🏡 Would you relocate to give your pet a dream life?
“We had this desire to move to the woods, and we put those intentions into Reynard’s character. The story ended up mirroring us moving to the forest with the wolves…
And the journey Reynard goes through in this adventure is about expanding his compassion… He sees the wild animals being affected by human development and pollution… And we thought that someone reading the book could also expand their compassion by understanding what Reynard is feeling throughout the story.”
For many of us, welcoming a pet into our lives can feel like living with a new child or a close friend.
The companionship and joy they bring into our lives gives us a strong desire to make sure they always have the best.
For a lucky dog named Reynard, that meant moving to the woods with endless land to explore.
Sol Anzorena–multidisciplinary artist and musician–and her partner, Tom, had dreamed about the move for a while…
But once Reynard was part of their family, they knew they needed to make it happen.
The experience didn’t just change their lives… It inspired them to write a book about their dog to memorialize the journey.
The years-long wait to have a dog
“During the pandemic, everyone seemed to have the same idea about adopting a dog. The shelters were empty and there were all these waitlists. Tom and I really wanted to have a dog right away and we knew it would be months until we would get a dog that we really liked…”
Knowing it would be a while if they went to a shelter, Sol and Tom ended up looking on Craigslist to see if there were any dogs around.
And that’s when she saw him: A sweet puppy who was rescued from a rural Amish community.
His pink nose, black and white face, and cute expression stole Sol’s heart. The next day, they went to meet him.
But Sol and Tom weren’t acting on a whim. It had been three years since they had a dog in her life. They couldn’t wait anymore.
Growing up in Argentina, Sol always had pets around. Her childhood was filled with the special friendship only cats and dogs can give a child.
She even spent time with a neighbor’s pony every day, as he walked around the streets and let the kids ride her.
But as she entered adulthood, constant moving made it difficult to have a pet of her own.
First living and studying in Spain, then moving on to Poland, Brazil… And finally, a seven month trip with Tom through Nepal and India.
And then they were stuck there during the pandemic.
“We were locked down there for a month and a half and during that time, we were dreaming about what we wanted to do…
One of the first things we did when we arrived back to the US was get a puppy, and that was Reynard.”
The woman who rescued Reynard lived on a farm, and when she opened the gate, they were greeted by the little puppy running straight for them.
Walking around the property, none of the other puppies came to investigate. But Reynard followed them the entire time.
He knew they were his humans.
Part dog, part dinosaur, but perfect nonetheless
“He went through a stretch of months where he was a crazy dinosaur kind of puppy and he would chew on you. You would try to kiss him and he would start chewing on you with his very sharp puppy teeth! So maybe that was the most complicated part.”
When they brought Reynard home, they had just come back from India and were temporarily living with Tom’s parents.
No one had been around a puppy in a while, so everyone was very excited.
Sol noticed Reynard seemed to be confused at times, and it made sense. He had just gone from a farm with his siblings and other dogs to a new home with humans he didn’t know.
He would often go and sleep next to the shoes or find dark spaces to rest and sleep. It was his way of feeling safe in a new environment.
With time, he came to understand that these new humans loved him and cared for him, and the attention they gave him helped him feel more comfortable.
As he grew, he went through some wild “dinosaur” phases, but even then, his intelligence was hard to miss
His attentiveness made him fun to be around and also, easy to train. He wanted to learn.
Spending time with him helped them feel more connected, and that’s when his personality really started to shine.
“I feel like he has a big sense of humor that I haven't seen in other dogs. He does things to be funny and he’ll be waiting for us to look at him to do them. He likes to bark at the shovel and the wheelbarrow, but he’ll only do it if we’re there to see him.”
When Sol walks with him, his presence feels more like that of a friend than a pet.
To her, he’s a very thoughtful individual, not ‘just’ a dog. She’s witnessed him sitting on the beach, staring out at the horizon, as if deep in thought.
And whether he’s joining in with his family by howling while they make music or enjoying a quiet evening by their side, his human-like qualities have made it easy to feel a strong bond.
The things they do for the dog they love
“He's very aware of our emotions and he can read our faces really well. He's very sensitive to the eyebrows. For example, if he sees that you're upset because of something he did, he can pick up on that really fast.”
Once Reynard understood he was safe in his new home, his desire to be with his humans only grew with time.
On a daily basis, Sol can see just how much he loves them. He’s always searching for opportunities to interact with them.
Sometimes, it’s for sweet cuddles. Other times, he’ll come running up to them while they’re standing and stop right between their legs. And then he waits. He wants booty taps!
Over time, he’s become very in tune to their emotions and expressions, which feels more human than dog-like.
He’s also formed a strong bond with Tom, and for Sol, it’s a beautiful thing to witness as well.
The love they have for Reynard led to some big decisions.
Part of the reason they moved to the forest was for him, to give him the opportunity to run free, explore, and enjoy the purest, fresh air.
They also decided that it would be amazing if he had a dog companion of his own to share that experience with.
That’s where Shanti comes in.
While visiting family in Kansas, they came across another Craigslist posting–a handful of pets needed to be rehomed from their farm.
They decided to bring one of the dogs home.
Reynard loved her immediately. She needed some time to adjust. Now, they’re the best of friends!
The impact a dog can have
“We knew we wanted to make a book. That had been a dream of ours. Tom is a writer and I'm an artist, so we felt we could do it. We’re both so obsessed with Reynard, it seemed like a good idea to spend time illustrating him…
And just seeing him outside exploring made us feel like he's having this awesome adventure in the backyard, and that kind of started the story.”
Many pet parents have thousands of photos on their camera roll of just their pet. And that’s no different for Sol.
But she and Tom had the urge to do something more. They wanted to memorialize their dog and tell a beautiful story by writing a book about him.
Taking their own life as inspiration, they created an epic graphic novel poem about Reynard’s transition from city life into the wild woods.
As Reynard makes his way to the forest, he meets various animals and his compassion for others grows along the way.
And by weaving in the love they have for their local animals and ecosystems, they also used it as a way to raise gentle awareness of how human development is destroying the natural world.
The process took five years, and during that time, Sol spent countless hours observing her sweet dog.
Studying his expressions, his body positions, and the way the sunlight lit up his face, she was able to capture him in stunning illustrations that helped her feel closer and more connected to him.
Throughout the process of creating this story, and just in living everyday life with Reynard, he’s helped her become a more patient person.
Wanting to give him the best, she had to learn how to communicate with him and form a sense of understanding between them.
His love for the outdoors and the way he takes joy in the most basic things helps her connect with that same feeling in her own life as well.
And regardless of the weather, their daily walks are part of the routine. No matter what, that’s time they get to spend together and Sol finds that time alone gives her peace of mind and helps her relax.
Who knew that moving for a dog could bring so many positive changes?
“Our desire to be here in the forest was partly because of Reynard, to give him more space to run around and to live a dream dog life. But it ended up being our dream life too, for Tom and me.”
Whether you live in a city, the countryside, or somewhere in between, your pets are used to a routine that helps them feel safe, cared for, and seen.
But if you had to step away for a few days, would someone know exactly what to do to keep them happy and safe?
If something happened, could someone confidently step in and take your place?
Putting a Cotl plan in place ensures your pet is taken care of, just the way they’re used to, no matter what.
Discover how the process works or book a call directly with Sean, our founder and CEO, to see what a plan could look like for you.
