features
10 FIRE Cinder the Firedog loves car rides,
pets and teaching kids how to be safe in an
emergency. She’s also garnered quite a following
on TikTok. Find out how this one Dalmatian is
teaching a generation about fire safety.
16 SHELTERS These animal shelters around
Cobb County have two things in common: pets
looking for a new home and you, their potential
new owners.
22 RECIPES Local food blogger Erica Key
serves up tasty Thanksgiving starters, drinks
and salads recipes that will bring the whole
family together.
38 ZOOS You don’t have to travel too far to
see the exotic wonders of animal life. These zoos
within an hour drive of Cobb County are an
adventure you won’t want to miss.
42 ADOPTION Animals always deserve a
chance. Or two. That’s the mission behind The
Homeless Pets Foundation, the organization that
gave Chunkapretzel, a chihuahua mix who lost
the mobility of her back legs, a forever home. Her
story will warm your heart.
48 PASTOR After COVID-19 took this local
pastor’s in-laws and a member of his parish’s
kidney function, there’s one thing they could
give one another: hope.
56 AUTHOR Cobb Life sits down with local
author Colleen Oakley, a USA Today Bestselling
Author, to discuss her latest book about a widow
who pretends her husband is still alive, a town
that plays along and a journalist willing to break
the story.
every issue
8 Letter from the Editor
54 November Releases
58 News & Noteworthy
62 Cobb Scene
66 Now & Then
Contents
NOVEMBER 2021 • VOLUME 17 I SSUE 8
28
COVER STORY
BREWERIES
Cold beer and a good
dog. Now, who
wouldn’t want to
partake in that?
Cobb’s got the best
breweries around
town for you and
man’s best friend.
42
Behind the cover
When discussing the cover for this year’s Pets edition of the magazine, MDJ Vice
President of Content JK Murphy and I decided a cute dog next to a frothy mug of
beer would be the perfect look to go hand in hand with our feature on dog-friendly
breweries around Cobb. I knew just the dog to feature. Our leading lady on the
cover is Sprinkles, a 2-and-a-half-year-old Yorkie owned by Sydney McNamara,
the owner of Rare Skn, a skincare studio in Woodstock (www.rareskn.com). While
perusing a local farmer’s market, I came across the “Thankful” bandana donned
by Sprinkles on the cover, crafted by Sherri Schreiner from her handmade collars
and accessories shop, Absolute Southern (www.myabsolutesouthern.com). For
the beer, I knew we were going to need a mug larger than Sprinkles. I borrowed
a stein from my boyfriend, Kevin Wilkinson-Couchoud, filled it with a few Bud
Lights and used sea salt to “refoam” the beer during the shoot. Special thanks to
HADLEY(s) Photography, the photographers behind our lovely cover. The Hadleys
brought our vision to light, incorporating the lovely burnt reddish hue of fall, to
give you that fun, warm vibe of dogs, beer and gratitude. Happy holiday season,
y’all! —MH
6 COBB LIFE | NOVEMBER 2021
/(www.rareskn.com)
/(www.myabsolutesouthern.com)