About Me
Some relationships quietly change the direction of your whole life.
This is my girl Honey.
She is a huge part of why Happy Days finally became real.
Being deeply bonded to her changed the way I thought about animal care, emotional well-being, presence, and even the way I wanted to spend my own life. Like many people who love their animals deeply, I struggled with how much time life pulls us away from the beings that matter most to us.
I wanted to build a life that allowed me to show up for her more fully. More understanding. More intention. More presence. More time together.
That journey led me deeper into learning about behavior, enrichment, emotional safety, nutrition, holistic care, communication, and what it truly means to help an animal feel safe, understood, and supported.
Somewhere along the way, that lifelong love and commitment for animals turned into Happy Days.
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Animals have always felt like my natural point of connection to the world.
As a kid growing up in rural Oklahoma, I was constantly drawn toward them. No matter where I was, I noticed them instinctively and paid close attention to their behavior, comfort, energy, and well-being long before I understood why it mattered so deeply to me.
That connection shaped the way I move through the world then and now.
Over the years, caring for my own animals became the starting point for a much deeper understanding of what thoughtful care really means.
I spent countless hours researching, learning, observing, asking questions, trying new approaches, and paying attention to what genuinely improved my animals’ quality of life. Not just physically, but emotionally too.
That curiosity eventually grew into a strong interest in things like enrichment, nutrition, nervous system regulation, relationship-based care, emotional safety, and the everyday details that help animals feel secure and understood.
I pay close attention to body language, routine changes, stress signals, comfort levels, boundaries, energy shifts, and personality differences because those little things matter. Animals are constantly communicating, and I believe good care starts with slowing down enough to notice.
I'm influenced, educated, and inspired by:
...plus SO many more.
Meet My Crew!
Honey
Nicknames: Honey Bear, Boo Boo, Honey Buns, Bun Bun, Butts, Booger Bear... you get it
Role: Queen of the Couch, Best Girl in the World
Honey changed the trajectory of my life in more ways than I can count.
She’s deeply emotional, wildly expressive, endlessly loving, and the reason I began rethinking what thoughtful care truly means. Loving her pushed me to slow down, pay closer attention, learn everything I could, and build a life that allowed me to be more present for the beings I love most.
I adopted her from Stillwater Humane Society in April 2013 when she was estimated to be about 10-12 months old. We moved to Norman together when she was about three, and she has since gained three siblings, though it’s still unclear whether she considers this character development or a personal attack.
She’s in her teens now and still doing incredibly well, even after a kidney disease and laryngeal paralysis diagnosis in 2025. Supporting her through aging has deepened my understanding of emotional well-being, mobility support, nutrition, balance, and the importance of adapting care to the individual animal in front of you.
For the last six years, she’s gone swimming at The Water Bark every Saturday to help keep her comfortable and mobile with lumbosacral arthritis. She participates reluctantly, but consistently. A true athlete against her will.
She loves sunbathing, couch cuddles, snacks (especially raw chicken feet!), emotional support duties, and making sure the entire household operates according to Honey Law.
Nicknames: O'ppers, Opeland, Opie Dope, Dopey
Role: Lover Boy, Best Boy in the World
I first saw Opie in an urgent foster request on Instagram in 2017 after he landed on the E-list, and his smile stopped me in my tracks immediately.
To this day, it’s still one of the happiest, most contagious smiles I’ve ever seen. He lights up every room he walks into and has the kind of joy that feels impossible not to absorb when you’re around him.
Over the years, watching him grow in confidence and settle into safety has taught me so much about resilience, patience, emotional sensitivity, and the quiet strength animals can carry after difficult beginnings. Underneath all the goofiness, he’s incredibly observant, deeply kind, and just genuinely happy to be part of life.
He loves toys more than almost anything and proudly carries them outside to show every person and dog walking past the fence like a tiny neighborhood ambassador. He also considers it his personal responsibility to howl along with every ambulance and the sirens at noon on Saturdays every week.
Opie
