Heartbroken and still uncertain of what I should do with my life, I got a job as a nanny in the New Haven area. It was here, that I got my first experience with rescue dogs. The family that I was a nanny for had two very shy rescue dogs. While I not only learned the time and patience involved with bonding and caring for these timid rescue dogs as it took months for one of them to let me pet them, but I also learned first-hand the importance of them getting exercise. I loved taking the dogs for long walks on the local trails and saw that they really thrived on this time together; not only in regard to exercise, but also as a way to bond with me.

They anticipated our adventures and would often bark continuously until we were out together. With that, I made it part of our schedule and quickly discovered that a tired and exercised dog is a happy dog! The dogs’ self-confidence grew more and more and from that point, we were all buddies! Slowly, over the 4 years that I worked for this family, I realized that the experiences I have had with dogs have made me happier and felt more rewarding than my original aspiration to work with children.

I have also realized that not all dogs are fortunate to have someone home all day to take care of and play with them. You Lucky Dog, has enabled me to provide a service for people (and their furry loved ones!) while doing something that I truly love! Since You Lucky Dog was created, my husband and I have adopted Reggie, an adorable super-mutt from The Animal Haven in North Haven, CT.

Alike my previous rescue dog friends, Reggie’s earlier life had left major emotional scars. He would tremble at the slightest touch and was incredibly fearful of everything. Overtime, through walks, affection, and, of course, plenty of treats Reggie has slowly become a more confident and playful dog who absolutely loves to snuggle! While he may never be a social butterfly, Reggie has shown me how important one-on- one attention can be with certain dogs.

Of course, the help of a canine sibling has definitely helped his progress. We welcomed Cali, an American bull-dog mix from the amazing rescue, Thank Dog Rescue, into our family and really saw Reggie begin to shine. She’s a wonderful breed ambassador and loves everyone she meets!

If you have any other questions about me or my philosophy, please feel free to contact me at youluckydogct@gmail.com.

When I turned 12, Roscoe began to have some medical issues. Our vet diagnosed Roscoe with Cushings disease, and his health quickly deteriorated. Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to put him down.

Losing my first dog was extremely hard to deal with. I had grown up with Roscoe, and as an only child, I cherished our time spent playing and going on. adventures together. Now approaching my teenage years, I didn’t know what I’d do without him.

Months went by when one day a friend and I were helping my mom bring in groceries. Our front door was wide open as we were shuffling in and out of the house. All of a sudden, this young dog literally came down the street, walked right in our front door, and made herself at home. While my mom and I didn’t want to get our hopes up as the dog may have just been lost, we couldn’t help but notice her breed right away. Of course, she was a beagle.

The dog didn’t have any collar or tags on her. We had checked with all of our neighbors, but no one had ever seen this dog before. We couldn’t just leave her outside, so we took her in and made her comfortable for the night.. The next day, we brought her to the local animal shelter to see if anyone would claim her. If no one claimed her by the end of the week, my mom and I agreed that she would be coming home with us!

During that week, a friend, who had lived down the street, mentioned that this dog had been coming around the neighborhood for a week or two. People would leave out food for her, yet no one knew who she belonged to.

What felt like the longest week ever had finally passed and my mom and I couldn’t wait! We hopped in the car and adopted our newest addition to the family! We named her Abby and let her know that she’d never have to wander again!! Abby was our first rescue dog and it just felt like she was meant to be with us. She loved everyone in my family, especially my mom, and was always down for an adventure! We had so many great years together!

In high school, a couple friends began working summers at a local dog kennel and recommended that I check it out. This job made me love dogs even more as I got to work with all types of dogs and breeds. Best of all, those two summers showed me first-hand how rewarding it was to work with dogs.

Fast forward to today, and I’m happily married with two dogs of my own (Reggie and Cali), who you may have read about in Amy’s bio above. They are the ultimate yin and yang and bring so much joy and happiness to our lives.

I’m excited to work with the team and look forward to many new adventures with YLD!

Fast forward to the early 2000’s when my lovely wife, Melissa, and I were living in a 3rd floor apartment in New Haven. There were so many dogs in the Westville area! Walking around the neighborhood and especially seeing so many happy Pitbulls got both of us thinking about adopting our first dog together. Slowly the dog-stalking process began, although I must admit that Melissa that was the one spearheading the search! Little did I know that my life was soon to change forever…

I was sweating and straining near the oven at work one day, when the phone rang and it was Melissa on the other end maniacally entreating me to meet her at the New Haven shelter after work so that I could see an Australian Cattle dog that she had fallen in love with named Dundee. I wasn’t totally convinced, but I agreed to the rendezvous and when work ended I headed to the shelter to meet what I assumed would be the first of many dogs before we found the right fit.

I remember it perfectly. The smell of fall leaves was in the air when I got out of my car. There was Melissa throwing a tennis ball in the dog run for a ridiculous black pup who had probably the tallest and most rigid ears I’d ever seen. When I stepped inside the run he charged me at full speed with his tongue flapping behind him. I wasn’t quite sure what would happen, but I crouched to one knee just as he took flight! When this dude landed he stuck that tongue right in my mouth, knocked me on my back, and began a relentless lick-attack!

That was it. From the second we met I was positive that this freight train of love was exactly who we were looking for! Dundee became Goblin when we brought him home, and DNA tests later revealed that the new love of our lives was exactly 0% Australian Cattle Dog. Now the proud owners of a sweet young Pitbull puppy, Melissa and I got busy learning everything we could. We wanted to bring Goblin everywhere with us! We fantasized about play dates, visits to the beach, and walks in the woods. We couldn’t wait for all the fun we were going to have with the new addition to our family!

It didn’t take long for us to realize that Goblin had some issues with other dogs….actually that’s putting it very mildly. The fact is that as soon as Goblin so much as smelled another dog he changed from the sweet apple of my eye to a snarling, gnashing beast monster whose desire to attack was truly frightening. We were heartbroken about this development, and we became resolved to do everything we could to help Goblin work through his anxieties. Thus began many arduous years of constant training, harness shopping, and dog classes.

My interest in possibly working with dogs was increasing all the while, and I learned whatever I could from whoever I could learn it from. It was a long, tumultuous road with Goblin but gradually our efforts paid off, and over time I was able to introduce him to several other dogs that became his lifelong friends. We also reached a point where we could walk almost anywhere without spending the whole time in terror that another dog might be around!

The rewards of working with Goblin were so sweet that I began to actively seek a career working with dogs. Several years later we adopted our second Pitbull, Maya, from Animal Farm Foundation in upstate New York. I actually did cry a little the first time I saw Goblin and his new sister relaxing together on the couch. Maya was the strong female the Goblin needed in his life, and it was beyond gratifying to see him open up more and more as the years went by. It was at this time that I began doing some dog sitting as a side job, and I found that my love for dogs was actually unlimited! Perhaps it was this mindset that lead to the adoption of our third Pitbull, Princess Buttercup, at the end of last year. This little squirt was found wandering the streets after being bred and dumped, but somehow managed to maintain the sweetest and most loving disposition. Dogs truly are amazing!

Today I live and breathe dogs from the second I wake up. My morning begins with walking my own pups, and I’m incredibly fortunate to spend my work day doing what I’m most passionate about: caring for and giving as much love as possible to every dog that I can. I’m so happy to call YLD my home, and I’m looking forward to many more years of canine action and adventure!