On a recent afternoon in a New York City subway car, a white dog with brown spots peered out of a man’s backpack. The dog, named Bertha, gave him constant licks.

Bertha was found on the streets in October, and was taken in by Animal Care Centers of NYC. Although she had a rough start in life, on this day, she seemed overjoyed. She welcomed neck scratches from dozens of strangers, picked out a new toy, devoured a pup cup and enjoyed a long walk. The outing led to her adoption a few days later.

The man carrying her was not her owner, but a volunteer of sorts. Bryan Reisberg spends one day a week taking shelter dogs like Bertha out of their kennels, lifting them into a backpack that says “adopt me” and bringing them onto the subway and around New York. His goal is for people to see shelter

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