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Maybelline - 10/18/15

Name: Maybelline - 3.5 y/o approx.

Family Members: Mandy - Mom, Human siblings: Olivia & Simone (15 y/o twins, not pictured), Jillian (11 y/o), Cat sibling - Beautiful Gorgeous

How long has Maybelline been in the family? 2.5 years

Profession: Special Education Elementary Teacher

Location: Roswell, GA.

Nicknames: Maybe, Di-oo-gee (she is actually responding to us spelling her name - this may be an issue)

5 words that best describe Maybelline:

Aggressively affectionate
Smarter then the average toddler and my kids
Trainwreck
Loyal
Best dog ever

What makes Maybelline unique? Maybelline has a fetish for toothbrushes and minty toothpaste. She counter surfs the bathroom to get to one that may have been left in her reach. We go through a lot of toothbrushes.

She also steals socks. Just one of a pair, never the pair. She will proudly carry it around to show people. She will not let it go.

She also wants to be with me all the time...EVERYWHERE! In the bathroom and when I am in the bath or shower, she will climb in if I don't shut her out.

Maybe having a blast chasing her ball in the river.

Rescue Story: I went to Fulton County Animal Services to find a dog that I could start exercising with as I had just gotten a divorce. I saw a different dog online and that was the one I wanted; however, when I arrived the dog was already adopted. I walked around and engaged with a few other dogs but there wasn't any connection or spark that felt right. The staff told me about a pit mix that they all loved and recommended that I at least take a look at her. I walked down to the pen and I knew without taking her out of the pen that she was supposed to be my dog. I can't tell you what the connection was but there wasn't any doubt - not about her breed or even if she would like my kids or my current English Bulldog, Mugsy. I just knew somehow she would fit in. Being responsible, I did bring the crew down to check her out. Everyone was fine. Mugsy ignored her (he ignores everything that isn't his bed or a snack) and Maybelline only wanted to play ball with the kids. True Love.

The day Mugsy passed in his sleep; Maybelline let me know because it was the only time when she wouldn't sit still. She kept looking at him and then at me. I knew what happened. It was very sudden. Mugsy was my boy and was with me throughout my marriage and divorce. Maybelline got me through a very difficult time.

Maybelline's freedom ride...heading home!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We like road trips. Maybelline sits in the front next to me and we hold paws. Seriously. I have to hold her paw or she keeps smacking me with it until I do.

I like having Maybelline sit in the passenger seat as she doesn't complain about my music selection and I can ignore the comments from the back of the car.

What is life like since you rescued Maybelline? How people react to her is interesting. She has cropped ears (they were that way when I got her) and people whisper "Look at the Pitbull" when we are out sometimes. I don't see her like that at all. In fact, her body looks long to me and wonky, she is mixed with something else for sure.

She loves people, dogs and cats and while I understand some people are afraid of her and her breed; it makes me wonder why they think it's ok for their tiny dog to lunge at me and Maybelline when we walk by. I had a neighbor knock on my door and threaten to shoot her if she ever got loose (we have a fenced yard) even though Maybelline has never reacted or engaged with him. The good news is that I never saw him again.

I don't care what people think; Maybelline is the best thing that has happened to me and my family. She is loyal, smart and hilarious. I would rather spend time with her then most people. Maybelline is a once in a lifetime dog.

Photographers Note: This was a really fun shoot for me. First of all the location Mandy picked was beautiful. We met up at Jones Bridge Park right along the Chattahoochee River, a dogs playground for sure. The lighting with the leaves and the river, it ended up being a photographers playground as well. Maybelline was a riot. Such a joyful and friendly girl. Jillian had shared with me that they recently discovered this past summer that Maybelline loves the water and after some really close calls of her jumping in from the walk out structure that was over the river, Mandy decided to let her go ahead and take a dip. We walked over to the bank and then the fun really started. Maybelline had a blast and I loved being able to take photos of her romping in the water, with the sun twinkling off the surface. The best part, was seeing the bond that Maybelline has with her family, especially Mandy. You can just see the connection and the love there.

Panola - 10/10/15

Name: Panola - 2 y/o and some change

Family Members: Mark & Jessie

How long has Panola been in the family? Since April 2014

Professions: Attorny & Co-owner of Young Blood Boutique (respectively)

Location: Intown Atlanta

Nickname: Nola

5 words that best describe Panola:

Fun
Loving
Silly
Cute
Active

What makes Panola unique? Her athletic ability. Panola is a total jock who loves to play.

Panola with her favorite ball, taking a short break!

Rescue Story: I (Mark) adopted Nola from PAWS Atlanta back in late April 2014. Our story begins a little before we met each other. In January 2014, Nola was wandering the frozen streets of eastern Dekalb County during the cold winter that culminated in the original Snowpocalypse in Atlanta. During that same month, I was trying to comfort my first beloved rescue dog, Beatrice, a sweet rottweiler- hound mix, in the final heartbreaking stages of her battle against lymphoma. Little did we know then, just three months later , our lives would be brought together , and changed (for the better) forever.

