Unleashed

Don’t we all learn something valuable from our best friends? Our pets, in particular, are some of life’s greatest teachers. In Pawsitive Perspectives, Carrie Lehtonen shares a heartfelt tribute to her 15-year friendship with Ella, a German Shorthaired Pointer mix. Written from the perspective of Ella, affectionately known as "the Queen," and Carrie, her devoted "mom," the book beautifully captures the life-changing bond they shared. Over the course of those 15 years, Ella helped shape Carrie’s journey, offering lessons in love, resilience, and determination. Told with warmth and honesty, Ella’s story is both inspiring and unputdownable—a true love story that speaks straight to the heart.

Listen to Episode #77 Now:

BIO:

Carrie Lehtonen is an entrepreneur, passionate animal advocate, and storyteller. Her work has been featured in Elephant Journal, YOGA+ Life, and Well magazine. She earned a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership and spent over 18 years working in Human Resources. After surviving a heart attack at 31 years old, Carrie chose to pursue an education in health and wellness. Carrie attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a Holistic Health Practitioner. She also trained to become a Registered Yoga Teacher and Educator. Carrie eventually left her career in Human Resources to start her own business, Firefly Community LLC. Pawsitive Perspectives is Carrie's first book.

Transcript:

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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.

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Cheryl Kaye: Let's talk pets.

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Cheryl Kaye: Hi, everybody, Cheryl from Unleashed, and today I have a great guest who wrote a wonderful book, Carrie Lehtonen, and the name of the book is Pawsitive Perspectives, and it's all about her beautiful queen dog, Ella.

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Cheryl Kaye: We're gonna take a break, we'll be right back.

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Announcer: Let's talk pets on petliferadio.com.

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Cheryl Kaye: Hi Carrie, I'm glad you could be here.

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Carrie Lehtonen: Thanks for having me, Cheryl.

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Cheryl Kaye: I have to tell you, I mean, really, it's such a beautiful book, and I think anybody that has a dog really should get it, because it really is life lessons, and our dogs really, truly do teach us.

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Cheryl Kaye: It's beautiful.

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Cheryl Kaye: But before we get into the book, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, because you have quite a resume.

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Carrie Lehtonen: Yes, thanks Cheryl, I'm glad you enjoyed the book.

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Carrie Lehtonen: I grew up in New Hampshire, but I've been living out in Colorado for, gosh, about 20 years now.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And I started my career working in human resources, but when I was 31 years old, I survived a heart attack while I was on a 60-mile bike ride.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And that was kind of my wake up call of, am I really doing what I'm meant to do here in this world?

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Carrie Lehtonen: And started a long journey for myself.

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Carrie Lehtonen: I went through training to become a health coach, a holistic health practitioner.

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Carrie Lehtonen: I also discovered yoga about a year after that and really dove deep into yoga because that's when everything came together for me of the mind-body-spirit connection.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And so I went through training to become a yoga teacher.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And over the years, I just started doing health coaching and teaching yoga on the side.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And eventually after about an 18-year career in human resources, I left the corporate world to focus full time on my own business, which I had started a health and wellness business called Firefly Community.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And just started focusing on helping other people lead healthier, happier lives and ignite their inner light because I think we all have a unique purpose here in this world.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And I just want to help other people tap into what that is for them.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And all through that time, I had the joy of getting to share my life with a very special dog, Ella, who the book Pawsitive Perspectives is about.

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Carrie Lehtonen: So basically from, we spent over 15 years together.

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Carrie Lehtonen: It was from the time I was 28 until 43.

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Carrie Lehtonen: So she went through all of that transition with me, and I learned a lot of really important life lessons from her.

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Cheryl Kaye: It really is true what you said about the inner light, because I have a friend who right now is in the midst of change.

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Cheryl Kaye: And I keep telling her, be still.

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Cheryl Kaye: It will reveal itself, because everybody has more than one act.

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Cheryl Kaye: And it's really true how animals, they find us.

