With her head throbbing and her
heart racing, she started to pull the car over. Then Charlie’s face popped into her mind. Her ace in the hole. She continued driving and went
home to her dog. “I promised him that I’d do whatever I needed in order to be better for him. That was the day I quit drinking,” said Lara. Through it all, Charlie was Lara’s
anchor. “Charlie helped me find my feet in sobriety. He made me feel like I mat- tered even when I felt an inexplicable worthlessness.” After a particularly rough breakup,
Lara was grieving the loss. “But, it was actually a healthy grief, for me, because I’d never really experienced any kind of grief sober,” said Lara. “It was good to actually feel the sadness.” Charlie inspired Lara to create an
edgy apparel line for dog lovers. St. Petersburg’s Pup Active officially opened for business in 2016. When Charlie had a brief run-in
with cancer, it was just another bump in their journey. They dealt with it just like everything else put before them. The tumor was successfully removed in 2016. Then, Lara was diagnosed with
ovarian cancer in December 2017. The timing sucked, of course. But, there’s really no such thing as a good time to get sick, especially in the throes of a growing business and during the busiest time of the year. Especially after taking care of and nursing Charlie back to health. There was no time for why
me.They
played the hand that was dealt them and played it well. Lara’s first surgery was successful and she was recovering. As always, Charlie Man was her rock, help- ing her stay focused to get better so they could go on having fun together. Life, at this stage of their game, was just too full to let go of now. The Showdown In March 2018, two days after Lara’s
second and final surgery to fight cancer, Charlie’s cancer returned. It was aggres- sive, having grown fast, metastasizing before anything could be done to stop it. Lara made sure Charlie was comfortable in his final days. “Surrounded by loved ones, he
floated off to the sounds of Big Poppa,”said Lara, “And the compassionate
www.TheNewBarker.com
guidance of Dr. Anna with Lap of Love.” Three days after Charlie Man died,
Lara received a phone call from her oncologist giving her the all clear that her cancer was gone. She had already been scheduled for three rounds of chemotherapy after her second surgery. Her doctor just said, “I’m not sure I can explain it. But, you’re healthy. Margins are clear and no chemo is needed.” During their time together, 12
years, Charlie had helped Lara under- stand how to give love selflessly. He helped her realize that she was worthy of love and joy. Of course, Charlie Man had one
more hand to play, and Lara is convinced he took the cancer from her. When it comes to dealing out hope and changing our lives, the dogs have it, hands down. Well played, Charlie Man.
U
Lara adopted Johnny Long Boy from Pet Pal Animal Shelter after Charlie died. “I see so much of Charlie in Johnny Long Boy,” said Lara. “I feel Charlie with me all the time.” “Dogs are our Hope Dealers.
And I think about how the people who advocate for animal rescue are Hope Dealers,” said Lara. “It’s a cycle. I deal you hope and it lifts you up to deal it to a dog, and lifts that dog up to deal it to a stranger on the street who then becomes a friend. And on and on it goes.” It is Charlie Man’s paw print
imprinted on every piece of Pup Active apparel.
PupActive.com
PupActive@gmail.com PupActive hosts a monthly Rescue Dog Yoga at Grassroots Kava House. For dates, times and details call 727.220.3041.
SPCA Tampa Bay 9099 130th Ave. N., Largo
SPCATampaBay.org
Pet Pal Animal Shelter 405 22n St. S., St. Petersburg
PetPalAnimalShelter.com
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