It is time to bid goodbye to Pippin, the face of WeRateDogs. You might not know the name, but you are definitely familiar with his face to the wholesome social media account. The owner announced the sad demise of his pet, giving Pippin an official rating of 15/10. Matt Nelson said his death was due to “complications of old age.” The page posted pictures of the pup including the surprised look on his face that caught Nelson’s attention at the beginning of his WeRateDogs journey back in 2015. Pet Dog Saves Owner from Being Bit by a Rattlesnake; Photos of Hero Taking the Nasty Bite on Face Goes Viral. 

“This is Pippin, but you know him better as my profile picture. He was the catalyst for the kindest online community ever, and his intense expression will never be matched. Pippin passed away this week due to complications of old age, but he’ll live on with every post,” reads the tweet which spread to all his fans now praying for his soul to find peace. For those who are not familiar with rating scale for dogs may note that 15/10 are given only to the very best pups, explained Metro. Twitter Account Rating Dogs Accused of Whitewashing Pet's Name! Vows to Never Rename Again. 

In 2015, as reported to the BuzzFeed, Nelson found Pippin’s headshot while on a Google search for an accurate profile picture to summarise his account. The moment he came across the pup’s expression, he knew it was the one! Nelson licensed the photo, and when the Twitter account began to garner traction, Pippin’s owner reached out. The 22-year-old told the media outlet, “It’s such a weird relationship. He wasn’t my dog but he meant so much to my entire online community.”

The Sad Demise Has Hit Twitter Hard.

Some Are Hoping Pippin to Say Help to Their Pets Who Are on the Other Side Too.

As the account has grown, followers love for Pippin’s great expression went wild. “I’m just thankful the family has been so welcoming and such good sports to allow one picture to be turned into a brand,” Nelson added. The 22-year-old estimated the number to be tens of billions of times that Pippin’s photo has been seen. He will live on forever on the internet. May your soul rest in peace Pippin, the goodest of dogs!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 23, 2018 01:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).