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Meet that Raiser – Annette McBride
Name: Annette McBride
Occupation: Director of Staffing and Professional Development (Human Resources)
Prison: MCI Norfolk
Current Pup: Gigi, 6 mos old
How long have you been a Weekend Puppy Raiser and how many dogs have you raised? (Include furloughed dogs and the one you are currently raising).
I have been a raiser for 6 years and have raised 7 pups.
What led you to Weekend Puppy Raising?
Our pet had crossed the Rainbow Bridge and my family wanted another dog but we didn’t really have the time during the week to properly care for a dog at that point in time. This was a perfect solution and turned out to be a one of the more impactful things we have ever done.
Ice Breakers
If you had your own talk show, who would your first 3 guests be?
This is hard!
- Ellen Degeneres – She seems so kind and genuine on her show. I’d love to know if she really is
- Ann Curry – I always admired her on Dateline and Today. (I’m dating myself!)
- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – just because!
If you had one extra hour of free time a day what would you do with it?
- Ideally, I’d like to use it to cook a nice meal. Realistically, I’d end up using it to work.
Would you rather be able to speak all foreign languages or talk to animals?
- Definitely talk to animals!
If you could visit one place in the world where would it be and why?
- I would go to the city in Italy where my grandparents were from. We don’t have family left there that I know of but it would still be interesting to see.
Are you a listener or a talker?
- It depends on the situation. Sometimes I like to sit back and take it all in. Other times I just keep on talking.
Tell us your favorite part about being a Weekend Puppy Raiser or your favorite memory with one of the NEADS pups.
- My favorite part of being a Weekend Puppy Raiser is watching how the pups develop. When I first start working with them as a young pup they are so cute and little and I am so impressed at how well they “sit” and BGN at such a young age. Then they grow so quickly and get into the mischievous stage – like teenagers. And suddenly, they start listening to every command and focusing so well. It’s like a light switch is turned on. And that’s when I know our time together is going to be coming to an end, but I’m so proud of that pup.
