Julia Gibbons is a rising senior at the University of Maryland pursuing Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Business. As part of her internship with Vizion Group Public Relations, she works media coverage for the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament and the National Dog Show presented by Purina. She also works as an social media intern for Philadelphia Fashion Week and is currently doing research on corporate social responsibility.
I have never had a pet dog. Just not one of those 65 million pet-owning households. I don’t come from a pet family, really. So the opportunity to intern this summer working on marketing and public relations for the National Dog Show has given me a kind of imposter’s syndrome. How could I properly write this blog and promote something as huge as NBC’s National Dog Show Presented by Purina? Nearly 25 million people tune in on Thanksgiving Day across the country every year to celebrate their love for dogs.
I started scraping through the dogs in my life for any connection. I had a cousin with a dog that I played with as a child. Like all of us, I’ve petted many in passing. Sure, I was just like any eight year old, begging my parents for a puppy, but the aspiration never got traction. I had virtually no connections with dogs.
Then, I was watching the television one night when one of those pet ads came on with videos of dogs running around. The ad said something about urging viewers to adopt a dog or donate money.
And that is when it clicked.
I had no personal dog to claim as mine but my love for dogs didn’t need adoption papers for the proof. I had grown up caring for dogs just as much as any person who had a dog of their own.
At the age of nine, I was so excited to make dog treats for the dogs at a local shelter. My Mom even bought a bone-shaped cookie cutter. We loaded up on cans of pumpkin filling and jars of peanut butter at the store and got to work. It was just like making christmas cookies but these treats would be going to four-legged friends and not to family, friends, or me. We even got to decorate them with dog-friendly sprinkles.
Although, treats weren’t the only thing these dogs were in need of. Blankets were also in high demand. My mom, sister and I hit up our local fabric store. We were on a mission to find fabrics with paw prints and dalmatian spots. We must have spent hours cutting the ends of fabrics and then tying them together to make two-sided fleece blankets.
Our last task was one that was way less of a chore: playing with the dogs. All dogs need care. So, there’s no better pairing than a dog with no home and a child with no dog. Reflecting back on my time volunteering, I felt a connection to dogs that even a dog owner might not get to feel. Loving dogs is not just about the love and care we give our own pets but to all dogs that need our love and attention. Meeting the puppies who would be given my blankets and treats was an amazing bonding experience.
That is why the National Dog Show is so important to dog lovers–even us non-conventional ones. Remembering my unusual connection with dogs, watching the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day this year is going to feel extra special. And hey, maybe a relative of one of those dogs I cared for so many years ago will be strutting that stage on that blue carpet that looks so great on TV.
If you want to experience the National Dog Show in person, go to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on November 14 and 15. There are thousands of dogs, thousands of people, and, as a result, thousands of smiles. Tickets will be available to purchase in June at nds.nationaldogshow.com
You don’t have to own a dog to be attracted to this wonderful species. The magic of dogs is around us everyday. And one of these days, I look forward to becoming one of those 65 million households.
