The Cannabis Pet Expert – Angela Ardolino
For this one, we decided to switch it up! Since Angela Ardolino doesn’t necessarily like talking about herself, Hernando Umana, Co-owner of CBD Dog Health takes the rings and guides this conversation.
Angela has now earned the title of “The Pet Expert on Cannabis” and we’re going to tell you why!
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The Rescue Farm
Angela currently lives on her rescue farm called Fire Flake Farm.
When growing up, Angela had a little area in her back yard where she kept her pets. Bunnies, ducks, birds, any animal that is not considered an indoor pet.
“This became my safe place.”
Angela quickly realized her love for animals and began educating herself. She realized Fire Flake Farm was her dream and she made it a reality when she moved to Tampa, FL.
The beginning of Fire Flake Farm should’ve been called “The Chicken Rescue.” There was a massive trend of backyard chickens and roosters when Angela first bought the farm. When people started realizing they couldn’t take care of their chickens, they stopped laying eggs, or their yard just couldn’t handle them – they came to me.
From chickens, then came the pigs, geese, and all other farm animals you could think of. If they didn’t have a home, Angela gave them one. And of course, the dogs.
Angela has given so many dogs a home and a new life!
Angela’s Passion
Cannabis!
Angela first discovered Cannabis when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. She would have flare-ups in the weirdest places, and they were painful! Her toes, eye, jaw, everywhere.
Angela has always valued a natural lifestyle, so when she was offered harmful medications for the pain like Humara, she knew there had to be something else to help. She found Cannabis – and it worked, fast!
“CBD took my pain, stress, and anxiety away. I’ve seen it stop a kid’s seizure and help a dog walk again. I realized its inhumane to keep this all natural medicine from us.”
How can we keep this natural, powerful plant away from the world? Angela needed to find a way to let everyone know!
Angela joined organizations like CannaMoms and fought hard to help Florida pass Amendment 2 which allowed medical cannabis for those who need it most.
She became a complete advocate for CBD. At the time, Angela owned a magazine and started sharing everything she could through stories in the magazine. But, with the motivation to know more, Angela then found the Medicinal Cannabis program at the University of Vermont.
In 2016, Angela graduated from the Medical Cannabis biology and the therapeutic uses program from the University of Vermont School of Medicine. And it was during her time at the university, she learned that it’s even more beneficial for dogs who have at least twice the receptors for cannabis than we do!
“This was the ah-ha moment you get when you realize what you’re going to do.”
Cannabis For Pets
When Angela couldn’t find a high-quality product for her pets on the market, she made her own.
CBD Dog Health products were born!
After finding other natural plants and components that had similar healing abilities like lavender, Angela started formulating high-quality, pet-specific, CBD products for our pets.
It wasn’t easy though. Just like us as customers trying to find a top-notch CBD product, finding the best-quality lavender oil, coconut oil, you name it – was just as hard. She traveled all over California and Canada, meeting other cannabis experts, essential oil experts, and holistic pet experts.
After FINALLY finding the right ingredients, Angela formulated specific CBD products for alignments and used them to heal hundreds of animals on her farm and in the shop.
Beautify The Beast
Like said before, Angela knew what she wanted to do. But at the time, she had to wait.
Medical Cannabis was not yet legal for Angela to start selling her CBD products for pets and frankly, she got bored! She knew she still had to be in the pet industry and found a run down grooming shop for sale right in Lutz, FL.
“I couldn’t believe it. Another field in the pet industry that wasn’t doing it right.”
The shampoos they were using made Angela’s skin itch along with the dogs. The products they were selling were FULL of harmful chemicals and the cleaning products they used for the shop, horrible! Once again, Angela saw something that wasn’t right for our pets and changed it.
After completely gutting and remodeling, Beautify The Beast was born!
Angela and the team would get hundreds of pets over a weekend and unfortunately, probably 80% of these pets came in with so many issues. Allergies, joint pain, inflammation, hot spots, the list goes on and on. Angela just couldn’t look away.
This is when Angela started formulating the CBD Salves. Everyone thought she was crazy, but she knew the benefits of Cannabis and what it can do topically as well. She learned that dogs have 3 major layer skins and in each layer, they had CB1 and CB2 receptors so the salves worked FAST.
She would have dogs come in for a quick groom and see them itch like crazy! After applying one of her salves to the affected area, the dog stopped, and the owner couldn’t believe it.
Angela loved every single animal that came into her life if it was through the rescue farm, the shop, or a customer of CBD Dog Health.
Miss Daisie
Meet Daisy, one of the many dogs that came into Angela’s life.
This lovely 14-year-old came to her rescue farm with very poor health! With a massive mast cell tumor on her back and just above her tail, she could barely use her hind legs.
She was given 1 ml of EASE Full Spectrum Hemp Extract (CBD) in the morning and 1 1/3 ml of HEAL Full Spectrum Hemp Extract (CBD) in the night. Angela also applied REMEDY Full Spectrum CBD Salve directly to the tumor on her back twice a day.
Next, Daisy’s tumor shrank significantly!
Her tumor decreased by one third just within the first month. Also during that month, the growth popped, oozed and completely detached from the spinal area. Yes, it was gross! But you do what you got to do to make sure our fur babies are happy.
Then, four months later – NO MORE TUMOR!
Daisy started swimming again, barking, jumping, and loving life.
Learn more about all the pets that came into Angela Ardolino’s life >>
Angela Ardolino
Angela now owns CBD Dog Health with Hernando Umana – where all the tinctures, salves, and treats are available specifically formulated for your pet.
Beautify The Beast is also still running, even during these hard times. Hundreds of dogs come in week after week for grooming, boarding and to find all-natural, high-quality products for their pet.
And today, Angela is the Mother of Odie the mini-schnauzer, Nina the Doberman, Jolene the mix breed mutt, 5 rescue dogs, 12 ducks, 12 chickens, 8 geese, 2 bunnies and a pig at the rescue farm, Fire Flake Farm.
No matter what, Angela will find a way to do what she is supposed to do – help heal our animals.
