The Inspiration Behind the RECS 4 PETS App: Eddie

Eddie is the inspiration for the, RECS 4 PETS app. I adopted him in 2020 from Long Beach Animal Services in Long Beach, CA. He was six years old, and I was his third owner. I found him on the Pet Finder app and kept going back to his photo. We met on a warm day in September. He was a very chill dog. I had a seat ready for him in the car with a blanket, treat, and toys. He insisted on laying on my lap as I drove us home. I will never forget the way he turned around and looked at me when we walked in the door. I had his bed and toys all laid out. He looked at me, like, "Is this really my home now?"

I was super spoiled with Eddie. He came house-trained. He didn't beg at the table or even jump on furniture. I put him on the couch and he'd immediately jump off. He eventually learned it was okay to go on the couch. I took him to the dog beach the first weekened we were together. I don't think he'd ever been to the beach before. We made the dog beach a regular outing. He loved to walk beside me on the sand. He never got fully comfortable with the ocean, but he would get his feet wet. He loves walks. I don't think he went on many walks before I adopted him. It took him a little bit to learn how to greet other dogs, but he had a little help from our friend Carolyn's dog, Lupin. He eventually made many friends in the neighborhood- Max, Speedy, Wiki, Pip, Yuzu, Modo.

He is my soul extension. He's a complex, super intelligent dog. He's always trying to outsmart me for treats or train me. He has his boundaries, or as our friend Vanessa says, "Eddie has a lot of rules." He has traveled with me to the state of Washington, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nevada. We drove from Las Vegas to Texas, where are now settled. We're always looking for pet-friendly events. That's how I came up with the idea of the calendar for the app. I was always telling my neighbors about the events I took Eddie to.