Yannick Weber and his girlfriend Kayla Price recently came up with a huge off-ice assist and in doing so, made a world of difference to some very needy dogs.

When the Nashville Humane Association (NHA) recently rescued numerous animals from a heat-related emergency, the couple jumped at the chance to step up and help out.

Yannick and Kayla, who visited the NHA with bags of food and supplies in tow for the animals, aren’t looking at their efforts as a one-time gesture.

The 29-year-old Weber spoke with NHLPA.com from his native Switzerland, and talked about his love for dogs, why it’s important to make a difference in the community, and how two Siberian Huskies can make any bad day a whole lot better.

In the community with Yannick Weber

1. Giving back

“We’re animal lovers. We have two dogs of our own. We heard in the news about the rescue of several dogs because of the heat in Nashville. The NHA took in over 40 dogs from the area. We knew that the Nashville Predators Foundation, which does a lot of great things, works with the NHA, and realized that was our opportunity to step in and make a difference.  We wanted to help the dogs that were rescued and give them a voice, so we donated supplies.”

2. Paws for thought

“For me, I didn’t grow up with a dog. My parents both worked, so there wasn’t time for it. My girlfriend Kayla, she grew up with dogs. I always loved animals and there was a point in my career where I felt it would be nice to have a dog, to have them so happy to see you when you came home. We started with one Siberian Husky and a few years later, we got another one. We couldn’t imagine our life without them. They are part of the family and they are part of our pack. If it’s after a good game or a bad game, or a rough day or good day, they’re always happy to see you and always make you smile. It’s been great.” 

3. Love at first sight

“It’s (the NHA) definitely not an easy place to go if you are a fan of animals or have a big heart for them. The good thing is that most of those dogs will find a new family. Even if it takes a year, they are in a loving place, with lots of good people taking care of them. They provide a very good life until someone fosters them or adopts them. The dogs are really happy when they see people. It’s a little heartbreaking, but once you talk to the people there, you know they are in good hands. You always fall in love with a few dogs and want to take them home, but you realize they have wonderful people looking out for their best interests.”

4. See you soon

“When it comes to the NHA, it was something we were very interested in being part of and something we’d like to continue doing in the future. We want to be part of it and help where we can. We are in a privileged position as hockey players and when there is an opportunity to help someone in need, whether it’s a person who is sick, a person in need, or an animal in need, it’s always great if you can help in some way. The Nashville Predators Foundation does great work and it’s easy to step in. We’ll do what we can to help raise awareness for the NHA.”   

5. Teamwork

“Kayla is around the dogs more than I am once the season begins. She already volunteers at the NHA now. She’s happy to do that and happy to be with me when we donated the supplies. I think it’s great that the girlfriends or wives of the players get involved in giving back, too. Kayla loves doing that, whether it’s at the NHA or any other cause we support. She has her heart in it and it makes her really happy.”