During the last 15 years, Dani Rovira (43) has participated – as a collaborator or presenter – in 17 programs. According to various interviews, many of those projects have made him especially excited, although none of them have moved him as much as A Dog’s Day. His first video-podcast, which can be seen on RTVE Play. “It is a fresh and friendly program, which seeks to promote the care of dogs. It is a television program adapted to the sensitivity of the society we are in now, where punishment or corrections should not be imposed,” reveals to THE WORLD.
“With A Dog’s Day we propose a face-to-face education with your roommate or life partner, who, although he understands existence in a slightly different way, constantly observes you to get to know you. That is why this space invites us to also observe to our dogs, to be able to think like them, to understand them and make their lives a little easier,” says Rovira, who, through experience, has become an expert in dog psychology. “I really admire how dogs think,” says the comedian, who has owned three dogs: Buyo, Carapapa and Lobo.
“Dogs live in the absolute present. They are not aware of thinking about tomorrow. They do not have that anxiety that we have, where we always think ‘what is going to happen?’ For example, a dog that is in A shelter or even an abandoned dog can feel absolutely happy if a child pets it or feeds it. Dogs don’t put things in their pockets, they don’t hold grudges. Two dogs can have a fight. You think they are going to kill each other, but in 10 minutes, they are sleeping next to each other. And that is something that is unthinkable for us,” he explains.
As a result, Rovira is convinced that people “need to learn more about animals.” And what is the best way? According to his words, it could be through a screen. In fact, this is the reason why he decided to return to Televisión Española, two years after leaving La noche D. “For me, it is always a pleasure to work with RTVE. When we did La noche D I felt very proud to be making a comedy program, outside of all the noise that exists on other networks. It was nice to be able to talk about culture and develop deep conversations. That’s why, when they called me to do A Dog’s Day, I felt attracted to the idea,” he says.
“I believe that public television, being for everyone, should be there to entertain, to build and to disseminate. And that is what this program is about. Furthermore, I am delighted, because I love talking about dogs. I feel very comfortable and very comfortable.” pleasure. In addition, I have had the opportunity to be with very dog-like people and their dogs. And I have understood many things… I have realized that you can also learn about people if you observe the way they communicate with their dogs What’s more, in this program I have learned a lot about myself,” he says.
On the other hand, Rovira recommends paying close attention to the comments of the experts Santi Vidal and Eli Hinojosa, who collaborate in the video-podcast. “I am well accompanied by a behavioral therapist and a trainer and I am happy to be surrounded by such professional people. Because, no matter how many years you have been with dogs, you always have certain gaps. They have both taken care of my dogs and I have attended some that other than their course. That’s why, when they gave me the ‘yes’, I felt relaxed. I thought ‘I can rest easy, because they have the knowledge that I lack,'” he says.
Likewise, the comedian is sure that his guests – among whom are Mercedes Milá, Blanca Portillo, Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Alfonso Bassave – will surprise the audience. “We have well-known people from culture, politics and television… But they don’t talk about those topics, they tell personal stories. For example, one says that he shared a dog with his partner and they separated, and we talk about what happens when “People separate. We talk about grief too. People have come to the program with a recent grief and have been generous enough to share it,” he points out.
“We have had great faces. Although I think it doesn’t matter if the guests are known. In the end, we are talking about human beings who are telling their experience. So I would say that this is a space where everything is talked about,” he says and adds. that “the theme of the program, perfectly, could be ‘children’, because we are talking about living beings that breathe, who live their lives in the first person, who love, who feel cold, afraid… And who also need help.” Then she talks about what he is most proud of: the Ochotumbao foundation. An NGO that she created together with Clara Lago, in order to support solidarity projects in defense of animals.
“A few days ago the foundation turned seven years old and we are very happy, because it has spread to us. There have been many projects that we have carried out and we hope there will be many more,” he says.
This is an initiative that makes him feel “infinitely satisfied” because “we have achieved a lot, in practical and emotional aspects.” The foundation has been developed as a way to thank life for “everything it has given us”: “I believe that life treats us well enough and the glass is so full that we can give what is overflowing to beings who have been born with a little more complicated cards”.
