Column: You and your dog will have fun at this ‘let’s go walkies’ event

Bootsie came to Pasadena Humane as a stray after the Eaton fire. She was only 9 months old and found just a few blocks from a neighborhood that had burned down.

Thankfully, she showed no signs of injury and her puppy spirit was fully intact. But no owner ever came forward to identify her. For the next 10 months, she bounced in and out of the shelter.

In October 2025, Bootsie attended a mobile adoption event at Altadena Beverage & Market, just walking distance from her future family’s home.

Like for so many Altadena residents, 2025 looked very different for Mayka, Bill and their young daughter. Thankfully, their home survived the fire, but the family was displaced until it was safe to return.

When they evacuated in January, their senior dog Wendell came with them. He pushed through displacement and held on long enough to return home with the family.

“Wendell was ‘home’ to our daughter as we moved from place to place,” shared Mayka. “When we said good-bye in August, she took it really hard. She told people her ‘brother’ died, doodled about him, and wrote homework assignments about when she could get a new dog.”

The family planned to wait before bringing a new pet home. Their backyard still needed to be remediated, and they agreed: no new dog until after winter.

So when Mayka heard about a Pasadena Humane pop-up adoption event just a few blocks away, she thought it would be a good way to show her daughter how adoption works. They only planned to meet some dogs and learn about which ones needed homes.

She told herself, “Nobody goes home with the first dog they see.”

Bootsie was the first dog her daughter saw.

Her daughter insisted that Mayka text Bill to come meet Bootsie right away. Mayka thought he would stick to their plan, but after meeting Bootsie, he said, “Yeah, that is a really cool dog.”

One week later, Bootsie joined the family.

Six months have passed, and Bootsie has come a long way. At home, she’s loving, expressive and happiest when she’s close to her family.

She often stretches out across them, making sure she’s touching at least one person. This habit earned her the full name “Bootsie Splootington,” because of her white paw boots and her signature sploot.

Bootsie’s early life was full of challenges. The Eaton fire destroyed her neighborhood, and she spent much of her youth in a shelter. It has taken time, training and patience for her to feel at home.

As Mayka puts it, “We’re making up for Bootsie’s lost puppyhood — just trying to give her stability, let her play, and help her feel grounded.”

Bootsie is a true survivor. Just over a year ago, she fled the chaos and destruction of the Eaton fire. Today, she is a loved family pet.

This year, Bootsie will be featured on the 2026 Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run T-shirt, included with event registration. It’s a special way for us to honor her story and the stories of the many animals and families in our community who are still recovering and rebuilding.

Events like the Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run make stories like Bootsie’s possible. They support the care of thousands of animals each year by funding critical programs like our animal ICU, foster care and pet adoption services.

Our 28th annual Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run takes place Sunday, April 19, at Brookside Park at the Rose Bowl. The event features a 5K walk and run course, vendor marketplace, training park, food trucks, and a doggy costume contest.

Learn more and register at wigglewagglewalk.org

 

Chris Ramon is president and CEO of Pasadena Humane.