Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Hla
Hi Christine, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We adopted our dog, Lettuce, in May 2020 from a rescue in Dallas that saves dogs from puppy mill auctions. She was rescued along with 25-30 other dogs.
Because the dogs came in a group and had no names – just numbers – the rescue picked themes to name them. Lettuce came with a vegetable theme. She was also pregnant at the time too with her last baby.
When we saw her online she just spoke to me. It was her eyes honestly. I applied immediately. We had lost our Yorkie 6 months prior and were only just starting to think about another dog. But I knew she was special.
Once Lettuce was spayed and her baby was adopted, she was ready to come home with us. We did the 4-hour drive each way to Dallas to bring her home. She had been at the rescue long enough that everyone called her Lettuce (or Letti for short) and the name just stuck. We think it also suits her.
Flashing forward, Lettuce is a star. She loves to travel, meet new people and animals and of course get her picture taken! She has modeled for several brands and has participated in paid partnerships. She is a natural in front of the camera and has been my inspiration and muse to become a social media content creator.
Our core mission is no dog deserves what Lettuce survived. She is the lucky, and very small minority. We use our platform to educate about the importance of rescuing as well as to encourage adoption first when adding a pet to your family. We also love partnering with brands that support the mission of rescue and adoption awareness.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
After we brought Lettuce home it was a long journey. She had health issues – mostly GI issues and had to be placed on a special diet. She still has problems but we definitely have the worst of it under control. Training took time as well. She had spent 5 years with no training or socialization at the puppy mill. We hired a trainer, remained patient and created a consistent home environment. Her lack of socialization made her fearful of people and other dogs. It took two years for her to come around to my partner but now they are besties.
It’s amazing to see how social she is now and how much she loves to get in front of the camera and model.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a technology consultant by day and a social media creator in my free time sharing my amazing rescue dogs with the world. We represent pet fashion and other pet-oriented brands as well as advocate for rescue and adoption.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I think luck has played a role in me just seeing her that day on the rescue page. Something about her stood out. Once she started to adjust to our home I just saw how special, resilient and sweet she is. Putting her in front of the camera was something I did to record her journey to recovery and being finally in her forever home. Over time, she became this muse and I wanted to share her with everyone so I started her Instagram account. Now, she has fans all over the world who love her to pieces.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_dog_named_lettuce?igsh=MTNva2x5MmY5a2NndA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19LvjtwRNo/?mibextid=wwXIfr
