It Started With a Story

One Stray. Then Two. Then a Book.

For 17 years, Diego was my loyal companion, and for 15 of those years, Kona was the sister he adored. Together, our black lab mixes shared an unbreakable bond and a love so special that I never imagined I would one day have to say goodbye to either of them.

Diego, my 17-year-old boy, came into my life when I rescued him at just one year old. He was a stray in San Diego, California, who somehow found his way to me. Kona, my 15-year-old girl, was rescued by a stranger just one hour before she was scheduled to be euthanized. She had been found sick and alone as a puppy on the streets of Houston, Texas. This angel saw our plea for someone to save her from the shelter. We made the drive from Illinois to Texas in a single day to bring her home and then somehow, everything fell into place.

These two souls would become so much more than just “dogs” in our family. They became family.

Diego and Kona slept beside our newborns swaddled warm and peaceful in their beds. Our rescues traveled with us from coast to coast, swimming in lakes and in the ocean, running on the beach or chasing frisbees. Diego had a touch for calming everyone in his presence, the gentlest soul. For days Kona slept in the same spot where our 98-year-old grandma lied in her bed, room now empty after her passing. Kona battled cancer, but stayed with the family long enough to help pull my father from the creek after having a stoke.

These two beautiful souls brought healing, love, compassion, and empathy into our family. They were there for the celebrations, the heartbreak, the beginnings, and the endings. Through it all, they loved us unconditionally and reminded us of the kind of love that asks for nothing in return.

We did everything together, including standing beside them on their own journey as they left this earth. Diego passed at the end of the summer, and Kona passed shortly thereafter. Even two years later, we are still deeply affected by their passing, a loss that hit us all deeply.

To this day, PJ and I reflect on the beautiful empathy that Diego and Kona taught us, especially the importance of giving back and helping others heal. Two more rescues were given a home with us, not replacing Diego and Kona, but because we believe that they sent these two souls our way to love.

With our books from Whistleslick Press, we always give a portion of the proceeds back to rescues and sanctuaries. Over the years, I watched as those fighting on the front lines to save animals asked for donations, support, or simply for help spreading awareness about the realities that animals truly face every day.

One evening, still within that first year of losing Diego and Kona, I began thinking about how everyone’s story deserves to be told.

Not just the stories of the humans on the front lines who experience these realities firsthand, but the stories of the animals themselves.

They have a voice. They simply cannot tell their stories themselves.

It is up to us to tell their stories on their behalf.

That is how Where the Unwanted Roam was born.

We reached out to one sanctuary to share the idea to see what they thought. The response was positive. We knew then that there were stories to be told. We asked Jaime Breeze, who had helped us through the difficult time of losing Diego and Kona, if she would write the foreword. Jaime was beyond excited to be part of the project.

This book began with the journey of Diego and Kona and their travels. From there, it grew into a story that shines a light on sanctuaries, rescues, and conservancies across the country and the incredible work they do every day.

Where the Unwanted Roam was created in honor of our beloved dogs, Diego and Kona, and in honor of all the rescues, sanctuaries, and conservancies that work tirelessly to protect animals and give a voice to the voiceless.

It is for the animals who were saved, now living their days surrounded by love, safety, and the life they always deserved.

And it is for those who were not reached in time.

You were seen.

You mattered.

Your memory fuels the fight that carries on in your honor.

Our pets teach us that love does not end when a life does. Their love continues through the lives we help, the stories we tell, and the animals we refuse to stop fighting for.

Where the Unwanted Roam was created because of them, in honor of them, and because their lives taught us that every animal deserves to be seen, loved, and remembered.