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Beau - 11/13/21

Name/Age: Beau - 1.5 y/o

Family Members: Tessa (mom), Roxy (cat sister) & Velma (cat sister)

How long has Beau been in the family? 11 months

Profession: Hair Colorist

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: BoBo, Cute Bastard, Son

5 words/phrases that best describe Beau?

  1. Happy

  2. Adventurous

  3. Napper

  4. Playful

  5. Spoiled

What makes Beau unique? He is calm & brave, loves to kayak and hike.

Pretty happy lounging on a blanket with his bully stick.

Rescue Story: Beau was transferred to Atlanta from Alabama, rescued from Best Friends Animal Society. He was initially released for being “too much” like a pit bull.

Let’s go home Mom!!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Hiking & swimming in the river.

What is life like since you rescued Beau? It has made Mom the happiest she has ever been. She has the best hiking & kayaking companion. Beau loves playing with his new friends, being loved on & getting all the treats.

Social Media: Instagram: @beauthegeorgiadog

Photographers Note: What can I say about Beau? This handsome boy is incredibly photogenic with those amber eyes and striking just the right pose. In fact, he was far more interested in posing then chasing any of his toys for action shots. If you follow him on Instagram you will see he is very use to having his photo taken on all of the many adventures he and his mom go on. For a pup who is only 1.5 years old, I was pretty surprised how calm & quiet he was. He was all about his Mom, his bully stick and sniffing the air, a perfect gentlemen. Now is this what someone would consider “too much” like a pit bull? Guess their loss is Tessa’s gain because these two are a pretty perfect match!

Evanna - 11/6/21

Name/Age: Evanna - 6 y/o

Family Members: Gary (Dad), Ali (Mom), Vikki (doggie sister) and Tori (doggie sister)

How long has Evanna been in the family? More then 3 years

Professions: Ali: Administrative Engineer, Gary: Parkour Gym Program Director

Location: Sharpsburg, GA

Nicknames: Ev or Vonnie

5 words/phrases that best describe Evanna?

  1. Grateful

  2. Gentle

  3. People Lover

  4. Cuddly

  5. Motivated

What makes Evanna unique? She pretends to be asleep when we want to move her. If she’s lying on the bed and we ask her to move (P.S. she responds to the phrase “excuse me”) so we can sit down, she’ll look at you, then close her eyes really hard and pretend like she’s asleep. She absolutely will not move and goes completely limp.

Evanna in the grass!

Rescue Story: Ali volunteered for the rescue organization, Angels Among Us, which found her roaming the streets in November 2017 after what seemed to be a terrible dog fight. She was completely emaciated and missing half of her face. Her wounds even had maggots growing out of them. You could see straight to her skull, which had a large hole in it (possibly a puncture from another dog’s tooth or someone attempting to shoot her in the head). Her injuries were so severe that we didn’t know if she would live. We didn’t think she had her right eye at the time either. After gaining attention from a local news story calling her “The Wonder Dog”, the donations were able to save her life. Her face was reconstructed and stitched up. The vets also noticed that her eyeball was still intact and functioning. She was then fostered by an amazing volunteer, Cristiana, who played a massive role in her recovery. The following February, she was the guest of honor at the Angels Among Us Gala and had a custom-made, hand-sewn gown just for the occasion. Ali worked with Cristiana at their day job and would see Evanna daily. In January 2018, we took over fostering Evanna, and the rest was history. She came into our lives and changed them forever. We don’t know exactly where she came from, but we knew she was finally home.

Graphic Photo: When Evanna came into rescue.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Evanna wants to be anywhere people are, so we enjoy taking her places with us. She loves meeting new people, especially at a drive-thru that gives out treats. She gets so excited to go on an adventure and possibly make a new friend. Evanna lights up whenever we pull up to the gym Gary works at because she knows the place is full of kids willing to give out endless belly rubs (and drop a crumb or two). She also loves to play and learn something new. For example, she had no idea what a tennis ball was when we met her. It took a while for her to learn to catch one, but now she’s a borderline pro.

