A loyal stray dog gets his reward – an employee badge and a forever home – after committedly showing up to a car dealership each day.
The Hyundai dealership in Brazil found a dog roaming around and, at first, assumed it would eventually leave. Yet the animal lingered even after some time had passed.
The showroom manager, Emerson Mariano, felt sorry for the dog caught in the rain, so he decided to let him into the store for shelter. He gave him food and water until it was time to close up shop.
Mariano had the idea to adopt the stray dog and make him the dealership’s mascot.
Emerson told Tribuna Online, “I got attached to him, and when I saw that the whole team liked him very much, I decided to suggest to the board that we adopt him as our mascot.”
“We’ve always been a pet-friendly company, so we decided to get our own pet,” he continued. “It’s complicated enough as it is with all the abandoned animals out there.”
The dog, who was eventually named Tucson Prime after a car, was adopted by the company last year. However, it wasn’t until recently when they posted about the pup’s life at their dealership on Instagram that the story went viral. An honorary employee, Tucson Prime proudly wears his identity card around his neck as he greets other employees and customers alike.
Tucson Prime car dealership has seen a surge in morale, according to Mariano, the office spokesman.
He told the outlet that not only are customers happy with their purchases, but they love coming back to visit him and bring gifts as an appreciation for his services.
With a devoted Instagram following of 122,000 (10 times that of the dealership), Tucson Prime’s celebrity status has helped him land a role in an upcoming Hyundai ad campaign.