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Cheryl Kaye: We might be in the spot, but they do find us, because the way that you found Ella, first you were going to get another dog, and then that dog was already adopted, and then you saw Ella.

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Cheryl Kaye: And of course, what was her name?

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Cheryl Kaye: She wasn't Ella though, right?

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Cheryl Kaye: She had another name.

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Carrie Lehtonen: No, her name was Lassie, which was kind of funny, because she looked nothing like a Lassie.

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Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah, it was absolutely fate that brought us together, because I had been on my way to the shelter to meet with another dog, and found out that that dog had been adopted in the time that I was driving.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And so I met with Ella, and she was about five months old at the time, and she had kennel cough, so I had to meet with her in a special area of the shelter.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And at the time, I was looking for a running buddy, so I just kind of started jogging around the enclosure and she immediately just stuck by my side and was kind of jogging around with me.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And I knew that she was the right one, so I adopted her and brought her home that day.

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Cheryl Kaye: Yeah, you see, they do reveal themselves.

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Cheryl Kaye: The same thing when I got my Tilly, the same thing you just know.

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Cheryl Kaye: I went there, I had no expectations.

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Cheryl Kaye: I had never been to a shelter before.

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Cheryl Kaye: But when I saw her and I was able to meet her outside, she revealed her personality.

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Cheryl Kaye: And you know, our dogs, they really cling to our personalities and they mirror us.

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Cheryl Kaye: So it's like good dog, bad dog.

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Cheryl Kaye: A lot of it is us too.

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Cheryl Kaye: But I just think how you got her and that the way this story is told, and it's told through her.

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Cheryl Kaye: Of course, your mom and she's the queen, which I get the kick out of.

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Cheryl Kaye: But she really sounded like such a very sweet dog.

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Cheryl Kaye: Very, very.

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Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah, she had a very unique personality.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And I grew up with dogs, so I've had pets as part of my life, and part of my family my whole life.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And Ella definitely had a, we were kindred spirits.

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Carrie Lehtonen: She definitely had a lot of spunk and independence, and she was very adventurous.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And so we got to enjoy a lot of fun and a lot of adventures over the years.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And yeah, she was definitely the queen.

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Carrie Lehtonen: The second she looked at you with those brown almond shape eyes and her sad look, she could just get her way no matter what.

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Carrie Lehtonen: She had me definitely wrapped around her paw.

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Cheryl Kaye: I mean, really, she is a beautiful, beautiful dog.

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Cheryl Kaye: And you're very lucky because where you live in Colorado, it is a lot of activity, outdoor activity, jogging, hiking.

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Cheryl Kaye: So you're very lucky that you were able to find a dog.

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Cheryl Kaye: Who knows if it wasn't you who adopted her, that she would just be like an apartment dog or a house dog, and they'd go to work and they'd come back and they'd have three kids, and it would be plain in the yard, which is not a bad thing.

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Cheryl Kaye: But if you're an active person, you need to find your kindred spirit, which is an active dog.

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Carrie Lehtonen: Yes.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And some of her favorite things were jogging and hiking and road trips.

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Carrie Lehtonen: We did lots of road trips together.

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Carrie Lehtonen: It wasn't until later in her life that I started paddle boarding, and she immediately took to that too, and loved every second of letting me paddle her around the lake.

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Carrie Lehtonen: So we definitely had a lot in common, and definitely got to enjoy this outdoor environment that we have here in Colorado that is such an important part of my life, and it was great to have her as my sidekick.

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Cheryl Kaye: One of the things that I really enjoyed in this book is all of the little sayings that you have there.

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Cheryl Kaye: It's a very positive book.

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Cheryl Kaye: I cried because it's beautiful.

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Cheryl Kaye: And I could cry now just thinking about some of the parts of it, because our animals are here for a finite period of time.

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Cheryl Kaye: So we need to enjoy them the whole time that we are with them.

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Cheryl Kaye: I mean, we really have to be present in their lives.

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Cheryl Kaye: And they really are our other.

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Cheryl Kaye: They are our soulmate.

