If you've ever come to one of our Group Dog Trainings in the park, you met Megan Blake, The Pet Lifestyle Coach®, and perhaps even her pal and official Kindness Ambassador, Super Smiley.
For 13 years, Smiley was by Megan's side, inspiring a movement for kindness through adoption of shelter animals. He lived a long and happy life with Megan and her husband, Kim, after being abandoned three times in downtown LA. Together, Megan and Super Smiley have created informational resources, child-friendly storybooks, a song, and even a flashmob driven by a passion for inspiring kindness and responsible care of animals in our community and beyond.
Thank you, Super Smiley, for being a loving member of park family these near five years. You are dearly missed.
Below, a message from Megan at Super Smiley's passing:
"2008-21 For the 1st time in 13 years, I woke up without my handsome Super Smiley a Shelter Mutt - abandoned 3 times in Downtown Los Angeles. A powerful soul who came to me as a Thrown-Away Dog to help change the world. I was honored to just hold the leash as he blazed the way... with Kindness, for Kindness.
Every mission he started, He actually started, not me. He “told” me he was a therapy dog. He “sang” to me the words to his song for Pet Adoption & Kindness. He “said” this song could be a Flash Mob for Kindness - The first Flash Mob that could speak to the world!
He led me. We spoke about Kindness to 1,000s of kids across the whole country. He created “The Super Smiley Flash Mob for Kindness” & was the world’s first dog to create “Teaching Kids Kindness Through Pets.” His projects won at the Awareness Film Festival, & he was later awarded their “Lifetime Achievement Award.”
He was the national “Ambassador of Kindness” for State Farm... And for the Animal Film Festival. His impact goes on and on. To honor his life and to see a bit of what he did with this joyful dog life, click the link below to see his work with inner city kids of Los Angeles - the site of where he was first abandoned. If it makes you smile, consider sharing it to #ShareKindness and the memory of our #SuperSmiley.
He’s been a columnist for Dog’s Life Magazine, TV & Film actor from Hallmark to PBS, professional blogger for Sergeants Pet Care, National Spokes-Dog for Toyota & State Farm, pet care Spokes-Dog on CNN, Spectrum News, OWN & countless outlets... And, my rock, my ground, inspiration, my love, my partner, my family, my lifeline and best friend.
Here’s how we met & it started:
I walked the LA shelters, this one for the 5th day, searching for a grounded confidant dog to be a strong companion to my newly rescued, 3 time adoption failure, German Shepherd pup. She was scheduled for euthanasia for being “berserk.” I walked through the aisles of dogs howling, barking, whining, giant pit bulls bouncing off the walls banging at deafening tones.
I saw one steady eye silently gazing between the bars calling me over. His gaze landed deeply inside me and drew me close. It was like the noise stopped. Everything stopped like it was just him and me left in the world. I said Are you my dog? It was like I heard Yep. I couldn’t get him out of the concrete pin to meet, because he had been abandoned in the streets and even though the shelter had reached out over and over, the owner didn’t respond to relinquish him. So he was technically “personal property.”
I visited him every day for 28 days till his hold would be up. But each day I saw more and more people coming just to visit the handsome grounded dog. We had already claimed each other and in fear that someone would get him before I did, I tried to reserve him but learned it was the first claim on his day that gets him. On the day he was to be available, i arrived at the shelter hours early, before dawn staking my place at the gate. Before they opened more people arrived. When someone finally turned the lock, I ran to the big dog’s pin, grabbed his paper ticket and put it in the hand of a shelter worker. While standing in line to sign the papers, three other families entered to get him.
He was mine. I was his.
As soon as we got in the car, he flashed that blinding smile and I “heard” him say My name is Smiley.
He was to be Angel’s companion and she was going to be my beautiful spokes dog going with me to Red Carpet events for animal advocacy. I had a TV series for pets so we were at big glamorous LA events almost every weekend. But it didn’t turn out as I’d visualized. As Smiley accompanied us onto the Red Carpets to act as Angel’s “support animal,” Angel sat picture perfect beside me. But Smiley sat right out in front of us with the Giant-est most handsome charismatic smile of any dog I’d ever seen. It became very clear Smiley was the Spokes-Dog... with much to say.
The next week as I sat on the sofa, he jumped up with his face right in my face. I literally heard in my head in my head singing a cute song of Smiley’s new life and of his past abandonments. And how Mutts Rock! And about Kindness and Pet Adoption. I heard it so fast I got a recorder and downloaded the words as fast as I was hearing them. We recorded the song, announced Smiley, the shelter mutt, had a FlashMob for Kindness... And it was done! He was unleashed... on his Mission... to the world. Here’s one of his creations. Click to watch and in The Memory of Super Smiley, please share. Thank you all for your love, support & Kindness. #ShareKindness #SuperSmiley" - Megan Blake
Need a brush up on more from Megan? Check out more from her under the Pets tab of our blog.
The Pet Lifestyle Coach®, Megan Blake is a Greensboro Downtown Parks program partner. The work she does with us is critical to providing FREE pets programming to our park community. As we make our way through these unprecedented times, consider how you might support local Greensboro non-profits like us, as well as businesses like, artists, entrepreneurs, makers, and more. We'll continue to bring you free programming through our digital platforms and look forward to having you join us and Megan back in the parks soon!
GDPI Pets Programs are sponsored by Green Lincoln.