Oliver, Penelope Lane And Margo
Hannah with her pups.
“‘My favorite things to do are listen to true crime podcasts, travel anywhere and everywhere, and gaze lovingly at my three dogs.’ Hannah is a board member and volunteer at Deity Animal Rescue, and has volunteered at local humane societies and donated to various rescue groups throughout her life.”
Hannah Strader is the ultimate dog mom, with three furbabies who she loves more than anything. She grew up in Wisconsin with two “super naughty” wirehaired fox terriers. They sparked her immense love for dogs — even though those dogs were ornery!
“The fox terriers were incredibly smart, but their behavior was just awful,” Hannah says. “We laugh about it all the time now, but I don’t think my parents found it super funny back then. I’ve had all sorts of dogs (and pets) in my family: a Rottweiler, Great Danes, my beloved chihuahua, and even some cats and hamsters thrown in throughout the years.”
Hannah was born in Los Angeles, grew up in Wisconsin, went to school in Minnesota and moved back out to California in 2012. She wanted to be with family and in the warm weather... and she hasn’t looked back! ☀️
“Fast forward to now: I work and live in West Hollywood. My favorite things to do are listen to true crime podcasts, travel anywhere and everywhere, and gaze lovingly at my three dogs.”
Hannah is a board member and volunteer at Deity Animal Rescue, and has volunteered at local humane societies and donated to various rescue groups throughout her life.
Dog Whisperer: Tell us about your pups:
Hannah: Oliver, 12 (ish): I think he’s probably turning 13 at some point this year. I did a DNA test on him and, believe it or not, there is no corgi or doxie in there! Oliver is 25% chihuahua, 25% Lhasa Apso, 12.5% pekingese, 12.5% cocker spaniel, 12.5% American Staffordshire terrier (ha!) and 12.5% mega mutt. The best word to use to characterize my Ollie is “aloof.” He is along for the ride but would much rather be sleeping. He’s very confident but that is probably a result of his cluelessness. He’s so very, very, very sweet — a grumpy old man, but in a lovable way.
Penelope Lane, 3 (ish): I did a DNA test on Pen as well. She is 50% shih-tzu, 25% Chihuahua and 25% Jack Russel terrier. I thought she’d be a mix of like 15 different terriers, but turns out she’s only 25% terrier! Penny is insanely smart, which I think she gets from her terrier ancestors. She is hilarious, with so much energy, but is also more than happy to curl up in your lap and sleep. She LOVES her toys, especially the llamas and lambs — she tears them to bits but still chooses to play with them over any others. Penny can be very sassy, but it's just because she cares! She is hysterical to watch as she plays; she definitely has a mind of her own.
Margot, 5 (ish): Margot is probably a purebred chihuahua. She has that sweet little apple head and is way too tiny for me to assume her to be any other breed. Margot is a SASS. She is the second chihuahua I’ve ever adopted and I was so happy to find out she, just like Mollie before her, is not at all the ’stereotypical’ chihuahua. Margot loves people and other dogs, and thoroughly enjoys playing with Pen. She is pushy (but not overly so), and incredibly loving and snuggly. Margot is the type of dog who can jump right into a pack and it feels like she’s always been there.
Margot, Oliver and Penelope.
DW: How long have you had your pups?
H: Oliver: since September 30, 2018; Penelope: since November 9, 2018; and Margot: since June 1, 2020.
DW: What is special about each of the dogs' breeds?
H: I love so much that Oliver is a shelter special. He cannot be categorized: he is truly an amalgam, and one that includes two very shelter-heavy breeds, pit bull and chihuahua. You can find traits of each of his breeds that apply to his personality: stubbornness, affection, loyalty, friendliness and being headstrong. He is the perfect mix!
Penelope is incredibly smart. She picks things up quickly, and is very observant. I am convinced she gets that from being a Russel terrier. She is super feisty and vocal, like a chihuahua, but is also incredibly weary of strangers and other dogs, much like her shih-tzu ancestors.
Sweet Margot is a unique little dog. She doesn’t even weigh four pounds but has so much personality she could be a Great Dane. She is incredibly affectionate, always fighting to get on my lap. She is super playful and a crack-up to watch when she’s feeling active.
I love that all of my dogs share that they have some chihuahua in them but they are all so unique in their own way!
DW: Tell us about the volunteer work you do:
H: Back in 2018 I knew I was ready to adopt another dog for my family. At the time, it was just myself and my 14-year old chihuahua, Mollie. After some searching, I found the dog I was looking for through a rescue based in Beverly Hills: Deity Animal Rescue. Throughout my life I have volunteered at local humane societies and donated to different rescue groups, but I was always looking for a more sustainable and meaningful way to give back; I just hadn’t found it yet. Once I met the two women who run Deity — Ellen and Lindsay — I knew this was what I had been looking for.
