5 Things to Know About Internet Superstar Quinta Brunson and Her New Show 'Up for Adoption'

Brunson's new show, Up for Adoption, is prrrrrrfect!

Photo: Macey J. Foronda/Buzzfeed

In just a few short years, Quinta Brunson went from a TV-loving college student to one of the Internet’s most popular viral content creators.

Longtime fans of Brunson’s likely first met her as The Girl Who’s Never Been on a Nice Date — or the girl who Milly Rocked on every block. But the 27-year-old has managed to expand her Internet fame, becoming one of the youngest content creators at BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, selling her first comedy series, Broke, to YouTube Red and earning a social media following so massive it would make even your favorite Instagram star jealous.

Now, Brunson has taken on a new project: Up for Adoption. The workplace comedy, available on Verizon’s streaming service go90, follows four women who work at the Petz One Saturday animal adoption. The show, which recently wrapped its first season, combines Brunson’s love for animals with The Office-style comedies.

Up For Adoption

Here are five things to know about the Philadelphia native and her new, animal-focused series:

1. All of the Animals on the Show are Up for Adoption

Great news for pet lovers in the Los Angeles area: All of the animals seen in the show with pet enthusiasts Tanya, Marta, Lily Anne and Michelle are available for adoption through SPCALA, Complex reports.

“When I was adopting my cat, I learned a lot about the dangers of buying animals,” Brunson tells PEOPLE. “So adopting is an alternative for that … There are just tons of animals, in the L.A. area at least, that do need homes and I figured if we were making this show it would make sense to kind of showcase that.”

Brick/Courtesy Quinta Brunson

Brunson adds that animals who need homes were perfect for the comedy, instead of show pets.

“Show animals are great and they have their purpose here in the film world,” Brunson says. “But we thought it would be an awesome opportunity to showcase animals that needed homes.”

2. Brunson’s Was the First Instagram Video to Go Viral

The photo and video-sharing app is the platform on which many post their popular videos. But in 2014, Brunson’s clip, The Girl Who’s Never Been on a Nice Date, became the first to go viral on the site.

“That was very interesting,” Brunson says, noting that she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a comedy career. “For me it was encouraging. It was validating and it was a really happy experience. It was one of those moments where this is what I came out here to do and I actually was doing it.”

She adds: “The L.A. success stories are all over the place so it was so nice to see mine happen.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/ib9RUHjAUk/?taken-by=quintab&hl=en

3. She Made Forbes‘ 2017 “30 Under 30” List — After Going Broke

Brunson snagged a spot on the annual list’s Hollywood and entertainment edition this year, about three years after seeing her first glimpse of social media fame — and going broke.

After hitting it big on Instagram, Brunson began making money from YouTube and from selling T-shirts featuring her slogans. But the money soon dried up; Brunson told Cosmopolitan that she “spent it all on too many shopping sprees and going out to eat.”

Carl Monroe/Courtesy Quinta Brunson

“It was humbling,” Brunson tells PEOPLE. “That’s the best word I can think of for it.”

Those days are long gone, though, and the actress and comedian finds herself among stars like Orange Is the New Black‘s Samira Wiley and Moonlight‘s Trevante Rhodes on the list.

Brunson shared a photo of her “30 under 30” profile on Instagram, writing: “Dear ‘Drop Outs,’ Keep your heads up.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BO0OWOkDWSK/?taken-by=quintab&hl=en

4. She Has High Hopes for Sketch Comedy

Brunson tells PEOPLE that although she’d love to snag a role on Fox’s New Girl, she wants to create her own sketch comedy-style show featuring other social media favorites like Khadi Don.

“All these people who are really good at making short Internet videos,” Brunson says. “I thought of, like, ganging all those people together and creating a sketch show, but I haven’t really put it into motion yet because that’s a lot of work.”

She adds: “The interesting thing about the Internet is people all live in different places and everyone’s different ages and that would take a lot of rounding up to make all of that happen, but I’ve given it thought. I probably will still do something like that in the future.”

5. She’s a Trained Dancer — and Loves to Go Rock Climbing

“I’m a dancer, I’ve been trained in dance all my life. So, the gym just feels so structured and I haven’t found a dance class out here I like,” Brunson says. “I love rock climbing because it’s active.”

She adds: “It’s fun, but you’re working out your back and stuff, and your arms.”

More than rock climbing, though, Brunson says she loves to go to Universal Studios Hollywood — “It’s like my favorite thing in the world to do.”

“I pretty much go if not twice a month then once a month.”