‘Today’ Welcomes Their Latest Furry Family Member: Their Puppy With A Purpose
Dogs are one of the most popular household pets in the United States, and we love all of our furry friends!
Puppy With A Purpose
One television program that highlights their love of dogs is NBC's Today. On Monday, Feb. 26, the long-running morning newscast introduced the third chapter of their fan-favorite segment: Puppy with A Purpose. One of the highlights of the episode was when a male yellow Labrador Retriever met the show's on-air team: co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, veteran weatherman Al Roker, and social media correspondent Carson Daly.
According to People Magazine, this will be the third yellow Labrador Retriever to join the Today family. Just like Charlie, the show's previous mascot, this adorable dog will be trained to become service animals that would be used for clients of the Guide Dog Foundation. The new dog is expected to work with Charlie's trainer, Olivia Poff.
America's Choice
While there was a lot of pomp and circumstances regarding the new dog's arrival, the puppy was missing something. It was revealed that the latest furry member of the family was missing a name. Guthrie, Kotb, Roker, and Daly were each assigned to pick out a name for the dog. Guthrie selected the name, Mic, while Kotb went with Goldie.
Meanwhile, the veteran weather anchor wanted to christen the dog: "Sunny," while Daly chose "Lucky." The show decided to let their fan base voted for the name. As fans continued to select the names, Poff spoke with People Magazine about how that it is not just the anchors' jobs to encourage and welcome the puppy into the family.
"This is a group effort. All of the people behind the camera and in front of the camera contribute to the dog's success," Poff told People Magazine.
Overcoming Giant Obstacles
The adorable yellow Labrador Retriever will undoubtedly raise the spirits of the Today audience and crew. The NBC News morning show has taken a lot of heat regarding over the past few months. Page Six broke the news that the working environment of Megyn Kelly Today is allegedly toxic and the show's abysmal ratings have weakened Kotb's shared hour with Kathie Lee Gifford.
The show also faced backlash on how Guthrie and Kotb 'insensitively' handled an interview 17-year-old Samantha Grady, who survived the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on Feb. 14. Guthrie's first question regarding the status of Grady's best friend left viewers upset when the student revealed on live television that her friend was dead.
Also, the show lost their longtime executive producer, Don Nash. Nash became one of Today's off-camera significant staff members and guided the program through substantial news events such as 9/11 and multiple Presidential Elections. Before he left, Nash helped install Kotb as a full-time anchor of the program. Kotb officially joined the show full-time co-anchor on Jan. 2, 2018. This decision came months after NBC News fired Matt Lauer for sexual misconduct.
Enstars reached out to NBC and 'Today' for a comment.
