A Love Letter to Johnnie...and dog owners everywhere.

Dear Johnnie Bean Versace,

Yes, I’m using your full name...and no, you're not in trouble. 

I use it, because it was unique, and you wore it like a tiara — equal parts fabulous, ridiculous, and perfect. We gave you that name, one from each of my college roommates and one from me, back when we still thought frozen pizza was a food group and “adulting” just meant remembering to buy toilet paper.

That seems like centuries ago.  When you could still run, and play and throw your little arms around my neck for a Joey hug. 

You were my best girl. You saw me through four moves, one marriage, a thousand late-night snacks, and at least two questionable "what am I doing with my life" phases. You were there when I was broke, when I was brave, when I was lost, and when I was home.

 You were home.

I’ll never forget the way you bounced into every room, as if "bat's out of hell" bounced. Or how you insisted on being tucked in like a tiny furry diva under the covers next to me. Or how, despite your fancy name, you still rolled in anything remotely smelly with the enthusiasm of a frat boy at spring break.

You weren’t just a dog—you were the heartbeat of our little pack.

When you passed in 2023, we were gutted. There’s no other word for it. We needed time and space.  There’s still a place on the couch that feels too quiet. Still moments when I reach for the leash or expect to hear the soft click of your nails on the floor. And yeah, sometimes I cry over your old photos and memories like a total cliché.

And no, I’m not sorry.

But this part is important: you paved the way. You made room. For laughter. For tears. For Phineas—the handsome boy who now wears your crown, sometimes sideways, sometimes upside down, but always with love. He’s our co-CEO now, and while he’s more into chaos than couture, I know you’d approve.

We named our new store after you: Good Girl John. Because that’s what you were. Every day. Always. This shop is a love letter, too—to you, to the people who love like we loved, and to every soul who’s ever whispered “who’s a good girl?” and already known the answer.

We’re still just a little family from Seattle (me, Josh, and Phin), dreaming of a new life in Spain, shipping flags and blankets and funny dog gifts across the country.

Everything’s made in the USA. Everything’s made with love. And everything we do comes back to you.

You were the beginning. You’re still in everything.
We miss you. We celebrate you. We love you, always.

Love,
Mom and Dad (and Phineas, who definitely just tried to eat the computer screen)