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“Teacup Werewolf”: This Shelter Is Rebranding Mixed Breed Dogs and Boosting Adoption Rates

Shelter volunteer Adrian Budnick proves that hard-to-adopt rescue pets can benefit from clever marketing.
ByCaLea Johnson|
Mutt, or “Himalayan fur goblin?”
Mutt, or “Himalayan fur goblin?” | Lourdes Balduque/GettyImages

The pup in the video below might look like a typical pit bull, but she’s also known as a “swirling cinnamon sugar funnel cake” on social media. In recent years, animal shelter volunteer Adrian Budnick has started giving adoptable canines creative names to increase visibility and boost adoption numbers. It’s safe to say her efforts have paid off.

According to the Associated Press, Nashville, Tennessee’s Metro Animal Care and Control facility has seen a more than 25 percent rise in adoption rates between 2021 and 2024. The primary reason behind the feat is Budnick’s quirky way of promoting the shelter’s dogs. 

The idea came to the animal photographer and volunteer when the COVID pandemic arrived. Budnick tells AP that she was the only worker allowed to enter the Metro Animal Care and Control facility at the time. She started sharing TikToks as her country-fied, cowboy-hat-wearing character Anita Walker before going viral with her “What’s this then?” series. In response to people complaining about shelters not having enough breeds with curly fur, she picked up a curly-haired dog on camera and asked “What’s this then?” in what she described as her “Karen” voice. Budnick dubbed the dog a “Himalayan Fur Goblin,” and the video was an overnight success. She kept the formula going with more creative breed names: “tater tot terrier,” “teacup werewolf,” and “speckled freckled cuddle calf,” to name a few. The volunteer shared that the shelter’s online follower count skyrocketed from 20,000 to 100,000 in about four months.

Metro Animal Care and Control has seen other benefits besides an increase in followers and adoptions. Budnick’s videos have also led to more donations of money and supplies to the shelter. It’s also led to potential owners specifically asking for dogs using the silly names they heard on TikTok—which the volunteers get a kick out of.

Budnick is aware of the stigma around animal shelters, and she hopes her videos of happy, loved dogs depict a side of shelter life the public doesn’t often get to see. Though adoption is the end goal, Metro Animal Care and Control works to ensure its pets are comfortable and happy while in its care.

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