Episode 78
Celebrating “Milton Makes a Move”: Jonathan Graziano on Noodle’s Legacy & the Bravery Behind Rescue Love
When a pet changes your life, their impact never really leaves—and few stories embody that truth more than Jonathan Graziano’s. In this heartfelt conversation, Jonathan opens up about life after the loss of his beloved pug Noodle, the viral “Bones or No Bones” phenomenon, and the vulnerable, deeply human process of welcoming a new rescue dog into your world.
Jonathan shares how Milton—an anxious, gentle pug with a tiny suitcase and a huge heart—helped him rediscover joy, routine, and connection. We explore the bravery required on both sides of adoption, the quirks and mysteries of adult rescue pets, and the healing that comes from opening your home again after profound grief.
This episode celebrates the release of Jonathan’s brand‑new children’s book, Milton Makes a Move, a tender story about courage, change, and finding comfort in new beginnings. Perfect for families, rescue advocates, and anyone who’s ever loved—and lost—a pet who shaped their world.
TikTok: @jonathangraziano
Instagram: @jongraz
About Animal Posse 🐈
Welcome to Animal Posse! We share heartwarming stories and crucial insights to make a real difference for animals in need. As a project of the Unwanted Feline Organization, we are a community of animal lovers dedicated to rescue, advocacy, and education. This podcast does not provide medical, veterinary, or professional advice.
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📌 Disclaimer
This show is for entertainment and general discussion only. The experiences, opinions, and information shared by our guests are their own, do not reflect the position of the show and are not intended as veterinary advice. This content should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment, or guidance. Always consult a licensed veterinarian regarding your pet’s health or any medical concerns.
Transcript
Hey, everyone.
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:Welcome back to "Animal Posse."
3
:If you've spent even five minutes
on the internet over the last few
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:years, you already know today's guest.
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:He's a content creator, a number
one "New York Times" bestselling
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:author, and the human half of a
viral phenomenon that literally
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:dictated the daily collective mood of
millions of people around the world.
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:I am talking about Jonathan Graziano,
the brilliant mind behind the legendary
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:Bones or No Bones videos starring
his deeply missed iconic pug, Noodle.
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:When Noodle passed away, he
left behind a massive legacy of
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:joy, comfort, and connection.
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:But as any animal lover knows,
the story doesn't end with loss.
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:Today, Jonathan is continuing to
honor Noodle's memory while navigating
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:life, with his rescue pug, Milton
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:Hi, Jonathan.
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:How are you?
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:Jonathan: Hi.
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:Dixie: How are
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:Jonathan: you?
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:I'm doing so well.
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:How are you?
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:Dixie: I am great.
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:Thank you so much for coming on the show.
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:I'm excited to speak with you today.
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:Jonathan: Of course.
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:I'm so grateful to be here.
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:Thank you.
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:Dixie: Before we get rolling, I
was thinking about the scope of
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:your journey, and honestly- Okay
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:today I really would like to talk
about how pets fundamentally shape
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:who we are, Sure … what it's really
like to open your heart to a new
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:animal after a profound loss- .., And
how those experiences inspired your
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:new book, "Milton Makes a Move."
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:I'm looking forward to exploring
the lessons our animals teach us and
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:the stories that stay with us long
after they've changed our lives.
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:Jonathan: Sounds great to me.
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:Dixie: to start, I would like to focus
on the word routine 'cause I know-
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:Okay … there's millions of us, and
you and Noodle were our daily routine.
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:Before it belonged to the internet
and it was just the two of you,
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:what did that mean to you in the
early days of bringing Noodle home?
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:Jonathan: It was so
necessary in retrospect.
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:It feels like I just jumped off a deep end
when I adopted Noodle because I was 26.
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:I was living in New York City.
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:I had a job where I could bring a dog to
work with me, and I was ready to, I was
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:ready to have this kind of companionship.
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:I knew I loved dogs.
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:I always grew…
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:up with a dog.
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:I always loved dogs.
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:What I didn't know is how important and
necessary it was for me to have something
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:else that I had to care about before me.
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:I can be so naturally selfish
and indulgent of my time, and
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:I'm very precious of my time.
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:And then, and I'm such a creature
of habit I like my routine.
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:I like getting comfortable.
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:And Noodle broke out of all of that.
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:He got me out of my comfort zone.
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:I had to prioritize him over
myself, and that helped me build
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:a much healthier relationship
with myself and with my own time.
