Our Chief Smile Officers
Second Life wouldn’t be complete with our own 4-legged employees. Meet our current C.S.O. (Chief Smile Officer) and our first C.S.O who inspired the store and our dream! The job of the CSO is to make our customers smile – and both have done a great job!
Riley, Our Chief Smile Officer (C.S.O.)
On October 17, 2021, our sweet boy crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Our hearts are shattered into a million pieces. Please help us continue his legacy by donating to ESMA, the rescue that rescued him first. Learn more here.
On March 18, 2012 Riley started his journey to a new life in the United States. He has since filled the role of Chief Smile Officer and loves his role of welcoming our 2-legged and 4-legged customers to Second Life. A 5-year old German Shorthair Pointer, his soulful eyes quickly won the hearts of our customers – and bring smiles. It is as if he was born to do this job – but his life wasn’t always easy.
In March 2012, while visiting the ESMA Shelter (Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals) in Cairo, Egypt,
Tanya and Toby noticed that he seemed depressed at the shelter. When we asked the shelter manager, he told us that Riley had been in a home and obviously knew what he was missing. Saved by the amazing people at ESMA from a “pet store” when he was in a critically emancipated state, he is now the living proof of what good love and TLC can do for animals. We brought him home on the plane with us and thus his journey from Cairo to Atlanta began.
He was our foster dog – and we had no intention in keeping him. But Riley seemed to know he was home the moment he jumped on our sofa…and he has been there ever since. Much the same way Lucky did the moment he jumped into our car. Our dogs really do pick us.
Riley is our “gentle soul.” His expressive eyes and wiggle butt make us smile every day and he adds so much joy to our life and our store. He is now a senior with a greying muzzle and is as sweet as can be.
In Loving Memory of Lucky, Our First Chief Smile Officer
On December 22, 2011, our beloved Lucky crossed over the Rainbow Bridge at the age of 16 1/2 years. He has left a huge hole in our hearts and will be forever remembered. Lucky was our inspiration for this store and our dedication to helping homeless pets. As the C.S.O, his job was to bring joy and laughter into our lives, and he was a top performer in his role!
His happy story started in 2001 when we were asked to foster him for several weeks while his guardian angel started her own rescue group. He had already been adopted and returned twice and his original rescue group deemed him “unadoptable.”
From the moment he jumped in our car, he had our hearts wrapped around his paws. We knew after a few
days he was ours but it took us 2 months to officially add him to our family. While we wish he hadn’t had such a rough start in life, we are so thankful he made his way to our home so we could spoil him in a life of luxury.
We can’t imagine what our lives would have been like had he not become a part of ours. We have found that rescued dogs are so appreciative of their new lives and it is such a rewarding experience to know you have saved a life.
He got us involved in animal rescue. He was an older alpha male who needed to be an only dog and was days away from being put down. He had been returned twice and the rescue no longer wanted him – he was deemed unadoptable. Lucky was our 2nd foster dog and he wasn’t supposed to stay…but we were in love from day 1. We took him to one adoption event and that was it. He was home.
Lucky changed our lives in so many ways. He encouraged us to volunteer for rescue groups. He made us realize how much help they needed to save lives. How much education was needed to promote adoption. He gave me the strength to follow my passion to help animals. We hope that our happy story will inspire others to foster and to adopt a lifelong family member – and create their own magical happy ending.
Lucky represents why we do what we do. Animals change our lives…just like we change theirs. We want to keep making dreams come true in Lucky’s honor. This is his legacy. Not bad for an unwanted dog deemed “unadoptable.” Lucky’s Legacy lives on in Second Life.