The idea for "WagWorld" came about after I read a number of news articles suggesting the founder of a beloved LA-based animal rescue was not who he appeared to be.

Simultaneously, I was thinking about the culture of reality TV and beginning to form a character sketch about a young woman who was desperate to make it in the entertainment world after a lifetime of feeling anonymous.

From there, I discovered unexpected connections and intersections between the worlds of animal rescue nonprofits and reality TV, and that's when the story truly began to emerge.

I'm grateful to Made in LA Writers for including the piece in their sixth anthology. With the theme of "Hollywood Adjacent," the collection shines a spotlight on the dreamers, hustlers, and outliers navigating the gravitational pull of the entertainment capital of the world. I couldn't have asked for a better home for my story.