Creative ways to help shelter animals find forever homes

Shelters inundated with animals are nothing new — but increasingly ingenious methods are being used to find them homes.

One TikTok personality promoting an animal shelter down south has conjured some creative names for various canine breeds. For example, a curly-furred dog became a “Himalayan fur goblin,” which joined other imagined breeds, like the “Teacup werewolf” and the “Creamsicle push-up pup.” Then, to promote the shelter’s population of pit-bull mixes, she sang “I Want a Pitt-o-potomous for Christmas.”

Judging by the numbers, it’s working. Between 2021 and 2024, the shelter’s adoption rate jumped by over 25%.

Another shelter created “Diary of a Shelter Dog” on social media. Still others waive adoption fees — all to help animals find their forever homes.