Social Media Duo Helps Packed Hillsborough Animal Shelter Find Homes for Dogs
The Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center is bursting at the seams, with dogs filling kennels at 130% capacity and cats crammed in at an overwhelming 500%. Two Chicago content creators have stepped in with a fresh approach.
On Feb. 7, 2025, Joey Masloski and Eric Noxon brought their cameras to Tampa. They took videos of dogs playing along Bayshore Boulevard, showing off their real personalities. Their effort quickly paid off as several of the featured pets found homes that same day.
“What happened was, some of the dogs we took out actually got adopted that same day,” Masloski said to Fox13 News
Nearly 200 dogs are looking for homes at the shelter right now. The Team Godwin Foundation invited the social media duo to Tampa, where they spent time getting to know Nimbus, a shy dog who needs special attention. This problem goes well beyond Tampa. In 2023, U.S. shelters and rescues took in millions of pets, 3.3 million cats, and 3.2 million dogs, according to Shelter Animals Count. Things have gotten worse locally and quickly. In just four months, the center saw 43% more animals come in compared to last year. This increase forced staff to offer free adoptions to make room.
“Eric & Joey: The Dog Guys” visit shelters across America, highlighting pets’ fun personalities through outdoor videos that grab potential adopters’ attention. The pair keeps track of how many pets get adopted. They’ve said they’ll post updates about Nimbus on their popular social media accounts, which have been key in helping pets find loving homes.
As Hillsborough County’s population grows, the shelter feels the pressure. Staff now have to prioritize calls, putting safety concerns and animal welfare cases first.
