NEED TO KNOW

• Danielle Baughman created a unique adoption event where shelter dogs chose their potential owners in Pennsylvania

• The event gained attention online, with one trial video going viral and receiving 2 million views on TikTok

• The shelter plans to host similar events twice a year and hopes to find a home for viral dog Ed

Danielle Baughman wanted to host an event where the dogs at the shelter where she works could pick their owners, rather than the other way around.

After seeing an AI version of a similar situation and the positive response in the comments, she decided to make it a reality.

Baughman, a shelter administrator for Animal Protectors located in Pennsylvania, then created hype on social media by posting a video of a test run with the dogs at the shelter “choosing” employees, giving users a glimpse into what the event would entail. She also built a fundraiser surrounding the “Pick Me” event.

“We did a trial run of the event and posted the video of it, which got more people excited,” she shares with PEOPLE.

The event itself was held in February 2026, and Baughman says it was “really fun.” During the event, hopeful adopters sat around in a circle, and dogs were brought in one by one to “choose” their potential new owners.

“We ran out of room for everyone. The participants really seemed to enjoy it. It was just a really joyful event,” she says. “The dogs seemed so happy to see so many humans. It was like they knew they were there for them.”

Baughman says the event brought both tears and laughter.

“Some cried, especially when it was a dog who was very selective,” she says. “Some dogs chose everyone and it was comical.”

Given the event’s success, Baughman says the shelter is planning to host another adoption event with Pets for Patriots, a non-profit that connects veterans with dogs.

“It’s definitely something we would like to do twice a year,” she tells PEOPLE.

While the event is geared toward adoption, the shelter “did not require adoption and people did not have to adopt our dogs simply because a dog picked them.”

“We still used our normal screening process to make sure it was a good fit. We did a prescreen to make sure the dogs would go to a good home,” Baughman shares.

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As the shelter administrator, Baughman receives updates on all the dogs that have been adopted.

“All of the dogs in the video who were adopted through that event or through the videos from the event have settled in well. Ducky especially. His owner described him as her soul dog already,” Baughman reveals.

Baughman insists that while “lots of people online think this was AI,” it “certainly wasn’t.”

“I’m not sure how to even create AI videos. Every ounce of the footage was the dogs being their genuine selves,” she tells PEOPLE.

While most of the dogs from the event were adopted, Baughman notes that there is one dog from Animal Protectors‘ initial trial run that has yet to find his forever home.

“We have had a lot of queries about the dog Ed, who went viral from our trial run of this event. His reaction to the event captured 2 million views, which is why we went live on TikTok. He is, unfortunately, not one who was picked. We don’t know why this dog is still with us,” she says.

Baughman described Ed as “a light of the shelter” and notes that his “love for humans is unmatched.”

Regardless, Baughman hopes that Ed will find a home soon, whether at an upcoming adoption event or, ideally, before then.

Read the original article on People