What is life like since you rescued Evanna? Whole would be a good word to describe it. The best part of every day is coming home to the love and affection of our dogs. No matter what mood you’re in, seeing your dog’s excitement and eagerness to greet you just melts away any worries. Evanna’s personality has grown tremendously since being adopted. At first, she was so shy and timid, afraid to make a mistake or anger us, I think. Now, she’s an “actual dog”, as we call it. She’s so vibrant and happy and sweet. Watching her grow into this incredible, patient, and loving dog makes us so grateful to be a part of her journey. And I think she’s grateful to have us too.

Photographers Note: Just look at this beautiful girl! What a difference love, support and a great care can make. I thought it was important to show how Evanna came into rescue because there are so many dogs out there with similar stories that come to rescues or shelters with horrible injuries. Then there are just as many angels who want to rehabilitate these dogs and give them loving forever homes. To meet this girl, with her quiet sweet demeaner is just heart warming. If you didn’t know her past and didn’t notice the small scar on her head, she is any other loved family member. Chasing her tennis ball while sporting the latest in pibble fashion, even showing off some of her climbing skills and her love to be held by her Dad. I love that this family focus’s on the present and the future, not knowing her past is probably hard but all they care about is that she is loved, happy and clearly has an amazing wardrobe! Such a true pleasure to meet this “Wonder Dog”.

Hugs for Dad!

Cowboy & Georgia - 10/24/21

Name/Age: Cowboy - approx. 7 y/o & Georgia - approx. 2 y/o

Family Members: Johnny & Erin, Miss Sippy - kitty sister & Pickles - other kitty sister

How long have Cowboy & Georgia been in the family? Cowboy- 7 years, PAWS thinks he was about 6 months old when we adopted him. Georgia - 2 years.

Professions: Erin - executive producer at Fox5 Atlanta. Johnny is full time with Georgia National Guard.

Location: Douglasville, GA.

Nicknames: Cowboy: CB, Angel Dog, Mouse Dog (he really looks like an oversized mouse), Bubby, Bub Bub, Lunch box, C-burs (likely from CB…not really sure)

Georgia: Georgie Porgie, Jo Jo, Hippo, Steve Buscemi (she has crazy eyes)

Cowboy

Georgia

5 words/phrases that best describe Cowboy & Georgia?

Cowboy:

  1. Loyal

  2. Empathetic (I swear he can sense our feelings and emotions. He goes to his bed if he thinks his mom and dad are arguing. He comforts you when you are sad. He licks your tears and sticks his cold nose on your face).

  3. Gentle (we raised baby chicks around him. He used to roam free with his chicken sisters in the backyard)

  4. Popular (The neighborhood kids all come over to play with him and Georgia. Sometimes I feel like our adult friends only come over to hang out with Cowboy)

  5. Patient (Cowboy puts up with so much. His sister mauls him. Our nieces and nephews climb all over him. He has never shown any aggression toward children who can sometimes be a lot to handle.)

    Side note—My husband picked 5 words as well. Here are his:

    Amazing, vibrant, energetic, loving, intense, calculating (I guess he picked 6)

Georgia:

  1. Cuddle Bug

  2. Bull in a China Shop

  3. Goofy

  4. Jumpy

  5. Affectionate

What makes Cowboy & Georgia unique? Cowboy tries so hard to please us. When it’s late at night and his sister barks at him to play, CB will look at me for permission because he knows his Dad is sleeping. He absolutely HATES getting in trouble and he LOVES to be praised. (He rarely gets in trouble)

His favorite thing in the world is to be “sharked” by his Dad. That’s when Johnny turns him on his back and holds him. We call it “sharking” because sharks fall asleep if you roll them on their backs. Cowboy will shark himself if you don’t pull him into your lap and flip him over.

He HATES carbs. Ever since he was little he has only liked meat. He won’t touch french fries, bread, chips, tots, etc. He will eat a piece of popcorn, but only after he tosses it in the air all over the living room first.

He loves cats. He lives with two cats, but thinks every cat in the world should love him. Several cats live at our vet’s office and he tries to love on them every time we go. Unfortunately they don’t take kindly to affection from a pit bull.