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Cheryl Kaye: Whether we want to realize that or not, they are dependent on us.

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Cheryl Kaye: And they have an innate ability to know when we need, you know, like a hug or, you know, their presence next to us, because I know with my dogs, she just has to lay near me and I feel calmer.

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Cheryl Kaye: Don't you feel that way as well?

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Carrie Lehtonen: Oh, absolutely.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And they do have this sense of knowing when you need a little extra.

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Carrie Lehtonen: I mean, I wouldn't say Ella was a particularly cuddly dog.

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Carrie Lehtonen: I mean, she definitely always let me know when she wanted me to pet her, but she also knew when I needed her to be near me and she would just come and sit quietly by me and just stay and, you know, give me...

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Carrie Lehtonen: She didn't give out kisses very often like my current dog, but she would give me a kiss if she felt that I really needed it.

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Cheryl Kaye: You're very lucky because she didn't have a problem she was not jealous that you brought in another animal.

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Cheryl Kaye: You're very lucky.

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Carrie Lehtonen: She didn't love it at first, but she definitely accepted the cats because I got two cats and a dog in the time that I had Ella.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And she took it upon herself to be the protector of the whole family.

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Carrie Lehtonen: So even though she was no longer an only child and didn't have all of my attention, she definitely accepted her role as big sister and she did a great job of taking care of everyone.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And it was funny, one of the cats, the female cat, the cats that I got were brother and sister.

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Carrie Lehtonen: The female cat loved Ella from the very beginning and just always wanted to be near her.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And even though Ella didn't love it, she definitely tolerated her and let her sleep on her bed as long as she wasn't touching her.

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Cheryl Kaye: But when you think, when I was growing up, we had dogs 13, 15, 19 years.

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Cheryl Kaye: Sadly, animals just aren't living that long anymore for whatever reason.

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Cheryl Kaye: But to have her 15 years, I mean, that's like almost half your life.

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Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And it was very important or very transformational years for me too.

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Carrie Lehtonen: So I feel like I really grew up a lot in the time that I was with Ella.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And this book is really a love story and also a remembrance of her and everything that the impact that she had on my life and everything that I learned from her.

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Cheryl Kaye: Do you think she would have been a good comfort dog to go to life?

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Carrie Lehtonen: Oh, absolutely.

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Carrie Lehtonen: I looked into it.

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Carrie Lehtonen: There was a local hospital because not until she was a little older, because when she was young, she was pretty energetic and I was worried about her jumping and things.

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Carrie Lehtonen: But when she got older and calmer, I did look into getting her signed up to be a therapy dog at the hospital, but the local hospital didn't actually have any spots available to accept another dog in.

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Carrie Lehtonen: But I think she would have been great at it.

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Cheryl Kaye: Yeah.

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Cheryl Kaye: I mean, certain dogs have that personality where they're just sweet.

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Cheryl Kaye: You know, because when you go to the hospital, you know, one of the things that they check is they drop things, then, you know, the dog doesn't, it can't be skitterish.

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Cheryl Kaye: Because I would visit a friend in a nursing home, and I used to bring my Tilly, and she, I only had, I maybe had her six months, and she was 11, maybe she was a year, year and a half.

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Cheryl Kaye: And she was very good with the people, but, you know, she was still a young dog, and there's only so many treats you could carry, because, you know, they're not interested in just laying down.

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Cheryl Kaye: I mean, she wasn't, she wanted to move around, but she was very good with the older people, and she's very good with children.

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Cheryl Kaye: You know, there's just certain dogs that reveal themselves on what they really are best with.

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Cheryl Kaye: Now, talk to us about how she ended up with her wheels.

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Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah, so when she was about 12, we were on a long hike, and we started to notice that her back living seemed to be weak on the way down.

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Carrie Lehtonen: They were kind of crossing a bit and just a little shaky.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And so we consulted a vet, and it took a little bit of time, but she started to drag the toes on her back feet about a year after that.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And so the vet thinks that she had degenerative myelopathy, which is similar to Lou Gehrig's disease or ALS in humans.

