Larissa Wohl on Hallmark Channel’s New Pet Adoption Special “Tails of Joy”

Next week, Hallmark Channel, in conjunction with the rescue organization Paw Works, will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the mechanics of pet adoption in a new special titled Tails of Joy.  Hosted by Home & Family’s resident pet adoption expert Larissa Wohl (with help from Chad Atkins of Paw Works), the special follows a group of 60 dogs and cats as they are transported from rural Central California, often from high-kill shelters, to a safe place where they are prepared for their forever homes.  It’s all part of Hallmark’s ongoing Adoption Ever After initiative, designed to empty shelters across the country, which to date has helped find homes for more than 50,000 dogs and cats.

“It’s the first time we’ve done a special like this and I can only hope that people really enjoy it and we can do many more,” Wohl (pictured at top) said in an exclusive interview with MediaVillage.  “The efforts we highlight don’t only happen in California.  They’re happening in every state, and while it’s unfortunate it has to happen at all, there are so many wonderful stories of resilience and hope that emerge.

“The idea behind the special is to show viewers what it takes to run a rescue and get these animals from where they come from, to (places where they are made ready) to be adopted,” she continued.  “A lot goes into it.  We’ve worked with Paw Works in the past and they are wonderful. They do a weekly two-hour drive to central California, where there is a horrendous overpopulation problem, to pull animals from kill shelters and bring them to their facility in Camarillo.  A lot of the animals are great, but others need to be bathed, micro-chipped, spayed and neutered, along with different surgeries.  They’ll often pick up animals that are pregnant, too, so all of that backend stuff that the rescuers have to provide to make them amazing animals is highlighted.”

 

Steve Gidlow

Steve Gidlow, a long-time columnist for MediaVillage ("Behind the Scenes in Hollywood"), has written about television and pop culture since 1994, beginning in Australia.  Since moving to Hollywood in 1997, Steve has focused on celebrity interv… read more