Photo: Christopher Willard via Getty
ForLisa Vanderpump, joiningPooch Perfectas a celebrity judge was an absolute no brainer.
While recently chatting with PEOPLE about her role in the ABC dog grooming competition series, the 60-year-old reality star detailed how her role on the show came to be and how her vast love of canines influenced it.
“In the dog world, I’ve been very vocal about my love of dogs over the years,” Vanderpump tells PEOPLE exclusively. “… So I think when you think of dogs, or if you’re gonna think of anybody attached to dogs, it would be me.”
Citing ways in which she has proved her love of dogs over the years — including speaking before Congress to enact animal rights laws and creating her nonprofit dog rescue organization, theVanderpump Dog Foundation— the formerReal Housewives of Beverly Hillsstar continues, “I think people just think of me when they think of dogs.”
“[ABC] came to me and they said, ‘Would you like to be involved in judging a dog show?’ and I thought about it for at least five seconds and then I said, ‘Absolutely!'” Vanderpump adds. “For me, coming from a place of rescue when you’ve seen so many dogs that have been poorly treated … to see all these powdered, puffed, and pampered pets, even before they’re groomed, was actually a break from rescue.”
Christopher Willard/ABC
Each episode of the eight-episode series features the country’s best groomers and their assistants taking part in an Immunity Puppertunity challenge, where one grooming earns immunity from elimination.
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All of the groomers are competing for a cash prize and the covetedPooch Perfectfirst place trophy.
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Vanderpump believes thatPooch Perfectis a series that the entire family can sit down and enjoy together.
“There are so few shows that you can actually watch together as a family that have a feel-good factor,” she says. “I think we’ve lost a little bit of that because a lot of people are watching things on tablets and individual things, or shows that are just for the grown-ups. There aren’t that many shows where you can all sit down and go ‘Okay, it’s on again!'”
“And this show isn’t just about dogs,” theVanderpump Rulesstar continues. “It’s about the groomers and their journeys as well. It’s just a really, really lovely feel-good show.”
“I loved being a judge and I love ABC,” Vanderpump adds. “They treated us really nicely, probably not as well as the dogs, but … I loved every second of it.”
The dog mom concludes: “I just have a love of dogs … they are everything. And all these people that are involved, they’re the best groomers in the country and they have a love of dogs too, they really do.”
SeeLisa Vanderpumpand the amazing dog dos she gets to judge on Pooch Perfect. New episodes ofthe reality series air on Tuesdays on ABC at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST.
source: people.com
