MARIA G. CICCARELLI

Owner and founder of Four Happy Paws LA

Growing up in an Italian family I've always been surrounded by animals on my grandpa's farm. My grandpa had chickens, pigs, cows, cats, dogs, turtles, donkeys, horses, and many other animals. I loved them all. I just felt so happy around them, and I could ride on his huge mule whenever I wanted. I always thought it was a horse! Hahaha! So at the age of 20 I started taking horseback riding lessons and spent a lot of time learning how to care for these beautiful animals. After I moved to Los Angeles, I still had never had my own pet but as soon as Maku, my first dog, walked into my life, I knew my life was forever changed. I started fostering dogs for a non-profit in 2011, and I helped many rescues find their forever home. This feeling was so gratifying. After I got married to my wonderful husband, we continued fostering dogs together but it wasn't long before our second rescue, Christopher, walked into our lives and got stuck with us. We decided to turn this passion into a business in 2017 because we believe all dogs deserve to be treated with respect and compassion. Today we are a small group of dedicated dog-lovers who truly appreciate every opportunity we get to spend time with our best buddies exploring the neighborhoods or climbing the many canyons around LA.