Our Story

Thank you, for taking the time to get to know us.

First of all, it means a lot that you visited our site and want to know more about us. There are plenty of great sites out there, just as passionate and committed to this cause as we are. Totes Pets will strive to offer a wider collection of information that covers both dogs and cats, starting from adoption all the way through a happy family life. Our hope is that you continue to choose our site for the latest and greatest news on all things pets.

Who "we" are

My name is Danny Solis. I'm an IT Project Manager by day, web developer by night. I often refer to myself as an amateur photographer because it sounds better than accidental picture takerer. I'm also a happy volunteer for Texas Humane Heroes. Nothing makes my day like watching an adopted pet go home with a loving family.

I'm husband to a wonder wife, Stacy. We're the proud hoomans for two rescued shih tzus, Tobee and Taylor. Together, they are my world.

We are a family that is committed to animal welfare, rescue, and adoption.

A traffic jam offers perspective

Totes Pets started as a project for me, while attending classes at Austin Coding Academy. One particlar evening on my way to class, I witnessed an event that left a lasting mark on me personally. Driving down the left lane of a typically congested freeway, I spotted something moving in the center lane. As I got closer, I made the startling discovery that this thing was actually a kitten laying on the pavement. Several cars and trucks had passed over the kitten, unaware of what was lying in the road. I was prepared to do whatever was necessary to rescue this kitten from the situation. What happened next was truly amazing. Just as I passed the kitten, ready to stop traffic, the entire freeway came to a standstill. It became obvious that I wasn't the only one who saw the kitten. All lanes of traffic stopped simultaneously, with no prompting or direction. A passenger in a car from the left lane hopped out, scooped up the kitten, and jumped back into his vehicle. Traffic slowly proceeded and the 5 o'clock rush didn't miss a beat. I was dumbfounded in the best possible way.

Skill meets purpose

Reflecting on that moment, I decided that I could, and should, do more to make an impact on the causes that matter to me. It also struck me as coincidental that this incident occured while I was deep in the midst of learning web development. It was an epiphany that eventually led to the birth of Totes Pets, a site dedicated a simple mission:

I dedicated the next year to designing and building the website that I envisioned after that fateful day on the expressway. It's been a long road sprinkled with humbling failures and tail-wagging victories. You find yourself at the culmination of that work, now live on the world wide web. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you come back often.

Peace, Love, and Paws.