By: Audrey Nelson

Before I started my internship at KVBPR, I knew to expect certain things of my position: plenty of work, big-name clients, and learning from some of the best PR professionals in the area. What I didn’t expect was the commitment that each KVBPR employee has to the Nashville community. Every month, one of the members presents on his or her involvement with non-profits and charities. Many of the employees have board member and leadership positions with charities such as Hands on Nashville and Musicians on Call. After just a few weeks of working here, I realized that the KVBPR staff lives the Tennessee moniker, “The Volunteer State” in both their personal and professional lives.

Though most stay after hours and will often come in early, the employees at KVBPR still manage to balance their work schedules with non-profit positions. Their collective drive inspired me to reach out to a non-profit that I strongly connected with, Brown Dog Foundation. I come from a long lineage of animal lovers, and have been blessed to have a family that has helped several dogs from enduring a tough life. I’m a serious mutt-lover and cannot go to an animal shelter without falling in love, so when I heard about Brown Dog’s mission, I knew I wanted to be a part of their organization.

Brown Dog Foundation is a charity that helps struggling families pay expensive medical bills that could save the life of their pet. Carol Smock founded the organization in 2006 in memory of Chocolate Chip, her chocolate Labrador Retriever whose medical bills for chemotherapy exceeded Carol’s available funds. Though Chocolate Chip passed away, his life inspired Carol to build Brown Dog Foundation, and help families in similar situations save their pet’s life by funding the necessary healthcare.

I have been able to help Brown Dog in both public relations and social media campaigns this summer through the knowledge I’ve gained at KVBPR. It’s highly rewarding as an intern to see your work travel through the media, but it’s even more so knowing that you are making an impact on local families and their pets. I feel very fortunate to be able to give back to the community in which I was raised with the skills that I’ve developed as a PR intern.

Though my internship will have to come to a close in August, the skills I have learned here and my work with Brown Dog will continue to grow through my senior year of college. I knew I’d have the opportunity to work with one great Nashville organization this summer, and am so pleased that I’ve been able to work with two. It’s hard to believe that this experience is half-way over, but I can’t wait to see what the next part of summer has in store for me!

For more information on Brown Dog Foundation, visit their website at www.browndogfoundation.org.

*Pictured: Wagner, a success story from the Brown Dog Foundation. See more pets who have been saved since 2006.