I wanted a dog ever since I was 8, but I didn’t grow up in a dog family. I would search the American Kennel website, making cases for so many breeds, but my parents never caved. They were constantly working and didn’t want the extra responsibility. “Who’s going to walk it...?”
Their beliefs about dogs & responsibility scared me, but when I was 27 I decided it was time. I searched far and wide and couldn't tell who to purchase from… Craigslist just seemed easier. I showed up at a house in chaos, and in the middle of it was this tiny blue-fawn French Bulldog — curious but cautious. That was Lola.
From the second I took her home, she was everything. Vacations, weddings, hikes, constant walks — she came everywhere with me. If Lola wasn’t welcome, I usually wouldn’t go. Even my parents fell in love with her, despite all their worries & reluctance.
When Lola turned 6, I found a lump in her mouth. It was a mast cell tumor. They told me she had only 4 months to live, if that. We fought together — chemo, radiation, surgeries — for another 10 months. The amount of money I spent was absurd. I lost her right before she turned 7 and it still hurts every day. She was my best friend and daughter.
I wouldn’t change getting Lola on Craigslist for the world. But I now understand firsthand how blind the buying process is. We need a better system to protect our dogs, hold breeders accountable, and give families transparency before heartbreak.
Pawthentic was built so no family has to navigate the process blind.