It was during the Snowpocalypse, when one of the PAWS volunteers was driving a heavy duty pick-up truck down Panola Road, that Nola first showed her knack for timing and also got her name. She began running along the side of the truck. When the volunteer stopped and opened the cab door, she showcased her impressive "ups" by immediately jumping right in. The volunteer drove around the neighborhood and was told that the undernourished little pit mix had been out in the cold for weeks, but had shown her characteristic quickness in evading capture whenever she was approached by what must have been less-appealing opportunities for human interaction. No one had bothered to call about her situation either.

When Nola arrived at PAWS, she was suffering from heartworms (for which they begin treating her successfully). Though she was happy to have food and warmth and was still a little sick, she was ready to get out and play hard ASAP! After 3 of the worst months of my life, I decided I was ready to - in fact needed to - adopt another dog. When I saw Nola online and showed up at PAWS to meet her, the volunteer kept using the same phrase over and over again to describe her: "very active". I think she meant it as a warning, but I thought Nola's party attitude was great - we ran all over the PAWS property together, smiling at each other.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love going on long walks on the PATH and hiking at our many great Georgia State Parks. We equally enjoy binge watching Netflix together on the couch.

What is life like since you rescued Panola? Nola coming into my life immediately raised my spirits. She has the most fun and loving personality. I suddenly had a new running/hiking and couch-cuddling partner during what ended up being a difficult time right after I adopted her. Nola is a total people lover and even something of a ham. When I met Jessie at the end of last year, she and Nola bonded almost immediately. Since then, they have embarked on a lady love story of their own. Jessie has trained her to give kisses on command, run along with a bike, chase after (her new favorite toy) the ball, be picked up and cradled like a baby, and even to play shop dog at her boutique every now and then. I really wish we had time to get Nola even more social interaction with other dogs, but she has made fast friends with the various breeds and sizes to whom we've introduced her so far. They just have to be ready to party!

All in all, Nola is such a great dog. She is so fun and loving. I don't think I could have made it through life's ups and downs on my own without her, and now she has become such a big part of Jessie and my relationship, as well. It's been such a beautiful thing to watch her become gradually more and more comfortable (and even a tad bit spoiled nowadays) after knowing how she once had to fend for herself out on the streets. I could go on and on for pages more talking about all of her great qualities but suffice it to say; I could not recommend rescuing a pit bull like her more highly.

Photographers Note: First for those readers that don't live in the Atlanta area, the Snowpocalypse that Mark refers to above was a terrible snow and ice storm that hit Atlanta in January of 2014, basically shutting down the city and surrounding areas for days. Motorists stranded on road ways for hours on end.

Now onto Panola, this adorable petite girl. I met Mark, Jessie and Nola in Freedom Park which was a lovely setting for these photographs. I was immediately greeted with kisses and jumps by Nola. She really does have the happiest attitude and always looking to "party" as Mark says. That being said, she was so good when it was time to take the pictures. She did exactly what was asked of her, as long as there was some play time in between. At one point Mark took her off her lead and she proceeded to do "zoomies" around us and I thought, wow she is fast and if she decided to go greet someone else in the park we wouldn't be able to catch her. Wasn't a problem, she did a couple laps around us and then was caught pretty easily.

I really loved her story and was so glad Mark volunteered to share it. The fact that she chose when she was done with the "stray" life and that she hit the lottery with her forever home, it's just the perfect happy ending!

Maddox - 9/13/15

Name: Maddox - 11 1/2 mths old

Family Members: Taylor & Nicholas, Daisy (yellow lab, 1 y/o)

How long has Maddox been in your family? Maddox has been with us since he was 5 weeks old.

Professions: Diesel Tech and a stay at home dog mom

Location: Villa Rica, GA

Nicknames: Dog-Thing, Pup-pup, My Dog

5 words/phrases that best describe Maddox:

Attentive
Caring
Attached to my hip
Docile
Happy

What makes Maddox unique: He is attentive, especially when I don't feel good. He never leaves me side.

Maddox showing off those beautiful eyes and his fantastic ears!

Rescue Story: I happened upon him. He was being sold in a Walmart parking lot at 5 weeks old. It was an accidental litter. The man didn't want them but he didn't want to just give them away either. So he asked for a small re-homing fee to ensure they wouldn't be sold to fighting rings or be mistreated. I picked Maddox up , he looked me in the eyes and laid his tiny head on my chest. It was meant to be.

Teeny tiny Maddox, the day he went home.

What is your favorite pastime with Maddox? I love going on walks with Maddox. He doesn't always like to go, because he is so laid back, but he goes because I am going and doesn't want to be away from me.

What is life like since you rescued Maddox? Life has been amazing for me since I got Maddox. He is the one stable thing I have right now. He has been there when I am down, and he has been there when I am up. I am beyond thankful for that sweet boy. I have NEVER had a connection with another animal like I do with him.

