Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell’s big, furry family isn’t exactly ordinary, and their unconventional living arrangement has led to a popular blog and successful book.
In 2003, Kerri and her husband, Dale, built a small cabin on several acres of land in the Ozark Mountains. Their plan was to use the small space as a temporary arrangement before they built a larger property and converted the cabin into an office and guest home. But when the recession hit, the married couple was forced to rethink their future. Instead of building bigger, they decided to turn the 480-square-foot cabin into their permanent home.
Kerri told iHeartDogs,
“We’re accidental tiny house dwellers. The recession got in our way and after the first winter in ‘Our Little House,’ we decided this was a much better way of life.”
The widespread Tiny House movement appeals to people who want to reduce their carbon footprints and save money on housing costs, but there are obvious challenges to living in small spaces—especially when your family includes several large rescue dogs.
When Kerri and Dale officially moved into their tiny home in 2007, they had four rescue dogs. Today they have five, and they’ve had as many as seven rescues living with them in their limited space.
Currently, there’s a Beagle/Dachshund mix named Dakota who’s been there since the beginning of their Tiny Home adventure. Dakota was being abused on a chain in Kansas City when Kerri took her in. Sade is a Pit Bull that Kerri and Dale saw dumped on the side of a highway, and Dexter, a Beagle/Hound mix, was found wandering around the mountain near their home. A Pit/Lab mix named Chloe and a Husky named Abbi completed the group when they were adopted from a shelter the same day they were scheduled to be euthanized.
Stepping on toes may be a daily struggle, but Kerri, Dale, and their rescues make it work. Each of the dogs has a designated space for meal time, and when Kerri asks if they’re hungry, they scatter to their separate areas, ready to eat. Dakota is the only pooch that sleeps on the bed, and the rest curl up somewhere comfortable near their owners.
Despite an early confrontation between Sade and Abbi, all of the dogs and humans get along well. Whether they’re relaxing inside or enjoying the wilderness that is their backyard, the “accidental Tiny House dwellers” know their lifestyle lacks indoor accommodation, but nothing else.
Kerri said,
“Really, we’ve been very, very lucky…all has been well for nearly seven years!”
Kerri and Dale’s 480-square-foot home is filled with everything they need to live in the mountains along with their fair share of fur. But most of all, without clutter and distractions, their home is filled with family. For them, living small is the best way to live large.
Visit Kerri’s blog, Living Large in Our Little House, or buy her book to learn more about how she makes life work with two people, five dogs, and one tiny home.
