Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ John Rush on animal rescue, football and vegan diet
Winnipeg Blue Bombers fullback John Rush talked with us about being a dog person, the role of being a Grey Cup winner and which people from Dog Twitter he’d like to meet.
Dog O’Day – Have you always been a dog person, or was that something that happened gradually?
John Rush – I convinced my parents to let me adopt my first dog when I was 9 years old, so I guess I’ve always been one lol.
Do you have a favorite breed? Bone is a Great Pyrenees, and Bailey looks like she’s pretty enormous as well. When did you get them, and what are their personalities like?
I don’t really have a favourite breed. All dogs are good dogs, but I’m definitely drawn to the bigger breeds as I can roughhouse with them a lot more which is always fun! I adopted Bone when he was eight months and he has been super chill from the start (we’re actually trying to get him certified to be a hospital therapy dog!)
Bailey I just adopted almost two months ago when she was 14 weeks and she definitely has a lot more energy then Bone! It’s pretty funny watching them play and Bailey jumping on Bone and him not having any of it.
How did you get involved in dog rescue and fostering, and why should more people become involved?
Like I said I’ve I adopted my first dog when I was 9 so I’ve been doing it since I can remember. It definitely started with my parents teaching me about the importance of giving dogs in the shelter a second chance, and that we shouldn’t be bringing more dogs into the world when there are already so many amazing dogs sitting in shelters.
From there I just kept going with it. It’s pretty staggering when you look at the number of animals in shelters and the amount that get put down because of human negligence.
Do you think being part of a Grey Cup-winning squad last year has helped your platform in raising awareness for the causes you champion?
I definitely think it has helped me open some doors and bring more awareness to it. We actually put some puppies that were available for adoption in the Cup to help them get adopted!
I also plan on doing a lot this year to leverage being a Grey Cup champ to help the pups out even more, so stay tuned!
Has being an athlete made being a vegan easier or more difficult? What are some misconceptions people may have about vegan diets?
I’m not sure it’s made it easier or harder. Being vegan was definitely the best decision I ever made, but it was definitely the hardest.
My teammates and coaches are the most supportive whereas most people think they would ridicule me, it’s actually the opposite where random people on the internet try to make fun of me for it, which is pretty hilarious.
Where does football fit into the Canadian sports landscape? It’s not hockey, but the Grey Cup has been around for over a century. (Your version of the game is much more entertaining than ours.)
I would agree Canadian football is significantly more entertaining than the NFL. A lot more fast-paced action – it’s really fun to watch! It’s also one of the most historic sports in North America.
It was really awesome to be able to bring the Grey Cup out into the community and hear all the stories of years passed when we had one and how connecting a trophy can be.