This "Backpack Hero" Just Helped a Rare Corgi Mix Find His Forever Home
People in New York see a lot on the street, and yet, a man carrying a dog in a backpack still makes them stop.
Pet influencer Bryan Reisberg doesn't do it for attention. He does it because it works as he hopes it will: get people to take notice of shelter dogs and get his furry companions adopted.
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Thanks to his walks around the city with shelter dogs, these animals that might sit unnoticed in a shelter suddenly get seen. People ask questions and follow along. Sometimes, the dog that goes for a simple walk with him outside of the shelter ends up with a forever home.
Related: Mama Was the 15-Year Shelter Dog No One Noticed-Until This Moment
It All Started With His Own Dog
Before he was known as the guy with the dog backpack, he just had Maxine, a corgi with a big personality and the kind of presence that draws people in. She turned everyday walks into conversations. People stopped and asked about her. They remembered her.
That's where the idea came from. If one dog could spark that kind of attention, what would happen if he used it to help other dogs?
A Dream Day for Jax the Corgi
The latest pup to take a walk with him was Jax, a corgi mix. They hit the park first, and Jax did what corgis do: nose down, moving from scent to scent like he had a map only he could read.
I carry shelter dogs around NYC in a dog backpack to help them get adopted. Meet Jax!
by u/kittytime in aww
At one point, Reisberg joked that sniff walks don't really apply to corgis. They're not exploring. They're hunting for food.
They stopped at a toy store, took a photo booth picture and ended the day with a puppuccino. It's the kind of trip most shelter dogs never get.
Somewhere in the middle of it, he laughed and said, "Maxine is going to kill me," knowing exactly how his own dog would feel about the corgi competition.
And in a Reddit update in r/aww, Reisberg delivered the best news: Jax was adopted after his video went online.
People Are Loving This Idea
The reaction online was immediate. One person wrote, "So glad to hear he got adopted already! Been following on IG for a while, have so much respect for what you do. Keep it up!"
Some saw more than just a feel-good story. They saw an idea that could spread. Someone wrote in the comments: "It's a brilliant idea!!! I hope it inspires others to do something similar because it's incredibly effective. I would do it in a heartbeat but I'm in the boonies… surely there's something similar I could think of…"
This isn't Reisberg's first success either. He has helped several dogs find homes just by walking them through the city and letting people connect with them in real life.
The Right Dog Finds the Right Person Faster
Videos like this spread for a reason.
People don't just see a dog sitting in a kennel. They see how that dog moves through the world. How he reacts to noise. Whether he leans into people or keeps his distance.
Those small details can decide adoptions. Jax didn't wait long after his day out. He was adopted soon after his video made the rounds.
A Simple Idea That Keeps Working
There's no complicated plan behind this. Take a dog out of the shelter, put him in the middle of real life and let people meet him without a kennel door in the way.
It answers the question most adopters have but can't always figure out inside a shelter: What is this dog like when he's just…living?
Jax answered that in one afternoon and got his forever home in the process.
Related: Fan-Favorite Pet Influencer Gets Heartwarming Surprise Fans Didn't Expect
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 12:48 PM.