Drama! Deceit! Adoptable puppies, kitties and bunnies! (Okay, that last one is definitely a reality TV show twist we never saw coming.)
The 19th season of “Big Brother” is well under way, and while it’s too soon to pick a winner (cough, go Alex, cough), the adoptable pets that have been featured on the show’s live feeds are, without a doubt, already America’s favorites.
In a “Big Brother” first, the CBS series teamed up with Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS) of Encinitas, California, and is showcasing adoptable pets to the millions of fans who tune in every week.
Forget the diary room or the have-not room, the real place to be this summer is the Kittery, the Puppy Kennel, and the Rabbitat— the shelter rooms where the adoptable animals are cared for by RCHS workers and featured on the “Big Brother” live feeds this summer.
While the houseguests haven’t had any contact with the puppies, kittens and bunnies (yet), it’s pretty clear they are the reason to watch the breaks during the live feeds, as the footage of kitties and puppies playing in their quarters has become nothing short of a hit.
“The response was immediate. Twitter went wild,” says John Van Zante of the RCHS says, adding that on the night of their debut, the organization received both donations as well as adoption inquiries.
And if viewers are interested making one of these famous furballs part of their family? The feeds—which show the adoptable pets playing, eating, and being their adorable selves—provide adoption information, too.
Van Zante praises both CBS and the “Big Brother” team, saying that both were more than accommodating in making this come together so smoothly.
“Larger organizations sometimes go into animal shelters and try to tell them what to do,” he says. “CBS came to us and asked us to show them what we do so they could represent the best interests of the animals.”
Even if viewers can’t adopt the pets featured on the live feeds, both the show and the shelter hope that it will inspire the “adopt, don’t shop” mentality.
“What we would really like is for anyone, anywhere to start by visiting their local shelters or rescues,” Van Zante says. “If they don’t find the pet that reaches out its paw and touches their heart [wait] until you make a connection with an animal and you’re willing to make a lifelong commitment.”
Image via CBS
Aly Semigran is a staff writer for PawCulture, lifestyle writer for the world, and roommate of Ruby, the cutest dog in the world.
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