We recently interviewed ORORO customer, brand ambassador, and dog mom, Laura DeMars. She told us all about her dogs and their adventures together.
Ten-year old Chloe and four-year old Leo, both pitbull mix dogs, jump at every chance to go on a walk, even in the coldest and snowiest weather in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. ORORO helps their owner Laura DeMars stay motivated to take them on daily walks and stay warm. She says, “When I go outside with my dogs and I’m comfortable, they get so much more out of it because I’m actuaIly there and able to really engage with them and not focus on being cold.”
Laura and her husband Christopher live in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains near Yosemite National Park in Northern California. Temperatures often dip below freezing and snow is a common occurrence in the winter.
They live with their two rescue dogs, Leonidas (Leo) and Chloe. They’re both passionate about dog rescue, particularly pit bull breeds. Laura adds, “They’re both bully mixed breeds, which are often misunderstood…”
Chloe, now ten years old, was slated to be euthanized the day that Laura and her husband rescued her at ten weeks old. Leo, who is four, was found as a small puppy in a completely duct-taped box with some of his siblings who had not survived.
Laura and ORORO
ORORO provides Laura with the warmth she needs to be a responsible pet caretaker by walking her dogs every day, despite the weather. “ORORO helps me feel more motivated to make sure that my dogs are getting walks every single day, regardless of if it’s freezing or we’ve got snow on the ground.”
Laura owes her first piece of ORORO Heated Apparel to her husband who gifted her a black Classic Heated Vest because she was cold all the time. “I am always whining that I am cold. That (ORORO) was a good solution.”Now she owns five ORORO pieces, “But my husband co-opted one of the pieces, so it’s, I guess, not mine anymore”, she laughs. She adds her favorite go-to piece is her navy ORORO Colorblock Recycled Heated Fleece Jacket.
Chloe Steals Laura’s Heated Jacket
Not only does Laura have to contend with a husband co-opting her ORORO apparel, but Chloe is a master thief, as well. Laura explains that when she is warm enough, she’ll take her navy heated fleece jacket off and put it on the arm of her desk chair. She continues, “I am really bad about not turning it off. The other day Chloe knocked the jacket off of the chair and was laying on the jacket. You stole my jacket!,” said Laura to Miss Chloe.
“Dogs are so smart… they know if I am grabbing my heated jacket– which often, especially during the colder months, hangs on a specific hook– if I grab it, they think they’re going (on a walk) and they jump up and down and start running around. That’s even before grabbing their leashes or anything like that. They know something good is happening.”
Leo: The Energetic and Goofy One
Laura and her husband work from home and the dogs are often sitting at their feet. “Leo is our little sunflower,” Laura explains, “because wherever the sun is coming through, whatever window, that’s where he is. He’s just lounging in the sun.”
“Energetic, goofy and full of personality,” is how Laura describes Leo. When asked what he would do if Leo ran our country, Laura replied, “he would make sure everyone has access to a space where they can be outside. He loves the outside and I think he would also make sure that everyone has unlimited access to food. Bully breeds are known for wanting to overeat.”
Chloe: The One With the Gentle Soul
As for Miss Chloe, Laura describes her as “gentle, affectionate and demanding.” When asked if Chloe were a famous person, who would she be, Laura responded, “Someone that’s got a gentle soul, someone that you want to be around and talk to. I feel like she has Drew Barrymore vibes with the fact that she wants to be up close and personal with you.”
Leo and Chloe are Warm Folks
Both Chloe and Leo love other dogs and people, “They just sometimes have a little bit of energy and will love to lick you and feel like you’re part of the pack. A lot of people get afraid of them, or we’ve had people, when we’re walking, walk on the other side of the road because they are nervous just seeing how they look. But they are the sweetest, most cuddly dogs. Both our dogs are afraid of their own shadows more than anything.”
When asked what final words Laura would like to share, she said, “I’m a big advocate for rescuing dogs. That’s something that not everyone gets to witness or see. The biggest part of being able to share their journey is learning how dogs can be in very abusive situations, but they can rise above that and become the best dogs ever.”
Looking Forward
Finally, Laura dreams of the day when ORORO makes heated dog jackets and heated dog beds. Leo and Chloe would line up to be ORORO’s first dog customers!
Stay tuned for more dog parent stories!
