Couple go viral after they use gender reveal to announce they have adopted a dog
Little Percy was adopted on March 6, weighing 8lbs 10oz
BABY announcements and gender reveals have become a huge trend on social media, with parents-to-be often thinking up creative ways to announce their news.
But one couple's gender reveal went viral this week, after they told friends and family they were having a puppy instead.
Animal lovers Lily Denesha and Paul Callahan from Idaho in the US, fooled their followers into believing they were expecting a baby, after they revealed their "family is getting bigger".
Hiring professional photographer, Claire McPhilomy, Lily and Paul posted a series of images of their exciting news, with one shot showing the couple holding a box of blue balloons, with a sign reading: "It's a..."
But in a hilarious prank, the pair announce they are actually adopting a three-month-old puppy.
The adorable Shiba Inu pup - named Percy - is attached to the balloons and in the next image, Lily holds him up for a cuddle.
"I've always loved gender reveals and pregnancy announcements, but I don't plan on having kids any time soon," she explained.
"Also, my mum didn't want me to get a dog, so I was hoping that by pranking her into thinking I might be pregnant, she might be a little more accepting of a puppy and it actually worked!"
Little Percy was adopted on March 6, weighing 8lbs 10oz.
Lily explained the couple "couldn't resist him".
"Paul and I are both animal lovers," she said.
"We foster orphaned kittens and rabbits, and we currently have one rabbit of our own.
"But earlier this year, we fell in love with our friend's Shiba Inu and we couldn't stop thinking about the breed!
"When we saw that Percy was available to adopt, we just couldn't resist.
"And now that he's part of our lives, we can't imagine living without him.”
The couple's photographer explained she was "so excited" when she was asked to do the shoot, revealing she's a "sucker for any and all dogs".
"The fact that I was being given the opportunity to not only take pictures, but to take pictures of a precious puppy made me incredibly happy," Claire explained.
"Percy was so curious and excited that he moved around a lot, so we had to work quickly to get pictures of his face!
"He also was a bit of a runner which made getting photos of just him nearly impossible!
"We used a ring of jingle bells and a bag of turkey to keep his attention.
"But people love the photos. It is hard to go wrong with pictures of puppies in bow ties.”
Since sharing their special announcement, the photos have racked up more than 16,000 likes.
"I thought that a few people would think it was funny and it would get a couple of likes. I had no idea that this many people would share it," explained Lily.
"I am so grateful that a few people ended up thinking it was as funny as we did.
"My favourite picture is definitely the wink at the end! I love that Percy was in on the joke.
"He's like 'Yeah, I gotcha, didn't I?!'"
Lily also took the opportunity to encourage people to adopt dogs, revealing she hopes the photos will inspire others.
She said: "I really hope that these photos will help inspire people to adopt.
"There are so many dogs out there, both puppies and adults, that are looking for a place to call home.
"I also think that big announcements like these are great because it shows that you are serious about your pet becoming part of your family.
"Pets aren't temporary, they are family.
"If more people take adoption seriously, I think there would be a lot less homeless pets out there.
"After all no dog should be homeless and no home should be dogless.”
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