Robert Moore of San Jose 'petted every single dog' that came by
More than 200 dogs showed up to wish a happy 100th birthday to a San Jose man at a tail-wagging neighborhood gathering that turned into a touching show of community support.
"It gives me chills just thinking about it," Alison Moore, 60, of San Jose, California, told Fox News Digital about the birthday party on June 17 that she organized for her father, Robert Moore.
"To think that about 160 dogs I'd never met before, and then their owners — sometimes it was a couple or sometimes it was a family of five — is just wild to me. It was so heartwarming that these strangers would take part of their day to come to my house to bring their dog to greet my dad."
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Dogs of all shapes, sizes, ages and breeds arrived in style — decked out in costumes, wearing sunglasses and party hats.
Some dogs rolled up in classic cars, wagons or in the back of pickup trucks. Others brought treats for both dogs and humans to share.
Robert Moore is surrounded by family and friends at a dog parade in San Jose, California, in honor of his 100th birthday. (Alison Moore )
"It was surprising and thrilling to see so many people and dogs who came out just to wish me a ‘happy birthday,’" Robert Moore said in a statement released to Fox News Digital.
"I’ve never seen so many wagging tails."
Alison Moore said she thought people would just walk by her house and wave, but it turned out to be much more.
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"It was so much better than I ever could have imagined," she said.
She said her father "petted every single dog."
Dogs Hazel and Ellie Mae rode over to the birthday party in their dad's 1958 Chevy Apache truck. (Alison Moore )
Alison Moore said that last year, she was thinking abut doing something big for the 100th birthday of her father, a retired dean of Science and Applied Arts at San Jose State University. He lives in an assisted living center in nearby Palo Alto.
"Most of his friends are gone and my mom is gone," Moore said. "A big party didn't make sense — and since he's been in assisted living the last number of years, the highlight is always when we would bring our dog to visit. And when we lost our dog in 2020, I would borrow my friends’ dogs. He just adores dogs."
Moore then decided a dog parade would be right up her dad’s alley.
"Some people looked at me like I was weird," Moore said. "But what else could you do for someone his age and when mobility is tough? It could be relatively short, not like a four-hour party or something. And that's how I came up with it."
Rusty the basset hound — who has a bad back — is shown greeting Robert Moore, his daughter Alison Moore and his son, Duran Moore. (Alison Moore )
The next step, Moore said, was finding a few people who would be willing to bring their dogs by her house to say happy birthday to her father.
So, she posted an invitation on her neighborhood websites.
"There are lots of dogs in this community," Moore said. "When you go down the little main drag of Willow Glen, Lincoln Avenue, you always see people with their dogs."
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Moore said she contacted the people on her street and her church and also invited her friends with dogs.
Seen here is a drawing created by a child in the neighborhood named Everleigh who made a picture of Robert Moore in his comfy chair with Millie, Alison and Tom Moore's dog, on his lap. (Alison Moore )
"I knew I could count on my friends because I had talked to them already," Moore said, adding that she thought 20 or 30 people would show.
"But then on [the app] Nextdoor, all these people were commenting like, ‘Hey, Banjo and I will be there.’ And I'm all, ‘What? Who is Banjo?' And then someone [else] commented, ‘Taco's excited. He'll be wearing a costume.' And I'm like, 'What?’"
Said Moore, "I could cry thinking about it. I bet I only knew about 40 of the dogs."
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Moore and her husband Tom also hosted family members who flew in from all over the country, including their daughter Emma Moore from New York City.
Briggs the Samoyed "drives by" in his dad's 1955 Cadillac to visit Robert Moore for his 100th birthday celebration in San Jose, California. (Alison Moore )
"When I saw the swarm of people coming from every direction at 11:05, I got tears in my eyes," Emma Moore, 25, told Fox News Digital.
"The line included many people of all ages with cards, posters and small gifts for Pop, as well as people with and without dogs who just wanted to wish him a happy birthday."
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Alison Moore's sister Vickie was in charge of making signs — and her niece Caroline, who also flew in from New York, made a TikTok video commemorating the occasion, as Robert Moore accepted each and every wish. (See the video at the top of this article.)
After the handshake, a boy introduces Robert Moore to his pup Leila. (Alison Moore )
Moore said she's always noticed the special connection her dad has with dogs — and vice versa.
"They lean their head on him," Moore said. "We have a new puppy and she’ll just put her paws up on his lap and lean her head on him."
Emma Moore said her grandfather was "overjoyed" by the turnout.
Robert Moore is surrounded by family and friends at a dog parade in San Jose, California, in honor of his 100th birthday. (Alison Moore )
"I was touched that so many strangers came to wish him a happy birthday," Emma Moore said.
"He is still so amazed when he sees the video of how many people showed up for him."
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Aside from watching her father relish the moment with his new furry friends, Alison Moore said the parade was a reminder of the good in the world.
Robert Moore celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by friends, family and 200 dogs, thanks to his daughter Alison Moore, 60, who spread word in their San Jose community. (Alison Moore)
"People who would take time out of their day to go wish a 100-year-old man who they don't know a happy birthday with their dog — there are great people out there," she said.
"People who care about others in their community."
Gretchen Eichenberg is a contributing reporter for Fox News Digital.