As for Maddox, life has been a breeze. He is so far past spoiled I can't help but laugh when I see him. He has a plush bed, nothing to worry about, and loving whenever he wants. To be completely honest, I wish I had HIS life!

Photographers Note: First of all Nick and Taylor are definitely animal lovers. Besides their two dogs, they have chickens, snakes, rats (not sure what else) and also foster other dogs, including Abbie a sweet senior boxer. In meeting Maddox, the first thing you see are those striking eyes and then you of course move on to his adorable ears. He is such a sweetie and still very much a pup. It was the first chilly morning in a long time and Maddox took the opportunity to do some belly scratching on the dewy morning grass. Just pulling himself along, legs straight back and belly flat on the grass. Then to meet Daisy, Maddox's BFF...they are so cute together and you can tell there is a lot of playing that goes on between those two. Daisy was much more animated and moving around during the family shoot. Giving kisses to her parents, checking out what Maddox was doing, jumping up for treats...while Maddox just chilled out next to his Mom.

Copper - 9/12/15

Name: Copper - 11 y/o

Family Member: Traci

How long has Copper been in your family? Since she was 9 months old

Profession: Owner/Graphic Designer of Traci with an Eye Graphic Design, LLC

Location: East Atlanta Village

Nicknames: Shnuggies, Angel, Shnugs

5 words/phrases that best describe Copper:

Smart
Sweet
Gorgeous
Loyal
Stubborn

What makes Copper unique? Copper can do a ton of tricks (sit, stay, speak, shake, high five, beg, play dead, lay down, beat it) but what makes her special is her ability to know when I need a snuggle or a smooch. She snores like a man and takes up the sofa/bed like she owns it (let's be honest, she does!) and can look so sad that you have to give her a treat. (she has me wrapped around her paw!)

Rescue Story: I was working in West Midtown at a home decor store when I decided to get a dog. I had never had a dog before and I was so excited! I knew it would be a pit bull or a pit mix because my best friend at the time had a pit/boxer and I loved him to pieces. I started looking at Fulton County Animal Services but one day, my customer came in and asked if I knew of anyone looking for a dog. I said I was! She and her daughter rescued Copper (she named her Pinky) off of Peachtree Industrial Blvd when she was 6 months old. It took them over 45 minutes to catch her. She was skinny and a bit scabby. She didn't seem physically abused but definitely neglected or on the streets for a bit. My customer then house trained her and took care of her for a couple months, even taking her to their busy china shop in Miami Circle. I went to see her for the first time at their shop and there she was just hanging out with baby strollers and people, she couldn't care less. I fell in love then and there and took her home that day.

What is your favorite pastime with Copper? We walk everyday for 45-60 minutes. She loves her walks! I love snuggling with her on the sofa and having her picture professionally taken every Halloween.

What is life like since you rescued Copper? Life is so much more fabulous with Copper. Unconditional love and knowing she depends on me for her welfare has made me a better a person. I feel like I am more compassionate and understanding, not as selfish as I was before I was lucky enough to get her. I will say that as she gets older I am more emotional and am afraid what will happen when she is gone. I depend on her as much as she depends on me.

Photographers Note: It was such a pleasure meeting this sweet senior girl. She was such a trooper during the photo shoot but was definitely happiest on her perch on the couch! In some of the locations, I was sitting on the floor and she would let me take a few shots and then get up and slowly walk over to give me a kiss. I think it may have been a ploy to get me to stop taking pictures, but I will take it none the less! I should add when Traci mentions having Copper's picture taken for Halloween, these are some serious costumes. Everything from Wonder Woman to a Warrior Princess...so adorable!

Oxlade Giroud - 8/15/15

Name: Oxlade Giroud - 2-3 y/o

Family Members: Humans: Reggie & Jennifer; Gabrielle (11), Mick(9), Elodie (2)

Animals: Sadie (Terrier Mix - 15), Cats: Sullie (13) & Capucine (6)

How long has Oxlade Giroud (Oxy G.)been in the family? "Gotcha Day" was January 23, 2015

Professions: Senior Tax Manager at Big Four Accounting firm & Business Development/Marketing Professional

Location: West Atlanta, GA

Nicknames: Ox, Oxy G., Boy Boy

5 words/phrases that best describe Oxy G.:

Strong as an Ox
Lap Dog
Goofball
Bed Hog
Mommy's Boy

What makes Oxy G. unique? He loves to lie down directly on his belly with his legs "froggy style". When he is hot after walks, he sometimes has to plop down on his belly right in the garage on the concrete floor before we can even get him in the house.

Rescue Story: Oxy G was an owner surrender to the Fulton County Animal Services shelter. The owner stated that Oxy G. was basically left in a room by himself and they didn't have money to take care of him.

He had been at the shelter for about a month before they were running out of room. He was starting to get stressed out and had to be fed separately. He was shared on Facebook as an Urgent Case and a friend of ours urged us to foster him. We had lost our male Belgian Malinois mix in the fall and really missed having another dog in the house.

