For many kids, it doesn’t get more exciting than getting a little extra cash for your birthday or a new toy on Christmas — but 8-year-old Tinley has much bigger dreams.

Tinley is about as outdoorsy as it gets, and for the past year, she has had her heart set on purchasing a chocolate lab pup to be her new hunting and fishing buddy. Tinley cut and brought in wood, sold chicken eggs, took on odds and end chores, and saved all of her birthday and Christmas money over the past year to buy a pup all on her own.

Last Thursday, all of Tinley’s hard work paid off. She named her new pup Cubby because he reminds her of a little brown bear cub, and bought him a camo collar and leash.

Tinley has already started to try to train Cubby. She has big plans for him to help her duck hunt, but she’s also hoping he will learn to shed hunt and help her bloodtrail whitetails when she is old enough to go deer hunting. 

Tinley and Cubby have many memories to be made. But for now, Tinley is the happiest kid in the world. This little lab will be so loved, and we can’t wait to follow their journey. You can tag along with Tinley and Cubby on Instagram at @cubbyandscout and check out more of her mom Caryn Dodson DeFreez’s professional photography on Instagram at @caryndefreez or on Facebook.