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:But I got to do it by getting to take
care of this incredibly special little dog
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:Dixie: When Noodle first came
into your life, how did you
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:come about finding Noodle?
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:Jonathan: Okay, this is
actually quite a fun story.
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:So I was working at a company
called Barkbox at the time, which
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:you might be very familiar with.
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:They did a comedy show.
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:So once a month, they did something
called an Open Bark night.
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:It was an absolute blast.
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:It was a f- a fever dream of a time.
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:It was a comedy night where people would
come, and they could bring their dogs.
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:So it was in this beautiful office in
Chinatown in New York City, and we'd get
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:a room full of people with their dogs to
watch a comedy show, where we'd have four
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:or five comics, and there'd be wine and
pizza, and we'd all go, and we'd do sets.
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:And usually, we'd talk about dogs.
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:You didn't have to, but it was,
pretty much what everyone did.
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:And the very first one that
I did, the very first one of
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:these that I did a comedy set.
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:I did a 10-minute little
s- I do some stand-up.
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:I did a set about how I
had just met Doug the Pug.
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:I had just met Doug the Pug the
week prior, and this was, like,
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:2015, 2016, the BuzzFeed era.
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:Early Doug the Pug, and it was so
amazing, and I did this whole bit
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:about the experience and the wild
way that I went about meeting him.
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:And there was a woman at the show.
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:She had just came to the show,
and she was fostering Noodle.
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:And she came up to me afterwards,
and she just had a picture
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:of him, and he was this…
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:Oh, my God, he was so
big when I adopted him.
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:He was, like, 30 pounds.
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:This big pug sitting on the front
se- it was one of those things
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:where it was so cute, but it was
like, "Oh, this is so wrong."
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:He was sitting on the front seat of a car
on an IKEA shopping bag, and he just had
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:this expression on his face, and I just…
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:I absolutely fell in love with this dog.
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:And she just told me he needed a home, and
that was really the only details I got.
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:I never met him.
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:We never did a meet and greet or anything.
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:She showed up.
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:I said yes, and she drove to my
apartment that weekend, and I got Noodle.
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:Dixie: Wow, that's a great story.
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:That really is.
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:Jonathan: It's a wild story.
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:Dixie: Yeah, and then the, just, the
seeing him and just knowing that he
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:was meant for you, that's amazing.
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:Jonathan: My God.
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:I did.
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:I…
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:it's very much…
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:I always try I try and shy a little more
away from the expression, but I really
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:do believe very much like the wand
chooses the wizard and that kind of way,
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:where it's, there's so many dogs out
there, and every dog is the perfect dog.
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:Do you know what I mean?
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:Like- … every dog I've met, I'm like,
"Oh, my gosh, she's a perfect dog."
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:So when a dog like Noodle so out
of the blue just fell into my lap
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:and I was just given the option,
"Do you wanna take this dog home?"
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:Without, looking for him, it just
came to me, and it was one of those
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:instances where I was like, "I
don't know if I'm ready for this,
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:but I think I have to do this.
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:This is something I think I must do."
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:And I had help, and it was the,
you know- One of the scariest,
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:but the best thing I ever did.
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:It was a sca- one of the scariest
things I ever did, but it's one
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:of the best things I ever did.
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:Dixie: I know pugs are known
for their massive personalities.
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:So tell us the difference between
Noodle and then now Milton.
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:Jonathan: Oh my gosh.
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:Oh my gosh, it's night and day.
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:I like to think-- People always,
anyone who comes over says that
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:Milton is my reward for Noodle.
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:Anyone who comes over, people
tell me Milton is my reward
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:for Noodle because what…
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:we got to show this a little bit
towards the end, but Noodle had a big
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:personality, and I got to show that when
he got much older and we stopped doing
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:the bones and no bones as much, mostly
because he started a daily prednisone
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:and it was a bones day all the time.
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:He was very vocal.
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:Noodle was very vocal.
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:He liked to know where I was at all times.
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:If the doorbell rang, he was such a dog,
where if a delivery guy came by, he'd
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:chase after him, he'd bark after him.
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:If we were at the office and one
of the maintenance guys came by
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:and Noodle had a problem with
him, he'd chase after him barking.
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:He was this, this little toothless pug.
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:He wasn't ever much of a
threat, but He was so bossy and
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:That's what we loved about him.
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:Every dog is so special, and
he was a riot at this office.