The day he came home, it was cold and rainy and Jenn was there to introduce him to Sadie. Once we had a "getting to know you" walk, he curled up at Jenn's feet and fell fast asleep. After he noticed the fireplace that evening, he curled up in a tiny ball next to it and dozed and dozed. He was so relieved to be out of the shelter and in a calm environment.

He was such a good boy and tried so hard to learn his new routine, we just had to keep him!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? He loves playing catch or other games with "his kids" He adores going for walks and does a cute "let's go on a walk" howl as soon as he's done eating and goes directly to the door where his leash is.

What is life like since you rescued Oxy G.? We have had senior dogs for quite awhile now so it was an adjustment to keep up with an active "toddler" dog with loads of excitement. Oxy G. is a great combination of high energy and chillness. We have been taking him to the kids sporting events and outdoor patios to get him a little more socialized. There's always a reason to go for a walk, which is great for all of us.

As far as Oxy G., we think his snoring as he drapes himself across one of us while watching TV together, is a pretty good sign that he is content with his forever family.

Photographers Note: My first question when I walked in the door was about his name. Definitely unique and apparently is made up of two last names of two favorite soccer players in the house. You might be able to see that Reggie and Mick are both wearing their favorite teams soccer jerseys in the photo above. Once we got that out of the way, it was down to business. Oxy G. is such a sweet boy and very well trained. His bowtie shot was just me, him and some treats. He would move his head ever so slightly with a small movement of the treat, even with the family doing other things in the yard and Sadie walking about sniffing. He was so focused and in the true pit bull manner, just wanted to please. You can tell this is an active family and Oxy G fits in perfectly. He is one happy guy and is so loved! It was so much fun photographing this beautiful family!

Nikko - 8/2/15

Name: Nikko - 3 y/o

Family Members: Chris & Deidre

How long has Nikko been in the family? 2 years and 5 months

Professions: Deidre is a massage therapist and student (Nikko comes to work with her) and Chris is in Sales for the Restaurant industry.

Location: Kennesaw, GA

Nicknames: Buddy, Buds, Lil Boy, Handsome Devil, Mamma's Boy

5 words/phrases that best describe Nikko:

Exuberant
"The Leaper"
Focused
Determined
Sweetest Boy

What makes Nikko unique? Nikko has this game that he likes to play, we call it "getting his tags". He loves to jerk around and leap trying to get his name tags in his mouth. Once he does, he has this coy way of looking at you, trying to entice you into playing with him. Usually some reindeer leaping goes along with the chase to get you interested. He is quite the flirt. It has become a game at my office that the other therapists use to get their clients to open up to him.

Rescue Story: I had been trying to convince my husband to let me get a 2nd dog for about a year. Our 14 y/o Beagle mix, Kymbol was not getting any younger! He took Kymbol to our vet, who runs The Homeless Pet Foundation, for her senior visit. Apparently Chris mentioned that we might want to get another dog before we were desperately saddened with losing Kymbol. We had friends who we dog sat for and felt that a "pit" would be a wonderful addition and we hoped to save one from a rescue.

A wonderful person named Paige came out and talked to Chris. She relayed a story about this pitiful puppy they had gotten in with parvo. The vet only gave him a 10% chance of survival. Apparently his owners could not afford the treatment for his care and Paige was able to convince them to surrender him. Once Nikko had become healthy from the parvo and subsequent pneumonia, it came time for them to find him a forever home. Paige was fostering him and wasn't able to list him on their website because the previous owners were wanting to adopt him back, only paying an adoption fee. This meant that Nikko did not have the same shot at rescue that the others may have had. He was approx. 6 months old at the time.

She brought him out for Chris to meet him and he loved him. I got a call at work on Valentine's Day (Kymbol's vet visit day) and Chris asked if I could come with him to see a puppy the next day. LOTS of jumping around on my end of the phone, with a very calm "Sure I would love that". The next day we took Kymbol there to meet him, as a family. When he came out, he was jumping and leaping and running around, just so happy. I couldn't believe he had ever been sick. He had this gorgeous tuxedo coat with a black heart on his chest (the day after Valentine's Day), which I thought was a sign that he was ours.

Since adopting him this poor guy has had a time of it. We think that due to the parvo as a puppy and his weakened immune system, he is and will continue to have some health concerns. He came home with a terrible case of mange that took a while to treat, then dew claws that kept splitting. The claws had to be cauterized then removed. Once he recovered from those, he became injured with a medial luxating patella. It took months for the surgery and physical therapy to get him to a point that he wasn't completely restricted on activity. I am sure all pit owners know how hard that was. He recovered like a champ. I am lucky to have him with me during the day, to watch and take care of him. He has had another surgery due to a metal staple getting embedded in his paw, which meant more restriction.

