Before this week, chances are you'd never heard of tanukis unless you'd been to Japan. These dogs, called "raccoon dogs," get their name from their raccoon-like appearance. They're long-haired and fluffy, and their eyes are "masked" just like raccoons. However, they are not, in fact, closely related to raccoons at all, says MNN. One tanuki in particular has caught the Internet's attention this week, and his name is Tanu.
Tanu's owner, Chibi Tori, has posted dozens of pictures of the adorable pup on his twitter account. Tori found Tanu abandoned last summer and decided to take him in, and it's worked out splendidly, reported Buzzfeed News.
It's not recommended to keep Tanuki dogs as pets, as they are usually found living happily in the wild, but Tanu is clearly a happy exception to the rule, said New York Magazine.