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Carrie Lehtonen: They start to have the connection, the nerve connection to the back legs starts to degrade over time.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And so they lose feeling in their back legs, which causes them to start to drag their feet.

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Carrie Lehtonen: The only positive thing about this disease is they don't have any pain, they don't have any feeling, so it's not painful at all for them.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And Ella was still very happy, still wanted to go on walks.

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Carrie Lehtonen: So we got lots of things to just help her through that.

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Carrie Lehtonen: We started out with booties, just to protect her feet, get her some other devices.

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Carrie Lehtonen: We also started taking her to acupuncture and physical therapy.

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Carrie Lehtonen: She walked on a water treadmill just to try to keep everything moving and working as long as possible.

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Carrie Lehtonen: That kept her going for quite a long time.

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Carrie Lehtonen: It wasn't until the last, I'd say maybe six months or so, or maybe six to nine months of her life that she completely lost the use of her back right leg.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And so that's when we got the walking wheels, which is like a wheelchair for dogs.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And so we tried to get her used to it before she really needed it.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And she had wanted no part of that.

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Carrie Lehtonen: She said, I can still walk on my own.

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Carrie Lehtonen: I don't need that.

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Carrie Lehtonen: But as soon as she realized she did need the wheels to be able to still go on walks, she begrudgingly accepted it and would let us strap her in and get her back legs and the wheels.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And she continued to walk for several months after that, including along the Rim Trail at the Grand Canyon.

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Carrie Lehtonen: We took her on the road trip.

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Cheryl Kaye: That is fabulous, because I've been there.

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Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah, it was great.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And it's great that dogs are allowed on the Rim Trail because a lot of the national parks don't allow dogs on the trails.

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Carrie Lehtonen: So it was great that she got to do that and see those views because she always loved a good vista.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And so it meant a lot to us to be able to experience that with her and just watch her enjoy the views.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And it meant a lot.

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Carrie Lehtonen: It's not only there, but also just taking her and walks around town.

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Carrie Lehtonen: I feel like she got a lot of attention from people.

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Carrie Lehtonen: I think she was really an inspiration to people that even with a disability or with a setback, that she was still out there enjoying her life and just have this exuberance about her walking on the trails in her wheels.

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Carrie Lehtonen: And really an inspiration to me and to the other people who saw her.

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Cheryl Kaye: We're going to take a little break right now.

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Cheryl Kaye: We'll be right back with our guests.

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00:16:38.132 --> 00:16:39.312
Announcer: Let's Talk Pest.

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Cheryl Kaye: Let's Talk Pest.

00:16:40.232 --> 00:16:41.252
Carrie Lehtonen: On PetLife Radio.

00:16:41.252 --> 00:16:42.572
Cheryl Kaye: PetLife Radio.

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Announcer: PetLifeRadio.com.

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Cheryl Kaye: We're back and we're talking to Carrie, who's telling us all about her queen, Ella.

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Cheryl Kaye: You know, I just have to say, Carrie, I know that you heard my show with The Wheelie Wonders.

00:17:06.520 --> 00:17:17.840
Cheryl Kaye: There are certain people, angels, I have to say, that really are very good with dogs who have disabilities, because it's very difficult.

00:17:17.840 --> 00:17:28.920
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, you had Ella most of her life, she was healthy, and this wheel that you have, it's almost like a wheelbarrow without the barrel, and it's got a big wheel though.

00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:32.620
Cheryl Kaye: So her front legs are really doing all of the work.

00:17:32.620 --> 00:17:33.080
Carrie Lehtonen: Right.

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Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah, she had to, and she was very strong.

00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:40.440
Carrie Lehtonen: I mean, she was such an active dog her whole life, and in good shape and very fit.

00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:51.140
Carrie Lehtonen: So she was able to pull up the cart, but the wheels are fairly heavy, and so her front legs did have to do a lot of work in order to manage with the wheels.

