Dakota & Pups

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Welcome back to another episode of our Travel Adventures series! 🌲🐾 Last Saturday, Fidget and I ventured to Apshawa Preserve in New Jersey, and believe it or not, this was a completely random find! We were originally having a one-on-one day and planned to attend a Paws in the Park event, but unfortunately, the event wasn’t happening. Whether the dates were wrong, it was canceled, or the flyer was inaccurate, I’m not entirely sure! But since we had already driven up to the area, I figured why not find somewhere to hike? And that’s exactly how we discovered Apshawa Preserve! And let me tell you, this place was absolutely beautiful! We started on the blue trail with the goal of reaching a waterfall, but this was no easy little nature walk! There were steep hills, rocky terrain, and plenty of challenging sections. This was a REAL hike! One of my favorite things about this preserve was actually the educational signs along the trails explaining why the preserve is fenced to exclude deer and how deer overpopulation can negatively impact forest ecosystems. The signs even showed comparisons between forests with and without deer, and the difference in vegetation was incredible! As a former environmental major, this is exactly the kind of information that fascinates me. I will ALWAYS stop to read something like that! Unfortunately, we didn’t make it anywhere near the waterfall. I ended up having a pretty severe asthma attack and had to switch from the blue trail to the purple trail to head back. I did record some of that experience, but I’m still debating whether I want to share it. It’s an incredibly vulnerable moment, and unfortunately, people are quick to mistake medical difficulties for simply being overweight or out of shape. But regardless of how our hike ended, Fidget and I had an absolutely wonderful time exploring somewhere new together! I’m already looking forward to returning, hopefully completing the trail, and finally seeing that waterfall! And when we do, you can absolutely expect another Travel Adventures episode! Sometimes the most unexpected adventures turn into some of the best memories. #servicedogs #viral #dogs #hiking #fyp

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POV: You and your bestie are honorary zebras! 🦓🤍 A couple weeks ago, we headed down to Cape May to spend the day with our besties, Britt and Lumos! We had such an amazing adventure exploring the Cape May Zoo, Longport Dog Beach, and Lowe’s! One of my favorite parts of the zoo was getting to see the zebras, especially the adorable little baby zebra! They were seriously the cutest things ever! But what made this moment even more special was finding this adorable zebra bench! Ever since Lumos was a puppy, we’ve had a little tradition of taking pictures of Fidget and Lumos together on those cow benches you see at county fairs and other events. So naturally, when we spotted a zebra version, we HAD to continue the tradition! Just two besties adding another adorable picture to their collection of memories together! 🥹🦓 #zebra #servicedogs #FYP #viral #zoo

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1, 2, 3, 4, 5, BAM! 💥 I’ve officially completed my walking for the ENTIRE year! 😂 Just kidding! Contrary to popular belief, I actually walk A LOT! I’m constantly going on new adventures, hiking different trails, chasing waterfalls, and exploring new places with my dogs! While my disabilities can make walking incredibly difficult and painful at times, I still get out there because being in nature is genuinely one of my favorite things to do! And when I’m not hiking, I’m usually walking my dogs around town, especially around 3 AM because it’s peaceful, quiet, and nobody bothers us! 😂 What’s crazy to me is how someone can look at my body and automatically assume I’m not active, especially when I regularly post videos of myself hiking, walking, and exploring! Your perception of someone’s body doesn’t determine their activity level, physical abilities, or lifestyle. Being plus size doesn’t mean someone sits around all day doing nothing. Maybe instead of counting my steps, you should try keeping up with them! 😉 #hiking #fyp #viral #servicedogs #walking