I love working at a non-profit because of how many amazing, new, and often unusual opportunities it presents me with. Many of you from the non-profit world know and appreciate what it means to “wear many different hats” because of limited staffing and a lot of responsibilities. At my job I try to jump at opportunities to get my hands on different projects in order to gain experience wherever possible.

My most recent exciting opportunity was taking two adorable pit-type mixes on the news. Taking animals on tv – live or recorded – is always a hoot. It’s pretty much a shot in the dark when picking a “tv ready animal” because no matter how socialized and comfortable they are in the shelter, the minute the robot-controlled cameras come out, animals often freak. It can be stressful, but with the right animal it can also be a lot of fun!

This time I brought two dogs, Boudreau and Ruby, and they were absolute angels. At this particular tv station we get a lot of camera time, meaning around 3-4 minutes instead of about 45 seconds like some others (note: we are appreciative of any on-air time, regardless of length!). The reporter Annie and I got a lot of conversation in and covered a wide range of topics. I even got to stick a short “don’t judge pit bull type dogs” spiel in.

Check out the video of how well Ruby & Boudreau did on the news station’s website (hint: hold “control” down when you click on the link to open a new window).

Boudreau, the gentle giant who stole the show by being absolutely adorable, is a staff favorite. He is a total love bug, inviting himself on to your lap any chance he gets. He is food motivated so he is a quick learner, as well as calm and collected under most any circumstances. Unfortunately, he has been adopted out and returned three times due to his severe separation anxiety. His most recent home worked out well, until the family’s alpha male decided he didn’t approve. All Bou needs is a girlfriend to keep him company while his family is away from the house. We always say he would be the perfect firehouse dog because he could just hang out with his firefighter buds all day every day.

Ruby came to us as a stray and I am head over heels in love. She is an easy sell: young, energetic, well-behaved, and loves other dogs. When we went to leave for the shoot, my coworker opened her trunk to get a sheet out for her backseat and Ruby jumped right in her trunk! It was so cute. She is going to get adopted in no time.