00:17:51.140 --> 00:17:53.080
Carrie Lehtonen: And it is a lot of work.

00:17:53.080 --> 00:17:58.300
Cheryl Kaye: And we should tell our listeners that she was a German shorthaired pointer, right?

00:17:58.300 --> 00:17:59.040
Cheryl Kaye: Mixed?

00:17:59.040 --> 00:17:59.600
Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah.

00:17:59.600 --> 00:18:01.100
Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah, she was a mix.

00:18:01.100 --> 00:18:06.660
Carrie Lehtonen: That's what her paperwork said from the shelter was a German shorthaired pointer mix.

00:18:06.660 --> 00:18:09.940
Carrie Lehtonen: We think she probably had some lab as well.

00:18:09.940 --> 00:18:13.240
Cheryl Kaye: A shaper for body, the length of it.

00:18:13.300 --> 00:18:13.720
Carrie Lehtonen: Right.

00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:15.920
Cheryl Kaye: They're all mixed with wonderful things.

00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:19.380
Cheryl Kaye: You go to a dog park, this one says, Oh, what does she have in her?

00:18:19.380 --> 00:18:22.480
Cheryl Kaye: She's good, she's bad, you know, but I love her anyway.

00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:28.540
Cheryl Kaye: You know, I know that you could always find out, but you know, sometimes having a surprise is best.

00:18:28.540 --> 00:18:36.080
Cheryl Kaye: I have to say, as I said before, this is really truly a love story between you and this dog.

00:18:36.080 --> 00:18:41.320
Cheryl Kaye: Actually between the dog and you, because she's writing it as you think she would write it.

00:18:41.820 --> 00:18:47.920
Cheryl Kaye: And I think at the end, you know, her last day, I think that was beautiful.

00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:57.140
Cheryl Kaye: I'm getting choked up just thinking about it, because I had to take breaks reading it, that you wrote her a letter and said goodbye with the letter.

00:18:57.140 --> 00:19:01.900
Cheryl Kaye: Because, you know, 15 years, that's a very long time.

00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:03.720
Cheryl Kaye: That's a very long time.

00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:06.320
Cheryl Kaye: This wasn't a childhood pet.

00:19:06.320 --> 00:19:08.360
Cheryl Kaye: This was your adult other.

00:19:08.800 --> 00:19:17.640
Cheryl Kaye: And, you know, with all of the adventures that you had with her, you know, I think I only have Tilly, you know, she's three, so I have her a little over two years.

00:19:17.640 --> 00:19:23.700
Cheryl Kaye: I've had, you know, cats and childhood dogs, but this is a different relationship.

00:19:23.700 --> 00:19:26.260
Cheryl Kaye: We're making memories now.

00:19:26.260 --> 00:19:33.740
Cheryl Kaye: And to think that you had Ella for all those years, you're talking boyfriends, all of your life.

00:19:33.740 --> 00:19:37.160
Cheryl Kaye: That's something that she really was there for you.

00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:40.580
Cheryl Kaye: You came home and you told her all about your day.

00:19:40.580 --> 00:19:42.620
Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah, she was a big part of my life.

00:19:42.620 --> 00:19:46.020
Carrie Lehtonen: And I still, it's been three years since I said goodbye to her.

00:19:46.020 --> 00:19:55.500
Carrie Lehtonen: And I still get choked up talking about it and thinking about it because she really was my best friend, my fellow adventurer, my soulmate.

00:19:55.500 --> 00:19:59.900
Carrie Lehtonen: And we did go through a lot together and she was always the one that was there.

00:20:00.840 --> 00:20:06.500
Carrie Lehtonen: She was my stability during those years of my life that relationships come and go.

00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:10.220
Carrie Lehtonen: But she was always there for me and always happy to see me.

00:20:10.220 --> 00:20:13.440
Carrie Lehtonen: I mean, I'm sure you experienced this with Tilly too.

00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:17.560
Carrie Lehtonen: You could be gone for five minutes or two weeks and you get the same greeting.

