Hi! 👋🏼 I’m Haley.

Find me writing about animals, living in a yellow van, and reading lots of books. I’m always here for emotions and nuance!

I adopted my blue heeler, Scout, in January 2019. Since then, we’ve trained through fear-based dog reactivity, fostered shelter dogs, and navigated ups and downs in between. In January 2023 we hit the road for full-time van life!

What started as a strictly dog training blog has become a place to reflect on so much more (big feelings, adventure, reading, full-time travel…) but still dogs, of course. Always dogs.

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Why have a supporter section?

I wrestled with the idea of creating some sort of paywall on Paws and Reflect. Who am I to sell anything? It feels like a gift that someone would simply read a piece I’ve written, let alone pay me to be able to read it.

But the truth is I put a lot of time and energy into this blog. Adding a supporter option seemed like a reasonable way to work through the associated costs.

Then—as I became increasingly passionate about connecting with fellow dog lovers—I made the decision to leave my ad agency job in December 2021 to write full time. Your support now means more than ever!

Some posts explaining our “why”

The below Instagram post and this blog dive deeper into my thoughts about sharing, especially when it comes to dog stuff (and I’m “just” a pet owner).

paws.andreflect

A post shared by @paws.andreflect

As always, I am here for any questions. Now go play with your dog if you’re able!

📝 Acknowledgements

• All images or quotations that aren’t our own are credited in individual pieces. Holler with questions!

• Our logo of Scout holding her yellow frisbee was illustrated by the talented Haley Rogers.

• Nicole Handel took the “About Us” featured photo of me, Sean, and Scout posing just inside Hermes.