Chae's Critters

09/06/2026

Rehabilitation update: the little ones are active, healthy, and checking out their bigger pen. Education and care make all the difference.

09/04/2026

Nothing beats a pool day when it is hot outside! Look at these little trash pandas having the best time splashing around. Who else wishes they were in this pool right now?

09/02/2026

Breakfast time is serious business for this raccoon. Tell us your favorite morning meal in the comments!

09/01/2026

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

I don’t even really know how to put into words what Dolly Parton has meant to me throughout my life, or how deeply I’m mourning this loss.

If you know me, you know Dolly has never just been someone whose music I listened to. She has been woven into my life and my family. My daughter’s name comes from a Dolly song. Every single one of my dogs has had some connection to Dolly. Her music, her words, her heart, her humor and the way she loved people and animals have followed me through so many chapters of my life.

There are certain people you know you’ve never actually known, but somehow they still feel like a piece of home. Dolly was that for me.

She represented kindness without weakness, faith without judgment, and loving the ones who were different, overlooked or needed someone in their corner. I think that’s part of why I connected with her so deeply—and why her spirit has found its way into so much of what I love and what I do.

This one hurts.

Thank you, Dolly, for the songs, the laughter, the sparkle, the stories and a lifetime of reminding us that having a soft heart is something to be proud of.

There will always be a little bit of Dolly in my home, in the names I chose, in the animals I love, and in me.

Rest easy, Dolly. 🤍