The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Finnigan says Good Morning America
Lake County couple’s therapy dog featured on television show
Two-year-old bernedoodle Finnigan had an opportunity to step into the spotlight last week when he was invited onto Good Morning America to be honored as their Pet of the Week.
Finnigan brought his owners Teddy Dellas and Meghan Sluzynsky, a Lake County couple, along with him on the journey to New York City where he was recognized for his big heart and work as a therapy dog.
Sluzynsky sent in Finnigan’s application for Pet of the Week back in September after seeing a post on Facebook for the program.
“I saw it when I was eating breakfast. They asked for a quick write-up and a couple photos so I submitted the application,” she said. “Fast forward to Feb. 11 or 12 and I got a phone call from Good Morning America to let me know that he was one of their top five choices and asked if Finnigan was able to come out to New York City the following weekend.”
“It’s pet of the week, not dog of the week, so it came down to the final two where they were going to pick Finnigan or a duck.” —Teddy Dellas
“It’s pet of the week, not dog of the week, so it came down to the final two where they were going to pick Finnigan or a duck,” Dellas said.
The next day Sluzynsky received a phone call where she learned that Finnigan had been chosen.
Once learning the news, the couple had to record themselves answering some questions and submit over 70 pictures of Finnigan for the segment.
“It actually worked out well because that weekend we were going to the library and nursing home anyways, so I got a bunch of photos of him working and then the following Thursday we hopped in a minivan and drove to New York City,” Sluzynsky said.
With a call time of 6:30 a.m., she described the morning of the episode as a whirlwind of exhaustion.
“We were nervous, but luckily all the people that we had been interacting with were so nice and gave us really good advice to just focus on the anchors and they let us know that there were backup plans upon backup plans if God forbid something happened,” Sluzynsky said. “We were just more concerned about accidentally becoming a meme.”
Once showtime came, the video Dellas and Sluzynsky had recorded played before they were all welcomed out onto the stage. Finnigan barked a few times and tried to eat his medal, but overall the segment went as planned.
“Whatever it was that made him bark, everybody loved it,” Sluzynsky said. “I was kind of embarrassed because I always say he’s so friendly, so chill, and then he starts barking, but the producers and even Michael Strahan thought it was the greatest thing.”
An appearance on Good Morning America was not the only excitement for the pair that week. Many friends back home were surprised to notice a new
ring on Sluzynsky’s left hand when the segment aired.
“When we got engaged that Thursday night we only told our immediate family, but then on Friday once we were on TV we started getting texts from a lot of friends asking about the ring, so it was a cute way for people to find out,” she said.
Dellas said he considered popping the question while they were on Good Morning America, but decided to do it ahead of time to avoid any mishaps.
“I didn’t want to make (Sluzynsky) get emotional or start crying on national TV,” Dellas said. “If I did it on live TV, any one in a million things could go wrong.”
Now back to their routines at home, the couple agreed the experience was unforgettable.
“I couldn’t say anything nicer about the people that we worked with,” Sluzynsky said.
“They were just so friendly and so excited to see Finnegan and talk with us.”