John Stessel is a magician that certainly knows how to thrill people using his magic. But the magician has also been known to lend his magical talents to help shelter dogs disappear…to new homes!
The famed magician decided to do a charity show for a different kind of audience: shelter dogs who were looking for their forever homes.
Needless to say, these dogs had the most priceless reactions to the magic tricks.

Stessel partnered with both director Rob Bliss and TBS to produce a show that was then performed at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in New York. The goal was to showcase the different dogs in the shelter in hopes of getting them adopted to new homes. The cute special was the perfect way of portraying these dogs’ varied and adorable personalities in a relaxed setting.
As Stessel revealed to The Dodo, “I’ve always loved the idea of doing magic with dogs. Performing for them was nothing short of incredible.”
Magic for Animal Shelter Dogs | TBS
To help get these animal shelter dogs adopted we brought them the magic of the holidays to show off their sweet and lovable personalities. Credit to John Stessel and Rob Bliss for making this video.
Posted by TBS Network on Monday, December 17, 2018
Stessel added, “The reaction from the dogs was just amazing. They were just so cute. It was really special.”
After the show was over, all the dogs got to enjoy plenty of treats and cuddles while they waited for interested public members to offer them a forever home.
Stessel said, “They just wanted to be loved. Each one of them would be perfect to find their own forever home.”
For more information on the adoptable pets at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, click here to visit their website. Meanwhile, you can follow John Stessel on Instagram for more magic.