According to Best Friends Animal Society, approximately 2.3 million dogs and cats were adopted in 2023—345,000 fewer adoptions than in 2019—with a net result of 415,000 adoptable dogs and cats being killed in shelters. But if just 6% of people who plan to acquire a pet were to adopt, we could empty America’s shelters, and not one animal would be killed unnecessarily.
That’s why the efforts of those who promote pet adoption are so important. Adrian Budnick, a volunteer at Nashville’s Metro Animal Care and Control, has saved countless lives of dogs and cats by using her creativity to bring some much-needed attention to the shelter’s animals. Budnik is a photographer who creates fun TikTok videos featuring shelter dogs, where she gives the unique mixes clever names.
It all began when she was making a video about a large “poodle-doodle” mix, as she calls it. The fluffy dog wasn’t like the pit bull types generally associated with shelters. So, she adopted a slightly annoyed voice, held up the big pooch and asked, “What’s this then?” before revealing it was a “Himalayan fur goblin.”
The video got a lot of attention on TikTok, and thus, she began a series of videos in which she gives creative names to the mixes and mutts at the shelter. The names are funny, but they are also perfect descriptions for one-in-a-million pups.
Kenny G: Frankenpaw
Kenny is unique, to say the least, because he looks like someone took the head from a dog and put it on the wrong body.
Katie: Snacklejack
Katie is called a Snacklejack because her ears resemble Doritos.
Pallet Jackie Wiggling Chewbarker
She is “small but mighty” and has a “thing for feet.”
Budnik also created a persona based on a used car salesmen who adopts “certified, pre-owned pets.”
Since the Himalayan fur goblin video, Budnik has gone on to present the “Teacup werewolf,” “Speckled freckled cuddle calf,” “French baguette long lady,” and the “Creamsicle push-up pup,” among others. The great news is that, according to Budnik, the number of adoptions at the shelter has risen by 25% since she began creating the viral videos. That’s incredible news at a time when animal intake is rising higher than demand at America’s shelters.
Budnik’s videos have caught the attention of adopters across the country and beyond. “We’ll get calls from all over. And it’s not just local here to Tennessee, even,” Metro Animal Care and Control Director Ashley Harrington told the Associated Press. “We’ve had an adopter from Canada. We’ve had ones from states all over.” Many of them call asking for one of Budnik’s specific breeds. “It’s been pretty great, and it’s been fun for our staff,” Harrington continued.
Budnik’s videos haven’t just been great for adoptions; they’ve also led to donations of money and supplies. A wall in the shelter’s volunteer room is covered with letters it has received referencing Budnik’s videos. For Budnik, it’s all a labor of love. “I’m just having fun,” she said. “I absolutely love dogs. I think they’re the best thing on earth.”