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:He was a riot.
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:It would be perfectly silent,
everyone would be working, and
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:then someone would stand up and it
would disturb Noodle, and he would
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:squawk and everyone would crack up.
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:He was a king.
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:He was an absolute king, and
he ruled with an iron fist.
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:So when he got famous on social media,
very few people I knew were surprised.
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:They were like, "Yeah, I've never
met a dog like Noodle before.
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:It's, he really is a one of one."
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:And then Milton Milton's
such a sweetheart.
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:He's so quiet.
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:They were both such wonderful
companions in such different ways.
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:Noodle was my ride or die in
the way that his big personality
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:matched my big personality.
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:So I always had to keep up
with Noodle and what he wanted.
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:And,, as he got older I did this
really fun series where it was…
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:he knew at nine o'clock every
single morning he would get a
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:cheese ball with a gabapentin in it.
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:It was his daily pill that he would get,
and he knew if it was nine o'clock and he
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:did not get that pill, he started to bark.
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:And I started filming that for
people 'cause it was just, again,
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:it was another really funny thing.
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:I know I'm a little all over the place.
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:Forgive me.
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:I'm reminiscing.
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:But I'll never forget when Noodle
first really took off on social media.
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:It was just, I really just
shared this dog doing his bones
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:or no bones in the morning.
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:I didn't show him in all of his
grandeur and the way that he
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:had this big, huge personality.
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:And all-- We got all those comments where
people kept commenting and being like, "Oh
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:my gosh, he's so sweet and he's so quiet.
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:I wonder what his bark even
sounds like if he has one."
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:And my friend Chris took a
screenshot and sent it to me.
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:He texted me and he just went,
"When are you gonna tell them?"
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:It's like, "When are you gonna tell
them that this dog is huge personality?"
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:And everyone loved that about him.
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:And Milton is just chill as can be.
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:It's-- We'll go to events where there'll
be little kids and, with Noodle having
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:passed, these kids will be really small,
and I'll go and I'll read the Noodle books
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:to them, but I'll have Milton with me.
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:And sometimes they'll ask,
they'll be like, "Is that Noodle?"
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:And I'll look at the teachers, and
they'll just kinda either nod or shake
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:their head, and if they nod their
head, I'll be like, "Yep, this is him.
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:Sure is."
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:And we're slowly salvaging, we're really
rebuilding his reputation in public.
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:Dixie: Would you consider
him your soul dog?
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:Jonathan: And gosh, I'm gonna be
honest with you, I don't really know.
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:I don't know, and.
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:. I really do believe that
some people find that.
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:These relationships that I've had with
both of these dogs have been so unique.
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:I hesitate to use the term soul dog
because I don't wanna weigh one of my
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:pets' relationships over the other in
the way that Noodle was so special,
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:and I had him for so much longer than
I've had Milton and Noodle changed
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:my life a hundred different ways.
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:But anyone who's, works in animal
rescue or who has lost a pet before
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:and has found another one, I think a
lot of times a lot of them also realize
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:that bond can be just as special.
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:It's just very different.
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:It's, I will never have a dog like Noodle.
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:I will never, ever have another dog like
Noodle because he really was one of one.
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:But Milton's really s- he's much
more like what you expect from a
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:pug in a lot of ways, but I'll never
have another dog like Milton either.
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:His little oddities, the little things
that these dogs do that set them apart
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:from each other, it's hard to subscribe
specifically to the f- to the term soul
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:dog, and not to put too much thought
into it, but I have thought about this
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:a lot 'cause I got that comment a lot.
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:I saw people comment that all the time.
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:And Noodle was such an incredibly
special dog and I've got his
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:paw print tattooed on me.
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:I see it every day.
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:I think about him every day.
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:I-- He's on my mantle.
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:I hope that I have so much time
with Milton still that I get
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:to form a similar kind of bond.
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:Dixie: I understand that, definitely.
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:And I, I- Yeah … get the whole
one-of-a-kind thing too because, I mean-
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:Yeah … I of course I've had that except
instead of a dog, mine was with a cat.
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:Jonathan: Yeah.
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:Dixie: How did you know when it was
ready to move on and get Milton?
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:Jonathan: Another one of
those leap of, leaps of faith.
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:But one thing that I did that
really helped me was I fostered.
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:After Noodle passed, I took a little
break, and then I knew-- It's that weird
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:feeling of I wanted to take care of a dog.
