From the day they come into our lives, fur babies leave a paw print on any pet parent’s heart. Even the small things, like taking a walk together or sharing a pet-safe snack, can bring the greatest joy. Whether you share your home with a rambunctious feline or an energetic pup, the love and laughter that pet parenthood brings are unlike any other.
Melissa Corless Byers, just one of many important team members with Digital Trends Media Group, knows firsthand what it’s like to both love and be loved by a dog. In this month’s Pet Profile, PawTracks got to know more about her adventures with Famous Shamus, her lovable, athletic mutt who lives up to his name.
The parent and the pup
Melissa, before we meet the star of the show, please tell us a bit about you and your role at Digital Trends Media Group.
[I’m in] Commerce Partnership Development. We work to develop strong and lasting partnerships with merchants such as Chewy , Dell, etc. We work to increase our audience engagement through compelling marketing stories, collaborating with merchants to see that it’s a great relationship for DTMG, the merchants, and our audience.
Thanks for helping DTMG’s partnerships run smoothly! It helps us bring some of the best products to our audience—including the best pet products. Speaking of pets, how many do you have at home?
One: Famous Shamus.
What is Shamus’s breed, and does this fit well with your family’s lifestyle? What led you to choose this breed, if you chose?
[Famous Shamus] is a pit/lab/Dane mutt.
We love big dogs. Adopting Shamus was a no-brainer; his calm demeanor along with athletic features are a perfect fit for our family. Shamus loves to explore and is ready for any adventure. But. . . he’s also ready for some couch-time and loves to sleep. His energy level ebbs and flows with ours and he’s a great match for our outdoor lifestyle.
Does he have any traits characteristic to his breeds?
Shamus is food-obsessed. No paper products, food of any kind, sponges or anything of the like can be left out. We understand in part this is due to the lab portion of his DNA and a portion of this is due to an abusive, food-lacking lifestyle he had prior to our adoption.
Thank you for rescuing Shamus! Let’s get to know him and his quirks a little more.
All about Famous Shamus
Tell us—how did Shamus come to be a part of your family?
I underwent surgery and my previous dog, Marley, was growing old. As I was to be home for nearly two months, it was a perfect time to adopt. Shamus treated me with a sweet calm, which was just what I needed having just had surgery. His big brown eyes and sloppy nose were something we couldn’t say no to.
What are some of your favorite, unique things about Shamus?
Shamus has no facial expressions. His happy face is also his sad face, but it’s easily the cutest face we’ve ever seen. He loves to spend time with his dog friends as well as our family. He’s always accommodating as we tend to adopt other older dogs to give them quality years as they end life. Shamus travels with us, explores with us, hits the city with us, and makes people and animals comfortable. We couldn’t be luckier.
What a good boy! Does Famous Shamus have any special needs?
Yes. Shamus has a disorder that keeps him from feeling his hind feet. He walks strangely at times and has to be watched on uneven surfaces or rock cliffs as he can’t jump or gauge his landing. While athletic, he often looks like a klutzy puppy due to his disorder.
How do you help accommodate his needs, especially on his travels?
We are “helicopter” parents when on adventures. But otherwise, we simply keep him from jumping and he’s safe!
That’s wonderful that he’s able to explore with you! When he’s not traveling, what are his favorite toys?
Shamus loves anything that squeaks and, quite frankly, any toy that isn’t his.
Where do you go to buy your dog’s toys, food, and medication?
We have Shamus on a low-calorie food through our vet, [and] we get BarkBox for our toys! Meds [are bought] through Chewy where applicable.
Do you carry pet insurance for Famous Shamus?
No.
Okay, we have to ask about his fantastic name. Where did the moniker come from?
Shamus carried the name of Famous when we adopted him. We changed it, of course, but keep it on his tag. As he’s traveled the western U.S. with us and come to know hundreds of people in passing, Shamus, his sweet demeanor, or calm presence have made him known to people all over the country.
He’s a highly downloaded dog on Pexels, and somehow people know him that don’t remember us. His name was quite fitting as he’s famous to more than just our family.
PawTracks would like to extend a huge thank you to both Melissa and Shamus for sharing a bit about their adventures together. It’s always heartwarming to see pups living their best lives with their people—whether they’re getting in a hike…or a nap!
Happy travels, Melissa and Famous Shamus!
