Pay It Back w/ George Hahn

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Making True On A Promise To His Childhood Dog

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About The Episode

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, a young George Hahn found himself begging his parents for a dog in the 4th grade. Luckily for him, they obliged, and the family got a yellow lab named Angel. It was great at first and George was thrilled. However, after a while, the initial excitement did not burn as bright and his threshold for responsibility. One day in 7th grade, George came home and Angel was gone. His parents had decided that the dog was better living with a woman on a farm whom they had met.

For the years that followed, George felt a heavy sense of guilt. Even though the dog was happily living a new life with more space and a loving caretaker at the farm, he felt embarrassed for not taking better care of Angel while she was around. At some point, he knew he wanted to have a dog in his life again and prove that he could be responsible and a truly caring human companion.

It wasn't until later in adulthood when living in New York City that the chance presented itself to George in a way that he no longer could resist. His friend, host of the show John Bartlett, had a store in the West Village and was having an adoption event out front with the North Shore Animal League. George went down to take pictures to spread awareness online, but ended up falling in love with a black lab mix puppy that he saw there. In that moment, he decided whether this was finally the right time. He figured why not, and ended up going home with his dog Smokey that day.

The timing of getting a dog was also at an important juncture for George. While he had already gotten sober around 7 years before that, he was still dealing with the aftermath of it and finding a new path post-alcohol. Smokey gave him someone else to care about, someone to get him outside, and it became no longer just "The George Show" anymore. Plus, he even turned vegan after connecting on a more personal level with an animal.

While training Smokey wasn't too hard, his next dog Lenore presented him with a challenge. Another puppy herself, Lenore was yet another spontaneous adoptee from a North Shore Animal League event in Manhattan one day (six years after Smokey). But she was more anxious, more on the edge, and even almost drove George to bring her back to the shelter. However, they toughed it out and became a stronger pack because of it. Now, both dogs have continued to serve as a way for George to make amends to Angel.

However, they are more than just a full-cycle moment for him. They're more. They have taught him how to let go of resentment, to be grateful for what you have in front of you at any given moment, and more to live for overall. And recently, during the pandemic, George broadcasts their morning walks in Central Park on Instagram Live for other people to be an extended part of their family and enjoy the comforts of walking with Smokey and Lenore as he gets to enjoy every day himself.

About The Guest - George Hahn

George Hahn is a jack of many trades – including a social media consultant, writer, actor, and sartorialist - who has cultivated an online following of his own. He also appeared on both Law & Order and Sex And The City. He has two dogs, Smokey and Lenore, who have helped him make amends to his chilldhood dog and bring him a more fulfilling life.

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