Do Sunday nights give you the scaries? Not anymore, for the next six weeks, I’m going to be bringing you #StrongBitchSunday. This campaign is something I’ve been working on for the past month and I’m excited to finally share it with you!
One Tail at a Time reached out to me to join their fundraiser efforts for their new ISO Center. What is an ISO center you ask? It’s an intermediary facility between Chicago Animal Care and Control and a foster home. Specifically, the ISO Center will house animals that have come in contact with contagious diseases while they were at Chicago Animal Care & Control or Animal Welfare League Wabash.
So why Strong Bitch? What really inspired myself and my Co-Chair, Johanna Bertini, are all the strong women in the rescue community. To us, strength comes in all forms, mental, physical, and emotional. When working in the animal welfare industry, you find women who possess all three.
We, of course, loved the play on words with Bitch because it’s not only a female dog, but it’s a word that is predominantly used in a derogatory way. We wanted to use that to our strength (pun intended) and celebrate all the women who embody the Strong Bitch mentality. Each Sunday, I’ll be spotlighting a woman who will share her story and journey to realize what strength means to her. Each of these women is unique, courageous, and are making an impact in the rescue community.
In addition, we have put together four workouts in order to raise funds for the ISO Center. Each class will be fun and energizing, and of course, there will be adoptable dogs at each event. So come out, show off your #StrongBitch mentality, and help our furry friends of Chicago. All the classes are below – sign up varies so be sure to check out the details.
You can find all the details to the campaign at our fundraising page. If you can’t make it to any of our classes, don’t worry, you can still donate! Your donation will mean so much to myself, Johanna, and all the animals in Chicago.
Now, I’m super stoked to introduce our first Strong Bitch, the Founder of One Tail at a Time, Heather Owen. If you ask anyone at OTAT why they volunteer, they’ll tell you it’s because they believe in Heather. They trust her intuition, her open mind, and her big heart. It’s an absolute pleasure to share her story with you.
Tell us about yourself (age, occupation, hometown, etc.)
35, dog rescuer, suburbs. Former lawyer, almost vegan, likes big fluffies, doesn’t like kittens but still think they should be alive. Sandwiches.
What does strong mean to you?
When you stop giving a fuck what the world thinks about you and start taking care of your mind and body.
Tell us about your workouts, why do you love them?
I lift weights and ride my bike. Riding my bike makes me feel connected to my body in a way that I can’t quite explain. Lifting weights helped me put on weight and muscle on a body that always felt weak to me.
How does strength come into your rescue work?
Lifting dogs! Holding on to that leash when I’m walking those bigass Great Pyrenees. But mostly the confidence from being connected to your bod carries over.
Can you tell us about a time that your strength surprised you?
My squat PR is 155lbs and that felt really good. I also climbed a fucking mountain last year at the low point in my physical health and that felt cool too.
What makes you most excited about the #strongbitch campaign?
Highlighting women is super important, especially when the rescue community is made up of women. Empowering each other is awesome.
Now, if you don’t totally have a girl crush on this babe, you’re crazy. She’s an incredible asset to the community and I’m lucky to call her an ally.
Be sure to check out our upcoming classes and join us in our mission to make Chicago one #StrongBitch. Use our hashtag and tell us why you’re a #StrongBitch for a chance to be featured!
SALT Fitness:
Sunday, September 9, 12:00 p.m. More details here.
Chicago Primal Gym:
Saturday, September 29, 12:00 p.m. More details here.
Rock Solid Health:
Saturday, October 13, 10:00 a.m. More details here.
Pure Barre South Loop:
Saturday, October 20, 11:00 a.m. More details here.
THE RESCUES:
Calzone – This cutie is somehow still looking for a home. She’s a puppy but she walks so well on a leash. She knows all her basic commands, and she’s the goofiest looking pup around. Calzone is ready to get saucy with you so adopt her here!
xoxo,
Christine
PS: A few more photos of Heather because she’s the cutest.