I kept bugging them for volunteer opportunities and offering ways I could donate my time and skills to them until they just couldn’t get rid of me ☺️… In 2019, they offered me a seat on their board of directors and I thus began the journey of what has been one of my greatest joys. I currently help Deity in any way I can, whether that’s cleaning out and organizing our donated storefront, setting up events (my main job with them!), brainstorming fundraiser ideas, assisting with marketing and PR or fostering. I get to work my regular job and then, on the side, I get to help grow this amazing organization whose chief aim is to save dogs. It’s the coolest thing ever!
“I currently help Deity in any way I can, whether that’s cleaning out and organizing our donated storefront, setting up events (my main job with them!), brainstorming fundraiser ideas, assisting with marketing and PR or fostering. I get to work my regular job and then, on the side, I get to help grow this amazing organization whose chief aim is to save dogs. It’s the coolest thing ever!”
Deity is a foster-based 501c3 non-profit dog rescue. It is women-owned and run, and a very small operation. Ellen and Lindsay are the boss ladies, and Amanda works to manage everything behind the scenes. We are a group of women taking over the world and saving dogs all over California!
DW: What are your pups' favorite activities?
H: Oliver just wants to sleep. He loves taking quick naps, long naps, short snoozes.. you name it. And he snores... loud. He loves to snuggle but only when he’s sleepy, and he really likes treats! He also has so much fun on walks, but because of his bad joints and arthritis, he goes very, very slowly so, lucky, Ollie gets to do most walks in his bright red stroller. What a treat!
Penelope’s favorite thing of all time is playing. She loves when I play with her or when her sister Margot plays with her. She has a huge basket filled with toys but her favorites are her Christmas Llama, Roller Llama, Lamby and Shamrock Lamb. She has torn them all to pieces but still chooses them over any others!
Penny loves going on walks when we go fast; slow walking is distracting for her and she tends to have trouble focusing. She is a great cuddler and really enjoys snuggling in bed with me. Margot loves to play with her sister; they have so much fun together. I’ve never seen anything like it! She is also such a love bug and is happiest in my lap, curled into a little cinnamon swirl. Margot is probably the best eater out of the bunch so she’s always thrilled to be enjoying a meal, and just like her siblings, she loves going on walks.
DW: What are your pups' favorite foods and snacks?
H: Oliver is on a lot of different medications and gets to eat them with pieces of sliced turkey which he LOVES. He is very particular about what he eats which I think is so weird, seeing as to how he was a stray dog, but it is what it is. He also can never get enough water. Weird little guy.
Penny is fairly picky but not as bad as Ollie. She loves all of the different treats from Just Food for Dogs, especially their chicken jerky... She also loves to sneak some of Oliver’s turkey while I’m not looking.
Margot is by far my best eater — she likes pretty much anything. Because she’s so small, she can usually weasel her way into whatever the other dogs have if they’re not eating fast enough, no matter what it is. She is an equal opportunity snacker.
DW: What are some fun facts about your pups:
H: Penelope’s tongue is ALWAYS out! I have no idea why, truly. Sometimes if it's not out, she’ll sit there and stare at you... then stick it out. It is bizarre and adorable and one of my favorite things about her.
I call Oliver my problem child and refer to myself as a helicopter mom in general, but especially when it comes to him. In addition to the normal vet, he also has a dentist, cardiologist and physical therapist… He started physical therapy fairly recently and goes twice a week. He hates it, but I keep telling him it's for his own good!
Margot came to me with scars all over! She has a big one on her head and one of her ears looks like it was bit into, there’s a notch of missing ear on the side. She’s also missing some hair, but I’m seeing it slowly start to grow so I’m confident that, with love and affection, she’ll really start to shine!
The first trick Penny Lane ever learned was “spin.” She stands up and spins in place- it's super cute. Once she realized that by doing that she gets a treat, she became a monster. Any time she wants literally anything she will run in front of you and start spinning. It's ridiculous.
Penelope loves to dance! If I start singing or dancing (or even just bouncing in place) she’ll jump up from wherever she is, run over in front of me, stand up with her tongue out and wave her arms in the air. It is one of the cutest and funniest things ever.
When Margot went in for her spay and dental surgery, they found a mammary tumor on her; likely a result of her having not been spayed before. She came out of that surgery missing one uterus, eight teeth and one nipple! All of that, and she doesn’t even weigh four pounds!
Penelope has an instagram- @thepenelope.lane
For more information on Deity Animal Rescue, check out their website and Instagram @deityanimalrescue.