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:'Cause that doesn't go away.
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:There's a couple weeks after an
event like that where you're grateful
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:to have some time to yourself, but
that feeling that you wanna take
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:care of a dog doesn't go away.
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:The frustrating part is there's just a
very specific dog you wanna take care of.
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:You just can't do that anymore.
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:So fostering was a way that I was
able to scratch that itch of taking
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:care of a dog, and it was a win…
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:I always like finding situations
that are sorta win, wins,
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:Dixie: where
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:Jonathan: I knew I had this big
social platform and I could help
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:these dogs find great homes.
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:I could help amplify some of the messages
of these rescues and of these, adoption
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:agencies, whatever they might be, and
I would get a dog to care for again.
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:I would get to figure out this little
pet and see what I was ready for.
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:So that's really what let me know that
I was ready, is I fostered dogs and I
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:loved every single one of them and it
really is hard to let them go and to,
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:have them go off to their other homes.
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:But I knew I was ready when I
got these other dogs and I was
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:heartbroken when they left.
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:That's when I knew I was ready.
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:And Milton was my fifth foster.
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:Milton was my fifth foster dog,
and he just fit so perfectly in
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:my lifestyle, and he was the most
nervous out of all my fosters.
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:All my other fosters really were fine.
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:They showed up and they
were like, "Awesome.
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:This looks like a great place.
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:I can get comfortable here."
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:Milton was really nervous and really
anxious, so he was my foster that I really
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:watched come out of his shell with me.
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:And he started to sleep
in Noodle's little spot.
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:Our second book is called Noodle
Conquers Comfy Mountain 'cause
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:Noodle liked to sleep on the back
of the couch, and we called that
264
:Comfy Mountain with a big indent.
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:And that's where Milton started to sleep.
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:I just turned the corner one day
and he was there, and I saw a pug
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:in Noodle's spot again, and I just
had a very weird, very special
268
:moment of just "Oh my gosh, this…
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:I miss this so much."
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:And I just knew he, he just fit
so well with my lifestyle and my
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:activity level, and I just knew.
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:But there's also never a time where
you're like, "Awesome, 100%, I'm ready."
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:It's a leap every time.
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:It's a leap.
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:Dixie: Absolutely, and I love this,
hearing the story about you fostering
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:him, too, knowing that he was such a
nervous and anxious dog because a- Yeah
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:a lot of the times people
wanna overlook pets like that.
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:They don't wanna- … give them a
chance, and they can really turn
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:around in the right environment
and be the most wonderful pet ever.
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:Jonathan: Oh my gosh, to watch - your
pet or your foster, whomever, come
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:out of their shell, to watch them stop
being scared, like to know, to have
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:that knowledge of knowing that they're
safe even if they don't know it yet, to
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:just know that every single hour that
goes by, they're gonna feel a little
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:more familiar and they're gonna get a
little more comfortable and, "Oh, he's
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:letting me pick him up right now."
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:Never had any trouble eating.
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:That was never a problem for him.
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:But , "Oh, he looks like , he
wants to get on the couch with me."
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:Like he's sitting-- I remember I
was taking-- Noodle never did this.
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:Noodle absolutely never did this.
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:He had no, you know-- if I
came to him, I came to Noodle.
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:He squawked and I found him.
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:But I got in the shower, I was in the
shower and I opened the door to get out
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:and I didn't see him, but he was sitting
right next to the shower, little-- it was
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:a little one of those doors, door shower.
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:And he was sitting right there
and I couldn't get the door open.
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:I couldn't figure out why.
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:And Milton had just wedged
himself right out next to that.
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:And he just, one day he just started
sitting out of the shower 'cause
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:he wanted to know where I was.
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:And it was just like the most
special moment of just feeling, "Oh
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:my gosh, this dog whose life is a
bit of a mystery to me, but I know
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:he got out of a bad situation, is
starting to feel comfortable again."
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:And there's-- few things I can
think of that are more fulfilling,
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:especially after a significant pet loss.
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:Few things are more fulfilling than
getting to have those feelings again,
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:to be reminded that you can have those
feelings again about another pet, about
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:wanting to take care of a pet and being
excited about them having a, a good life.
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:Dixie: Noodle and Milton
both came to you as adults.
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:So-
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:Jonathan: Yes
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:… Dixie: do you think you missed
out on that puppy phase?
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:Jonathan: Oh, for sure.
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:I for sure did.
