Monday, August 24, 2015

Pressley Baird & Darby

Who is in the photo at right?

I'm Pressley Baird, and this is Darby, my coonhound mix. I'm a reporter turned grad student at UNC-Chapel Hill, where I study and teach journalism. Darby sleeps in sunny patches, howls at sirens and eats lots of peanut butter.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Darby and I just moved to a new house with a beautiful back porch where I can drink my coffee every morning. Darby's just here for the sun.

What's brewing?

Milk and sugar with a little coffee.

Any treats for you or Darby on this occasion?

No treats today, though Darby gets plenty. Peanut butter is her favorite.

How were you and Darby united?

Darby is the first dog I've had that's all mine. I adopted her from the American Black and Tan Coonhound Rescue in 2013, a few years after I graduated from college. After I'd proven I could keep myself alive, I decided to add another living thing to the mix.

How did your dog get her name? Any aliases?

When I adopted her, Darby's name was Brownie. I wanted to change it but needed to keep the "ie" sound.

Cat, postman, squirrel...?

Postman. Darby loves all people.

Ball, squeaky-toy, stick...?

Fluffy stuffed animals that she can rip to shreds.

Who is Darby's best pet-pal?

Avett, my parents' blind Labradoodle puppy. (Yes, he is as cute as he sounds.)

What is Darby's best quality?

She has never met a person she didn't instantly adore.

You're a Roy H. Park Fellow in UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism. Is UNC a dog-friendly campus?

It is! Most of Chapel Hill, with its wide sidewalks surrounded by trees, is very dog-friendly.

If Darby could change one thing about Tarheels, what would it be?

She'd have this year's basketball team work on their offensive prowess and talk Harry Giles into signing on for the 2016-17 season. (Darby really likes basketball.)

If Darby could answer only one question in English, what would you ask her?

"What was your life like before we met?" Since Darby is a rescue, I don't know much about her life before I got her -- including exactly when she was born. (She's probably 8 but maybe 10.)

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which Darby could speak, who should voice her?

Elizabeth Taylor. Darby lives a very luxurious life.

What advice would Darby give if asked?

Give everybody a chance. Cute ears will get you far in life. And always eat the peanut butter.

Learn more about Pressley Baird, journalist (and baking and basketball enthusiast).

--Marshal Zeringue

1 comment:

  1. Oh, Darby, you sound like such a grand mature lady! Who knows, maybe we even met when I was a puppy growing up in North Carolina. You see, I am what humans call a "rescue" also, and my mommy and daddy got me on a long, long transport all the way from the South. Now, I am a Wild West resident, but I am still a Southern gentleman at heart. I am so glad your mommy found you and found it necessary to spoil you. Spoiled rescue pups are the best pups!

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