On Friday night, 1.5 million households tuned in to the National Geographic Channel to watch “The Survivors,” the premiere episode of the third season of
“DogTown,” a documentary series about the lifesaving work that Best Friends’ Dogtown does on a daily basis.
Five of those households got a richly enhanced viewing experience: a chance to participate in a webinar right before the episode aired and interact directly with one of the stars of “DogTown,” Best Friends dog trainer Pat Whitacre.
At each of these five households, residents hosted a Best Friends Party for a Purpose. Staged around the “DogTown” episode, the party was an occasion for Best Friends members and supporters to bring friends and neighbors together and spread the word about Best Friends. Central to these parties was the webinar, connecting party participants to Best Friends staff online and in real time.
Participants logged into the webinar from locales throughout the country: Tulsa, Oklahoma; Battle Ground, Washington; Alpharetta, Georgia; Elk Mound, Wisconsin; and Irving, Texas.
Partygoers got to ask Whitacre numerous questions, and hear the story of his first encounter with Waylon, a chow mix featured in the episode. Whitacre took Waylon out of isolation at a failed New York sanctuary and brought him back to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Whitacre also answered questions about how he went from working in the field of human behavior to that of dog behavior.
Linda Schubert of Alpharetta lent an apropos touch to her party, serving wine from the Vicktory Dogs Wine Collection, a product that raises money for Best Friends’ work on behalf of pit bulls. The 22 labels of the collection feature portraits of 22 pit bulls saved from Michael Vick’s dog-fighting operation; the dogs now live at Best Friends. Four of the dogs were the subject of last season’s premiere of “DogTown.”
Understandably, many of the questions Whitacre fielded during the webinar had to do with pit bulls, including one from host Denise James in Tulsa: “How can I successfully encourage and educate on the adoption of pit bulls?”
“We were so thrilled to be part of the webinar,” James said afterward. “It is the dream of my husband and I to have our own dog rescue someday. We are currently saving our money to come visit [Best Friends].”
The “DogTown” series continues this Friday with “Against the Odds,” an episode that follows Michelle Besmehn, co-manager of Dogtown, as she travels to Los Angeles to rescue several dogs freed from a puppy mill and now in need of special medical and behavioral attention. Besmehn fosters one of the dogs, a Chihuahua she names Mei Mei, and teaches her the social skills she’ll need to get adopted. Meanwhile, Best Friends medical director Dr. Mike Dix performs one of the riskiest surgeries of his career to extend the life of an abused Lab mix named Charro. Best Friends caregiver Mileen Keeting gives Charro the first proper home of her life.
The episode airs this Friday, March 27, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel.
Be the host with the most and hold your own Party for a Purpose!
Written by Ted Brewer
Photos courtesy of Denise James
As part of Best Friends’ 25th anniversary in 2009, our goal is to double our membership, so we can double our efforts to bring about a time when all companion animals have a forever home. What can you do to help? Give the Gift of a Best Friends membership to family and friends.
