Over the past year, we’ve interviewed many members of the hospitality industry, and one constant among the interviewees has been a profound love for their pets. We thought it would be great to share this love with our readers. That’s why we recently launched an ongoing feature called “Wag Wednesday” to showcase industry peeps and their pets.
This week, we’re featuring Ryan Martin, Chef/Owner of 180 Degrees @ the DRB, and his dogs Cheddar and Truffle.
Your Name: Ryan Martin
Your Pet’s Name: Cheddar and Truffle
Sex: Male and Female
Age: Both are 2
Breed: Shepherd Shar Pei
How did you come to own your dogs? What drew you to them?
After losing both my dogs within 1 month of each other and grieving for 3 months, I decided that I needed to fill the void they left by rescuing another dog. I found this wonderful organization online called Caring About the Strays (CATS), who we now host adoption events with. When I got to the rescue, the first thing I saw were these 2 adorable and sad faced puppies that just melted my heart. Originally, I was only going to rescue 1 but after witnessing the deep connection they had to each other, I couldn’t bear to separate them so I adopted both of them.
How would you describe your dog’s personality?
Smart, Sweet, Loving, Loyal, Pain in the Ass.
How has owning a pet made your life richer?
Well they provide me with a lot of free fertilizer … No, but in all seriousness the unconditional love of a dog is priceless.
It’s said that dogs reflect their owners and vice versa. How does this apply to you and yours?
Well, we are all smart, sweet, loving, loyal, and a pain in the ass.
Tell us a funny story about you and your dog.
As inseparable and loving as they are, they fight about 2-3 times a day. If I have guests over, they always get scared and think that my dogs are violent, but they’re just playing.
Are you involved in any pet organizations or philanthropies?
We host a bi-monthly pet adoption event with CATS and Heartbeat at your feet, and we look forward to hosting many more.
We follow a lot of dog social media accounts like Doug the Pug and Menswear Dog. Do you? Which are your favorites?
Does Miami Food Pug count? Lol, but actually I don’t follow personal dog social media. However, I do follow organizations like CATS and Heartbeat at Your Feet that raise awareness and money for rescues.