I am happy to say that today he is happy and healthy. We have spent so much time with him, the trainers, friends and family to keep him socialized but due to his surgeries , etc. he hasn't had a lot of time with four legged friends; that is next on our agenda!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Prior to Nikko's knee surgery, we were training him to jump hurdles, which he loved. Today we are aware that Nikko suffers from arthritis already in the knee that was operated on, so now our favorite time together is hiking. Kennesaw Mountain is only a few miles from our house and he LOVES getting out, going for walks and rides in the car. He also loves to chase his treat ball around but we have to limit that activity due to his knee.

Our local Starbucks is our favorite stop if we walk from home. They love him there and he has become quite popular with "talking" to the drive-thru speaker.

What is life like since you rescued Nikko? I like to think that Nikko won the lottery. We spend a lot of time with him, as do my clients (who bring him treats). He gets to spend his days being an office greeter, petted often, sleeps in the bed and travels with us when he can. I am not sure that financially we were ready to take on this little boy and his medical challenges, but we committed to it and all his "issues" have brought us closer to him.

We needed him when Kymbol passed away (6mths after adopting Nikko). His joy and exuberance got us through a lot of heartache. We got him, a Staffordshire terrier, or pit bull, whatever you want to call him because we felt that we could raise an Ambassador of the breed. Working with trainers at Tenasity, whose training dog is also a pit bull; we knew we could be responsible, loving, caring pet owners. What we became are crazy dog people (or my husband claims that is me) who love the breed and take every opportunity to let people get to know him. In all the years we have had dogs, he is by far the most affectionate, loving, cuddler we have ever had, and we called Kymbol perfect. He has a smile that will light up a room and a presence that makes life seems so much less stressful.

I could go on talking about him forever.....

Photographers Note: I had such a great time meeting Deidre, Chris and Nikko. We chatted for a bit in their living room, telling dog stories and letting Nikko get comfortable, which didn't take long. He was ready for his time in the spot light. We walked out to their HUGE backyard and he had a ball running around and doing a little showing off before it was time to get to business. Exuberance is the perfect word for this handsome boy....on top of that, he is extremely well trained. He will do anything for a well placed treat and his focus is unwavering. He was so much fun to photograph, I had a heck of a time choosing the final options for their story. What I thought was really funny is that when he gets a fresh tennis ball, he needs to immediately go to work and puncture that fresh ball with his teeth, which is what he was working on in the photo above as well as one of the outtakes posted on Instagram. He was very serious about this task and before you know it, you hear that quiet pop and some air escaping...task accomplished.

I really appreciate how serious this family takes their role of being responsible and good dog owners. We know this is something any dog owner should be but it's particularly important when you are dealing with dogs who are overcoming misconceptions.

Crazy dog person....pretty sure if we had more of those out there that own pit bulls, these dogs wouldn't be where they are today. So here's to those Crazy Dog People...pretty sure we have more then a few following this page! :)

Oscar & Sula - 7/12/15

Names: Oscar (6 y/o) & Sula (5 y/o)

Family Members: Donna & Jes, human brother Felix (7 months old), Javier (rescued pit bull), Cats: Horace, Hannigan & Lenore

How long have Oscar and Sula been in the family? Oscar - 5 1/2 years Sula - 4 1/2 years

Professions: Attorney and Faculty Developer/Professor

Location: Decatur, GA.

Nicknames: Oscar: Oscar Moose, Goose, Moosel Goosel, Moose and Goose, Oskie

Sula: Sula June, Sula Noodle, Sulie, Sulawesi, Sula Noodle Sasserole/Casserole, "Worst Puppy Ever"/WPE (foster nickname)

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Oscar and Sula?

Oscar:

Sweet
Loving
Snuggle Bug
Mischievous
Handsome

Sula:

Loving
Smart
Athletic
Gorgeous
Strong

What makes Oscar & Sula unique? Oscar is gentle with everyone and everything. Sula is strong and focused. She excels at canine sports!

Rescue Story: We had just lost one of our cats and we were down to one kitty in the house, who had previously done well with dogs. There was a huge hole and I (Jes) made the wonderful decision to go on petfinder and Oscar popped up. It was love when we first met him. He lived with a wonderful foster family. When he came for the home inspection, he jumped up on the couch and went to sleep. He was home!

Oscar always loved playing with female pit bulls at the dog park. We decided to find him a sister and spent considerable time looking. We drove to Athens, GA to meet one and they didn't click. Then Debbie from Lifeline Animal Project said that she had just pulled a little girl from DeKalb Animal Control. They met and it was love. They wrestled and wrestled. Oscar was so happy! Sula was wild and has kept us on our toes since.

Sula with her brand new brother!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? The dogs don't sleep with us in the bed (cat zone), so we try to make it to the mountains each year where we hike all day and snuggle. We make sure to rent a cabin with a king bed so we can all snuggle.

What is life like since you rescued Oscar & Sula? Life is amazing since we adopted Oscar. He seems pretty happy with where he landed. Sula has taught me so much about dog behavior and enrichment. She is always in "go-mode". When she snuggles, you know you've earned it. She seems happy with us, though would probably request more swim time!

