ABOUT US
Built by someone who has loved animals her whole life.
You+Kindness grew out of years of dog sitting, dog walking, a background in search and rescue, and a deeply held belief that the dogs in our lives deserve more than we give them — especially when things go wrong.
It started at Camp Jody.
What began as dog sitting for friends became something more. After every stay, Jody would send owners a short video of the day's adventures, along with a letter written from the dog's perspective — funny, warm, and just punny enough to make you smile.
Friends began referring friends. Everyone called it the same thing: Camp Jody. The dogs went on outings, made new friends, and came home exhausted in the best possible way — the way a kid comes home from summer camp.
— Camp Jody
So many dog parents asked for a book about their dog's time at Camp Jody that the books became inevitable. Camp Jody Books — featuring real dogs, real adventures, and real stories — is coming soon.
Why shelters? Why disaster relief?
Before Camp Jody, Jody was a volunteer with the Shenandoah Mountain Rescue Group (SMRG) in the Washington, D.C. area — one of the most active search and rescue teams in the mid-Atlantic region.
Shenandoah Mountain Rescue Group
SMRG is an all-volunteer rescue organization serving Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. As a volunteer, Jody gained firsthand knowledge of how emergencies unfold — and who gets left behind.
One reality stayed with her: pets are not a footnote in disasters. Research consistently shows that people will put themselves in danger rather than leave a pet behind — yet emergency infrastructure rarely accounts for animals. That gap is where You+Kindness directs its giving.
About the designs.
Many of the dogs in the You+Kindness shop are real clients of Camp Jody, rendered as illustrated characters with their personalities intact. The Zoomie and Scruffy series are licensed illustrations selected for their warmth and playfulness, and used with full commercial permission.