Miss Peaches, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy's pitbull, raises money for U.S. shelters
MIAMI — This former shelter pitbull is stealing hearts.
"People see her in the streets and have cried, not like one, like a lot….and tears," said Dave Portnoy, founder and owner of Barstool Sports.
And, she's raising serious cash for animal shelters here in South Florida and across the country.
So much so that Miami Mayor Francis Suarez made May 20 "Miss Peaches Day."
"she hasn't let it get to her head yet," Portnoy said.
It's not a coincidence she received the "bone" to the city on National Rescue Dog Day.
She has truly transformed the rescue community and the Adopt Don't Shop movement.
"Locally, I think we've given about $150,000 to local rescues and shelters," Portnoy said. "She's closing in on about $1 million raised."
Dave Portnoy adopted Miss Peaches from Lifeline Animal Project, a shelter in Atlanta that rescued her from a hoarding situation.
"I have pictures of her and she looks like the saddest…makes me almost like cry seeing her in the shelter because she definitely this girl doesn't belong in the shelter," he said. "There was something that clicked in it and literally I jumped on a plane and went and got her and it's been love at first sight."
From there everything changed: Portnoy posted one video to social media — people couldn't get enough.
"Barstool has been around for 20 years we've had very successful people with us or come through our doors…nothing like Miss Peaches," he said. "We're not Barstool [Sports]; myself, however, you wanna look at it we're not trying to make a cent on her every dime we make with Miss Peaches will go back to charities."
Most shelters run solely on donations.
Miss Peaches and Portnoy have donated nearly $1 million, but one of the biggest differences they are making is helping overcrowding.
The brand deals, gifts, paintings — anything you can name, it's been sent to his house for his now-famous daughter.
It's truly turned into a movement…so the question is: What's next?
"Is one enough?" asked CBS News Miami's Trish Christakis.
"We're debating getting her a brother," Portnoy answered. "It's up to her I have my eye on a dog already. I feel like dogs like having someone to pass the time with, but if she wants to be solo it's up to her. It's all for her if I do it or not."
For now, she'll continue to live the high life and give back to the rescue community
