Meet My Pets!
Hiiiiii, Remi here!
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know that animals are a huge part of Nate’s and my world (it’s also how we met). So, I wanted to take today to introduce you to each one of them, tell you how we got them, and why they are so important to me!!!
To be honest, being a bunny and dog mom hasn’t ALL been easy. But I’ve learned a lot and received even more. The unconditional love these fur baby boops bring to my life is priceless and my life wouldn’t be as colorful without them!!
I’m so excited to give you a sneak peek into our world! Together, Nate and I have three dogs, one bunny, 2 ducks, and 2 chickens. I’m going to tell you each of their stories individually, but here’s the short introduction before we dive in:
Ara is our White German Shepherd that we adopted in February 2020.
Juno is Nate’s German Shepherd that he rescued in early 2016.
Monkey is my bunny and “favorite son” since bringing him home in May 2014.
Simba is the White German Shepherd X Great Pyrenees mix I rescued in 2018 and who brought Nate and me together.
Chickens and two ducks joined our family over the last few months during quarantine and keep us on our toes and lay us eggs!
Now, here are their stories!
Ara: How an Abused Dog Found an Adoring Home
I cannot begin to explain the excitement I felt the day I finally picked Ara up from the shelter. I knew the day I met Ara that I wanted to bring her home and give her a second chance at life and love. But it was a long journey.
At the shelter, she showed signs of abuse and neglect. Her anxiety and aggressiveness meant there were a lot of hoops to jump through before she was able to be adopted. After bringing Ara home, we faced a whole new set of challenges. In short, she HATED Nate. She didn’t want to be in the same room as him and growled and bared her teeth any time he passed. (You can read more about the journey in this blog post.)
This continued for months, even though we were consistently working with trainers. While her behavior improved, we saw little to no change in her reactions toward Nate. About the time we began to question if bringing Ara into our family (watch this vlog to hear my exact thoughts) was the right decision, I reached out to Cesar Millan, a celebrity dog trainer — known as the Dog Whisperer — who I respect a ton!!! When he agreed to help us with Ara, I felt so much hope! Here’s the vlog I made about working with Cesar. <3
Ara came a long way through working with Cesar, and we’re grateful for all we learned, but the journey was far from over. She still struggled with anxiety and basically glued herself to me throughout the day. Our vet prescribed Fluoxetine to help with her anxiety. After getting used to the medication, she began to relax and spend time in her kennel. (I talk about our experience with Fluoxetine more in this blog post!)
Finally, we met with the VCA, a group of animal psychologists dedicated to helping you and your pets live the best life possible. The training tips VCA shared with us was very different from Cesar Milan. They believed that by forcing Ara to stay with Nate was actually causing more anxiety, strengthening the negative association. They suggested creating a safe space for her where she is not triggered and Nate passively tossing treats as he passed by. They also prescribed her a higher dose of Fluoxetine and Xanax twice a day as well.
Throughout this whole journey, I’ve been repeating a phrase Cesar Millan shared with us, “Sometimes you don’t get the dog you want, but the dog you need.” And that’s exactly the case for us. Nate and I have grown so much both as individuals and a couple through adopting and loving Ara. It’s been a long journey and an incredible privilege to watch Ara let down her guard LITTLE BY LITTLE.
Juno: The Epitome of a Man’s Best Friend
Nate first saw Juno in an ad after recently having his application for a different German Shepherd denied. Juno had been returned to the shelter two previous times by two other owners and placed on the red list. This meant she was on her last chance. If someone didn’t adopt Juno soon, she would be put down.
When Nate arrived to adopt Juno, they initially told him “no” because the previous owners said she wasn’t safe to be left alone. The shelter claimed she was seven years old at the time and informed Nate that she was speculated to have a "low content" of a wolf in her. Her wolf nature led her to do some crazy things when alone, like chewing through drywall to escape and scratching through a wooden door.
Nate was undeterred and wouldn’t accept “no” as an answer. Finally, the shelter let Nate rescue Juno. To this day, Juno doesn’t like to be left in a confined space and has major anxiety with wind, fireworks, and loud noise. She has gone so far as to bend metal fence tubing and detached planks from a wooden gate to escape when she feels trapped.
