This Little North Carolina Rescue Dog Is Really The One Doing The Rescuing

This little North Carolina rescue dog is really the one doing the rescuing. Please meet five month old miniature poodle Jellybean. She joined our family last week. And was the gift from God we didn't know we needed.

Were we looking for a second dog? Not really. As many of you know we have a 7 year old Goldendoodle named Winnie. Winnie is and has been the light of our lives. To take a line from the movie "Best In Show", "she's the best dog you ever seen". Winnie even has a role at our radio station, kind of our morning show mascot. Our dog cup was full but then I started seeing social media posts from my friend Jodi. Jodi provides a foster home for Happy Tails Rescue, Inc out of Maiden, North Carolina. Something started tugging at me. Could rescuing a dog, somehow bring some joy and purpose to our home again after the loss of our precious Grandson Aiden. This little North Carolina rescue dog is really the one doing the rescuing.

Let me tell you what I experienced with this rescue organization. For one thing, we have found another  dream dog. This pup was not one of my friend Jodi's foster dogs. We found her on their Facebook page. If you are looking for a wonderful puppy, dog, or even a feline friend check out their website or Facebook page. We saw her picture, put in an application and an inquiry and then waited. But not for long.

In less than a week, this puppy's foster mom Jenn contacted me. It was time for the in home visit. Just a quick one to make sure our home would be a good fit and that she and Winnie would get along. Everyone fell in love.

Happy Tails Rescue, Inc has a mission to save as many dogs as possible from abusive, harmful or neglectful situations. They don't have a brick and mortar shelter but house the homeless dogs in qualified foster homes until they find their forever ones. Not only did we fall in love with our perfect pup, Jellybean. We also made a new forever friend in Jenn. Please check out their website for more information.

Time for you to meet Jellybean. This little girl is already bringing us so much joy and some much needed happy chaos.

What are South Carolina's most dog friendly restaurants? We've got the answer. And listen, I love dogs. I really do. And I'm on board (if your dog can handle it and is happy) for taking dogs to places like breweries. Perhaps even somewhere with an outdoor patio to eat. But I'm a little more hazy on that one. But what I saw this weekend in Blowing Rock, was two different dogs one in a stroller and the other just laying under the table, inside in a restaurant. I'm sorry the line has to be drawn somewhere. Your dog will be ok at home for an hour by themselves. These were not service animals, just dogs that were accompanying their owners to dine inside a sit-down restaurant.

I get it. When my dog was alive I did wish I could take him everywhere. He loved to go to the drive-thru, the bank,  or a pet-friendly store like Petsmart. But I never took him into a general store and certainly never to a restaurant. And in all honesty, he would have been miserable at a restaurant. He hated sitting still in a new place, would have been trying to eat everyone's food, and the heat outside would have bothered him as well. But despite my personal feelings about taking your dog out to eat, numerous people do it. This is what led Yelp to create a list of the most dog-friendly restaurants in America. And three of South Carolina's most dog-friendly restaurants made the list.

Here's how Yelp says the list was curated: "We identified businesses in the restaurants and food categories with a large concentration of reviews mentioning "dog friendly," then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords between June 1, 2020, and June 1, 2023. If a chain appeared on the list more than once, we only included the highest-rated location. When available, all businesses on this list have a passing health score as of June 1, 2023." You can view the full list of 100 restaurants here or keep reading to see South Carolina's Top Dog-Friendly Restaurants.

Location: Folly Beach

This popular breakfast and lunch spot is described as a laid-back beach cafe. On the menu, you'll find huge breakfast burritos, bagel sandwiches, bloody marys, and coffee. Learn more here.

Location: Myrtle Beach

Tidal Creek Brewhouse is your go to spot in Myrtle Beach for specialty craft beer, freshly brewed coffee and Lowcountry food. And with indoor and outdoor spaces, including a dog run it's the perfect place to bring your furry friend. Learn more here.

Location: Myrtle Beach

The Sneaky Beagle describes itself best in this way, a little weird, a lot of fun, and always fresh. And with Beagle in the name you know they are dog friendly! Get more info here.