By Anna Lanford / Photography by @happy_clam_studios / happyclamstudios.com
JENNIFER RUSSELL ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PHILANTHROPIST. A LIFE-LONG ANIMAL LOVER, JENNIFER LITERALLY STARTED PUTTING MONEY IN A SHOE BOX WITH A PLAN TO “DO SOMETHING GOOD” WITH IT. FAST FORWARD TO THE DAY A FRIEND INVITED HER TO ATTEND THE CHARLESTON ANIMAL SOCIETY APPLAUSE FOR PAWS GALA. JENNIFER SAYS SHE WAS SO INSPIRED BY THE LIFESAVING WORK SHE SAW, THAT SHE SPRUNG HER PHILANTHROPY PLAN INTO ACTION AND BID ON THE COVER OF CAROLINA TAILS MAGAZINE. THIS IS HOW CURIE AND NEWT (OUR COVER DOGS) HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES IN THE SPOTLIGHT!
FINDING TWO GOOD PUPS
Originally from the DC area, Jennifer moved to Charleston about 10 years ago. A few years later, her husband Rick serendipitously came across a couple of adorable beagle puppies in the most peculiar way. Rick was cycling on Johns Island when a massive rainstorm hit. Taking cover under a nearby carport, he was invited to come into the house
to ride out the storm when the homeowner asked if he wanted to see the litter of beagle puppies that he had. Rick knew that Jennifer had a soft spot for beagles. “Beagles have always been my favorite type of dog because I think they always look like puppies,” said Jennifer.
After the storm cleared, Rick headed home and told Jennifer about what he had discovered. Jennifer recalled saying to him that if she went out to see the puppies that she would be coming home with one… what she didn’t know is that she would actually come home with two! After paying a visit to the Johns Island home, Jennifer and Rick fell in love with two of the little puppies – the only girl of the litter and the runt!
Jennifer said that she always thought of beagles as very intelligent dogs, so she wanted the names they chose for them to reflect that. After pondering over a few options, they landed on Curie, after Marie Curie, and Newt, after Sir Isaac Newton. Today, Newt and Curie’s favorite activities include spending the day walking around the Pitt Street Bridge in Mount Pleasant and frolicking at the beach.
The pups have become such an integral part of Jennifer and Rick’s life that they were even included in their wedding party this past December. The dogs’ entrance was announced by the Peanuts theme song and they could be heard howling from where they were waiting outside the room, excited by all the commotion of the day before running down the aisle to deliver the rings.
FOUNDING TWO GOOD PUPS
Not only did Jennifer’s dogs make an appearance at her wedding, but they also inspired her to launch her own business, Two Good Pups Adventure Walks & Pet Sitting. At the start of COVID, Jennifer had been working at an inn that had to close temporarily due to the pandemic restrictions. She filled her time by taking Newt and Curie on hours-long adventure walks around her neighborhood. It was during one of these long walks that she thought about starting to walk other people’s dogs, which would allow her to do what she loved and earn some money at the same time.
It took a little while, but by the end of 2020 she was confident that this was something that she could do full time. Today, Two Good Pups has expanded to include a team of eight people walking pups all around town.
Looking ahead to the future, Jennifer hopes to continue doing pet costume contests when she can, learn more about dog training, and start planning for the opening of a brick and mortar facility to operate her business by the end of the year. You can follow her company on Instagram at @twogoodpupsc.
