Video of a BARCS surgical assistant comforting a frightened, crying puppy is going viral.
The footage, posted to the Baltimore animal shelter’s Facebook page last Thursday, has garnered 9.7 million views and more than 100,000 shares in just a few short days.
BARCS says Meesha, a pit bull mix, was coming off of anesthesia following a routine spay surgery before being adopted, and was a bit scared and disoriented. As staffer Dennis Moses carried the puppy to the hallway to give her a little reassurance, a BARCS volunteer walked by and captured the tender moment on film.
Bailey Deacon, director of communications at BARCS, told ABC2 that the video has attracted 30,000 new Facebook followers and has also inspired a spike in recent adoptions. According to Deacon, BARCS has seen more than 80 adoptions since the video was released last week, compared to around 50 adoptions this same time last year. They’ve even welcomed new adopters traveling to Baltimore from Pennsylvania and Virginia.
“It’s been really great,” Deacon said. “It’s been a whirlwind for us.”
She hopes the new spotlight on BARCS, the largest animal shelter in the Baltimore area, will encourage a surge in donations as well.
“We hope that all of our new Facebook followers and fans around the world will donate to us,” she said. “The more donations we get, the more animals we save.”
Baby Meesha, renamed Maddie, is now cozy at home with her new adopted family.
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