The first step

“Doesn’t matter if you can dream it or not, all that matters is if you can begin it or not? Take that first step.”                                                                                CA Vikram Verma

 As long as I can remember, I have been a dog lover. I attribute this love of dogs to my maternal grandmother Linnie Anderson , aka Nanny,  who was one of the original dog rescuers.  I remember Nanny walking across the road to a barn in the small town of Hortonville, Indiana to nurse Laddie back to health.  Laddie was a local stray shepherd / collie mix who had gotten his leg caught in a trap and was lucky enough to be found by Nanny. She cleaned and dressed his wounds daily and fed his belly with food and water and his heart with love and compassion until he regained his health. Once,  Nanny unchained a pathetic outside-dog who lived daily with little food and water at a neighbor’s house and she brought it home to care for.  “Once you learn how to care for you dog, you can have him back,” she scolded them.

I always wanted to be something; to make a difference. I spent most of my life being restless.  I woke up one day and realized that I was doing exactly what I never wanted to do with my life .  And it scared me.  I was over half way through my life and I was living an uninspired life.  It had to change. 

When we opened our franchise , Camp Bow Wow Carmel,  I began to investigate how to combine my expertise in human therapy with dogs.  This led me on a path of coursework in canine rehabilitation and canine behavior.  And all of the sudden, I found myself inspired  to teach pet parents how to help their injured or aging dogs.

And so today, I am taking that first step …….

Fitness 4 Paws is dedicated with love for the dogs that we love and the dogs that love us even more.