Polu

The one who started it all! Polu means "blue" in Hawaiian. It doesn't make much sense, considering he is a pure bred chocolate lab, but the breeder he came from had a little blue collar on him and called him "blue puppy" so the name kind of stuck. Just in a different way! Polu is 6 years old and is the happiest creature I have ever met. He never fails to make me smile and he is my everyday motivation. Everything I do and am doing is for him! I strive to give him the best life any dog could ask for, and he deserves it! Polu got me into fostering and rescuing because I started taking him to all of the dog friendly places and events I could find, which opened my eyes to how bad the animal overpopulation is on the Big Island of Hawaii. Since Polu came into my life, together we have fostered over 20 puppies, and even more adult dogs! All have been successfully re-homed, except for three of them, which is how the other three monsters came into our life.

 

Zoey

Zoey came to me as a foster, along with her four brothers and sisters. They were only two weeks old, and had no mom. It was my first time ever bottle feeding puppies, and five of them was a lot of work! All of the puppies grew up big and strong and were adopted into loving families, but less than a year later, Zoey was returned to the rescue group for chewing up some furniture. I adopted her right away, and knew that all she needed was a little love and patients. The only thing she's ever chewed up since then, was an entire Costco sized pack of toilet paper!

Zoey is the kind of dog that will lick you to death. She instantly makes you her new best friend. She's taught me not to take life so seriously, and that some of the best days are spent cuddled up in bed watching Netflix. She also helped me discover just how much I love bottle feeding puppies.

 

Mama AKA Norma Jean

Mama came to me as a foster from Hawaii Island Humane society, with a litter of four puppies. She was a skinny, stinky, food aggressive mess. I helped her get cleaned up and gain some weight, and when her puppies were old enough to be adopted,  I took them all back to the Humane Society to find homes. Even though I knew she had a great chance a finding a home, I couldn't stop thinking about her, and picturing the look on her face as she looked back at me as the Animal Control Officer took her back to the kennels. I cried for four days straight before I went back for her. I had every intention of finding her a home, but she had other plans. She was Polu's first best friend, is the best cuddle buddy, and she is my rock in hard times. She's so loving and so extremely sassy, but such a mellow, easygoing, and well behaved dog. Adopting Mama was one of the best decisions I've ever made!

 

Sherman

Sherman was found newborn in a dumpster with his two sisters, at only two days old, and with no mom. I bottle fed them all and nursed them back to health, but I knew from the beginning I wasn't going to be able to let Sherman go anywhere. From the first time I saw him, when he looked like a tiny baby mongoose, he showed me just how difficult and stubborn he was. I had bottle fed many other puppies before Sherman, but he was by far the hardest. He wiggled away when he was being held, was more interested in chewing on the bottle than drinking it, and would scream and cry if the temperature in the room wasn't just right for him. To say he kept me on my toes, would be an understatement! As he got older and his personality started to develop, he was constantly making me laugh. He hates being snuggled, and when I would kiss him he would bite my face. But then he'd make up for it by snuggling up at my feet, and looking up at me with the most loving eyes. Sherman is still quite a handful, and his dad is the one who has been left with the task of walking him and wrangling him, but at night when he squeezes his way in between us in bed, I'm reminded of just how sweet he can be, and exactly how much I love him. He teaches me patients, and that life is all about those little moments.

 Meet the Maker!

 

Rachel

I started making collars and leashes because being a dog walker and mom of four dogs, I wanted to come up with something that not only worked best for us and fit our every need, but was also strong, reliable, colorful and stylish. I love getting to come up with color combinations that fit my personality and stand out, and offering that to everyone else by creating custom orders, and sharing the amazing creations that I have come up with, has been so much fun! I am so grateful that I get to do what I love everyday, and I have all of you, my supporters, my fans, and my followers, to thank for that. You keep me busy, motivated, inspired, and offer constructive criticism which has helped me build my brand. I started 4LittleMonsters in April of 2017, and it has already grown more than I could have anticipated. I'm really looking forward to seeing what else is in store for us! 

Above is a picture of my family and I. Here I'm in my element! I am happiest when my monsters are with me, and I love being outdoors, especially in the forest when its cold and rainy. I'm 25 years old and have lived in Hawaii all of my life. I am a cancer survivor, I had Leukemia when I was four years old, and I consider myself extremely lucky to get to follow my dreams and live a normal life. I think going through something like that has made me even more determined to accomplish my goals. I am planning on taking all 4 Monsters on an adventure of a lifetime soon, and moving our whole little family to the mainland so we can travel, hike, and get to experience some of my favorite kinds of weather! What I love most about this business that I've created for myself is that I will be able to do things like that, and take everything with me. The 4LittleMonstersShop will travel with us as well and moving won't have any effect on your orders! Thank you all for your support and following along with us on this journey! You can check out our blog, or subscribe to our newsletter to get monthly updates on the shop and the Monsters themselves.

The Man Behind the Scenes 

Peter

Another extremely important part of the 4LittleMonstersShop crew! He's the one behind the camera and does all of our photography, videos, and editing. He's also the one who gave me the idea and encouraged me to start this business in the first place! If it wasn't for him, my business may not be where it is today. He is so supportive and encouraging, and is always helping me when I'm stuck. Whether it's a website issue, helping me problem solve in situations where I've run out of bags for treats and have a huge wholesale order due, editing my logo, or even just coming up with new color combinations when I can't think of any. He also helps with all of the set up and breakdown at all of my events, will drive back and forth when I forget important things like my banner, and helps wrangle the monsters when they're allowed to come with us to events. I couldn't have asked for a better partner, in business and in life, or a better dog dad!

 

And Last, but Certainly not Least!

My Nana, AKA Ann

I've been extremely blessed when it comes to family, and they are my biggest fans, and all so supportive. But Nana is there with me at every single event, not only keeping me company, but helping me sell products, decorate, and keep everything organized. Some events have been long, slow, and hot, but she never complains and will always be the first to volunteer to help! She's also been a huge help when it comes to advertising. She shares all of my posts, and tells all of her friends. She'll see someone with a dog and stop them, just to tell them about my products! Events and advertising are so important for my business and getting my products out in the community, so she really plays a huge roll in making that all happen.