RV Road Stories: Deirani Collazo & Christopher Padilla
Exuberant Couple Travels The Open Road With Their Nine Dogs While Earning A Living
It was the love for dogs that launched Deirani Collazo and Christopher Padilla into their life of travel. Deirani, or “D” as her friends call her, and her fiancé, Christopher travel across the US in a 2009 Class C Winnebago Access with nine dogs. Yes, nine dogs.
A common reaction at gas stations and campgrounds when D and Christopher pull up is a mixture of bewilderment and amazement. “People are generally like, ‘oh my gosh you must have your hands full!’ after only seeing me pull out three or four dogs,” D muses, “they are always very surprised to see that we have nine dogs in the RV.” Why so many dogs? The short answer is because that’s how Christopher and D earn their living. “We get hired by companies to do entertainment with our dogs in fairs,” explains D, “we need a lot of dogs because we can’t use the same dogs repeatedly in shows. Our dogs are trained in different dog sports.”
And, for dog lovers, it’s additive. “After you get one dog, you want more,” says D. The couple explains that the main part of the show is to advocate and educate the audience about dog rescue and adoption. All nine of their competition dogs are adopted or rescued. Traveling with their dogs from state to state in a roomy RV helps get the word out about pet adoption and shows what a rescue dog can do. “Every dog can be incredible, you just have to take the time to spend with your dogs,” says D.
The couple purchased the RV earlier in the year. After embarking on their first road trip across the US in a Ford E150 for almost a year and a half with only seven dogs, they knew it was time for an upgrade. They spend almost 10 months on the road, traveling all over the US taking part in several dog sport competitions. At the end of the year, the couple takes a two month break in their hometown of Clayey, Puerto Rico.
Both Christopher and D grew up in Puerto Rico. When they return home, they fly all nine of their dogs with them. They even have another dog, a 12-year-old Sharpei, that holds down the fort, along with their parents when they are traveling. Christopher says although he loves spending time at home, he can’t stay in one place for too long. “Whenever we go back (home), I immediately miss the road,” says Christopher.
Even with a packed competition schedule for most of the year, Christopher and D take time in-between competitions to explore. Christopher says the best part of road travel is “visiting beautiful places and parks. We really enjoy being in nature. Going on hikes with the dogs and taking pictures. Living in the now.” Another perk of RV road travel is, “your house is always with you,” says D. She recalls the frustrating days of trying to live in a van with her dogs and even trying to get hotel accommodations. The couple’s favorite places visited so far has been Zion National Park in Utah, pretty much all of Colorado and Horseshoe Bend in Arizona.
Traveling by RV has given Christopher and D more than just an opportunity to see the mainland US and travel with their dogs. “By far the best thing about road travel is the people we get to meet,” says D, “they quickly become part of your family.” Wherever the roads lead them, they usually have a place to stay. “At some point, we’ve traveled through there and met amazing people. It’s really cool,” says D.
What does the future hold for Christopher, D and their dogs? For now, they plan to hit the East Coast. They couple has spent most their time out west and in the Midwest. This year, they have plans to be in North Carolina and West Virginia before they head home to get married. They soak in each day and appreciate the life they have. They say when there are not training the dogs or in competition, they only thing on their agenda is “catching amazing sunsets while hiking with the dogs.”
Debbie Wolfe
A graduate of Northland College with degrees in Creative Writing and Earth Sciences, Debbie has written for HGTV, DIYNetwork, Sheknows and more. She enjoys gardening, reading and fostering dogs.
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Willow Wind RV Park is surrounded by the beautiful red rocks of Southern Utah. Willow Wind is only a short drive to scenic Sand Hollow Reservoir and breathtaking Zion National Park.