I am happy to introduce to you Christine Nendick, the creative editor of “Rescue In Style,” a blog dedicated to making a fashion statement for adoptable pets.
While spreading awareness of animals looking for their forever homes, as well as featuring dogs/cats in urgent need of adoption, she also shares trendy outfits, information on local adoption events, behind-the-scenes videos, and hundreds of tips so that you, too, can foster, adopt, or rescue cats and dogs.
Christine has the cutest cats, Roni and Cheese, a dog named Rawlings, and often fosters up to seven kittens at a time.
I love meeting people who welcome rescued dogs or cats into their homes. I have two at home that you can read about after Christine’s interview below.
Interview with Christine Nendick:
Q: When did you start Rescue in Style?
I came up with the idea in December 2016, but officially launched the blog in February 2017. It’s just been a little over two years now!
Q: How did you come up with the idea?
I was scrolling through Instagram late at night and came across a fashion blogger sharing a picture of her dog. Unfortunately, the dog was not a rescue dog. She had so many followers that I thought it would have been an incredible platform to spread awareness of all the dogs (and cats!) in need of homes. The idea of being a fashion blogger who showed off adorable pets struck me as a way to market so many animals. After searching online, I couldn’t find anyone who was doing what I was picturing so I decided to do it myself.
Q: Why was it important to incorporate fashion into your efforts?
There are a lot of awesome accounts on Instagram devoted to rescue organizations, but I wanted to target an audience that might want to follow all of them. Fashion is my way of welcoming a new demographic into the rescue world. I hope that by showcasing some fun fashion, I can cater to a group that hadn’t previously been aware of all the animals in need of homes. They might come to my page because of the style, but hopefully, they’ll stick around because they enjoy learning about all things rescue.
Q: What do you hope people learn from your blog/Instagram?
I hope people will learn that there are so many wonderful pets looking for homes. Sadly, 1.5 million animals are euthanized each year simply because there isn’t enough space for them at our shelters. I hope to encourage people to pursue adoption when adding a furry family member to their home!
Q: How can people get involved?
There are so many ways to help. You can find the perfect way to support your local rescue! Whether you want to walk dogs, socialize cats, help with social media, or fundraise, your skills are needed. I would recommend looking at their website, there is usually a tab for volunteering. If there isn’t reach out through email or call them.
Also, fostering is the most instrumental way you can help save lives. If you can temporarily bring a dog into your home, you will save two lives: the dog in foster care and the one that gets to take its place in the shelter. It’s also the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in rescue.
Q: Do you have any favorite dogs/cats?
Besides my own Greyhound (a Florida native!) and two cats?! Absolutely! There have been so many wonderful animals that have caught hold of my heart. One of the first dogs I ever met was named Lady. She was a pittie who was used for breeding. The poor thing was so young but had had so many litters. Lady was the sweetest and wanted just to lay her head in your lap and snuggle with her stuffed animals. She spent a few weeks at the shelter before someone scooped her up and took her home and spoiled her!
I’ve also become more involved with my city municipal shelter, Chicago Animal Care and Control. It’s where people surrender their pets and where we house strays. Generally, it’s mostly pit bull type dogs. Landlords here aren’t very friendly with “bully breeds,” so they populate our city shelter. My favorite dog there for a while was Lucy. She gave me the best hugs and would sprint over for belly rubs. She was taken by a local rescue and she’s now awaiting her forever home!
Q: What’s next for Rescue in Style?
I recently launched my very own merchandise! My next big task is creating a few more items to add to the collection. I’m also always looking to work with new rescues in the area and, hopefully, across the US!
To visit Christine’s blog click here!
To adopt a pet in need of a warm home, visit AdoptAPet and PetFinder!
How I Ended Up with Two Dogs
Let me share a little bit about my dogs. Mia turned 7 years old in October, weighs 60+ pounds, and is 100% blind. Anastasia weighs 50+ pounds, and I found her on June 26, 2015, when she was living on the street. That day, I picked up her collapsing body and rushed her to the only animal hospital that was open late on a Friday night.
Anastasia showed up in my life while I was temporarily staying at my parents (who live in a condo that only allows dogs under 20 pounds), I was searching for a new apartment, Mia was being cared for by a dog sitter that I had hired, the relationship that I was in for 4+ years had just ended, and I was working 70+ hours per week.
Almost every building turned me down due to my dogs. I searched for three months for a building that welcomed dogs of all sizes, and in August 2015, I moved to a pet-friendly apartment with both dogs. Everything was wonderful until Mia started to disapprove of the new dog, and while many suggested that I re-home the new dog or put her up for adoption, I instead decided to figure it out and make it work.
It took 11+ months of separating the dogs by wooden barriers in my living room, group classes at PetSmart, one-on-one training, and lots of patience until they learned to co-exist in harmony under the same roof.
Looking back, not giving up on Anastasia was one of the best decisions I’ve made! When I rescued her in 2015, Mia had eyesight in only one eye. In January 2018, when that eye lost all its vision and her eye pressure could no longer be controlled, her ophthalmologist in Florida, Dr. Dylan Buss, performed CBA (ciliary body ablation – the least invasive treatment for glaucoma) on her eye. While I have been diligent in putting about 6-7 different eye drops, twice a day, on her eyes since 2014, Anastasia’s tenderness towards Mia has helped immensely as well.
Both Christine and I agree that it is important to invest our time in training dogs. I love ‘group classes’ because dogs learn in a controlled environment where they have to practice self-control while being surrounded by multiple dogs and their humans. Mia completed all levels of training at PetSmart (beginner, intermediate, advanced). She failed each of the final exams, but PetSmart allows dogs to retake the course… so we did every course twice! Ha! In all seriousness, the effort that I put into taking her to 30+ classes has paid off. With Anastasia, I completed the beginner course, which she passed, and I hope to take her to more soon.
A final note:
I started training with each dog when they were adults, despite many telling me you can only begin training dogs when they are puppies. Well, that is not always true. My experience with training an older dog was excellent.
What about you?! Have you adopted or rescued a dog/cat before?!
If so, I’d love to hear your pet’s name and story!!!
My Favorite Products for Pets!
Here is a round-up of my favorites. These are all amazing products for dogs!
- Furbo Dog Camera (A gift from my sister that I can’t live without. We travel with it too)
- HDP Big Dog Harness (I have 2 of these for my blind girl)
- Dog Alaska Fleece Snood (Fantastic during NYC winters! I bought 3 in XL)
- Dog Toothpaste (I brush their teeth daily)
- Adjustable Dog Raincoat (Incredibly useful! They are machine washable)
- PET GATE (I can’t live without this. We travel with ours & block hotel doors, etc.)
- Auto Close Safety Baby Gate (I bought mine in 2015, and I use it in the kitchen)
- Memory Foam Dog Bed (The older my dogs get, the better the bed I buy them)
- PAWZ Dog Boots (Love these for rainy/snow days. I buy the purple size L & the blue size M)
A final note!
After volunteering for two years at one of the largest animal shelters in the country, I learned that homeless and shelter dogs don’t need much other than love, a warm place to sleep, and a responsible owner who will feed them on time and help them with their basic necessities.
If you currently live in a small apartment, without a yard, you can still adopt/rescue a dog. The lack of a yard will be the perfect excuse to take the dog for walks (beneficial to you and the dog). That is how I handle the lack of a patio or backyard.
READ NEXT:
We bring our dogs everywhere we go. As they started getting older, I stopped leaving them with dog sitters. Here is an article I wrote listing the hotels around the United States that we have stayed at with our dogs! Perhaps the article will encourage you to take your dogs on vacation 🙂