Photographers Note: I know this site is all about the dogs, but first I have to comment on Jes and Donna's adorable son Felix. He was such a good sport during the photo shoot and I could have taken photos of just him for days...so cute. Ok, now back to the dogs...Oscar and Sula were just the sweetest pups and they have this fantastic park just down the street from their house. Sula was all about wanting to play in the creek and we had to give her a little time to do that before she was ready to be "on" for her photo shoot! The two of them were so different, Oscar very chill and Sula very alert and ready for her next command. Jes and Donna do have another pit bull named Javier, who they decided not to feature at this time, as he has some anxiety issues. Hopefully as they continue to work with him, we can circle back and tell his story so his sibs don't get all the glory!

I truly enjoyed meeting this wonderful family. I knew we were kindred spirits when we were talking about winning the lottery (at the time of the photo shoot, there was a good size jackpot) and we all agreed the first thing we would do with the money would be to build new facilities for Lifeline Animal Projects shelters!

Belle & Marc

Names: Belle (?) & Marc (5 y/o)

Family Members: Terri & Alison, Carly (beagle/12-ish), Piper (German Shepard/6), Cats: Ben & Pippa both 13)

How long have Belle and Marc been in the family? Belle - 6 years & Marc - 4 1/2 years

Professions: Terri - Public School Teacher Alison - Bookkeeper

Location: Tucker, GA.

Nicknames: Belle - Smelly Belly, Belly Belly & Hunkachunk

Marc - Markie, MarkieMark, & (said affectionately) the world's dumbest dog

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Belle & Marc?

Belle:

Sweet
Loving
Cuddler
Couch Potato
Very Prey-driven

Marc:

Sweet
Brainless
Follower not a leader
Loving
Strong

What makes Belle & Marc unique? Belle would kiss/lick people 24/7/365 if we let her. Marc is truly the world's least smart dog. He will forget visitors within 2 minutes of meeting them if they are out of sight. Even if the person has been visiting for two WEEKS, he forgets them if they are out of sight for more then a couple minutes. It's embarrassing really.....

Belle in her role as resident couch potato! — Belle in her role as resident couch potato!

Rescue Story: Belle we found running down Lawrenceville Hwy (5 lanes of fast moving traffic) in the middle lane on a Sunday afternoon in October. We herded her with the car and managed to get her to go up a side street; she was with a male pit bull. We dragged, begged and bribed them into the car and took them home. We didn't like their interaction (he bullied her out of food and attention) so we found him a good home. We decided to keep her. Got her spayed; she was pregnant and the vet said she was the only dog ever that woke up not pregnant and seemed happy about it! She has been a family member ever since. We think she might have been involved in dog fighting ; she loves a good squabble and loves any kind of adrenaline rush. Even just joining the others in barking at a passing bicyclist gets her far more excited and for longer then the others. The truth is, we don't have any idea about her past ...or her age. Vets have estimated anywhere between 2 and 5 when we found her so we have no clear idea of her age.

My daughter fell in love with her and we let her go with my daughter to Augusta, GA. It lasted a year (Belle had heartworm treatment and knee surgery during that year) until Belle couldn't take the little dog constantly yapping next door any more; she dug under the fence and nearly killed the little guy. Animal Control told my daughter to have her euthanized but I told my daughter to bring her back to me. Animal Control simply didn't want to have to deal with it and if AC caught on that she was still alive, we'd deal with it then. They never noticed and she has been with us ever since. Many families would have had her put down long ago ....after she killed my cat right in front of me, for one reason. She is in somewhat poor condition from hip displaysia and is on five medications for pain...but as long as she has a good quality of life, she will be here. She is a loving family member who loves us and that is good enough.

Marc was at Barrow Animal Control in Winder, GA. We were doing transports of dogs a lot back then and we were to pick him up on a Thursday, keep him until Saturday morning then take him to meet a transport to go to a foster family in Tennessee. His other mom went to get him and he was a 4 month old terrified mess. Being a pit, the shelter staff had put him in with the adult dogs instead of the puppies and he was literally scared for his life. He got in the floorboard of the truck , as far away from her as possible, and rode home. Once he got home, he went exploring and found that we had a year old shepherd mix who instantly became his playmate. He relaxed and settled in well. He followed her around and did what she did ---she showed him the ropes and they played a lot. That Saturday the transport fell through so we agreed to keep him another week. The next Saturday, he was to go on a transport to a foster who had 17 or 18 dogs already and we didn't feel he would get enough human attention to grow up socialized well with people, so we asked to keep him another week. By the end of that week, the shepherd and Marc were a bonded pair and he was ours. He and the shepherd, Piper, are inseparable and are known as the "youngies", as opposed to Belle and her buddy, a senior beagle names Carly, who are called predictably .....the "oldies". Carly and Piper have sisterly squabbles so when we leave the house for the day, we divide the youngies and the oldies on separate floors of the house.

