Lowcountry Dog Animal Advocate

Julia Bobbitt

This issue’s Animal Advocate is Julia Bobbitt. She currently works as the manager at Dolittle’s Kiawah - a wonderful store for pets and their people with three locations around the Charleston area. She was kind enough to speak with us and allow us to tell you a little bit about her journey into animal welfare. Julia’s first foray into the world of animal rescue was in 2012 when she began volunteering at Pet Helpers on Folly Road. She eventually ended up working at the front desk and helping hundreds of people find their perfect companion. She also found HER perfect companions, Chowder, a 4 year old Sol Legare dog and Aurora, a 3 year old pit bull. Julia told us that her dogs are a daily reminder of why she got into animal rescue. “At the end of a long day, I know that when I get home, my two rescue pups will be there to greet me with a grin and lots of slobbery kisses. They make me laugh every day, even on days when I really don’t feel like smiling. They are my best friends.” There have been many other memorable rescues to cross her path and it was hard for her to pick just one to share with us. “This was the hardest of these questions for me to answer...but I decided to throw it back to my first ever long-term foster, Blossom. Blossom came to Eunoia Rescue from an upstate shelter. She was about 6 months old by the time she landed in my care and she was covered from head to paw in demodex mange...her skin was so terrible we couldn’t tell what color fur she had. Despite all that, she was sweet as could be.” She was given treatment for the demodex and much needed rest and almost immediately she began to improve. Julia said “Quite quickly she blossomed into the spunky, happy 6 month old puppy she should be. Once her hair started to grow in we learned she was a beautiful chocolate brown with a white patch on her chest.” Her struggles were not over completely though. She came down with skin, ear and urinary tract infections all at the same time. “Let me just say, that was a rough week for everyone in the household.” But, true to the resilient nature of dogs, Blossom powered through and now lives in her forever home where Julia says she is beyond spoiled every day. “She was my first leap into fostering, and I will always remember my crusty Blossom Possum.” For anyone looking to get into animal rescue, Julia wants you to know that there is always a way that you can help. “I get it,” she says, “not everyone can financially afford to donate money or take a foster animal into their home. A lot of people think that if they can’t do either of those things, they can’t help. Reach out to your local rescues and shelters and see what you can do to help.” Julia says that one of easiest things you can do is share a post on Facebook or Instagram the next time you see things about rescue events, lost pets, etc… “It takes two clicks and about 15 seconds to help spread the word!” As a parting sentiment, Julia impressed upon us that even though animal rescue can be a lot of hard work, messy and stinky, heartbreaking and un-glamorous, “at the end of the day, those sweet faces make it all worth it.” Thank you for all that you do, Julia!

BLOSSOM