Fairy Dog-Mother

Unleashing your inner strength at a stressful moment

Aryn Quinn walked into my life at a very stressful moment, when my 14-year-old Pit Bull Sam collapsed on the sidewalk from advanced osteoarthritis. Sam needed my help to navigate the block-long distance to our place, but I was handling two other dogs at the same time - and unable to call for help because I'd left my cellular phone at home.

Suddenly, as if in a fairy tale, there appeared before us a beautiful woman with long, dark hair and an infectious aura of calm. This vision walked up to us and immediately handed me her cellular phone. She began gently stroking and talking to my dog. But what she whispered to him were more than sweet nothings: she was actually empowering him.

Aryn happens to be blessed with the healing touch, as well as a gift for communicating with animals. She explained that my dog was a warrior, that he wanted me to know he would give his life for me - and that he felt terribly humiliated by his present inability to walk.

Aryn next offered to help me by walking the other dogs while I handled Sam. With much coaxing and patient propping up of Sam's gimpy hind legs, together we managed to get my canine crew safely home.

What Aryn had told me about my dog gave me the resolve to help Sam out of his bad situation (luckily, he underwent stem cell replacement therapy shortly thereafter, and is now able to walk, slowly but surely). As I would later discover, Aryn is all about helping others find and unleash their inner strength: that's why she founded the non-profit Beauty Cares NYC that empowers women in bad situations.

The mission of Beauty Cares NYC is to provide comfort, joy, and renewed self-esteem for women who are survivors of domestic violence. "Beauty Cares offers an opportunity for healing and a pivotal boost of self-confidence with a 'Day of Beauty' that promises to ignite the natural beauty within every woman," Aryn explains.

Because her vision is so close to Ceslie's "You Better" philosophy - and because Aryn's devotion to Leo, her beloved feline companion, makes her a bona fide CAT POWER! - we salute her, and invite you to check out her Web site.