Miami influencer Alix Earle is fostering a pitbull mix, but not everyone is happy
Miami, meet Asia. She may be one the most famous dogs in town at the moment.
The 4-year-old pitbull mix has had the good fortune to be under the temporary care of 305 influencer Alix Earle and her NFL boyfriend Braxton Berrios. The couple decided to foster the dog as a unique Valentine’s Day project together.
For the last couple of days, Earle has been showing off Asia, who’s been at Miami-Dade Animal Services for more than a year without being adopted.
In one TikTok video, the pooch is splayed out on her back getting a belly rub, living her best life on Earle’s plush bed.
“Asia likes her massage time,” says the message to Earle’s 7.3 million followers.
In another clip with the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” playing in the background, Berrios is getting mounds of sloppy kisses from Asia, whose tail doesn’t stop wagging.
Despite all these bonding sessions, the goal is to get Asia a forever home. But folks seem to want the Dolphins player and Sports Illustrated model to keep her as their pet. A bunch of commenters, many of whom appreciated Earle for bringing attention to rescues — especially of controversial breeds — implored her to have a change of heart.
“You can’t get rid of her.”
“Just take her yourself.”
“Noooo.”
“Aww, I feel like she is your dog.”
At least a few people hopped to Earle’s defense, by explaining what the word fostering actually means.
“Please stop with the guilting. She said she can’t.”
The “Hot Mess” podcaster eventually responded to the onslaught of posts, explaining that Asia currently has “a lot of offers” and that she and Berrios plan to meet and vet all potential owners.
As of Thursday, Asia no longer appeared in a search on www.miamidade.gov/global/animals, Miami-Dade Animal Services’ website of available rescues.
“The purpose of our foster program is to help pets that are not yet ready to go to their forever homes, and is not a foster to adopt trial program,” reads an email response inquiring about the process. “Every shelter pet’s fostering period is different depending on their individual needs.”
The minimum fostering period is three weeks; the maximum, three months.
