Man started carrying dogs in his backpack on the subway regularly. His simple idea changed shelter dogs’ lives
In the hustle and bustle of the city, people rush, eyes fixed ahead, conversations folded into headphones. Yet sometimes, something warm and small interrupts that pace, not loudly, not dramatically, but enough to make strangers smile at one another. One afternoon, that interruption came in the form of a dog’s face peeking out of a backpack on the subway. That was the scene one recent afternoon in New York City when Bertha, a white dog with brown spots, rode the subway nestled against Bryan Reisberg's back. She wasn’t going to a vet appointment or a groomer. She was simply being seen.
Bertha had been found on the streets and taken in by Animal Care Centers of NYC. She was no longer confined to closed interiors. Instead, she got attention from commuters on her day out, got a new toy, devoured a Pup Cup and strolled through the city happily. A few days later, she was adopted, per the Washington Post. Reisberg, not the owner, but a filmmaker and entrepreneur, spends one day a week taking shelter dogs out into the city in a backpack that reads “adopt me.” “The personality on this little girl, I truly did not want to leave her,” Reisberg said of Bertha. “She was just trying to kiss and love on people.”
Reisberg posts on account @madmax_fluffyroad the films of outing and edits the footage into short videos shared across social platforms. Together, they’ve garnered more than 75 million views. Out of the 11 dogs he’s taken on these city adventures so far, 10 have been adopted shortly after the videos reached the masses. “The primary goal of every video is to get these dogs adopted,” he shared with the Washington Post. Online, viewers seemed to feel the same pull Reisberg did. Comments poured in under Bertha’s video. “Bertha has such a gorgeous smile!” wrote @this_girl_emma_. Another user, @noah_and_lincoln, added, “Big Bertha is having the best day of her life. I hope she goes to a wonderful home soon!!” Others simply wished the best, @phillypetpages wrote, "What a beauty! Bertha - you’re happily ever after is coming!"
In 2015, Reisberg began sharing videos of his own corgi, Maxine, riding in a backpack. The clips went viral, earning Maxine the nickname “the dog in the backpack.” That dog dad later led Reisberg to launch "Little Chonk," a pet gear brand inspired by conversations he’d had with fellow pet owners online.
Earlier this year, a friend suggested he use that same reach to help shelter dogs. When Reisberg approached Best Friends Animal Society, which works closely with Animal Care Centers of NYC, the timing felt almost accidental. “He wandered in one day and asked if he could help,” said Julie Castle, the Best Friends Animal Society's CEO, while speaking to the Washington Post. According to ASPCA, 4.2 million shelter animals were adopted in 2024, but the number still wasn’t enough to significantly reduce overcrowding nationwide.
The impact was immediate. Castle said the videos didn’t just lead to individual adoptions; they helped more dogs overall find homes. In the past six months, the shelter has seen about 100 more dogs adopted compared to the same period last year. For Reisberg, the reward isn’t the view count. “It’s crazy to me, to be able to see a real-world direct impact,” he said.
You can follow Bryan's page @madmax_fluffyroad for more such dog adoption stories.