THE SECRET LIFE OF COLORADO Pets
#1 Local shelters would rather you not adopt than take home a pet you’re not ready for.
Before you meet any residents of the Dumb Friends League, the 109-year-old Denver animal shelter prefers you sit down with a human—specifically, an adoptions counselor such as Jasmine McCormick. “Just because this is the breed or animal you’re drawn to doesn’t necessarily mean it matches what you’re looking for,” says McCormick, who asks potential adopters about their living situations, activity levels, and expectations to try to make sure the animals don’t just find their next homes, but their forever homes. Considering getting a pet? Try this thought-provoking exercise first.
BEHIND THE ’GRAM
@loki | LAKEWOOD | 2 MILLION FOLLOWERS
When Kelly Lund says, “If you’re going to bring a dog home, you better damned well be prepared to restructure your life and give it a hell of a lot of exercise,” they aren’t empty words: In 2016, when he says his higher-ups began hassling him about bringing his wolf-husky-malamute mix, Loki, to the office, Lund quit his dream job with the city of Denver’s outdoor recreation department.
The decision was made easier by the fact that, after only three years online, Loki’s Instagram following had already garnered an endorsement deal with a food company (Boulder’s I and Love and You), and brands like REI and Mercedes-Benz were hiring the pair to star in commercials. Making a career out of Instagram isn’t easy—and requires serious photo skills—but that’s exactly what Lund and Loki are doing today.
They released a coffee-table book called Wild Together: My Adventures with Loki the Wolfdog (co-written by Lund and his girlfriend, Ally Coucke) in 2018, and sponsors such as Toyota and BFGoodrich now help fuel the whole pack’s adventures, like a recent road trip to California. They stopped along the way to shoot Loki at Tractor Supply Co. for a sponsored Instagram post, but Lund is working on diversifying their income streams with a CBD tincture and CBD biscuits under the Loki Naturals brand.
With an audience of two million, Loki’s treats
