Shredding Paper

It's simple. Charlotte likes all kinds of paper. She will go out of her way to grab kleenex or paper towels. When I haven't seen her in a few minutes and the house is a little too quiet...this is usually what I find.



The Evidence





The Culprit



Shredding Kleenex



Doesn't Care that She's Caught



Something Old, Something New, Something Charlotte, Something Blue

Morning of the wedding
Evergreen, CO

After a year of planning, my sister married her dream guy. It was an epic wedding held in the lush landscape of Evergreen. A whole weekend full of family, friends, amazing food and some serious rain, this event will not be forgotten.

Originally, I had planned to bring Charlotte to Evergreen for the weekend. My parents rented a house on the property, right across from the venue. She'd be able to run around and go on walks. As the wedding drew closer, I second guessed my plan. There were no fences, what if she got out? What would she do during the wedding? Be stuck in her kennel?





Beautiful Bride



My mom, ever the one for advice, told me I'd have more fun without her. Afterall, my sister would only get married once and I didn't want to be distracted, did I? DID I? So I started to figure out a new plan. I called a couple doggie overnight care places to price them out. One of them offered phone calls so parents can talk to their pets. Oftentimes it's harder on the parents than the dog, or so I'm told. At that point, I lost it. Tears started streaming down my face and I just looked at Charlotte. I think I said something like "You don't even know why I'm crying. This is ridiculous." In her sweet Charlotte way, she looked at me and cocked her head back and forth.

 At that point, Barry came home and I had to tell him why I was so upset, reliving my humiliation. Leaving her with strangers, even if they were dog lovers/experts, was not what I wanted to do. Then my friend, D, called me and I told her the situation. "What? I'll take her for the weekend. Don't send her to a kennel." Relieved, I thanked her and the plan was in place. (Yay for sweet friends!)





Chillin' at D's house


I spent three nights up in Evergreen without wondering if Charlotte was okay. Friends I hadn't seen in years greeted me and then asked if Charlotte was around. They couldn't wait to meet her. Nope. That weekend was about my sister and starting a new life with her man. I wouldn't have missed a moment of that for anything.

The Reality of Evacuating your Pet

Two weeks ago, the Waldo Canyon Fire exploded over the Rampart Range ridge and started to eat its way down to the city of Colorado Springs. Before this unexpected tragedy, I had been following the fire news religiously. Evacuations had started and people were making their way to friends houses or to the local Red Cross Shelters. Those with pets had to take them to the humane society and weren't allowed to keep their furry family members with them. Since Charlotte is my first pet, I've never thought about what I would do in an emergency situation such as this. But the thought of dropping her off during a time of tragedy did not sit well with me. As the fire burned, other local shelters advertised that evacuees could bring their small animals with them. They talked about families needing to stick together, including pets. Anxiety can be high for dogs and cats and they want to stay with their humans. Charlotte can't even handle me walking out to the garage for 30 seconds, much less being dropped off and locked in her kennel for an unknown amount of days.



Don't leave me!

Thankfully,  the city of Colorado Springs is not being threatened by this fire anymore. While the damage to property is enourmous and heartbreaking, the loss of life was minimal by comparison. Over 100 pets were rescued and taken to the humane society and animals are still being reunited with their families. I have a new appreciation for those who would have taken all three of us in, had we been in an evacuation zone. But with a seven pound pup, I may have tried to sneak her in anyway.

For those of you would still like to help out the fire fighting effort in Colorado, check out http://www.wildfiretees.com/. This website is made up of local designers and marketers who are volunteering their time. All proceeds go to local organizations like Care & Share. You can also buy a t-shirt for a firefighter!