SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — It’s not every day you see a near-seven-foot Utah Jazz player cuddling with puppies and kittens. But that’s exactly where we found Utah Jazz big man Kyle Filipowski when he made a surprise visit to Best Friends Animal Society in Sugar House.
“I grew up with a couple dogs,” Filipowski said. “I think they are the greatest thing on this earth.”
Off the court, Kyle is a proud dog dad to Ace, an 8-year-old rescued German shepherd. Ace is his reset — the one waiting at the door ready for cuddles no matter if he wins or loses an NBA game.
“No matter what type of day you have, good or bad, you just come home, and there they are just ready to be happy with you,” he said. “There’s nothing better.”
This week, he wanted to pass that feeling on. As part of the Smith Entertainment Group’s Pay It Forward Day, Filipowski came up with the idea to make a surprise visit to the Best Friends adoption center to drop off some much-needed items and bring a little more attention to the pets needing a home this holiday season.
“I thought it was an incredible opportunity to enjoy my passion and love for dogs and animals and try to do some good in the community,” he said. “Try to shine some light on these little guys, try to find them some homes.”
From the moment he walked in, Kyle was all in–walking a dog outside, feeding a curious cat, and letting sleepy puppies curl up in his lap. At one point, he joked about being very tempted to take a few home.
“I am tempted, super tempted,” he laughed. “One for each teammate, that’s what I am doing today.”
For Kyle, the goal is simple: every animal deserves what Ace has. “All dogs deserve a home,” he said. “Someone to love, someone to love on them.”
And if you ask him, the dogs might be the ones doing the real giving.
“At the end of the day, they just make things so much better,” Filipowski said, gently petting a pair of pups snoozing on his lap.
All adoption fees at Best Friends Animal Society Salt Lake City are just $10 dollars through the end of December.
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