Puppy Marc on his first day with his new family.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Belle loves to snuggle with people! Marc enjoys playing with his German Shepherd pack mate, Piper. They love to argue over a rawhide bones and sometimes play chase in the yard.

What is life like since you rescued Belle & Marc? Belle's life changed from being a stray to having the love of people. ...which she loves. She is very much a people dog but evidently was treated as a "dog" in her past life, so this is a luxury for her; having a bed to lie on, plenty of food, and not having to be pregnant any more. We love her loving nature but are somewhat scared to take her out of the house since she is a liability to the smaller animals in the neighborhood. She is content to be a homebody. She has a big backyard to play in with her puppy siblings.

Marc was about to be euthanized so his life has changed in that he is alive. He has 3 dog and 2 cat siblings and loves life! He is a goofy boy that we love having here. He tries to communicate sometimes and it's such a funny failure but we usually figure it out. He sits and whines for something that he wants which is well within reach, a bone on the bedside table for instance, but we just laugh about it and hand it to him. He and Piper enjoy their partnership in sometimes getting in trouble together. He good-naturedly takes getting fussed at for stuff they got into together.

Our lives have changed dramatically because we have gotten involved in the Pit Rescue world. Back a few years, nobody would transport a pit so we did. Belle caused us to realize that the breed is nothing like the horror stories on TV! Marc probably wouldn't have stayed if we hadn't already been familiar with the breed. They are part of the great pack that we love, that drive us crazy sometimes, and that threaten to send us to the poorhouse sometimes but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Photographers Notes: When I arrived to Terri & Alison's house I was met at the door by the entire pack, all wagging and happy to have a visitor except for one, Marc wasn't so sure about me. When you first see Marc, he is definitely intimidating as he is a very strong 100lbs. (hard to believe from his tiny puppy picture above) Then I learned he was pretty much a chicken and needed to have a warm up period. So while the rest of dog siblings gave me attention and kisses, he watched me. He would occasionally come over for a sniff with a leery look in his eye. After I was there for a bit taking pictures of he and Belle, he seemed to warm up. Then I was getting some real affection and I knew I was in!!

Taking the family photo was so much fun and with willing participants (well the humans were willing, dogs not so much), it was just a blast. My largest family photo to date and I think it came out pretty well, considering getting 4 dogs and 2 humans to all look at the camera with eyes open is not an easy feat!

Penelope - 6/20/15

Name: Penelope/ 7 months at time of shoot

Family Members: Gabriella & Mike, Cats - Samson (11), Dagney (6) & Scout (5)

How long has Penelope been in the family? 4 months

Professions: Gabi - Day-School Teacher/Administrator, Mike - Engineer/Man of Mystery

Location: Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta

Nicknames: P, Bear, Princess P & Muffin Head

5 words/phrases that best describe Penelope:

Silly
Compassionate
Smart
Facetious
Cuddly

What makes Penelope unique? I think Penelope may actually be a bunny, a bear and a dog trapped in a puppy body. She loves to hop and jump and has even climbed trees in our yard.

Rescue Story: I've wanted a dog for a long time but our life had not been conducive to providing the kind of life we wanted for a furry baby. Last year before Christmas my husband and I decided it was time. I began scouring every rescue and shelter in Atlanta looking for a pit bull. I've always wanted to be a Pit Mom. One night I saw a photo of this little pip-squeak Nattie. Apparently she had been bought off a lady at a gas station to save her life. Friends to the Forlorn met the woman who saved her and was able to take her in with her first foster at 5 weeks. They told us she fit in a sock when they got her. That didn't stop her from aggressively trying to play and snuggle her foster brothers, 2 giant 50+ pound dogs who were often scared of HER. She had worms and a lot of digestive issues but with some help from her awesome fosters she was in great health in no time.

I emailed FTTF assuming she had already been adopted and to my surprise we were first on the list to take her home. We met her in January and I nearly died of love from the moment I met her. She was the friendliest, bravest little girl I'd ever met. On February 1st, Penelope came to live with us and I spent her first day in our home glued to her side. At one point she fell asleep in her crate in her new little bed and I fell asleep on the floor next to her. We've been inseparable ever since. On Valentine's Day 2015 we officially adopted "P" as our own. I can't thank FTTF enough for being so helpful, friendly and wonderful through the whole process. They truly are such an amazing group of people.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Penelope loves to hike and so do we. We took her on her first hike at 4 months and she was so excited. We've been to Sweetwater, Cascade Springs, Lullwater and urban hiking along the Beltline and Freedom Trail. She looks so at home exploring nature. Her eyes light up and she looks at us with such excitement and gratitude, it's pretty much the best thing ever. She's great in any terrain and loves to climb. Her favorite thing is if we are able to let her off leash in a creek. She will tire herself out splashing and climbing on everything. Our next adventure will be camping on Jekyll Island where Mike and I got married 2 years ago!

