About Us
Authors: Camila Gadotti & Lauren Gillman
Lauren Gillman and Camila Gadotti are scientists, businesswomen, and mothers. They have been together since 2010, when they met at the University of Minnesota, studying Food Science. It was truly luck that they met, as they grew up thousands of miles apart: Camila in Brazil and Lauren in Wisconsin.
Lauren and Camila first became mommies in 2014, after adopting Tolita. Eventually their daughter, Sofia, was born and Tolita became a big sister. After many years of Tolita’s antics, Lauren and Camila decided to write Tolita’s story to show that every dog deserves love. The family of four lives in the Twin Cities, Minnesota and “Tolita: The Best Bad Dog” is their first book.
The Inspiration: Tolita
Lauren and Camila adopted Tolita from the Midwest Animal Rescue & Services (MARS) organization, bringing her home on New Year’s Eve 2014. Tolita had gone through three different families, rejected due to not getting along with the other family dogs. But Lauren and Camila only wanted one spunky, funny dog and so this little Jack Russell Terrier mix fit the bill.
Throughout the months after adopting, it became obvious that Tolita struggled with separation anxiety along with dog reactivity. Lauren and Camila learned a lot about dog mental health and how to help Tolita and themselves. They always think that Tolita came into their lives for a reason.
Tolita’s favorite things to do are go for afternoon walks, snuggle with her mommies, look for smelly things to eat, and lay in the sun (she keeps trying to get a tan). She truly is the best bad dog.