When Elka was on a mission to get her first cat, it needed to be a perfect match. Not for her… For her dog. Turns out, it was a breed of cat with a big personality and absolutely no fur that fit the bill. (And yes, they’re still full of calming, purring cuddles!)

Shelter staff spend so much time with the dogs in their care, they know their true potential. Behind the stress, the anxiety, the calls for attention–They know how the dog really is. That’s exactly how one “at risk” dog named Stetson got a second chance… And ended up as a specially trained detection K9.

Programs like CATS (Canine Airport Therapy Squad) at Denver International Airport (DIA) include over 125 dogs who come in to help ease stress for travelers from all over the world. But in 2018, they realized something was missing… And Liane and Nathan had just what they needed: Their very first therapy cat: Xeli.

Kayla Powers, foster mom and rescue advocate, began her foster journey with a very special dog she personally felt connected to... And now, knowing that research shows fostering a dog increases their chance of adoption by 14 times, she has no plans of stopping.

When Georgia lost her vision overnight, she realized life would feel different from that point forward. But her first guide dog, Grainger, and her current guide dog, Maggie, both proved that life can be filled with independence, adventure, and endless amounts of love–no matter what.

When Tiffany Perkins, shelter dog advocate and founder of PAWS Friend Network, saw firsthand that senior and disabled dogs were being overlooked, she knew she could change how people see these dogs. And because of her, dogs who may have been euthanized are getting a second chance at life.

Sharlet Lee Jensen–Speech-Language Pathologist, Animal-Assisted Interventionist, and the passionate human behind all the resources found at Speech Dogs–realized her dogs could provide a sense of calm for the children she works with… And it changed how she thought of her dogs forever.

Mindy Godding, founder of Abundance Organizing and certified professional organizer with 30+ years experience, started to dig into why organization is important even for pets after noticing some changes with her own dogs… The reasons why it affects them might surprise you.

Whether it’s a dog, cat, or pig, life would be incomplete without them in it. Wait. Pig? Well, that’s certainly the case for Carol Melvin, passionate pet parent and owner of Pee Wee Fields. Her journey into pig-parenthood was unexpected… But now, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Stacy LeBaron, a compassionate leader and feline entrepreneur since 1994, has a few ideas on how to address cat overpopulation in an effective, humane way. Founder of Community Cats Central, host of Community Cats Podcast (with over 600 episodes!), United Spay Alliance board member, and owner of two cat-only vet clinics in Georgia–Stacy has helped more cats, and communities, than she can count… And she’s nowhere near done!

Kinsey Frazier—rabbit enthusiast, Animal Control Officer, and animal lover since birth—experienced a life surrounded by pets from the very beginning. And it was this very upbringing that fostered her love of bunnies (the bigger, the better!) and led to a career path working with pets who need support the most.

Linda Brent–co-founder and former director of Chimp Haven (the world’s largest chimp sanctuary!), Executive Director of the Parsemus Foundation, and CEO of Blue Toby Pet Products–has seen firsthand just how exotic pet ownership really affects these animals. And as expected, it’s usually not great.

When we understand dog communication, the change in their body language becomes easier to notice and that helps us, as amazing pet parents, support them so they can feel safe and comfortable, no matter what. And when it comes to reading body language, Sian Lawley-Rudd–ethical dog trainer, trauma-informed coach, and owner of Lavender Garden Puppy & Dog Training–knows exactly what we should be looking for.

If there are other pets in the household, how do they experience the passing of their buddy? Do they grieve? Are they sad? Kate LaSala–professional dog trainer, certified behavior consultant, and companion animal end of life doula (to name a few!)–has some powerful insights that very well might change how we view the death of a beloved pet.

Can you even imagine a life without a pet nearby?? For some pet parents, yes, they actually can. Pets were absent from their childhood, and sometimes, even strictly forbidden. That was the case for Luna Guo–Marketing Strategist, social media manager of @sunny_the_majestic, and animal lover to the core–but it wasn’t enough to make her give up.

When it’s time to bring a new pet into your home, choosing which one isn’t always an easy decision. But for Tyler Dawson-Arroyo--pet sitter, personal assistant, visual artist, and Cotl's own Community Growth & Insights Coordinator--the decision to adopt Pamina ended up being the easiest he’s ever made–it just wasn’t the one he was expecting.

While rescues all around the country have restrictions in place with the pets’ health and safety in mind, they may also be preventing a perfect match. And it’s these very restrictions that led Erin Handley, along with co-founders Mike Ezzo and Shaina Ward Siegel, to create Resilient Hearts Animal Rescue. Their first mission? Make rescue accessible.

“I’ve seen dramatic differences in people’s emotional states after bringing a dog into their lives,” says Dr. Carolina Estevez, Psy.D. Psychologist at Soba New Jersey in New Brunswick, NJ. But it’s not just their ability to sense sadness and come to our rescue that makes them so meaningful to have as pets. It’s the actions we actively take when they’re in our lives too.

Sometimes, pets are brought into our life very intentionally. Other times, it may be more circumstantial: maybe the pet needed a new home or we found them all alone. Does that mean we love them any less? For Sean Valle, Cotl’s founder and CEO, the pet he never planned on getting was the one he needed most.

The new year is the perfect time to reflect on what we’ve been doing and where we’d like to show up differently–not just in our own lives, but in those of our pets too. Read below for some fun New Year’s resolutions from each of the pet parents helping build Cotl. Their pets may have some resolutions of their own 😏