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:And my two fosters that I actually
had, the very first fosters
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:that I had were two puppies.
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:I had two pug puppies.
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:Oh, Macaroni and Rigatoni.
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:Oh my gosh, they were so sweet.
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:I got Macaroni a boat, though.
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:We got so many applications for
them, and they are both living
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:with the most incredible families.
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:That's the other thing about fostering,
like it's just the most amazing thing.
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:Macaroni and Rigatoni are so lucky.
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:All of my fosters are.
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:I did think Milton was a little
younger than he turned out to be,
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:but he's the most special man, and I
wouldn't, change anything about him.
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:First of all, there's something very
satisfying about, for me, about taking
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:in a pet that I know is, quote unquote,
"less desirable" than others, 'cause
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:I understand that people wanna have as
much time as possible with these little
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:pets, and I totally understand that.
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:But just, knowing what I do know
about rescues and fostering and how
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:necessary that is it made adopting and
knowing I wanted to adopt a lot easier.
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:And as far as them just being adults,
like- it would be so nice to obviously
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:have more time with him and knowing
that I could have him as a little puppy
336
:and knowing that I could, have him
be so super familiar with my family
337
:and my friends for his whole life.
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:I would absolutely love that.
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:And this is what I think
helped to get Noodle.
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:I think this is something that
people really liked about Noodle
341
:or at least really liked about
my relationship with Noodle and
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:still my relationship with Milton.
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:It's so funny to, to not know the
history of these dogs and then-- or
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:these cats or your pets, whomever,
and then to know their behaviors
345
:and just think "What led to this?"
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:Like Noodle, that's what made Noodle
so funny is he had this incredibly
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:loud, bossy, perfect, silly personality
and our joke was our-- everyone-- our
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:running joke with all of our friends
and even online was that Noodle was
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:like-- was-- went to war in the '70s.
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:Like we had this whole running joke that
Noodle was this 800-year-old Lovecraftian
351
:entity that was just trapped in a pug
body, and he had this long-winded history.
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:In the new book, there's this really funny
section where Milton to address the Noodle
353
:situation, there's this, there's a page
where Milton looks at a Noodle wall where
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:it shows his past adventures and it shows
him like jumping out of an airplane and
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:being chased by a dinosaur and stuff like
that, and it was so fun to get to make up
356
:these adventures that Noodle had 'cause
we had no proof that they didn't happen.
357
:It was a fantasy, but we got to play
that up and I think that's so fun
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:about rescues and getting older dogs.
359
:The same with Milton is I just have this
old dog now who's very particular about
360
:specific things, and it is just such a
hoot to meet a dog who's already very
361
:set in their ways and be you're adopting
a dog that's already pre-programmed.
362
:And Noodle showed up day one and went,
"Oh, I know what a couch is, I know what
363
:a bed is, and I know what a fridge is.
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:I'm gonna be just fine here."
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:In day one, he slept in the bed
because he refused to otherwise.
366
:Not because I thought I wasn't supposed
to put him in the bed right away.
367
:I thought he was supposed
to decompress in a crate.
368
:This dog had other ideas, and there
was something so funny about that.
369
:Dixie: Yeah.
370
:That…
371
:it's great.
372
:And I love to hear, too, that you're an
advocate for adopting the adult animals
373
:because a lot of people overlook them
all the time for the puppies and- Yeah
374
:… the kittens and I'm a cat rescuer.
375
:Yeah.
376
:I specialize in doing bottle babies.
377
:Kittens are cute- … I'm not gonna lie,
but I really think kittens are overrated.
378
:They're so
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:Jonathan: much work.
380
:Dixie: They are.
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:Jonathan: They're so much work.
382
:Dixie: They
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:Jonathan: are.
384
:Oh my gosh, I loved those puppies.
385
:Don't get me wrong, I loved those
puppies, and I had one of those
386
:pee-proof pads that I put over my carpet.
387
:I had to roll that carpet up, burn it,
bury it, and salt the ground around it.
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:It was so soiled after those puppies.
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:Yeah.
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:It was…
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:There's chaos.
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:Yeah, they're so messy.
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:There's chaos the messes, and it's
a, it's a joy 'cause they're little
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:puppies and they're adorable.
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:But the nibbling, oh my gosh, the
wounds that I still have from those
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:little razor little shark teeth.
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:Oh, sweet little dogs.
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:I love them.
