Here’s the “tail” about how Living Ruff got started…

We love animals. We had pets growing up, so we were used to fur in our food and going to school with it all over our clothes. We thought it was normal and that everyone lived like that. If they didn’t understand, we thought they were strange. We still think people who don’t like a little fur in their soup are a bit off.

Bourbon - Our Hurricane Katrina Survivor

While Ron was in New Orleans producing Animal Planet Heroes: Hurricane Rescues/Reunions he had the opportunity to work with several animal rescue and advocacy groups like the Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) and Best Friends Animal Society. We were inspired by their generous natures and dedication to the safety of animals. It was during this time we discovered a rescued dog who would change our lives forever.

Three weeks after the storm, Scotlund Haisley, former WARL Executive Director and his team entered a home in the Lower 9th ward and after turning over a couch they found a scared, heart-worm positive, and emaciated dog clinging onto life. Weighing only 25 lbs, this Spitz mix had lost more then half his body weight and was in need of immediate medical care. His family was contacted, but without any means to care for him, they relinquished ownership hoping he could find a new home. The amazing staff at WARL brought him to their shelter in DC and nursed him back to health. That’s where we met him and fell in love.  He’s now a healthy 55 pounds and thrives on chasing the nuisance neighborhood squirrels and letting us know when anyone is even thinking about approaching the front door. He’s very protective, devoted and loving. Bourbon’s also rather famous – he’s been featured in The Washington Post, The Examiner, WJLA News 9, and Bark Magazine.

Yogi - A Sibling for Bourbon

A year later we went back to WARL to find Bourbon a sibling to play with and met Yogi. While walking through the newly renovated shelter, we came across this little dog with huge ears and quite the fighting spirit vying for our attention. He was jumping all over his “suite mate” determined to be seen. Later that week we brought Bourbon to WARL for a play date with Yogi to see how they got along. Within five minutes, all fourteen pounds of Yogi tackled Bourbon to the ground and claimed victory. We knew he was to come home with us and he has been here ever since. He’s waiting for his time in the media spotlight.

Benjamin the Cat

And then there is Benjamin the cat, who has been with us for the past ten years. What can we say about Benjamin? He camps out in his kitty condo, wants nothing to do with the dogs who have invaded his home, and stages the occasional protest by letting them know who is boss of the house by meowing at the top of the stairs. We keep him happy with tuna treats and catnip and he’s cool for a while. We like to keep him happy.

Jessica and Ron

It’s taken us a few years to come to the realization that the hustle and bustle of corporate life wasn’t for us. Dogs in tow, we’re free spirits with entrepreneurial hearts. We’ve thought for some time about how we might be able to bring our passion for pets to the community, and it really began with our zoo at home. Call us particular, but we became picky with what we purchased for them. We wanted a selection of quality fun products from companies who love animals as much as we do. We wanted food for our pets with wholesome ingredients from dependable companies. We wanted gifts for the many pet lovers in our lives that were fun and unique. And voila! Living Ruff began.

Living Ruff

At Living Ruff we are committed to customer satisfaction and giving consumers a choice with enough information to make educated decisions about products. We give back to the community through animal rescue and advocacy groups like Washington Animal Rescue League and Montgomery County Humane Society by bringing awareness to general animal issues and responsible pet adoption.

Living Ruff –stuff for pets and their people!