Georgia doesn’t usually lick. She just presses her little snout to your face to give kisses.  She also bunny hops up and down stairs instead of running with all four legs. Her eyes are one of her most unique qualities. They are very clear and light and one eyeball seems to look off to the side—hence the Steve Buscemi reference.

Airborne Cowboy

Georgia commanding her stick!

Rescue Story - Cowboy: After a year or so of dating, my now husband and I decided we wanted to adopt a dog. I saw puppies on PAWS Atlanta’s Instagram account, so we decided to check them out one weekend. When we got there, we learned the puppies weren’t ready to be adopted. We decided to stroll through the dog facility anyway. All of the dogs were barking their heads off, but there was one dog in a single stall sitting about 2 feet back from the door. He wasn’t acting scared or shy, he was just sitting like a good boy looking at the people passing him by. I too passed him by, but my husband couldn’t take his eyes off of him. I eventually pulled Johnny away and we finished our tour through the facility. We sat on a bench out front to talk about the puppies again. I saw Johnny’s face and knew exactly what he was thinking. I asked him if he wanted to go see the “good” dog again. He said yes… and the rest was history.

We took Cowboy on a walk around PAWS and played ball in their fenced in area. We were in LOVE. We made the best decision of our lives that day. Cowboy came home with us and our world has revolved around him ever since.

As for his pre-adoption history, we don’t know a whole lot. PAWS told us they found him tied to their mailbox one morning. Apparently abandoned by his previous owners. They said he was the first pit bull their shelter accepted in years. If you look on their website now, they happily take in pit bulls every day.  That’s because my Cowboy proved his breed is the most loving and gentle of all. He had two PAWS foster families before we adopted him. Both loved him and still ask for updates from time to time.

Georgia: A co-worker brought her to my job after her brother’s pit bull had a littler of puppies. They were looking for homes for all the babies and I absolutely fell in love with her. We weren’t even talking about adopting another dog, but I immediately connected with Georgia. I took her home with me that night and the rest is history. She was very skinny when we got her, but that did not last long.

Cowboy making himself comfy on the way to his forever home.

Skinny dirty little Georgia!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love taking Cowboy swimming. We live next to Sweetwater Creek State Park. There are several creeks in our neighborhood and we let him off leash to explore and run through the water. He is obsessed with swimming in lakes and ponds. He would fetch a stick in the middle of the lake all day long if you would let him.

Cuddling! Georgia is an award-winning cuddled. She nuzzles her nose in your armpit or neck and literally won’t let you go until you give her a bear hug and kisses. She so funny because she doesn’t lick like her brother. Instead, Georgia puts her entire muzzle to your lips like she’s giving you a people kiss.

One of our favorite family activities is going on golf cart rides and rides on the side-by-side. Georgia actually loves going off-road riding.

What is life like since you rescued Cowboy & Georgia? As I mentioned, Cowboy completely changed our lives. He made our family whole. He does everything with us. We take him and his sister on vacations with us. They are our children. I probably wouldn’t have made it through my husband’s deployment to Iraq without Cowboy. That dog was glued to my side during the entire 10 months. He leaned on me and I leaned on him. He licked my tears and cuddled with me at night. He did zoomies to cheer me up and he gave me a reason to get up and get outside to hike or just go for walks. During those months he was a mama’s boy. I can’t say the same for the time before and since the deployment. He’s definitely a daddy’s dog most of the time. He acts like Johnny has been gone a month every day when he gets home from work. Those two have a very special bond.

I can’t imagine life before Georgia. We were nervous when we first adopted her because it was very spur of the moment. After the first week we knew we had made the right choice. She and Cowboy became instant besties. She doesn’t go anywhere or do anything without her big brother. She sleeps in the middle of our bed and keeps us warm or burning up at night. Georgia is a huge source of laughter in our house. Her crazy eyes and goofy personality brighten every single day.

