Taking Shelter Dogs On Backpack Rides Transformed Influencer ‘To My Core’

InnovationScienceTaking Shelter Dogs On Backpack Rides Transformed Influencer ‘To My Core’ByJen Reeder,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Jen Reeder is an award-winning journalist who specializes in pets.Follow AuthorJun 12, 2026, 12:23pm EDTContent creator Bryan Reisberg helps shelter dogs get adopted by taking them on adventure rides in a backpack, an activity he first tried with his beloved corgi, Maxine.Courtesy of Bryan ReisbergEach week in New York City, Bryan Reisberg and his companion turn a lot of heads – since his companion is a shelter dog in a backpack. Whenever people stare or point, he’ll offer, “Do you want to pet the dog?”“It’s so fun to do that to people,” he said. “You see them light up with joy and the dogs love it. So we get stopped quite a bit.”Then he’ll spend a couple hours riding the subway with the dog to Central Park, a pet store for a toy and a coffee shop for a special whipped cream “pup cup” — which sometimes ends up splattered on his neck. Reisberg doesn’t mind — he’s having too much fun. Bryan Reisberg gets a smooch from a pooch on the subway in New York City. Courtesy of Bryan ReisbergThen he uploads a video of the outing to his social media sites with a link for how to adopt the dog from Best Friends Animal Society — and within a day or two, the dog gets adopted.So far he’s helped 34 dogs from the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in New York and the nonprofit’s shelter partners get adopted — plus two from Pennsylvania shelters, including one who got to ride with him on a Zamboni in a backpack at a hockey game — delighting his fans while driving interest in dog adoption. MORE FOR YOUReisberg’s adoption rides for Best Friends recently earned him a 2026 Webby Award and People’s Voice Award in the “Creators: Cause-Driven Partnership” category.It’s not his first. His fluffy Pembroke Welsh corgi, Maxine, won a Webby Award in 2022. Reisberg and his wife, Alex Garyn, welcomed Maxine into their h...