Photos by Scott Foust | 4 | FURRY FRIENDS 2026 COVER STORY Mini Highlands Linny and Pepper might have the best hair in the ZIP code, but they’re missing a full set of pearly whites. Like all bovines, they sport a “dental pad” instead of top teeth — perfect for gentle grazing and even gentler therapy sessions.

INSIDE THE HEART OF LEXIE’S RANCH BY KAREN WERNER T he Arizona sun beats down on a Scottsdale cul-de-sac, the kind of neighborhood where the yards are wide and the silence is expensive. But follow the curve of the road and the suburban script flips. Tucked between residential lots is a sanctuary that smells of fresh hay and ambition. At the center of it stands Andrea Robertson. She is, by any definition, magnetic — strikingly attractive, stylishly dressed and possessing the kind of confidence that can make a dusty paddock feel like a runway. But as soon as she speaks, the polished persona dissolves into something more powerful: a mother on a mission. Andrea isn’t here for the aesthetic, though it is undeniably charming. She is here for Lexie, her 24-year-old daughter, and for the hundreds of families like hers who have spent decades navigating the labyrinth of special-needs care. “God doesn’t make mistakes,” Robertson said. “I have to protect her, so I’ll go out there and figure it out.” A Legacy Born of a Fight The story of Lexie’s Ranch is, at its heart, a story of legislative grit. Years ago, when Lexie was a young child, the educational system attempted to sideline her. Because she was a girl — and at the time, autism diagnoses were heavily skewed toward boys — doctors and school districts were slow to see her true needs. They offered her a classroom that didn’t fit; Andrea offered them a fight. That fight led to the creation of “Lexie’s Law,” a landmark tax credit program in Arizona that allows corporations to redirect state tax liability toward scholarships for special needs, military and foster families. Today, that program has a $22 million cap and has been mirrored in over 30 states. But for Robertson, the systemic victory was only the beginning. As Lexie grew, the “cliff” loomed — the terrifying moment when children with developmental disabilities age out of the school system and find themselves with nowhere to go. “If they aren’t high-functioning enough to go to a job or a day program where they can speak for themselves, they aren’t necessarily safe,” Robertson said. “Lexie would essentially just be at home. What I’m doing bridges that gap.” The Belle of the Barn FURRY FRIENDS 2026 | 5 | FURRY FRIENDS 2026 | 5 | Lexie uses a specialized iPad system to negotiate her day.