00:20:17.560 --> 00:20:21.300
Cheryl Kaye: And that's the best part of coming home is the greeting.

00:20:21.300 --> 00:20:26.080
Cheryl Kaye: I took her to one of those pet places for an afternoon and with a bath.

00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:30.740
Cheryl Kaye: The best part is when you come in and your dog is all over you.

00:20:30.740 --> 00:20:31.800
Carrie Lehtonen: They love her.

00:20:31.800 --> 00:20:40.140
Carrie Lehtonen: Ella used to do this thing with me where if I came home from a trip, she would put both of her paws and hold onto my arm.

00:20:40.140 --> 00:20:46.480
Carrie Lehtonen: And she would shake and make little cute noises like, oh, I missed you so much, mom.

00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:48.000
Carrie Lehtonen: I'm so glad you're home.

00:20:48.040 --> 00:20:50.340
Cheryl Kaye: That's the Shake It Off chapter.

00:20:50.340 --> 00:20:52.860
Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah, I think I do talk about that in that chapter too.

00:20:52.860 --> 00:21:01.360
Carrie Lehtonen: She also, you know, when she would run around all crazy outside when I would get home as well.

00:21:01.360 --> 00:21:08.660
Cheryl Kaye: I read something that when a dog gets wet and it shakes, in seconds, it could get rid of all the moisture.

00:21:08.660 --> 00:21:09.460
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, it's amazing.

00:21:09.460 --> 00:21:10.600
Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah, it's pretty amazing.

00:21:10.600 --> 00:21:14.340
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, they are just amazing because nobody wants them to shake.

00:21:14.340 --> 00:21:27.140
Cheryl Kaye: But, you know, when it rains, Tilly doesn't like the rain, but if she does get wet or a sprinkler or whatever, she likes to be, she'll do it because the end result is she gets dried off and that she likes.

00:21:27.140 --> 00:21:29.720
Cheryl Kaye: But they are amazing.

00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:41.260
Cheryl Kaye: And now they've done more research, you know, that they just are so close to us as our best friends, how they mirror us and communicate with us.

00:21:41.260 --> 00:21:52.380
Cheryl Kaye: It's not, you know, like when we were growing up, the family dog, you put the food down, you go about your life, you play with your friends and your parents end up walking the dog and all of that.

00:21:52.380 --> 00:21:55.480
Cheryl Kaye: This is now our responsibility.

00:21:55.480 --> 00:21:58.120
Cheryl Kaye: We are responsible for these animals.

00:21:58.120 --> 00:22:00.820
Cheryl Kaye: And it's a pretty heavy thing when you think about it.

00:22:00.820 --> 00:22:02.900
Cheryl Kaye: Did she like to go to dog parks?

00:22:02.900 --> 00:22:05.080
Cheryl Kaye: She was friendly with strange dogs?

00:22:05.080 --> 00:22:09.160
Carrie Lehtonen: She didn't love other dogs, but she loved people.

00:22:09.160 --> 00:22:17.160
Carrie Lehtonen: And so we would go to the dog park, but mostly what she would do would go around and greet all of the people that were at the dog park, especially kids.

00:22:17.160 --> 00:22:19.500
Carrie Lehtonen: She absolutely adored kids.

00:22:19.500 --> 00:22:27.020
Carrie Lehtonen: And so if we would be at the park or if we would go on walks, like any kid that wanted to come over and pet her, she was all for it.

00:22:27.300 --> 00:22:31.060
Carrie Lehtonen: I think there was one time we were on a walk, there were neighborhood kids outside.

00:22:31.060 --> 00:22:34.520
Carrie Lehtonen: It was a whole group of them playing, and there were like eight or nine of them.

00:22:34.520 --> 00:22:39.380
Carrie Lehtonen: And she just stood in the middle and was so happy that they were all petting her and giving her attention.

00:22:39.860 --> 00:22:41.060
Cheryl Kaye: Yeah, that's the most important.

00:22:41.060 --> 00:22:45.520
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, Tilly is not perfect, but she is friendly with other dogs.

