Supermodel Niki Taylor has a lot to be thankful for. Five years after her near-fatal car crash, she’s savoring the good life at her 7-acre ranch in Franklin, Tenn. If only she could get a little more sleep.
But the reason for her sleep deprivation isn’t early-morning photo shoots or fashion shows – it’s one Jack Russell Terrier mix named Kaia, who at 6 months old still gets Taylor up at 4 a.m.
“I don’t mind – I love being a mom,” says Taylor, who also has 11-year-old twin boys with ex-husband Matt Martinez, in an interview with People magazine. “I love the chaos it brings me. It reminds me how lucky and blessed I am.”
After more than 50 surgeries to repair her body, Taylor, who was living in her native Florida at the time of the accident, says she needed a fresh start. She moved to Tennessee after falling in love with the area during a visit.
Now the dog-loving Taylor, who also owns a Chow Chow mix named Sasha and a Maltese named Jesse, still has a career in fashion – as the owner of an upscale clothing boutique near her home. The store’s name? Abbie & Jesse’s, for her and her business partner’s two dogs.