BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Social media has changed the way humans find their pets and is allowing animals in shelters to have an influence on their own adoptions.
Phoenix, for instance, has her own page on TikTok. The posts show she is gorgeous, healthy, happy, and loved, but her story did not start that way.
An old video shows an emaciated Phoenix at the Humane Society of Broward County.
“We were on vacation in Mexico and then we were looking online at the Humane Society page,” Alfonso Bras said.
The lives of Bras and Phoenix changed.
“We were looking for a chihuahua, actually, and then I saw her like so skinny and I said, ‘No! That’s my dog,’” Bras said.
Phoenix’s eyes spoke to him.
“She was like really asking for help and I said, ‘I am going to do anything to help that dog!” Bras said.
Animals at Human Society shelters are stealing hearts around the world. One million TikTok users viewed Phoenix’s story and 7 million viewed a video showing her transformation.
“It’s funny because when we go out, almost every day, someone knows her from social media,” Bras said. “It’s crazy how she’s so popular now.”
Posts about another dog, Bishop, had 33 million views and another named Jerry had 10 million views. Bras believes Phoenix also motivated others to adopt other pets in need of a home.
“Her story helped other people to adopt dogs, too,” Bras said. “I receive a lot of messages from other people that they adopted other dogs because of her. She is amazing. I have no words to say how amazing she is.”
To follow the Humane Society of Broward County on Instagram visit this page, or on TikTok visit this page.
The Humane Society of Broward County is hosting The Walk for The Animals from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., on Saturday, at the Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park, at 80 Las Olas Cir., in Fort Lauderdale. For more information about the event, call 954-266-6817 or e-mail info@walk4theanimals.com.