working on his first partnership badge to support one of his favorite organizations.
I am sure that wearing such a heavy sash is not an easy task, but he sure does wear it with honor. And, Simon has no plans of ever stopping.
“Adopting Simon was the best decision I’ve ever made. He is worthy of a thousand merit badges,” Vershbow concluded.
