While visiting Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria had devastated the island in 2017, our friend Shanna, a dog lover and dog rescuer, spotted a chocolate Labrador retriever lying on the floor of a restaurant. He looked very skinny and sick, so Shanna ordered him chicken and gave him her lunch while shedding tears. After the dog ate, he laid down at Shanna’s feet, instantly winning over Shanna’s heart. Shanna vowed to do something to help the poor dog. She posted the dog’s photo and contacted a fellow dog rescuer, who helped her put together a plan of action.
Shanna took the dog to a veterinarian in San Juan and found out he was between 12-14 years old, was 20 pounds underweight, and had a litany of health issues. The vet said Rico didn’t have much time to live but hoped he would be loved and cared for in the meantime. Shanna vowed to make sure of it.
We fell in love with Rico the moment we saw his sweet face on Facebook. We knew he belonged with us and our other rescue dog, Lucy. Shanna and her friend, Jessica, with the help of the country music star she worked for, brought Rico to Charleston, South Carolina, where we live. We named him “Rico” to honor where he had come from and what he had been through.
There were some very difficult moments as Rico learned to trust that we weren’t going to abandon him. But Rico, (also known as Rico Suave, Brown Suga, or Nutty Buddy) was meant for us, and we were meant for him. We named our book “Rescued by Rico” because he made such an impact on our lives. He fit in like he had been ours all along, and our Lucy absolutely adored him. Rico was a gentle soul, and we were only too happy to give him a loving home for the five short months he had left in his life. Rico crossed the Rainbow Bridge on the morning of August 6, 2018, knowing he was loved.
50% of all proceeds from sales of these products will go directly to animal rescue organizations who are doing great work.
AUTHORS
Jules and Stace call Charleston, SC home. They love life and are always in pursuit of fun and memorable experiences.
As such, they are business coaches/consultants with their company A Salty Rim, they host two podcasts - GSD Entrepreneur and Do It In Nature, they have an outdoor gear company, OME Gear and they have started an organization, called BoldSKY Foundation, specifically to help empower women inventors to change the world. You can often find them on the beach, doing anything on the water, or hiking in the mountains.
They love rescue pups and fell in love with Rico the moment they first saw him. They immediately knew he belonged with them and their other rescue pup, Lucy, who ended up being the love of Rico’s life.