00:22:45.520 --> 00:22:48.920
Cheryl Kaye: She's friendly with people, and she is great with kids.

00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:51.580
Cheryl Kaye: And to me, that's all I need to know.

00:22:51.580 --> 00:22:57.220
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, if you walk by my door, she'll bark, but that's really very important.

00:22:57.220 --> 00:23:00.220
Cheryl Kaye: Because when you go to a shelter, you really don't know.

00:23:00.220 --> 00:23:04.180
Cheryl Kaye: Well, I guess it's like meeting your other half.

00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:06.120
Cheryl Kaye: You really don't know what you're getting.

00:23:06.120 --> 00:23:06.940
Carrie Lehtonen: That's true.

00:23:06.940 --> 00:23:08.420
Cheryl Kaye: You go to a club, you meet a guy.

00:23:09.240 --> 00:23:12.080
Cheryl Kaye: You know, and the dog knows.

00:23:12.080 --> 00:23:18.740
Cheryl Kaye: I'll tell you, if your dog meets somebody that you're getting involved with and they don't like them, out they go.

00:23:18.740 --> 00:23:19.580
Cheryl Kaye: Because the dog knows.

00:23:19.580 --> 00:23:20.600
Carrie Lehtonen: Absolutely.

00:23:20.600 --> 00:23:21.160
Cheryl Kaye: You know?

00:23:21.160 --> 00:23:22.960
Carrie Lehtonen: The dog does know.

00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:26.740
Cheryl Kaye: How many others did she get rid of along your way?

00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:28.180
Cheryl Kaye: She was fussy.

00:23:28.180 --> 00:23:29.340
Cheryl Kaye: She was fussy.

00:23:29.340 --> 00:23:30.140
Carrie Lehtonen: She was fussy.

00:23:31.040 --> 00:23:36.680
Carrie Lehtonen: There were a few that didn't meet her expectations for good enough for mom.

00:23:37.460 --> 00:23:40.460
Carrie Lehtonen: But when I did meet the right one, she knew that too.

00:23:40.460 --> 00:23:45.560
Carrie Lehtonen: And I kind of gave her a hard time because she immediately accepted him.

00:23:45.560 --> 00:23:49.280
Carrie Lehtonen: And I was like, wait a minute, he didn't have to work very hard for your love and affection.

00:23:49.280 --> 00:23:59.240
Carrie Lehtonen: But it was because she knew that he loves me and that he loved her and that he was a good soul, a good person to join our family.

00:23:59.240 --> 00:23:59.520
Cheryl Kaye: Yeah.

00:23:59.520 --> 00:24:09.860
Cheryl Kaye: It really is something because, you know, like if you have friends over and they want to be on the couch with you, they send signals all the time about who they like.

00:24:09.860 --> 00:24:16.860
Cheryl Kaye: Besides, you know, the dander going up and their ears or their tail, you know, whatever position it is.

00:24:16.860 --> 00:24:26.700
Cheryl Kaye: You know, I think they're always curious to meet new people because new people sometimes come with treats and that's part of the game too, you know.

00:24:26.700 --> 00:24:27.540
Cheryl Kaye: It's fun.

00:24:27.540 --> 00:24:28.320
Carrie Lehtonen: Great.

00:24:28.320 --> 00:24:31.620
Cheryl Kaye: How long did it take you to have her write this book?

00:24:31.620 --> 00:24:34.720
Carrie Lehtonen: It's funny because the writing of the book actually didn't take long at all.

00:24:34.840 --> 00:24:41.120
Carrie Lehtonen: I think once I kind of decided to write it and sat down to do it, it only took me a couple of months.

00:24:41.120 --> 00:24:47.360
Carrie Lehtonen: It was actually publishing the book that took a much longer time, but writing it only took me a couple of months.

00:24:47.360 --> 00:24:49.260
Cheryl Kaye: It really is such a lovely book.

00:24:49.560 --> 00:24:50.440
Cheryl Kaye: It's uplifting.

