This journey began 1 year ago, and it all started with a picture of a pup. There have been many dogs on Instagram that have caught my attention; but this one was adoptable and the caption was hilarious. I clicked the "follow" button and have faithfully followed Rachael, eventually following in her footsteps and with her support and encouragement have began my own crazy-dog loving account. And that is how IG @trailswithtails was born.
In this time I have worked with 3 rescues and taken 16 dogs on hikes to capture their personalities and help them find their homes. In between each of these hikes I have spent countless hours volunteering with smaller (but still big) tasks including general care, cleaning, bottle feeding, and rides to the vet or from the airport.
By far the easiest part of these adventures is the hiking, even if we climb large mountains.
So much goes into the preparation of a hike, from the organization of and building relationships with rescues, to planning which dogs could use a field trip, where to go, making snacks, packing the camera gear, double checking everything is charged and packed, and then going to meet the pup and load up. The prep in itself can be an adventure - as I always forget at least one thing. (Or lose something in a hay field, literally). All of these preparations make the adventure that much sweeter once I've earned the trust of my hiking companion for the day. And then after the hike is down there is even more work; copy writing (fancy term for good writing skills) to create posts, sorting photos, and then uploading to social media.
Looking back to my first hike with Koda (Adopted), I am amazed at how much I have grown as a person and how much I have changed my processes. Before my hikes with dogs I was constantly working, unsure which direction I wanted my life to go, my day was the same day in and day out. It got old quick. With strong determination I switched jobs so I could dedicate more days to the dogs and the outdoors.
This switch has given me so many opportunities to not only volunteer and build friendships through rescues but has also helped me free up time and learn to enjoy the time I have off with my friends and family. By far these 16 dogs have helped improve my life much more then I improved theirs. (These hikes have been my sanity during this pandemic). I now go hiking at least once a month - even in the winter! I now own snow shoes, hiking boots, and am excited to continuously learn how to be safe and enjoy the rockies in our back yard.
I am looking forward to seeing what the next year brings, the dogs and people we will meet, the journeys we take and the destinations we find. Thank you for joining me online!
Millie - #Adoptable Takita - Adoption Pending Oreo - #Adopted