HGTV Jenny and Dave Marrs at the Bella Vista Animal Shelter for "Fixer to Fabulous Holiday Surprise."
Jenny and Dave Marrs set their sights on the Bella Vista Animal Shelter and its staff for their HGTV holiday special, “Fixer to Fabulous Holiday Surprise.”
“Just in time for the holidays, Dave and Jenny gift the Bella Vista Animal Shelter with a very merry renovation,” according to the episode description. “After tackling a major refresh, new kennels and a custom cat playroom, they’ll reopen the decked-out shelter with a festive pet adoption event!”
“Fixer to Fabulous Holiday Surprise” premieres on HGTV on December 14, 2021, at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
Ahead of its premiere, the “Fixer to Fabulous” hosts spoke with Heavy about why the project was so near and dear to their hearts. Here is what you need to know:
The Couple Share the No-Kill Shelter’s Passion for Animals
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“It’s a community-led project,” Dave said. As he explained, when his subcontractors found out the work was for the shelter, they “were just ‘Ok, all my labor’s free on this one. Whatever we can do to help and to make this beautiful for not only the animals but the amazing people that work there.’”
The couple has been open about their love of animals. As Jenny put on her website, they have “too-many-to-count farm animals” at their home in Arkansas.
“This shelter is a no-kill shelter that takes in any animal at any time, no questions asked,” Dave explained. “And to take some of these animals when they are at their lowest and then rehab them and you know, readopt them into a loving, like loving families. It’s, it’s like the reason we have the farm. It’s the reason that, I mean, it’s just so important to our family and so to be able to give back, you know, especially this time of year, is really meaningful for both of us.”
The Bella Vista Animal Shelter’s Staff Wanted to Focus on the Animals
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While the animal shelter’s staff wanted to focus on the animals, the couple strove to find a balance.
“We were asking the, you know, the director and the employees, ‘Ok, we know you guys want beautiful spaces for the animals, but what do you need for yourselves?’” Dave continued. Referring to them as “selfless,” the 41-year-old revealed they responded with “Whatever we can do to focus on the animals’ welfare and making their space as amazing and safe as it can possibly be, that’s what we want to do.”
So they struck out to find “a really good balance of not only taking care of the animals and making them great spaces but really highlighting like the amazing people that work there.”
The Couple Faced New Challenges Filming During the Pandemic
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The couple filmed their holiday special and season 3 of their hit show amid the coronavirus pandemic, which carried its own challenges.
“Making sure everyone is healthy and safe has been obviously the first priority for us and our crew and our homeowners and everyone involved,” Jenny explained to Heavy. “But then, on top of that, we’re dealing with tons of shortages and certain supply issues and just, yeah, all of the time to get products.”
She added, “It’s already hard because of the timelines we’re working on with the show but the pandemic has definitely amplified that aspect.”
Season 3 of “Fixer to Fabulous” airs weekly on HGTV and the couple can next be seen competing in the upcoming season of “Rock the Block.”
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