TAMPA, Fla — There are plenty of lucky dogs out there. A Los Angeles-based husband-wife team is doing its best to bring them to homes through their TV show.
“It’s very rewarding. It’s something we did prior to the show, off-camera,” said Eric Wiese, new co-host of Lucky Dog on CBS.
Eric and his wife, Rashi, who will celebrate five years of marriage in July, took over as hosts of the popular CBS show this season. Lucky Dog has run on for eight years and aims to rescue dogs from shelters and find them “forever homes”.
The show made a stop in Tampa in early March to meet veteran Ryan Bodge and highlight the work of local non-profit, Valor Service Dogs.
“That was really special,” said Eric. “Just learning about his history, it almost brought tears to my eyes. It kind of put things in perspective for us.”
The Wiese’s interviewed Bodge and his service dog, Bradley, for a few hours in downtown Tampa. They got to see firsthand how the golden retriever aids his owner during bouts of PTSD brought on by a traumatic brain injury suffered in Iraq in 2006.
“To be so open and honest about it I think was a really big step and really inspirational for other veterans,” said Rashi. “It was really heartwarming.”
The episode featuring Bodge and Bradley is set to air sometime in April. It will highlight the efforts of Valor Service Dogs to pair animals with veterans and first responders in need of a service dog.
“Eric and Rashi were so down to earth,” Bodge said about shooting the episode with the Lucky Dog hosts. “My passion for Valor Service Dogs runs so deep I would push myself to a pretty far extent of being uncomfortable in order to tell their story.”
Lucky Dog is an Emmy-winning show which premiered its eighth season on January 2. You can see it on Saturday mornings on CBS.
“Just to watch Bradley’s reaction to Ryan was just unbelievable,” said Eric. “Golden retrievers have this permanent smile on their face.”
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