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People ask me sometimes why I started The Paws and People Project. The answer is honestly pretty simple:Because I’ve seen how hard life can get. I work in real estate and property management. I run a bar. I juggle too much. I’m exhausted more often than I’d like to admit. But somewhere in the middle of all of that, I kept seeing the same heartbreaking pattern over and over again: Good people losing pets they loved because they ran out of options. Not bad people.Not irresponsi

Last week, I hosted a plant swap fundraiser for The Paws and People Project. And honestly? It flopped. Not in the dramatic “everything caught on fire” kind of way. People still came by. Some people donated. Some friends showed up because they care about me and this mission. But it wasn’t the turnout I hoped for. It wasn’t the momentum I imagined in my head while planning it. And if I’m being real, I spent most of the next day wondering: “Am I doing enough?” “Am I building thi

There are a lot of assumptions about what it takes to build something meaningful. Most of them aren’t true. People think you need: A perfect plan A clear path Funding already lined up The right connections But the reality looks very different. You start with: An idea A problem you can’t ignore And a willingness to figure things out as you go There’s no moment where everything suddenly feels certain. There’s no point where you feel completely ready. And there’s definitely no v

It’s easy to focus on what’s not built yet. What’s missing.What’s still out of reach.What hasn’t come together yet. But sometimes it’s just as important to pause and really picture what this could become. Not just in theory—but in real life. I think about a future where: Someone facing a sudden move doesn’t panic about what to do with their dog. Where there’s a place—a real, physical place—where pets can stay safely while their owners figure things out. Where rehoming isn’t t

There’s a version of this journey that looks exciting from the outside. Big ideas.A clear mission.A vision that feels meaningful. But what it actually looks like right now is much quieter than that. It’s emails. It’s research. It’s conversations that don’t always go anywhere—but sometimes lead to something unexpected. Right now, building this means: Applying for grants and learning how funding actually works Planning small events to raise both money and awareness Talking to p

Lobo and Cerberus going for a work ride Last week stayed with me longer than most. The stories of Atticus and Mia didn’t just sit in the background of my work—they followed me through everything. Through conversations, through planning, through the quiet moments in between. Because this is the part people don’t always see. The aftermath. After the emotional decisions are made, life keeps moving. Dogs get rehomed. Families relocate. People try their best to make the right choi

Some weeks are harder than others. This was one of them. I started this because of a dog named Atticus. He was a 6-month-old husky—still a baby, really—who was returned because he was “too big” and couldn’t go to a new apartment. He wasn’t abused. But he was neglected. Not out of cruelty—just a lack of understanding. A high-energy, large-breed dog in a situation where no one really knew how to meet his needs. It happens more than people think. Atticus needed more than what th

When people hear “pet-friendly housing,” they usually think it’s a bonus. A nice perk.Something extra.Something landlords can choose to offer—or not. But the reality is, it’s not a luxury. It’s a barrier. For so many people, finding housing isn’t just about budget, location, or size. It’s about one question: Will they allow my pet? And more often than not, the answer is no. What most people don’t see is what happens next. It’s not just an inconvenience. It turns into impossib

Everyone talks about starting. Very few people talk about what it actually looks like in the beginning. Not the polished version. Not the “everything is finally working” version. The real version—where nothing is clear yet, and you’re still trying to figure out if what you’re building is even possible. Right now, “starting from nothing” doesn’t look inspiring most days. It looks like: Having a vision that feels bigger than your current reality Trying to connect dots that don’

I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not to share this publicly. Part of me wanted to wait until everything was more “put together”—until I had the buildings, the funding, the structure… something to prove that this is real. But the truth is, this is real. It’s just not finished yet. And maybe that’s the part people don’t talk about enough. I’m building something that doesn’t fully exist yet. Something that sits somewhere between real estate, community support, and animal