Magician and animal lover John Stessel performed for a very special audience last week—adoptable dogs at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in New York City. John and producer Rob Bliss joined forces with TBS to help promote the shelter’s ‘Home for the Holidays’ adoption event, which waives fees for dogs between November 17th and January 6th. The result? This truly charming viral video.
Magic for Shelter Dogs
What truly makes the video shine are the variety of reactions to John’s sleight of hand—from shock and awe to wiggles of joy. You just have to give it a watch.
Luna Steals the Show
“We really wanted an opportunity to showcase the dogs’ personalities in a way you don’t normally get to see.”
Frankle just wants to snuggle
When asked which shelter dog was his favorite, John told Rover, “puppy Luna was so cute, but Frankle’s bear hug really moved me. I hadn’t experienced that level of unconditional love from a dog in a long time. He really just wanted to be held close.”
Bellies up
John hopes the viral video inspires folks everywhere to consider adopting a dog in their area. We hope so too!
Unleash your new best friend – Free!
John’s other big feat of magic this holiday season was putting a ring on his girlfriend’s finger. Congratulations, John and Alexandria. See the big reveal here.
Bring a friend home for the holidays
You can follow the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter on Facebook, visit their homepage, and see all their adoptable dogs and cats. They just took in over 50 cats from a hoarding situation, so you may have to scroll a bit to get to the dogs. See more about their Home for the Holidays’ event here.
Follow John Stessel on Instagram, too!