Wednesday, July 6, 2016

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Meghan Cook, along with husband Chris, owns and operates my all-time favorite home fragrance brand, Sydney Hale Co.. If you haven’t had the pleasure of burning one of her handmade candles in your home, do yourself a favor and order one right this minute. Seriously. We’ll wait. (I recommend “Cedarwood + Vanilla“.)

Aside from the incredible products themselves, Meghan and Sydney Hale Co. are passionate about animal welfare and rescue, donating 10% of profits to dog rescues across the U.S.. In fact, you can see the dogs sponsored by Sydney Hale Co. each month on Instagram as well as SydneyHaleCo.com.

Of course, what would a “small batch” business be without a few shop dogs? Let’s meet the pups who’ve inspired Meghan and help keep the studio running: Owen and Georgia!

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Names? Owen and Georgia

Nicknames? There are many! We love the evolution of nicknames. To pick a few… Owen: Boo, Little Man and Peanut. Georgia: Cheeky Monkey, Lady Bird, Lady

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Ages? Owen is 11 and Georgia is 6.

Breeds? Owen is a Yorkie and Georgia is a Sato (Puerto Rican street dog). 

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

What’s “The Scoop”? Owen was Chris and I’s first baby. I fell in love with a little Yorkie named Owen while I was in Atlanta visiting my brother and declared then and there that I would rescue a Yorkie and adorn him with the same adorable name. We found a Yorkie rescue in PA called Rescue Me Yorkie and put our application in to adopt from them. Owen was 4 ½ when we got him and we were told he was surrendered by his owner, a single female, because she left him home alone for really long hours due to her full time job and grad school classes. Although the hours he spent alone drastically improved after we adopted him, Chris and I both worked outside of the home and I would tell Owen everyday before I left that I was going to work hard to make Sydney Hale Co. successful so that he could be my business partner and work by my side everyday. In 2012 the dream became a reality! He is our right hand Little Man.

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Sweet Georgia was born on the streets of Puerto Rico and was fostered there for quite a while through the organization Save A Sato. The organization works with rescues in the US and we were able to adopt her through our local organization the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation. We met her at an adoption event where she was batting her beautiful eye lashes. As we were leaving that event with our new baby girl, we were handed an envelope with a letter from her foster in Puerto Rico. It was written in the voice of Georgia, telling us a little about her story and her personality. We learned she was following around a homeless man as a little puppy before her foster Mom met the two of them and convinced the man to let Georgia come live with her. She did and took amazing care of her until her flight to the US. She left her email in the letter so we were able to contact her and send her updates on the dog she had grown to love so much. It was a really emotional thing to be connected to Georgia’s foster. I have so much respect for the entire rescue community.

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Favorite Toys? Owen’s not really a toy kind of guy. His moments are rare and fleeting and I’ll stop everything I’m doing to take pleasure in witnessing those cute moments. Georgia loves stuffed animals of any size and shape. There is a particular toy that she keeps in the bedroom that was a Christmas present from my sister-in-law. It’s a reindeer that barks “we wish you a merry christmas’ and we wake to that jingle most days of the year.

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Favorite Food? Owen was diagnosed with pancreatitis this past Fall and was prescribed Hill’s Prescription ID. It basically saved his life and he thinks it is the best stuff on earth. Georgia eats The Honest Kitchen- Zeal.

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Favorite place to sleep? In our studio, Owen sleeps on his custom dog bed handmade for him by my friend Liz and Georgia sleeps by his side on a faux sheep skin I found on Etsy. At night, Owen sleeps in our bed- he would have it no other way. Georgia sleeps in a little bed on the floor next to me but jumps up every morning about 5:30 to enjoy the last bit of sleep with us.

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Pet Peeves? Owen doesn’t like it when I’m late for work (making him late for work). He’ll sit in front of the studio door and stare a hole through me until I grab my coffee and open it for him. Also, kids LOVE him because of his size, but he doesn’t share the same enthusiasm. Georgia, doesn’t like being moved- its actually hilarious to slide her bed over a couple of feet because she makes a cute little groan to show her annoyance.

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Best Trick? Their best trick is exuding excitement and mania upon our arrival home that only John, Paul, Ringo and George would understand. Wait, that may be every dog’s trick. What a gift they are to our psyche.

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Gear? We’re fans of Found My Animal products and the company’s mission of encouraging rescue over purchase — a mission we share at Sydney Hale Co. We also discovered a great dog shampoo called Dr. McGrath’s that we love. And it’s undeniable — Owen and Georgia LOVE a Greenie.

If your dogs were another animal what animal would that be? Owen would be ‘Stewie’ from The Family Guy and Georgia would be a Monkey with a British accent cuz she’s ‘cheeky’.

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Let’s pretend for a minute that Owen and Georgia each have their own signature Sydney Hale Co. scents! What are they and how would you describe them? Haha — I don’t think they would grace the top seller list! Owen’s signature would be “Roasted Peanut + Cicada” and Georgia’s would be the single note “Carrot”.

The Scoop: Meghan Cook, Owen and Georgia

Thanks Meghan, Owen, and Georgia!


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