Barstool founder Dave Portnoy and his dog Miss Peaches surprise South Jersey animal rescue with donation
OCEAN VIEW, N.J. (CBS) -- An animal rescue in South Jersey got a big surprise from two famous faces this week: Barstool founder Dave Portnoy and his internet-famous rescue dog, Miss Peaches.
Video posted on Miss Peaches' social media pages, which has already racked up more than 2.5 million views, captured the moment Portnoy and Peaches surprised Jillian Shoffler with a video call to share he's donating funds to Beacon Animal Rescue in Ocean View, New Jersey.
"My heart is literally beating through my chest, I might cry," Shoffler, a special education teacher in Upper Township and volunteer with the rescue, said when she realized who was on the call.
Portnoy said he and his team researched the work happening at Beacon after Shoffler reached out via email, and that he wanted to help the Cape May County-based rescue.
"I decided to write a letter to Dave on behalf of Beacon explaining our needed repair and figured asking for a donation of any amount was worth a shot. The worst he could say was no," Shoffler said in a press release from the rescue. "I had no idea if he would be interested in donating to Beacon, but knew I had nothing to lose by contacting him."
"It's been, you know, a bit of a whirlwind, but it's been awesome," Ryan Parker, director of Beacon Animal Shelter, said. "All of the support that we've received from Miss Peaches' followers and Dave, we can't thank them enough."
Parker told CBS News Philadelphia that Beacon Animal Rescue is primarily a volunteer-based organization and pulls its animals from high-kill shelters in the south, primarily in Georgia.
"They are going to be euthanized if a rescue group like ours doesn't step in to bring them up north," Parker said.
The rescue, which has been around since 2003, also runs a low-cost veterinary clinic.
According to Parker, Portnoy promised to donate as soon as possible to cover the cost of replacing its septic tank, which could cost between $20,000 and $35,000.
"We're in the marshland. It's protected area, and so the water table is just so high and the type of equipment we need, it's just very high-end unfortunately," Parker said.
Parker explained that the cost of replacing the tank would've put an "incredible amount of pressure" on the rescue.
"This really will make a huge impact, that's for sure," he said.
Parker also said that multiple other rescue groups and organizations have reached out in the wake of Miss Peaches' video and said Beacon's PayPal page is filled with donations from people saying "Miss Peaches sent me here."
"It's been really cool to get that type of support... and I'm so grateful for Jillian to have taken such a huge, you know, ambitious chance," Parker said. "And for Dave and Miss Peaches to recognize the work that we do just means a lot."
Portnoy adopted Miss Peaches, a pit bull mix, in February from the LifeLine Animal Project in Atlanta, Georgia. Since making her social media debut, Miss Peaches has racked up nearly 2 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, where Portnoy documents the now-lavish lifestyle of his precious rescue pup and her journey "from the outhouse to the penthouse."
In an interview with CBS affiliate WPEC in West Palm Beach Florida, Portnoy said he's raised more than $500,000 through Miss Peaches merch sales, which has been donated to animal shelters across the U.S.