Social Media: Cowboy @the_village_cowboy

Georgia @the_last_cowgirl

Photographers Note: Meeting these two pups was a blast. After the initial bowtie shot in their backyard, we went to a second location in their neighborhood. An area that was fenced in and had a pond. From then on it, was constant movement….there was swimming, ball fetching, stick wrangling, you name it! Whenever Cowboy went in the water Georgia waited patiently for him to come out and play with her again. After all that play and a ton of photos taken; they jumped in their truck, tongues hanging out, happily exhausted and didn’t even look back. Time for naps!

The sibling bond!


Stella - 10/17/21

Name/Age: Stella - 14 y/o

Family Members: Diana (human mom), Hunter (human dad), John (human brother, 3 years old), Haynes (human brother, 2 years old)

How long has Stella been in the family? 12 years

Professions: Diana – admissions consultant; Hunter - CPA

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Stelly, Hambone (when she is acting like a goober)

5 words/phrases that best describe Stella?

  1. Loving

  2. Sweet

  3. Best Friend

  4. Lazy

  5. Nanny dog

What makes Stella unique? Stella loves to be hot. She begs to sit in the sun on our back deck on 95-degree days, and in the winter we have to put up a barrier so she doesn’t sit in the fireplace when the fire is going. Stella also has an obsession with licking belly buttons. As soon as she sees one, she goes right for it. It was a funny party trick when we were in our early 20s, and now it’s a big hit with the toddlers.

Beautiful Stella in her favorite grass bed.

Rescue Story: I (Diana) rescued Stella from a kill shelter in Virginia when I was fresh out of college and looking for a companion. When I walked down the row of kennels, every dog was barking—except for Stella. When she saw me, she smashed her face up against the chain-link fence so I could pet her through it. When I did a meet-and-greet in one of the shelter’s rooms, Stella acted like we were long-lost friends and sat right in my lap. It was then that I noticed her blocky head and her pit bull smile, and I got nervous about adopting her. (she is half pit, half lab/bichon frise according to DNA test). I hadn’t had any exposure to pit bulls besides the negative press I’d seen on the news, and I was worried about getting kicked out of my apartment complex for having a breed that wasn’t allowed. I’m not proud to say that I left her there at the shelter after that initial visit.

I proceeded to visit three more shelters that day, but I did not find any dogs that even came close to Stella’s gentle, loving demeanor. I decided then and there to take the risk on this dog that came with no known history—or even a name. I’m so glad I did. Stella has been my loyal best friend for 12 years, through cross-state moves, breakups, getting married, and starting a family.

While most people worry about their dogs when they decide to have children, I had zero hesitations about Stella when I brought each of my two sons into the world. Stella loves nothing more than being around babies and children. There’s a reason pit bulls used to be known as “nanny dogs,” and Stella is a shining example of this.

Stella settling in and already getting spoiled with a fancy bandana!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Stella is—and always has been—our “lazy dog.” One of her favorite activities is lounging in the long grass in our yard on a sunny day. My two young boys collect sticks for her to chew on, and she doesn’t have to move a muscle. It’s her version of a spa day, and you can see in her face how happy it makes her.

What is life like since you adopted Stella? Stella is a member of our family, and we treat her as such. We include her in all family celebrations and bring her with us almost everywhere we go. Each May, we celebrate her birthday on “Cinco de Stella” and throw her a party. Stella’s been kayaking in Virginia, attended football tailgates in North Carolina, and has even tubed down the Chattahoochee.

Social Media: Instagram: @stellygrams

Photographers Note: First things first, many people will look at this beautiful senior pup and say no way is she a pit bull. She has a thick soft coat ( I mean you want to bury your face in it soft), with a very fluffy tail and a longer snout., what says pit bull in that? Well a DNA test says otherwise. Stella is yet another great example why BSL legislation doesn’t work (among many other reasons), as it’s based on visual assessment of a dogs breed.

Now onto the sweetness of this girl. Seeing her with her boys, is just heart warming. There is really nothing better when kids get to grow up with a dog that loves and adores them. When we did their family shot, Stella was so funny. She didn’t really want to cooperate, instead she rolled in her favorite grass, gave kisses to John and then finally decided to come front and center, as if to say…this feature is about me, right? Big bonus for the boys, they have a live in belly button cleaner! LOL

Kisses, Kisses, Kisses