Episode 63. STAY: Lisa Rimmert's Forever Friendship with Her Aging Dog

Thank you for your patience as I took a mini hiatus from the podcast these last couple weeks. When Lisa & I recorded this episode at the end of 2022, I didn’t know it would be hitting so close to home right now.  As many of you know, we recently and very unexpectedly said goodbye to our beloved Penny when she suffered a sudden health crisis.  

It’s very special to me that Penny was so much a part of my conversation with today’s guest, Lisa Rimmert.

Lisa is here to share the story of Dakota who inspired her book: STAY – My Forever Friendship with an Aging Dog. Have you ever felt like maybe you want to punch someone who calls your dog “old” or a “senior”?  Lisa’s been there.  But Lisa was pretty sure that her “elder states-dog” of the dog park was going to live forever.

Lisa graduated college, became a military spouse and adopted Dakota all within a few months in her early 20s. She spent her whole adult life with Dakota by her side –  while crisscrossing the USA with her husband’s military assignments.

Lisa didn’t know how to be an adult without Dakota. And when Dakota begins to show concerning signs of a degenerative spinal disorder, Lisa didn’t want to have to be the grown-up to make difficult decisions on Dakota’s behalf. 

Lisa & I share how much our dogs have taught us about ourselves – from enjoying the caregiver role to work/life balance – from being present to learning how to show up for others during hard times.  I think many of us have felt that our dogs play a huge role in making you … you.

Both Lisa’s book and this conversation are vulnerable but perhaps surprisingly funny reflections of everything from mystery poops to examining our own internal monologue.

Lisa & I cover topics such as assessing your dog’s quality of life, advocating for your dog’s health and a few Public Service Announcements of things we’ve learned the hard way which might come handy for you in the future.

Trigger warning: General theme of pet loss, but specifically may need tissues in the first 7 minutes.

Lisa & I discuss:

  • Lisa’s reflections on growing up with pets in the 1980s and how times have evolved since then;

  • Learning work/life boundaries from a job at an animal advocacy nonprofit;

  • Lisa’s burgeoning comedy career;

  • When Lisa & her husband adopted Dakota and being a military spouse with a dog;

  • Mystery poops and confronting the fact that your dog is aging;

  • All the different factors to consider when making medical decisions for your dog;

  • Erin & Lisa’s Public Service Announcements about what they’ve learned about dog health issues over the years;

  • The surprising things we can learn about ourselves as we become caretakers for our dogs;

  • Lisa doesn’t consider herself a Dog Mom or a Pet Parent;

  • The degenerative spinal condition that Lisa’s dog Dakota experienced and what that looked like;

  • Advocating for our dog’s health and assessing our dog’s Quality of Life as they age;

  • Anticipatory grief and denial;

  • Learning about at-home euthanasia options and how to know if “it’s time;”

  • What we can learn from our dogs about being present;

  •  The empathy that Lisa has developed and how it changed how she shows up for others;

  • Deciding to bring another dog into your family after losing a dog

Where to find Lisa:

Links Discussed:

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