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To know the story of Dooley’s Dog House we must start with the story of Beans, my 16 year old Cairn terrier. Beans was given to me as a puppy, a little fur ball who hopped into my life and my heart. After a few weeks with Beans, I realized that the cute little hop Beans had was not a natural way for a puppy to walk and run. I went to a succession of vets and orthopedic specialists who finally diagnosed Beans with dwarfism. His little joints were malformed and arthritic.
I was told over and over again “Beans will live a short and painful life, but we can make him more comfortable with steroids and frequent cortisone injections.” One vet even suggested I put Beans down immediately!
But Beans had a happy spirit and a certain tenacity that made me decide I would do everything possible to give him a longer and less painful life (without the steroids and cortisone, which I knew would kill him). So Beans became my inspiration as together we learned about nutrition, supplements, remedies, and what hurt and what didn’t. An example of Beans tenacity was to play tug-of-war with Tusker, my Westie. Beans would hang on while Tusker dragged him around the house on our hardwood floors until finally Tusker would give up, and Beans would hop away, the victor, with the rag still clenched in his teeth.
My journey with Beans has renewed my passion for animals, showed me the power of good nutrition, and taught me to not let pain or adversity keep me from achieving my goals.
A few years ago my wife Marti told me to take the lessons I learned from Beans and to put them to work and to follow my heart. On Nov 25th, 2004, we opened Dooley’s Dog House with 2 super-star employees, Rebekah and Sarah, who share our passion for dogs and cats.
So 16 years after being doomed to a short and painful life, Beans still shows up at work 3 or 4 days a week and with the offer of a biscuit will even roll over for you.
Beans has spent most of his life on raw food, with his favorite meal being a whole turkey neck. And customers still say what a funny little hop he has. But I like to think that Beans is helping change people’s ideas about what they feed their cats and dogs. And because of our adoption events and education, fewer pets will be euthanized. I think Beans has made his mark on the world and will leave it a better place. |
