11-Year-Old Boy Behind 'I've Pet That Dog' Won't Be Meeting Canines Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

The popular Twitter account “I’ve Pet That Dog” will be making some changes in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, the mother of the 11-year-old boy who runs the popular account — which boasts over 366,000 followers — announced that while her son would no longer be physically meeting all of the adorable canines, he “is not giving up on his project.”

“This is Gideon’s mom. With all that is going on right now, it seems wise for us to stay home as much as possible,” she wrote. “Gideon is not giving up his project. But for the time being, he may have to make some changes.”

Giving a hint as to what those changes entailed, the boy’s mother encouraged dog owners to send in all of their cutest dog photos.

“He would love to see pictures of your dogs. DMs are open,” she added, as she thanked the hundreds of thousands of people who have supported her son over the years. “Thank you all for the kindness you have shown my son. Be safe. Take care of each other.”

I've Pet That Dog Gideon and dog

Of course, it didn’t take long before the adorable canine snapshots started coming through!

“Be safe, Gideon! We will trade places and send you nice pictures for a change,” wrote one social media user alongside a photo of their large fluffy dog sitting on their lap. “This is my dog Jax. He is convinced that he can fit on any lap. Any lap at all. Because he is a Very Small Dog.”

“Pancake and Furman say it’s smart to socially distance,” added another, as a third social media user wrote, “Hi Gideon this is Artos and Omar in Vancouver. Have the best day!!!”

Taking things one step further, another Twitter user shared a video of their dog, who had recently moved to a home with a front yard for the first time — and couldn’t be happier about the change.

“Hi Gideon! My dog has been a city dog most of his life so he has never had his own yard. Today that changed. Here is a video of him zooming around his very own yard for the first time! Hope you’re staying healthy, happy, and safe!” they wrote.

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Since Gideon’s mom made her announcement, her son has continued to post daily — but now, instead of actually getting a chance to meet all of the canines, the boy’s posts are all about the dogs he “would love to pet.”

“I would love to pet Leila. She is a 10-year-old Basset Hound. Leila lost both of her eyes because of glaucoma,” read a recent post. “At 1st, Leila was very depressed and wouldn’t leave her caregiver’s bedroom. After 6 months, she started walking around again and began to adapt.”

“Leila is very independent. She doesn’t bump into things unless something has been moved in the house. She can’t hear very well, but she has a great sense of smell,” Gideon added. “She was at the groomer’s a few weeks ago and found someone’s lunchbox. She ate 2 sandwiches and some applesauce.”

“I think people like dogs,” Gideon, who is from Cedar Falls, Iowa, told PEOPLE back in 2018 when asked about the success of his account.

With his eye on the future, Giden added that he had no plans on slowing down.

“I will try to pet a dog every day,” he said at the time of his summer plans.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.