A South Carolina humane society has gone viral with a creative and humorous way to help animals get adopted—by inventing playful “lies” about them.
The Greenville Humane Society posted a video on Instagram that has more than 3 million views. The caption read, “Making up flattering lies about our pets to help them get adopted.”
The video showed several shelter animals with funny, exaggerated descriptions. Thar the dog “graduated Harvard at the top of his class.” Audrey the cat “can see the future.” Chiqui the dog “wrote a New York Times bestseller,” and Jake was praised for “saving kittens from trees.”
The post quickly gained attention, with many people joining the fun in the comments. One user wrote, “I’m positive Jake has saved kittens from trees! So precious.” Another said, “I literally went to school with Thor.” A third commented, “Audrey I believe. She can definitely tell the future.”
Katie Wofford of the Greenville Humane Society told Newsweek they enjoy creating fun content that connects with both the local community and animal lovers everywhere. She added, “It’s one of the things we appreciate most about social media.”
Beyond the laughs, the video has helped find homes for some of the featured animals. Wofford said, “Audrey, our sweet ‘future telling’ kitty, has been adopted and is thriving in her new family.” She also noted Chiqui has been taken in by a foster family.
According to Shelter Animals Count, 3.12 million animals entered U.S. shelters in the first half of 2024. While this is a decrease from 2023, more pets entered shelters than left by over 322,000 during that time.
The Greenville Humane Society currently cares for 638 animals and often operates at double its capacity. Despite these challenges, the shelter credits the support of a strong community that offers emergency fostering and adoption help during busy periods.
Wofford said the shelter was surprised by the viral success of the video but loved reading the public’s funny comments. She said, “We definitely plan to make more videos like this and maybe start a regular series on our page.”
This creative approach is not unique. In Broward County, a dog named Katerina became popular after the shelter added a note on her kennel, which led to her quick adoption. Another shelter cat, Valmir, famously “chose” his owners by holding onto them and refusing to let go.
Humane societies continue to find new ways to connect animals with loving homes—sometimes with a little humor and a lot of heart.
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