Fox Sports and Amazon Prime Video presenter Charissa Thompson has revealed the emotional thinking behind one of the most personal projects in her life.
Away from the NFL broadcasts that have made her a familiar face to sports fans, Thompson has spent much of her offseason building and running Ruby Ranch, a 75-acre property in Central California dedicated in large part to caring for rescued animals.
Now, Thompson has explained that two animals she lost before the ranch fully developed, Willis and Daisy, played a major role in shaping what the property eventually became.
Sharing a photograph of two of her current rescue dogs traveling together in a car, Thompson reflected on the difficult period following their deaths.
“When I lost Willis and Daisy I felt so guilty about adopting other dogs,” Thompson wrote. “But what I have realized is without them, @rubyranchlife wouldn’t exist, and the best way to honor them is to continue saving more animals.”
The message offered a glimpse into how Thompson has processed the loss of animals that clearly held an important place in her life.
Her connection with animal rescue has become an increasingly visible part of her identity outside football. Thompson purchased Ruby Ranch in 2021, and what initially served as an offseason retreat gradually developed into a much larger project.
The property now includes cattle, horses, sheep, a pig, chickens, peacocks, dogs and cats. Thompson has also established buildings including a general store, boathouse, saloon and guest cottage, while two full-time employees help look after the ranch when her broadcasting commitments take her elsewhere.
Thompson has previously explained that one unlikely source helped spark the original idea.
“The origin story behind this is I just always loved animals,” Thompson told the New York Post. “But then I started watching Yellowstone and I was like, ‘Oh my god, ranches are cool!’”
The name Ruby Ranch also carries a personal reference. Thompson chose it as a nod to Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz and the movie’s famous message about home.
Ruby Ranch became Thompson’s way of giving back
The ranch has since developed into considerably more than a place for Thompson to escape during the NFL offseason.
“It’s definitely a passion project,” she said. “The more animals I save, I want to save more. It’s addicting. I’ll take the animal cast off on the side of the road, or the random sheep that were going to be sold because they sold the barn next to mine. Anyways, I just feel like it’s my rent on earth is to give back.”
That philosophy has been reflected through the Ruby Ranch Life social-media accounts, which Thompson runs alongside her boyfriend, Steven Cundari.
The account has attracted tens of thousands of followers interested in the animals that arrive at the property and the couple’s efforts to give them a new home.
Willis was especially significant to Thompson. She previously described the dog as having protected Ruby Ranch for more than a decade, and his death left a considerable void in her life.
Thompson shared another emotional tribute following his passing, writing that one of the hardest parts of being a dog owner is having to say goodbye.
Daisy’s death was another major loss. Thompson has said that Daisy became sick unexpectedly, with her passing still weighing heavily on her months later.
Those experiences help explain why Thompson initially felt conflicted about opening her home to more animals.
Rather than seeing new adoptions as replacing the pets she had lost, she now views them as an extension of the love she had for Willis and Daisy.
“As cheesy as it sounds, it fulfills me,” Thompson said. “It really balances the scale of the world I live in, which is great, TV, lights, and makeup.”
That contrast is particularly striking given Thompson’s demanding career.
During football season, her world is dominated by NFL games, television studios, production meetings, cameras and live broadcasts. Once the offseason arrives, her attention can shift toward feeding animals, maintaining the property and helping animals that might otherwise have nowhere to go.
Her rescue work has also extended beyond Ruby Ranch itself. During the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, Thompson used her substantial social-media following to ask people to contact her if they knew of animals that needed temporary shelter.
The project has therefore evolved from a personal love of animals into a broader commitment to rescue.
For Thompson, the deaths of Willis and Daisy initially created guilt about welcoming new animals into her life. But she now sees the growing community at Ruby Ranch differently.
Rather than moving on from them, she believes she is carrying their memory forward every time another animal receives a safe home.
And that may be the most meaningful legacy of the two dogs she lost: their absence helped inspire Thompson to create a place where countless other animals could find the care and security they needed.
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