'Hawk Tuah Girl' makes big announcement after viral fame

Haliey Welch, aka “Hawk Tuah Girl,” made a big announcement on social media following her meteoric viral fame.

The 22-year-old announced on Tuesday via X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram that her “lifelong dream” had come true.

“Now my animal foundation is up and running! Paws Across America is here!,” said Welch. “Since my life changed so publicly, I realized there had to be a reason for it. Growing up, my pets were the only constant in my life and they helped me get through so much.

“By starting Paws Across America, I will share my newfound financial blessing with the animals who need it most,” Welch added. “So the first place I went was my hometown in Tennessee. Now go there and adopt some dogs!”

In the video, Welch said, “Today I am excited to announce the launch of my Paws Across America fund. Our mission is to bring awareness, advocacy and financial support to animal welfare organizations across the United States.”

In the clip, the Tennessee native went to Petco to pick up supplies like leashes, collars and dog food and brought them to the Lewisburg Animal Shelter.

At the time of publication, Welch's X-video had more than 260,000 views and nearly 700,000 views on Instagram.

In a follow-up message to X, Welch wrote: “My life’s work.”

Ahead of the news, Welch teased the “announcement coming soon” with a Joe Rogan meme.

Newsweek I emailed Welch for further comment.

In the responses, people praised the internet personality for her generosity.

“Congratulations Haliey!! It's great to see someone use their fame for noble causes. We need more people like you in this world,” posted @YottaVolt, to which Welch responded with a prayer and a dog emoji.

“I'm so happy for you. We all needed you to become famous overnight. Thank you and congratulations!” wrote @carrie2point0, to which Welch responded with a heart emoji.

“Hailey, I love that you're doing this. Dogs are little angels. Thank you for doing something that makes a difference,” added politician Valentina Gomez.

“She did more in her 15 minutes than I will in my entire life lol good for you girl,” commented Instagram user @touchofhoneytanning, while @jratunh21 added, “This girl won!!! America gave glory to the right woman! I love everything about it. I love animals more than anything.”

Welch became a viral sensation after she was asked a question about her sex life during an interview with YouTubers Tim & Dee TV.

“What move in bed drives a man crazy every time?” they asked.

“Oh, you have to give him that hawk-tuah and spit on the thing,” Welch replied.

Last week, Welch said she wanted to get rid of her nickname.

“We're trying to move away from that,” she told Complex's West Wilson before talking about where she sees herself in the future. “We're moving toward podcasts and things like that, and a reality TV show. We're talking about it.”