Michelle Freeland is a senior at Arcadia University studying Media and Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. This semester, she works as a fall intern at Vizion Group PR, where she writes, edits and proofreads documents and maintains organizational tools for the National Dog Show. In her free time, Michelle enjoys going to work, traveling across the pond and reading. She can’t wait to attend the National Dog Show this November!
At 14 years of age, after having two cats claw at the couch and scurry around our home, I decided it was time for the PowerPoint to end all PowerPoints. The Convincing Your Parents That a Dog Is Needed, PowerPoint. I know I am not the only young hopeful who thought such a detailed plan and proof was the answer to winning your parents over.
After lots of convincing I finally got my parents’ interest piqued, and we started to show up to the local shelters’, Home 4 Spot, events outside of the pet store. That’s where I met the cutest 12-year-old dog that ever existed, Darth.
Right off the bat he was perfect for us; my parents were looking for a bit of an older dog, and we are a family of Star Wars nerds, though me least of all. Things were looking up for me! We quickly ran home to fish net over any holes, cracks, or crevices so that we could have Darth over for a playdate to finalize the adoption.
Darth, for all his beauty and years of wisdom, had a rough start to life. The shelter had found him wandering the streets with a broken jaw and his tongue permanently hanging out of his mouth. After bringing him in, the shelter gave him the time, patience, and the veterinary care he needed to begin healing from the damage he had endured.
And somehow, despite everything he had been through, Darth was still the sweetest dog I had ever met. He immediately got along with my cats at home and wasn’t much of a barker, which made him a perfect addition to the family. My favorite thing about Darth was his ability to dance. When we went to get more food for him, he would follow us around the living room hopping around and sometimes I would even grab his paws and dance with him.
The summer before my first year of college Darth unfortunately passed away and all I can hope is that he lived a good life and that my family and I were able to provide some love and care at the end of it. Even though I only had four short years with him, he taught me that sometimes the best thing you can give a dog is simply a safe home and someone to love them.
That’s what has been so exciting about interning for Vizion Group PR and the National Dog Show. Getting to work behind the scenes of an event that celebrates dogs in so many different ways has brought me back to why I wanted a dog in the first place. I get to see the excitement, people, and most importantly, the dogs that make a fun and entertaining event like this so special. Darth may have been the reason I finally won the argument for a dog, but the love and connection I found with him is something I will carry with me far beyond that PowerPoint.
The National Dog Show, hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, will take place at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15. Tickets are just $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 4-11, with free admission for children three and under. Tickets are available through the National Dog Show’s official website www.nds.nationaldogshow.com.
And if you can’t make it to Oaks, you can still celebrate from home! The National Dog Show Presented by Purina will air on NBC on Thanksgiving Day after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
So, whether you’re a lifelong dog lover, a future dog owner with a PowerPoint ready to go, or just looking for a reason to spend a weekend surrounded by dogs, the National Dog Show is a place to celebrate the special bond that made Darth, and so many other dogs, so unforgettable.