Dog Hugs Hosts Larry Kay & Geralynn Cada
When Covid quarantine began, Larry Kay’s two million Facebook fans on Positively Woof needed more support than usual. So, starting March 26, 2020, Larry streamed live with a Dog Hugs video podcast every weekday at noon Pacific Time from his garage video studio, dubbed “The Laundry Lounge” to give dog lovers a place to gather in his virtual oasis.
Larry’s long-time social media associate Robbi Hess jumped in with cohosting, assisting with interviews, and recommending guests.
On April 7, Geralynn Cada appeared as a guest on the show to celebrate her birthday. Larry and Geralynn had already been searching for a project to do together for more than a year. They quickly realized that Dog Hugs was that project and they would give quarantined dog lovers a much-needed daily hug.
In September, Geralynn brought on board the show’s first sponsor, Yummy Combs, the newest enterprise from Kansas City’s highly-successful pet industry innovator, Dr. Joseph Roetheli. Doctor Joe, Geralynn, and Larry are now developing a new project that will debut on Dog Hugs in 2022.
By December, 2020, Larry and Geralynn had grown their on-air chemistry and grown their audience by hosting more than 100 live Dog Hugs shows. The shows featured guests from their network of pet industry colleagues as well as celebrities, thought leaders, and creative professionals who also love dogs.
The duo then went on holiday hiatus and began planning the season two premiere for April 6, 2021, the week of Geralynn’s birthday.
While Larry developed the expanded season two format, Geralynn set about bringing on sponsors with the vision to have a giveaway on every Dog Hugs live episode. She attracted Erin Terjesen, the veteran pet industry marketing strategist and principal of Scottsdale, Arizona-based Propel Communications. Erin and Geralynn added four outstanding title sponsors: San Diego-based Eqyss “USA human-grade natural shampoos, conditioners, flea and Tick Sprays”; Cranbury, New Jersey-based Loving Pets’ Houndations Training Treats, “Loving Pets: that’s what we do”; Nixa, Missouri-based Tether Tug outdoor play system for dogs, “Tether Tug: Pull. Tug. Spin.” Geralynn also staked her own Lenexa, Kansas-based Smarter Paw enterprise’s newest startup brand, Doggijuana “Dog Toys and Treats Crafted with Naturally Calming Dogginip.”
With this modest cash infusion, Dog Hugs could now grow beyond being a “pandemic pivot project” toward becoming a low-budget series. Propel associate Charli DeMent LeGette joined the team to manage the active Facebook Live audience chat and coordinate sponsor giveaways. Robbi Hess shifted to a behind-the-scenes role, managing Positively Woof’s pet holiday calendar and presenting the popular “Supermodel of the Week” dog photo contest.
Larry and Geralynn collaborated on scripts for the handful of short films that Larry edited for each episode, including Breed Basics, Pet Holidays, Fun Facts, Shelter Shout Outs, Dog Trick Secrets, editorials, and the popular “Petiquette” segments where the hosts answer the audience’s questions on topics that range from behavior and training to health and growing our human-animal bond.
Season Two’s shows went live each Tuesday and Wednesday through June, 2021. The team achieved their goal of growing a loyal audience of regulars whom the hosts delighted by giving personal shout outs, asking about fans’ dogs by name, and answering their “Petiquette” questions.
What’s next for Dog Hugs? Season Three commences on September 28, 2021 and is slated to go live every Tuesday and Wednesday at Noon Pacific Time on Positively Woof’s Facebook page through December 15.
The Dog Hugs Season Three team is growing by two: video editors Justin Glowacki and Dylan King, both seniors at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications, Larry’s graduate school alma mater. The editors are helping Larry raise the show’s production values and are also ramping up a vigorous social media program for each episode.
Season Three will also grow the show’s audience via paid Facebook advertising for every episode. Season Three sponsors are currently being finalized.
Every show also features an appearance by Spider the Trick Dog, Larry’s Australian Cattle Dog. Spider has selected every episode’s giveaway prize winner at random by fetching a numbered tennis ball from the Dog Hugs “Wheel-O-Rama” (a.k.a. The Laundry Lounge’s tumble dryer).
From the beginning, Dog Hugs has been grounded in gratitude. Each show culminates as one or all of the hosts gives a personal shout out of gratitude or blessing to someone in their life or in the world.
