Windows to the Wild Host Willem Lange Finds New Canine Companion

New Season of Windows to the Wild Premieres in October

Windows to the Wild host Willem Lange has a new blonde bombshell in his life. Her name is Kiki, and she's a 10-month-old rescue dog from Texas who shares Lange's love of the outdoors. In a new episode of Windows to the Wild, Lange and Kiki join New York Times-bestselling author Tom Ryan and his dog Samwise on Pine Mountain in Gorham, New Hampshire.

It was Ryan who inspired Lange to adopt Kiki. After the deaths of two beloved dogs, Lange worried that he could never replace his old companions. Ryan, whose writing revolves around his dogs, advised Lange "that shouldn't stop you from getting another one."

For both Lange and Ryan, their dogs are a source of healing. The normally active Ryan suffered heart and kidney failure in 2016. Once he was healthy enough to travel, he took Samwise on a cross-country road trip that he found integral to his ongoing recovery. According to Ryan, "I feel more complete than I've been in a long time."

The 82-year-old Lange has found solace in his new mixed terrier, as well. Like many of his generation, he is acclimating to life with a spouse in a nursing home. With Kiki, his days are full just trying to keep her out of trouble. "I thought fatherhood was over when the last of the kids left," he says. But, as he told Ryan, "you cannot look at that face without smiling."

In addition to inquisitive puppies and the stunning valley views from Pine Mountain's ledges, Windows to the Wild producer Phil Vaughn says this episode provides "a chance for viewers to see a side of Willem that they might not know." Lange and Ryan discuss their current canines and reminisce about the memorable dogs who came before. They also discuss the importance of nature and friendship in dealing with life's challenges.

Viewers can curl up with their own canine companions and meet Kiki on the season 13 premiere of Windows to the Wild on Wednesday, October 4 at 7:30 pm on NHPBS.