By now, you’ve heard about dog grooming star Gabriel Feitosa. The Brazilian dog groomer banks $1.3 million a year providing canines with impeccable coifs in California. But what you may not know is that Feitosa is lending his services, free of charge, to shelter pups looking for forever homes. In a new collab with the San Diego Humane Society, Feitosa is beautifying fur babies eligible for adoption.
Dog grooming star helps shelter dogs
According to KPBS, Feitosa has teamed up with the San Diego Humane Society to offer grooming for its tough-to-place pooches. The shelter is overrun with more dogs than they can care for. Currently, they house more than 1,100 dogs across multiple campuses. That puts them at 170% of capacity.
So, last December, Feitosa contacted the organization to see how he could help the dogs they serve.
“I was trying to find a way to give back,” Feitosa told KPBS. “So I reached out to the Humane Society and said, ‘Hey guys, what if we transform your guys’s dogs and bring attention not only for the dogs who are (not) getting to get adopted right away, but to the cause?'”
It was an offer the humane society couldn’t refuse.
More than a makeover
Feitosa focuses on dogs that often get overlooked, like senior dogs and large-breed dogs. Among his clients on a recent trip to the humane society’s El Cajon campus was a three-legged dog named Minnow. Feitosa turned the tiny canine into a tiger with strategically-placed dye (which was vegan and non-toxic).
A much bigger dog named Nyla also got a makeover. The fluffy white pup received rainbow hues on her ears and tail.
After the dogs get dyed, they receive a bath, blow dry, and a trim. Then they’re ready for their close-up – on Feitosa’s wildly popular TikTok and Instagram channels.
As if these random acts of kindness weren’t enough, Feitosa also pays for the adoption fees and any other costs his special clients incur at the shelter.
“It fills me with joy, especially because we focus on transforming the dogs that actually need more attention,” he told KPBS. “When I hear that those guys get adopted, I’m just like over the moon. I’m just grateful that I get to do it.”
