>>
>> GOOD
>> GOOD EVENING, AND THANKS FOR JOINING US TONIGHT ON 207. I'M AMANDA HILL. 4@
>> AND I'M PEGGY KAISER IN FOR
RON CALDWELL. 4@4@
TONIGH4@T, A GROUP MADE UP OF
VOLUNTEERS THAT HELPS A GROUP
EXPLORE MAINE IS HELPING PEOPLE
SURVIVE.
THE CHANGES THEY'RE MAKING AND
HOW THEY ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE
TO GET OUTSIDE. 4@
>> AND YOU'VE LIKELY SEEN HIS
WORK BUT DIDN'T KNOW THE FACE
BEHIND THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR
CARTOONS.
A CONVERSATION WITH THE
ANIMATOR RON CAMPBELL. 4@
FIRST TONIGHT, THEY ARE
CELEBRITIES, SOCIAL MEDIA
INFLUENCERS. 4@
THEY ARE TRENDSETTERS, AND
PEOPLE ALL OVER THE GLOBE HAVE
CLAMORED TO COPARY THEIR
OUTFITS 4@AND WAIT EACH DAY FOR
THEIR LATEST POST ON INSTAGRAM.
>> AND THEY ARE PUGS. 4@4@
THE OWNER LAURIE CALLS THEMHAIR
LITTLE CLOWNS BECAUSE THEY ARE @
ENDLESSLY ENTERTAINING, BUT
IT'S THE FEISTYNESS THAT THESE
DOGS BRING TO HER WORLD AND THE
WORLD 4@AROUND THEM THAT INSPIR
HER TO 4@SHARE THEM FAR AND WID
DOGS BRING TO HER WORLD AND THE WORLD 4@AROUND THEM THAT INSPIR HER TO 4@SHARE THEM FAR AND WID@
>> Reporter: MEET THE PUG-
DASHIANS, NAMED AFTER THAT 4@
OTHER FAMOUS FAMILY.
>> YOU'RE GIVING HIGH FIVE SNZ @
HIGH FIVE SNZ YAY.
>> Reporter: LAURIE, THE DOG 4@
MAMA NEVER SET 4@OUT TO OVERSEA
HIGH FIVE SNZ YAY. >> Reporter: LAURIE, THE DOG 4@ MAMA NEVER SET 4@OUT TO OVERSEA@
DOG EMPIRE.
TRUTH BE TOLD, SHE WASN'T THAT @
CRAZY ABOUT DOGS IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
>> BELIEVE IT OR NOT, UP UNTIL
ABOUT 17 YEARS AGO, I WASN'T
EVEN AN ANIMAL LOVER.
>> ANIMAL KISSES?
I LOVE YOU TOO. 4@
>> IF I SAW PEOPLE DRESSING UP @
THEIR ANIMAL, OH, MY GOSH, I
WAS NOT IMPRESSED. 4@
I WOULD ROLL MY EYES AND WALK
AWAY AND SEE THEM HOW WE GET
DRESSED UP.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A DOG
WALKED BACK AND FORTH IN FRONT
OF LAURIE'S HOUSE THAT CAUGHT
HER ATTENTION.
>> I WENT OUT AND ASKED HER
WHAT KIND OF DOG IT WAS. 4@
SHEETDS A PUG.
I SAID A WHAT?
SHE SAID A PUG.
AND THAT'S ALL IT TOOK.
>> Reporter: THAT MAY BE ALL IT
TOOK FOR LAURIE, BUT IT TOOK 4@
CONVINCING FOR HER HUSBAND WHO
WANTED A BIG DOG TO GET A PUG.
THEY FOUND A SELLER AND THEY 4@
PAID A VISIT AND YOU GUESSED
IT.
>> WE TOOK HOME OUR FIRST DOG.
>> Reporter: AND SHE TOOK TIME @
VISIT AN ELDERLY FRIEND IN A
NURSING HOME. 4@
>> IT WARMED MY HEART TO SEE
HOW 4@THIS LITTLE PUPPY COULD
MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY.
>> Reporter: PRETTY SOON, PUGGY
HAD A SISTER.
>> WHEN YOU SAW THE REACTION 4@
THAT PUGGY GAVE PEOPLE AND PUT
A SMILE ON THEIR FACE, I
THOUGHT I HAD SOMETHING THERE. @
SO I GOT PUGGY REGISTERED AS A
THERAPY DOG, PUGGY AND SISSY,
AND THEY DID CLOSE TO TEN YEARS
AT A CENTER AS A THERAPY DOG
AND 4@MANY YEARS AT THE YOUTH
CENTER, VISITING PEOPLE THERE
AND HOSPICE WORK, DRESSING THEM
UP.
STARTING THE SECOND DAY, I HAD
PUGGY AT4@ HOME.
WE HAD TO GO BUY 4@HER A NICE, @
CUTE LITTLE CALLR AND CUTE
LITTLE DRESS.
IT GREW FROM THERE.
WHEN I TOOK THEM ON THERAPY 4@
VISITS, IT MADE PEOPLE THAT
MUCH 4@HAPPIER TO SEE DLEMSSED
UP.
WE 4@WERE OUT, AND MRS. BUSH WA
THERE AND HAD CALLED US OVER
AND HAD HER PICTURE TAKEN WITH
THE PUGS.
BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL.
I TREASURE THAT MOMENT. 4@
IT WAS WONDERFUL.
>> Reporter: LAURIE STARTED
POSTING PICTURES OF HER PUGS
FIRST ON FACEBOOK AND THEN
INSTAGRAM. 4@
THEY CAUGHT ON LIKE WILDFIRE.
AND LIKE THAT OTHER FAMOUS 4@
FAMILY, SHE HAS HUNDREDS OF 4@
THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS.
LAURIE NURTURES HER GLOB4@AL 4@
FOLLOWING WITH DAILY PHOTOS AND
VIDEOS OF HOW SHE DRESSES UP
THE 4@PUG-DASHIANS.
>> WE'RE ALWAYS GETTING ASKED
HOW DO THE BOWS STAY IN THEIR
HAIR.
IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE SIMPLE. 4@
>> Reporter: BUT THE JOY THE
DOGS BRING TO HER IS QUITE
PERSONAL.
>> ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, MY 4@
HUSBAND AND I TOOK IN A YOUNG
BOY, 16 MONTHS OLD. 4@
THAT NEEDED A HOME. 4@
HE CAME KICKING AND SCREAMING
AND CRYING, AND WE D4@IDN'T KNO
WHAT WAS WRONG. 4@
AND LONG STORY SHORT, YOU KNOW,
HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM. @
SO HE DIDN'T TALK UNTIL HE WAS
FOUR YEARS OLD, BUT I KNOW HE
WOULD 4@LAY IN THE MIDDLE OF TH
FLOOR JUST KICKING AND CRYING
AND SCREAMING, AND I WOULD JUST
NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. 4@
AND THE PUGS WOULD JUST STAY IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR, JUST
LOOKING AT HIM, LOOKING BACK AT
AND THE PUGS WOULD JUST STAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR, JUST LOOKING AT HIM, LOOKING BACK AT@
ME, LOOKING BACK AT HIM,
LOOKING BACK AT ME.
AND THEY WERE JUST SO CALM.
AND THE CALM PRESENCE JUST KIND
OF BROUGHT EVERYTHING DOWN.
AND THEY JUST, THEY JUST STAYED
BY HIM THE WHOLE TIME.