Maggie Lawson’s Dog Linus Debuts on KTLA Morning Show
Podcast star shares rescue pup’s TV spotlight and celebrates Petco Love Lovey Award honor!
Image: Instagram
Maggie Lawson welcomed the cameras of KTLA into her day this week, turning an ordinary morning into a celebration of rescue pets and podcasting. The actress joined the station’s flagship show to share the story behind her pet-centric series, Unconditional, and to mark her receipt of the coveted Petco Love Lovey Award.
Maggie’s Pup Linus Hits The Airwaves
In an Instagram post (https://www.instagram.com/p/DK2vS0mR8YR/), Lawson wrote, “Linus made his morning show debut yesterday! 🐾✨ Thank you @KTLAnews for the sweetest segment about @unconditionalthepod and the @petcolove Lovey award. We had the best time! ❤️” Footage from the clip shows Linus settling on Lawson’s lap as she chatted with hosts about the inspiration for her podcast’s latest season.
Linus—a terrier mix adopted from a Southern California shelter in 2022—has become a co-host in spirit. During the live segment, Lawson described how Linus helped shape conversations on adoption, training and animal welfare. “He’s my reminder every day that these animals have stories worth telling,” she said on air.
Podcast, Pets And The Lovey Award
Unconditional launched in early 2023 and quickly found an audience by blending heartfelt interviews with celebrity guests and animal experts. Episodes have covered everything from service dog training to senior-pet care. The Petco Love Lovey Award, presented by the national nonprofit Petco Love, honors a media creator who uses their platform to spotlight rescue and adoption. Earlier this year, Lawson announced on her Instagram that she would be the 2025 Astra TV Awards’ Lovey Award recipient in partnership with Petco Love.
On April 10, Lawson posted, “We are so pleased to share that Maggie Lawson will be the recipient of the second annual Petco Lovey Award at the 2025 Astra TV Awards. This award is presented in partnership with Petco Love and we are so honored to celebrating Maggie Lawson’s incredible journey on her pet-centric podcast Unconditional. #MaggieLawson #PetcoLove #adoptdontshop #petsarelove #astratvawards” (https://www.instagram.com/p/DKs5zTXJqeS/).
Lawson—best known for her breakout role as Juliet O’Hara on the USA Network series Psych—has long been an advocate for animal rescue. According to her Wikipedia profile, she has appeared in more than 40 TV and film projects since her debut in the late 1990s. Fans have praised her genuine enthusiasm for furry friends both on screen and off.
During the KTLA appearance, producers cut to a montage of Lawson’s on-stage recordings of Unconditional, where she and her guests share tear-jerking animal rescue tales. She also teased upcoming live events for the Dog Nation Tour, including a June 16 Chicago show moderated by friendship expert Anna Goldfarb.
After the broadcast wrapped, Lawson and Linus stayed on set to pose for photos with the KTLA crew. The footage closed out with host Sam Rubin remarking, “Linus, you’re a natural!” to which Lawson smiled and said, “He’s living his best life.”
As the segment aired live, viewers flooded social media with praise. One commenter tweeted, “Maggie Lawson and Linus are the cutest duo—thank you for highlighting rescue pets!” Another wrote, “The Petco Love award is well-deserved. Maggie’s show is a gift to animal lovers.”
Whether through television spots, social-media posts or her growing podcast network, Lawson is using her platform to spotlight pet adoption in new ways. And as Linus demonstrated, sometimes all it takes is a wagging tail and a willing heart to win over a morning-show audience.
From her on-air debut with Linus to the next live recording on the Dog Nation Tour, Lawson’s message remains clear: every pet deserves a loving home, and their stories deserve to be heard.
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