Help Juliet raise money

FUR THE LOVE OF POP ❤︎

I'm running to help rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals in need.

Hi friends + family + fellow animal lovers! First off, let me start by saying THANK YOU in advance for supporting me!

A little backstory on how we got here... I started working at DSG in 2021, and made a promise to myself that for every year I stayed at the company, I would participate in one of the Pittsburgh Marathon events. A lofty goal, considering I was never a runner. Growing up, I HATED running and wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. I actually cried running the pacer test in middle school gym class.

But in May 2022, I ran the Pittsburgh 5K for the first time. I would love to say I fell in love with running that day, but I'll be honest — I still think running kinda sucks when you're actually doing it! But what I DID fall in love with was how running made me feel. It made me feel healthy and strong. It made me feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. And above all else, the vibes of race day? They made me feel so unbelievably giddy and excited and HAPPY.

I ran the 5K again in 2023. Then I started signing up for more races - America's Mile, Great Race, Turkey Trot, EQT... I followed a bunch of runners on social media, and I would get totally emotional watching marathon content. Eventually, my delulu brain took over and I said, "I could run a half marathon!"

And in 2024, I did. Then I did it again in 2025, this time in my college town with one of my closest friends. And in May, I'll be running lucky #3 back home in Pittsburgh.

If you've read this far - wow, thanks! I promise if you stick with me, there will be some cutie animal pics as a reward.

Which brings me to the real reason I'm here. This year, since it's my 3rd half marathon, I decided to run for a reason. And when it came to picking a charity to support, the decision was a no-brainer.

I grew up a dog person. I never had a cat, never wanted a cat. But when I started dating my boyfriend, I met his cat — a sweet, shy rescue cat named Penny — and I got suckered in to the world of cat ownership.

I lived alone in my townhouse at the time, and I knew I wanted a pet. I'm not home enough to take care of a dog, so I started looking into rescuing a cat. Enter Animal Friends, and the P-Cats.

Animal Friends did a mass rescue of cats in November 2023. I don't know much about the situation, but I know there were about 60 cats living under one roof. All of the ones they brought into the shelter were given names that started with the letter P. By the time summer rolled around, there was only one left from the group. One extremely spicy dilute calico named Popcorn.

I, being the crazy person that I am, took one look at her and said, "That's my cat." I stalked her on the Animal Friends website for MONTHS. Every time I checked, she was still there, and I was certain it was because she was waiting for me. I finally adopted her in August of 2024.

But it was not love at first sight. If Popcorn was thankful to me for rescuing her, she certainly did not show it. When I met her at the shelter, she was being very sweet, pushing her head into my hand, asking for pets. The second I got her home? DEMON CAT. SPAWN OF SATAN. She would hiss and growl and swat at me. With the noises she made, you'd think she was possessed.

She hid behind my TV for roughly four months, before I blocked it off and forced her to find a new spot. I bribed her with many, many tuna treats. But with time and a s**t-ton of patience (like, more patience than I ever knew I had in my body), she eventually came around.

Today, my little Poppin (see also: Bubbin, Binky, Binky-pop, and all of the other nicknames I've given her) is absolutely thriving. She lives quite the lazy, luxurious life and is, to my surprise, becoming quite the velcro cat. She's also very talkative and has the squeakiest meow I've ever heard.

All this to say, I can't imagine my life without her. So of course, I'm running to raise money for the organization that brought her into my life. 

Animal Friends mission is "To rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals in crisis, ensure healthy pets through education, advocacy and affordable services, and inspire a community where the animal-human bond is celebrated and nurtured."

The work they do is so incredibly important —from rescuing animals and connecting them with loving homes, to providing affordable and accessible pet care via their clinic. I am so thankful that this organization exists, and that I am able to give back to them!

So, if you are able, please consider donating — any amount helps! This is truly my way of saying THANK YOU ANIMAL FRIENDS for giving my Popcorn (and all the other animals in their care!) a new lease on life.

Now, what you really came here for: cat pics. :)

"Okay...I guess Mom isn't so bad after all."