Because Juno did not do well alone, Nate registered her as his PTSD service animal and took her everywhere with him. This allowed for a very quick bond to form. She is now the most well-behaved dog ever. Nate and Juno have been together for four years now, and Nate trusts Juno more than 99% of people- true story.
Juno was Nate’s first dog and lit a fire in him to rescue other dogs (but more on that later).
Monkey: My “Favorite Son”
Monkey has been with me through all my relationships, break-ups, and career changes — he’s comforted me every step of the way. After having Money for a little over nine years, I can confidently say that bunnies make some of the best pets. They’re messy, but they can be potty trained, snuggly, and follow you around the house!
The day I got Monkey, I had no intentions of bringing a pet home. My friend Coco and I randomly wandered into a pet store after dinner, and that’s when I spotted him — a Lion-Head Dwarf mix. I just had to hold him and named him Monkey on the spot!
Since then, Monkey has been my best SON IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. I often edit my vlogs with Monkey in my shirt, and he follows me around the house. During my most recent home remodel, I actually moved Monkey’s living area from my bedroom to my office so that we can spend more time together. He now has a spacious plexiglass enclosure where he can hop around when I’m not holding him. You can catch a glimpse of his new space in this vlog.
If you’re thinking about getting a bunny, make sure you get cord covers. I love Monkey, but he still chews through cords if we’re not careful. You can also read this blog post for my favorite products and bunny care techniques!
Simba: The Neighborhood’s Favorite Dog
Simba was originally my neighbor’s dog. He lived in the front lawn across the street. I often watched him sleeping on his back in the dirt or itching his back on a fence post. It wasn’t long before he was the most loved dog in the neighborhood because of his sweet personality. The owners weren’t around much, so other neighbors and I would stop by to pet him and give him treats.
One day while I was petting Simba through the gate, the owners pulled into their driveway. I asked if I could take Simba on a walk — pretty please! As soon as the leash was clipped on and I opened the gate, Simba sprinted across the street. I hung on for dear life and was quickly covered in dog hair. Simba had so much pent up energy! (You can read more of the story on Instagram.)
After a few months of occasional walks, I got the keys to my current house and let Simba’s owners know that I was moving. They knocked on my door a little bit later and asked if I wanted to take Simba with me as my very own dog. I couldn’t believe it! It was seriously one of the happiest days of my life. All I had wanted all those days I pet Simba through the gate was to give him the life he deserved. And now I was going to get that chance!
I had so much fun settling into my new home with my very own dog. A few months later, I started looking for somewhere to board Simba while I went to LA on a business trip. That’s when Simba’s dog trainer connected me to his partner, Nate. At the time, Nate had dived deep into the world of rescuing dogs and had six or seven kennels in his loft.
When I pulled up to Nate’s place, he walked to the car, took Simba’s leash, and walked off. He didn’t say a single word, and at first I was like WHAA, but I was instantly attracted to his mysterious energy. While I was away, he sent me adorable photos and videos of Juno and Simba together.
Shortly after I returned, I took him up on his offer to take the dogs on a hike together. What started as a dog-walking date turned into the best first date ever. And as they say, “The rest is history.” (You can read about the whole story here.)
Simba is definitely a special one!
Chickens, Ducks, and Rollerblading
Having furry friends to keep me company while I’m editing vlogs, rollerblading, or going through a hard time is absolutely priceless to me. There is something special about having pets and building relationships with them. They make holidays better, too (here’s a vlog of the time I dressed my dogs in Halloween costumes). On top of all that, giving my animals the life they deserve brings me SO much joy!
Maybe my love for pets stems from growing up as an only child or the rigorous school schedule and strict parents that made it hard to see friends. Or maybe, it’s just who I am — an animal lover! Either way, I can’t help myself from getting more! This summer Nate and I got chickens again and not too long ago, we got ducks. They grew so fast — in two weeks, they already looked full grown!
It’s definitely a wild ride of feathers, fur, and lots of love at my house!
See ya on my Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss a pet update!
