16/09/2025
In honor of these two incredible dogs, I am fundraising for The Love Pit Rescue for North Texas Giving Day!
When Riley and I started volunteering at The Love Pit, we did not know how lucky we were going to get. What started as taking a few hours of our day to spend time with dogs at their headquarters, turned into five years of the best friendship we could’ve ever asked for in a dog.
We adopted Deebo in August 2020 and our lives were forever changed. He became my best friend, my partner in crime, a teacher, and a reminder to not take life so seriously. I am so grateful for every single adventure we shared. In February of this year, we unexpectedly lost Deebo to lymphoma. I wish we had had more time together, but I am so lucky to have what I did. I miss him every single day. Above all, I know that I would not be who I am or where I am without him.
Luna was another amazing dog that did not have enough time. Luna was adopted as a puppy in 2019 and returned to The Love Pit in 2022. After spending a few months at headquarters, Riley and I decided to foster Luna full-time. Luna is the reason that I became invested in learning
about canine behavior. Together, we worked on tackling dog and human reactivity by building a relationship rooted in trust. We took things slow. While Luna lived with me, we were on a crate and rotate schedule with my other dogs. Luna preferred to be a solo girl. Little did I know that this tiny part of my routine would lead to one of the most amazing, educating, and inspiring canine-human relationships I’ve had. She taught me how to be a better dog owner. How to set boundaries and advocate. She taught me that some of the biggest challenges start by taking baby steps, one at a time. I am forever grateful for her.
This past August, Luna unexpectedly passed away due to cancer. There are so many things that I wish I would have gotten to do for her and with her, but I have to remind myself to be grateful for each moment we got to share.
Losing 2 dogs in a span of 6 months definitely takes a toll. The community, support, and friendships The Love Pit has given me has made it just a little easier.
