NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tommy Habeeb said he’s a story teller at heart, but his latest reality show has brought him to Tennessee finding forever homes for neglected animals.
“There are some tough situations where dogs are close to death, you don’t even know how they’re still alive and then they’ll just crawl up into your lap and lick your face and give you love,” he said.
These days, the producer and host can be found filming at animal shelters across the country- it's a far cry from his previous reality shows like "Cheaters". "It was just time to do something that was important to me and rescuing dogs and people were important.”
His show "To the Rescue" brought him to Tennessee and the Franklin County Animal Shelter where he and Cathy Bissell of Bissell vacuums found homes for 31 dogs.
“It’s just not a simple dog show, it’s a show about humanity,” he said.
He and his team aren’t just placing dogs in homes, they’re also getting them out of homes too. “There’s these people that I don’t understand what they’re thinking when the put puppies in a bag and drop it off in a trash can or on the side of the road, or we find dogs that have been shot.”
It’s a heartbreaking, but rewarding job.
He said the secret to the show’s success is how it makes people feel. “I think that people need something today heartfelt, they need to know that people care today.”
Habeeb is also the founder of his own nonprofit, the Forever Family Rescue Foundation.
You can watch "To The Rescue" at 4:00 on Saturday mornings, right here on NewsChannel 5.
