[KHTS] – A member of Santa Clarita City Council, assemblyman for the state Legislature and now, reality TV star.
All this while his family continues to grow.
Cameron Smyth, 42, of Valencia, who was an avid supporter of animals during his time in the Legislature, earning Legislator of the Year from the Humanitarian Society in 2009, is adopting Willie, a 14-month-old Tibetan terrier, into his home for the CBS show “Lucky Dog.”
“We never gave any thought other than we would adopt an animal, when the time came, when (our children) were old enough,” Smyth said, adding that he was, at first, a bit apprehensive about letting cameras into the family home.
“Admittedly, I was a little more hesitant initially,” said Smyth, a Santa Clarita Valley native who adopted his first dog after someone dumped it in a trash can in front of his childhood home.
“Once we did our research about the show and the purpose of the show – to promote pet adoption – I thought it was a great thing to do as a family.”
Smyth lives in Newhall with his wife and three children, ages 9, 7 and 3.
The show is featured around local animal trainer Brandon McMillan, formerly the host of Animal Planet’s “Night,” who operates a dog boarding and training facility in Tick Canyon (eastern Canyon Country.)
On the show, McMillan “swoops into shelters across the U.S., rescuing hard-to-love, out-of control and unadoptable dogs and then, at his Lucky Dog Ranch, takes on the seemingly impossible task of turning the frightened pooches into perfect pets,” according to a summary on the CBS website.
The trainers interview the family and then, after working with the dog, select one that matches the dog’s personality with the lifestyle of the adopters, whether it’s suburban, urban or rural, small children, etc., Smyth said.
The show was filmed in four sessions over a period of a couple months, he said.
In addition to promoting animal adoption, Smyth and his wife, Lena, used some leftover campaign money to begin the nonprofit Time 2 Play.
The organization works with other nonprofits and takes donations to bring sports equipment and fitness education to impoverished children in third world countries.
Smyth also is still working as vice president of state affairs for Molina Healthcare, a national organization that operates in 12 states.
Smyth monitors legislation and works with the Fortune 500 company’s other executives to develop their business plan.
He’s also a fellow at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, where he enjoys the opportunity to work with college students.
“It’s been great,” Smyth said, “getting a chance to interact with students, and hear their plans on how they want to affect public policy.”
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
Rancho Camulos National Historic Landmark officials will host a virtual presentation commemorating the March 12, 1928, St. Francis Dam Disaster via Zoom on Friday, March 12, starting at 4 p.m.
The city of Santa Clarita, in partnership with the Santa Clarita Sister Cities program, invites local students to submit artwork, poetry, essays/creative writing, photographs, or music for the 2021 Sister Cities International Young Artists and Authors Showcase.
The Child and Family Center's Domestic Violence Program is set to host its fourth annual "Night of Expression" art exhibit on Saturday, Feb. 27, in recognition of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Wednesday confirmed 116 new deaths and 1,759 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, as Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported its 144th fatality since the pandemic began.
Rancho Camulos National Historic Landmark officials will host a virtual presentation commemorating the March 12, 1928, St. Francis Dam Disaster via Zoom on Friday, March 12, starting at 4 p.m.
Princess Cruises is extending the pause of its United Kingdom-based cruise vacations, sailing roundtrip from Southampton, through September 25, 2021, on Sky Princess, Regal Princess, and Island Princess.
After a relatively dry February in California, water supply managers grow increasingly anxious as each dry, sunny day plunges the state deeper into drought.
The Biden-Harris Administration has approved California’s request to use Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) funding to pay for voluntary COVID-19 testing for low-income students covered by the program, further supporting schools in underserved communities to reopen for in-person instruction.
Santa Clarita planning commissioners Tuesday sent the Sand Canyon resort proposal back to the drawing board amid continued concerns, focusing largely on emergency evacuations.
Moving around California three decades from now will be safer, cleaner, and simpler with more transportation options under a plan Caltrans unveiled Wednesday.
After receiving athletic protocol updates from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LADPH) and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the William S. Hart Union High School District has put together a complete athletic program following all state and county guidelines.
The ability to transform data into information and insights that can elevate a business and influence decisions is at the core of the newest major being offered in California State University, Northridge’s David Nazarian College of Business and Economics.
Three teachers from the William S. Hart Union High School District have been named by NASA and the SETI Institute to fly on NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
Los Angeles County Parks is looking for highly-talented independent instructors to bring valuable expertise and learning to the community through the Contact Class Program.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday 91 new deaths and 1,407 new cases of COVID-19, with 26,212 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.
After its cancelation last year due to the emergence of COVID-19, the College of the Canyons Scholarly Presentation will return this spring in a new virtual format.
Santa Clarita Planning commissioners are expected to make a decision Tuesday regarding the proposed expansion of Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital via multiple construction projects that include building a second inpatient tower.
Santa Clarita Valley educators were next in line to receive their COVID-19 vaccine shots at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Monday, more than two months after the hospital received its first batch of vaccines for hospital frontline workers.
Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Monday confirmed 32 new deaths and 987 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, as Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported two new deaths since Friday.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
2 Comments
Why was Willie not neutered before he was adopted? I feel like neutering and spaying should be stressed on a program promoting adoption.
Right. They need to be altered before being adopted or shortly after.