LOS ANGELES, CA
How ridiculously cute is my little family?! My work fam that is. Meet Opie—he’s the big bundle of fur on the left, and Kay—the one kindly holding on tight to Cruz. Scarlett, who took the photo, refused to be in it because she wasn’t wearing a matching Mercy For Animals tee. 🙄
We set out on this adventure in the name of self-care—a genuine attempt to love our bodies in the midst of another stressful workweek. Every day at Mercy For Animals feels like a race against time, so we do what we can to have fun.
This was Cruz’s first hike. He did so great! Sure Kay had to go racing after Cruz every time he ventured a bit too far (Kay insisted that I bring Cruz even if he had to carry him the whole way), but it was totally worth it. I mean look at him…so confident overlooking a whole new world.
Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood hills is an awesome place for dogs. They can be off leash in most areas, there are pup-sized drinking fountains, and their humans have plenty to keep them occupied. Think people watching, celebrity sightings, and gorgeous views of Los Angeles.
Runyon is a choose-your-level type of workout. Not sure which way to go? Just ask. Everyone is super friendly!
Pro Tip: Expect a tougher challenge when the sun is shining extra brightly. There’s zero shade on any of the trails.
To help me get through the burn that day, I imagined myself sipping on a rich n’ creamy oat milk latte from Blue Bottle Coffee. And the only way I was gonna get one was if I carried my out-of-shape a** (and Romeo’s) up every formidable hillside. Think I’m exaggerating? Atop each of two of the tallest peaks is a defibrillator. They’ve been enclosed in these colorful mailbox-looking things, to play down the seriousness of them I’m sure. But having seen hikers airlifted out of the canyon by helicopter on more than one occasion, it’s really no joke at all. 😱
No matter how hard the workout, it’s always worth it in the end. We did survive our two-hour hike, and I did celebrate a job well done with an oat latte and three very tired pups!