From TODAY contributor Jill Rappaport
My friends joke with me that my life has gone to the dogs! And I couldn't be happier about that. One of the true blessings of my job is being able to do stories that can not only help animals, but as in this case, save their lives.
As the owner of four wonderful dogs, all rescues, two from the city pound, I know firsthand how grateful and devoted my "fur angels" are because they know I saved them just in the nick of time. So that is why I wanted to do a special segment called "From Bow to Wow."
For the segment, I went to one of the busiest city pounds in the country, and roamed the halls, which for an animal lover is truly devastating. Many of these animals were trembling, emaciated and some were covered in feces. But as heartsick as I was, I knew I had a mission: To see some of these wonderful creatures step out of their horrible cages, accompany them to a groomer, see them get medical attention, and lastly, come on our show and hopefully find a lifelong home.
We picked four out of the thousands that are in this situation. They are all beautiful, loving dogs, all breeds, all ages. I wanted to take two older, bigger dogs because those are the hardest to get adopted. If I could, I would have taken them all, but that is where YOU come in. If you are thinking about getting a pet, PLEASE adopt. I think that the love you get back has the potential to change your life forever.
Dear viewers: If you're interested in finding information on how to adopt the dogs seen on TODAY, please visit the Animal Care & Control of New York City's site at nycacc.org.