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:But there are so many dogs that
have already lived a little life
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:or they've lived a lot of life and
they just need a soft place to land.
401
:And, I also recognize that I'm in a very
unique situation having the platform
402
:that I do because I am able, and I,
and aside from that, I have a full-time
403
:job, so I know I'm able to take care
of medical, bills if they come up, and
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:I know that's a big concern is with
older dogs, is knowing there's possibly
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:gonna be more expensive vet bills.
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:But again, I've just found that if
you get insurance and you prepare the
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:right way it really is such a special
thing to take in an older animal.
408
:I actually adopted two cats as well.
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:I have…
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:I don't know where they came from.
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:You know how it is with cats.
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:I had one and then before I
knew it, there was a second.
413
:But , it's the same thing, where
Nutmeg was from the street.
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:She was just a little street kitty and
I walked into the Verona Street Animal
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:Shelter and I saw this s- thin, little
dirty little cat and she came and she sat
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:on my lap and she just went to sleep and
I said, "All right, she's gonna never know
417
:discomfort a day in her life ever again."
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:And she's currently out on her
catio which I will never get her
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:out of and it's a joy to know that
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:Dixie: Yeah, definitely.
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:Definitely.
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:And it's like you said too, you
don't know what their past was,
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:and they have all these little
quirks that are just so enjoyable.
424
:Jonathan: Yeah.
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:You get to learn about them in a way that
is especially if they're decompressing or
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:they came from a really, whatever their
environment was, it's so fun to sort
427
:of-- They introduce themselves to you.
428
:Whereas with a puppy, you very much grow
with them and you train them and you help
429
:shape them and they get into habits early.
430
:This, the, this is really fun 'cause
you are just, you're met with whatever
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:their personality is and whatever you
get, however they show up is what you
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:get, and there's just, there is something
so uniquely, it's redundant to say, but
433
:uniquely special about that relationship.
434
:Dixie: Yeah, and that actually
kinda leads perfectly into your
435
:new children's book, Milton Makes a
Move, 'cause in the book- … we see
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:Milton's packing up his tiny suitcase.
437
:He's feeling anxious
about- His sweet little
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:Jonathan: suitcase.
439
:Oh my God, his sweet little suitcase.
440
:Dixie: But he's feeling anxious about
going to his forever home, and then- Yeah
441
:he discovers that you are his new
human, and you're nervous, too, right?
442
:Jonathan: Yeah.
443
:Yeah.
444
:And I I always try and pick, whenever
I write these books, I always try
445
:and pick a theme that both, I think,
that I relate to and that I also
446
:think is something pretty root,
fundamental to a child's development.
447
:What is a feeling that you have as a child
and an adult, but maybe you don't have
448
:the language for as a child just yet?
449
:And I've never been a fan of change.
450
:I've never liked change.
451
:I get very comfort- And again, this
is where we go back to what is was so
452
:important about adopting Noodle, is that
I can get very complacent in my comfort.
453
:And having a dog and knowing he's gotta
eat, he's gotta walk, he's gotta go to
454
:the vet, he's gotta XYZ it keeps you
on your toes, and it's so important.
455
:And, this book is so special because I
was going through such a difficult time
456
:when I adopted Milton, 'cause , it oddly
feels like a betrayal, and I think a lot
457
:of people will understand what I'm talking
about, that idea of just saying "No, I…"
458
:Making a decision to take in another
dog "No, I'm ready to move on."
459
:It's a very odd feeling to have another
dog in your home permanently and to
460
:just have that acknowledgement of,
I'm in this next permanent phase.
461
:This is my next dog.
462
:So I had to, I was nervous
enough to adopt him.
463
:I couldn't even imagine
how nervous he was.
464
:So I wanted to write a
little book about bravery.
465
:Because it takes a lot, it took me a
lot of bravery to handle everything
466
:that happened with Noodle and then
be ready to take this next chance.
467
:And then also, it was it's so
brave , of Milton to take that
468
:flight, to go to a new place, to
still be sweet and gentle as he is.
469
:I was so grateful to have the opportunity
to write a story about his journey coming
470
:to live with me and my journey welcoming
him into my home in a way that is, you
471
:know as we're talking about books, to a
very much a next chapter sort of thing.
472
:Dixie: Yeah, I love too that you
highlighted also that human side
473
:of the anxiety because- Yeah
474
:y- rescues always think about the person
is coming to adopt the pet, they're
475
:worried about the pet fitting into the
home, the pet's gonna be anxious, and
476
:a lot of times they don't- … realize
too that the person is just as anxious.