00:24:50.440 --> 00:24:53.940
Cheryl Kaye: I don't want our listeners to think that it's sad.

00:24:53.940 --> 00:24:55.340
Cheryl Kaye: It's just beautiful.

00:24:55.340 --> 00:25:01.120
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, because anybody that has a pet, they have a finite time with us on this earth.

00:25:01.120 --> 00:25:04.000
Cheryl Kaye: And that's why, you know, you got to make the most of it.

00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:08.200
Cheryl Kaye: Spend as much time with them as possible, because they are worth it.

00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:09.100
Carrie Lehtonen: Yeah, absolutely.

00:25:09.100 --> 00:25:13.120
Carrie Lehtonen: And even though it is hard when they leave, it's always worth it to love them.

00:25:13.120 --> 00:25:13.900
Cheryl Kaye: Oh, yeah.

00:25:13.900 --> 00:25:15.340
Cheryl Kaye: It's the hardest day.

00:25:15.340 --> 00:25:19.080
Cheryl Kaye: They say the best place to bury a pet is in the heart of the owner.

00:25:19.080 --> 00:25:19.820
Cheryl Kaye: It's the hardest.

00:25:19.820 --> 00:25:24.120
Cheryl Kaye: They give us all wonderful days and one very, very sad day.

00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:27.580
Cheryl Kaye: But loving them is worth it.

00:25:27.580 --> 00:25:30.960
Cheryl Kaye: It's just a lovely book and it's positive.

00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:37.240
Cheryl Kaye: And it would be really a great gift for anybody who because it's positive whether you have a dog or not.

00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:44.360
Cheryl Kaye: It's got positivity in it, which is why it's called, I'm going to say it right this time, Pawsitive.

00:25:44.360 --> 00:25:45.540
Cheryl Kaye: Did I say it right?

00:25:45.580 --> 00:25:49.240
Carrie Lehtonen: Just with your accent, but it's Pawsitive Perspectives.

00:25:49.240 --> 00:25:50.960
Cheryl Kaye: I have an accent.

00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:54.660
Cheryl Kaye: So once again, I want to thank Carrie for coming on.

00:25:54.660 --> 00:25:57.720
Cheryl Kaye: And this is a wonderful book for the holidays.

00:25:57.720 --> 00:26:03.140
Cheryl Kaye: It's a wonderful book just to have as a beautiful book to just be uplifting.

00:26:03.140 --> 00:26:04.760
Cheryl Kaye: I mean, I couldn't put it down.

00:26:04.760 --> 00:26:08.960
Cheryl Kaye: And I have very bad vision and I read it in two days.

00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:10.300
Cheryl Kaye: And it's small print.

00:26:10.300 --> 00:26:13.860
Cheryl Kaye: I couldn't put it down because I wanted to see what would happen.

00:26:13.900 --> 00:26:14.700
Cheryl Kaye: And it's just a beautiful book.

00:26:14.700 --> 00:26:16.100
Carrie Lehtonen: I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

00:26:16.100 --> 00:26:18.240
Cheryl Kaye: Yeah, no, I really, really enjoyed it.

00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:21.040
Cheryl Kaye: And I want to thank you for coming on.

00:26:21.040 --> 00:26:23.500
Cheryl Kaye: And I want to thank all of my listeners.

00:26:23.500 --> 00:26:26.120
Cheryl Kaye: And I wish you lots of good luck.

00:26:26.120 --> 00:26:27.280
Cheryl Kaye: I want to thank Mark.

00:26:27.280 --> 00:26:31.980
Cheryl Kaye: I want to thank Tilly for making me her best friend and vice versa.

00:26:31.980 --> 00:26:34.500
Cheryl Kaye: And remember to live life unleashed.

00:26:34.500 --> 00:26:35.960
Cheryl Kaye: Thank you, everybody.

00:26:35.960 --> 00:26:37.700
Cheryl Kaye: See you next time.

00:26:37.760 --> 00:26:41.060
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