From Disney Magic to Puppy Mayhem: How a Facebook Post Ruined My Sleep and Saved Our House

Retirement is supposed to be about relaxation, right? Just over two years ago, my husband, our two dogs, our cat, and I packed up and moved to Ocala. We split our time between the Horse Capital of the World and Celebration, soaking up all the Disney and Universal magic we could handle. Life was on a perfect, predictable path.

I still do a bit of real estate to keep busy, supported by the absolute worst unpaid assistant in the business.

Okay, fine, he’s actually amazing. He puts up my signs, brainstorms social media ideas, and spends half his life editing all my typos. (If you find any typos in this blog, it means he’s officially fired).

We had a routine. We had peace. Then, last week, Facebook happened.

The Mother’s Day Twist

I was scrolling through my feed when I saw a heartbreaking but beautiful post. A local husband had pulled off the ultimate romantic gesture: he bought his wife a Corgi puppy for Mother’s Day because she had always wanted one.

They loved that puppy fiercely for three weeks. Then, the landlord found out.

Turns out, they had exceeded the property’s pet limit, and the landlord refused to budge. Desperate to find a perfect home, the heartbroken mom posted on Facebook. I immediately slid into her private messages, pitching my husband and me as the ultimate retirement sanctuary. After some back-and-forth, she agreed we were the right fit.

She was right. But our current Corgi, Oliver, needed some convincing.

The Grand Exchange at WEC

Because Corgis are the unofficial mascots of the equestrian community, we decided the only appropriate place to finalize the transaction was at our vet’s office inside the World Equestrian Center (WEC).

We brought Oliver along to officially approve the paperwork. His initial reaction? Complete confusion. His secondary reaction? Pure, unadulterated rage that lasted for several hours.

But fast forward to day five, and Oliver is currently wrestling with his new little sister. It turns out she was exactly what our house needed.

Welcome to the 9:00 AM Club

Everyone, meet Lilly, the newest addition to our zoo.

Lilly has completely wrecked our sleep schedule, but she’s crushing life. She has already discovered all of the magical portals that lead in and out of the house—including the stairs, which we formally refer to as the “up portal.”

Potty training is going surprisingly great, mostly because Lilly is motivated by pure greed. She quickly figured out the exact transaction rate for doing her business outside: one successful potty equals immediate rewards. She is already fluent in the language of “biscuits” (those tiny, bone-shaped dog cookies) and crunchy carrots. Because of this, we’ve had very few indoor accidents!

Our mornings now look like a synchronized military operation, starting way earlier than any retired person should ever see the sun:

• Phase 1: The Great Morning Potty Parade for all three dogs.
• Phase 2: “The Cheesies.” This is the mandatory cheese-wrap medication routine for Oliver and Bea, though the cat and the puppy absolutely demand their tax.
• Phase 3: Breakfast chaos.
• Phase 4: High-energy morning stimulation and exercise.
• Phase 5: Total collapse. By 9:00 AM, the entire house is down for the count for nap number one.

We might be tired, and my assistant might have a few more grey hairs, but this little girl is so incredibly loved.

Stay tuned for more updates from the Ocala Zoo—and if you need a house with a larger pet limit, you know who to call!