477
:Jonathan: Absolutely.
478
:For whatever reason it might be.
479
:It's your first time fostering, it's
again you lost your beloved dog and you're
480
:trying something new, or , you're just
scared that they're not gonna be happy, or
481
:you're scared it's whatever it might be.
482
:I think it's really important to
also acknowledge that bravery is
483
:being scared and just doing it
anyway, and I'm very afraid to fly.
484
:I don't like to fly, and my friend Kaylin
talked me off a cliff one day by just
485
:th- explaining you just, being brave is
not, doesn't mean that you're not scared,
486
:it just means that you've decided that
you want to do it anyway, and that's
487
:what adopting a dog is, and that's what
Milton w- had to be so brave to go through
488
:everything he did, and again, still
come out of it with a loving, happy dog.
489
:So I wanted to write something very big
that I think a kid on a very s- macro or
490
:micro level would be able to understand.
491
:Dixie: Why was it important for
you to write this specifically
492
:for kids and families who might
be welcoming a rescue pet?
493
:Jonathan: So obviously, I hope this
resonates with people bringing in
494
:rescue pets because I want them to
know that there's an acclimation
495
:period, that it's okay to feel anxious.
496
:It's okay to be nervous about this.
497
:It's okay to be scared when you're
doing something new, when you're
498
:r- rescuing a new pet, when you're
welcoming a new pet in your home,
499
:whether you're fostering them or you've
rescued them and you've adopted them.
500
:But I'm also hoping that with some
of the, some of the examples in the
501
:story about a thunderstorm happening
and Milton getting scared, and then
502
:also Milton realizing that I'm also
kinda scared because I've never liked
503
:thunderstorms as Jonathan the person.
504
:I wanted to add a couple of elements
in there so that these kids or any
505
:kids reading it would be able to maybe
recognize that, okay, yes, it could be
506
:about rescuing a pet, but it could also be
just about moving to a new place, right?
507
:Maybe they see themselves
as the Milton character on.
508
:They're excited to try something
new, but they're still scared,
509
:or they're starting a new school,
or they're meeting new people.
510
:Like this idea that being scared and
taking care of yourself and knowing your
511
:limits is one thing, but there's also a
lot to be had if you are, just, if you
512
:just are brave and you try something.
513
:You might actually really like it.
514
:Dixie: Jonathan, thank you so much
for being here and being so open
515
:about the messy, beautiful journey
of love, loss, and moving forward.
516
:Milton is incredibly lucky to
have you, along with your two
517
:Jonathan: rescue cats.
518
:Thank you.
519
:Oh my gosh, I Can I tell you,
I just picked a crusty out
520
:of his eye as you said that.
521
:I just was like, "What is that?"
522
:And I came back with a goop,
He's so lucky to have me.
523
:But thank you.
524
:I so appreciate you having me on to talk.
525
:Brevity is not a gift of mine but I'm
so passionate about this, and I still
526
:pinch myself knowing that I'm in this
position where I get to not only write
527
:a book, but I have this platform, and
528
:it's still mind-boggling to me.
529
:But I so appreciate getting the
opportunity to chat with you about this
530
:and to talk about this upcoming book.
531
:And just, I have to shout out
the illustrator Dan Tavis.
532
:It's almost, writing a children's book
has become such an interesting, exercise
533
:because I've learned writing it for the
kids are gonna look at the pictures,
534
:but writing it for the illustrator
is really interesting to consider.
535
:He did such a marvelous job, and I'm so
proud of this book and the story of it,
536
:and I can't wait to get it out there.
537
:And thank you again so much for
having me on to talk about it.
538
:Dixie: Yeah, thank you, and we
are so grateful that you keep
539
:sharing your world with us.
540
:Jonathan: It's a privilege.
541
:It's a sincere privilege.
542
:Dixie: Everyone, please make sure you go
grab your copy of "Milton Makes a Move."
543
:It's the perfect addition to
any animal-loving household.
544
:You can also follow Jonathan and Milton's
adventures on TikTok and Instagram to
545
:everyone listening at home, if you're
currently navigating the loss of a
546
:pet or if you're sitting on the fence
about whether your heart is ready to
547
:rescue again, give yourself some grace.
548
:The love they leave behind
is meant to be passed on.
549
:If you love this episode,
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