{"id":149764,"date":"2025-08-02T01:57:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T22:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/balticguide.ee\/?p=149764"},"modified":"2025-07-31T09:00:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T06:00:35","slug":"riina-the-dogs-trip-to-parnu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/balticguide.ee\/en\/riina-the-dogs-trip-to-parnu\/","title":{"rendered":"Riina the Dog\u2019s Trip to P\u00e4rnu"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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We\u2019ve written before about 3-year old first-aid dog Riina, who works alongside her owner Anu Saarto <\/b>presenting first-aid kits to businesses. In addition to this, Riina has a natural gift for spreading joy wherever she goes. Who better for this task than a dog\u2014man\u2019s best friend?<\/p>\n

Anu Saarto\u2019s family is Finnish\u2013Estonian. The father\u2019s side of both of her sons\u2019 families lives in Estonia, so they travel regularly to the southern neighbour. As many entrepreneurs know, business often blends into leisure travel\u2014and that\u2019s exactly the case with Saarto. This time, they were selling first-aid kits under the sunny skies of P\u00e4rnu.<\/p>\n

In Estonia\u2019s most famous beach town, the family has posed in photos with celebrities like rock star Tanel Padar<\/b> and local entrepreneurs, sold first-aid kits, and brightened people\u2019s days\u2014a task Riina handles with ease. She also has a great nose for sniffing out those who might need first-aid supplies in their businesses. And sometimes, they take a break and head to the beach. \u201cRiina doesn\u2019t swim, but she goes absolutely crazy for the sandy beach,\u201d Saarto says.<\/p>\n

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In P\u00e4rnu, Anu Saarto met many Estonian clients. \u201cOnly after some practice\u2014and after a story about me appeared in the local paper P\u00f5hjarannik<\/i>\u2014did I learn how to really sell to locals. The approach has to be different than with Finns. Estonians aren\u2019t as shy as I first thought. They\u2019re actually quite happy to buy, whereas in Finland, selling often feels more like hard selling,\u201d Saarto explains.<\/p>\n

Their next destination is Haapsalu, followed by a trip to Hiiumaa. In Finland, school starts on 7 August, so the end of summer vacation is in sight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were supposed to meet Anu Saagim<\/b> too, but she\u2019s so busy that it looks like we\u2019ll have to postpone till the autumn,\u201d Saarto hints. Time will tell whether Saagim ends up buying a first-aid kit from Anu and Riina.<\/p>\n

You can read more about Anu, Riina, and the boys\u2019 trip to Rapla here<\/span><\/a><\/span>, and about Riina\u2019s New Year holiday in Saaremaa here<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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