Nation & World News
This may be the best official portrait ever
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When Missouri reporter Adam Aton stumbled upon former astronaut Leland Melvin's official portrait, he was clearly in awe. He tweeted it out expressing his joy at the find, and, not surprisingly, the photo went viral.
Not only is the longtime NASA employee grinning from ear to ear, he is being licked and affectionately attacked by two huge dogs. It's not your typical "official" portrait for any type of organization, especially NASA.
The former astronaut and host of the "Lifetime" show, "Child Genius," clearly has great affection for his two companions.
According to an article in "National Geographic," the dogs are named Jake and Scout. He adopted Scout when he wandered into his yard, and Jake is very protective and won't let anyone come close to him. So much so, that Melvin and the dogs appeared on an episode of "The Dog Whisperer" in an effort to correct Jake’s behavior.
The crazy accomplished Melvin (just look at his bio) did not brush off all the attention. He tweeted Aton thanking him for his praise and responding with a more controlled outtake from the photo session.
Melvin also confirmed via Twitter that he snuck the dogs into the picture.
This is an official portrait for astronaut Leland Melvin. Also, his handle is @Astro_Flow. I'm in awe. pic.twitter.com/KHWVo94mZO
— Adam Aton (@AdamAton) 