What is life like since you rescued Penelope? I say this all the time and I know it sounds cheesy, but I can't imagine my life without P. I often find it hard to express the way I feel about her. She is such a special little girl. She's fierce, smart as a whip and so incredibly compassionate. I've been going through some health issues and P will lick the tears off my face to cheer me up. Even now at 40+ lbs she demands to be snuggled like a baby in my arms nuzzled in my neck. She learns tricks so fast and we have about a million puzzle toys for her because she gets bored so quickly and loves a challenge. She has done her fair share of destruction (my personal favorite is creating a hole in our wood floor) but how can you be mad at puppy for being a puppy. P has brought a center to our lives and so much fun and joy. We never make it through a walk without someone stopping her to say Hi. She looks everyone she meets in the eye. She loves every dog she meets and even plays with our cats! The best part about her is she is so great with animals and children. She somehow knows she could hurt them so she plays very gently with small dogs or children. She is also fiercely protective. The other day I found her guarding a baby bird that had fallen from it's nest in our yard. At first I thought she was harassing it, but she barked at me as soon as I got close and kept an eye on it while it made its way back to its nest.

P has shown us the boundless love we can have for other lives and she continues to prove we don't know anything about anything every day! I knew rescuing a Pit Bull would change my life but what I didn't realize was how complete our little family would feel once she was a part of it.

Photographers Note: Just before I left my house to head over to see Mike, Gabi and Penelope I reread their story. Then I realized, "Hey, I know this dog"....after she was rescued, FTTF had posted her getting a bath in a kitchen sink (supporting the comment above about her size)on their Facebook site. Her original name, which was Nattie led me to share her with one of my friends who's name is Natalie. I said she needed to adopt her because she was her namesake! Obviously they did not adopt her (they already have 3 dogs) but it was so great to see her end up in a wonderful home and be so loved. She has a HUGE backyard to run and play in, not to mention plenty of sticks that are bigger then her to drag around. This beautiful pup with her shiny black coat just exudes joy!

Isabel 6/16/15

Name: Isabel/around 12 weeks old at time of the shoot

Family Members: Elizabeth & Phillip, 2 cats named Tanga & Christian

How long has Isabel been in the family? 2 weeks

Professions: Visual Merchandiser for Pottery Barn (Elizabeth), Visual Merchandise for Gap (Phillip)

Location: South Buckhead

Nicknames: Iz, Bells, Bella

5 words/phrases that best describe Isabel:

I LOVE people!
Ninja Cuddle
Forget the treats I love my kibble
Paper is my favorite
I love to carry my own leash while walking with Mom & Dad

What makes Isabel unique? She loves to pick up the leash (I think because it inhibits her running) and carry it in her mouth as she runs or walks along side us. She loves to come in from her walks and just sprawl out upside down. When she moves places in our house she brings each toy one by one to her new location, and at night she pools all her toys into her bed leaving just enough space for her.

Rescue Story: I was not in search of a puppy or a rescue, but a friend of mine runs a rescue and she is always sharing photos on Facebook. I usually can scroll past, but I was looking through my newsfeed and saw this puppy; I just knew she was meant to be mine. She had re-shared a photo of, now Isabel from Fulton County Animal Services. I started planning, looking up how to train and raise a puppy to be a well rounded and great dog. Then I called to claim her. No one had adopted this adorable puppy because she was a pit mix. I called off work the next day to be there when they opened to adopt her. I then broke the news to Phillip that I found our new family member. He was less then enthused because of the two cats. However, once he saw her he fell in love. She has become the center of our workdays and off days. I never though I would judge my mood based on poop...but it has happened. Every sneeze, cough or struggle to go to the bathroom I am concerned. I am slowly relaxing with the support of other dog owners and Phillip. Baby Isabel is very loved and I now can't imagine my life without her.

Isabel and Elizabeth the day she was adopted. (I believe this was one of the photos that broke the news to Phillip :) )

What are your favorite pastimes with Isabel? Playing tug with her favorite octopus elephant toy and running to our favorite spot.

What is life like since you rescued Isabel? We (Phillip & I) never thought or knew this kind of love could exist. Her sweet sighs, dreams and active plays are all I think about. I can't wait to rush home to my sweet girl so we can tackle some crazy toys, run the streets and then chill on the porch. She is all I think about and again I never thought I would be so concerned for another person or animal in the way I am with her. Her morning cuddles and mid-day plays are the best part of everyday. She is growing and learning everyday. The look she gives me when she lays in my lap just makes me melt.

Photographers Note: Could this puppy be any more adorable? She is such a sweet heart and well behaved for her age. I am sure many people might think that all puppies get adopted really quickly from shelters and for the most part that is probably true. However, if that shelter is listing them as a Pit Bull or a Pit Bull mix, it does lesson their chances for adoption. There are many shelters across the country that have stopped listing their "guess" at the breed, so that people are choosing these dogs for their personality, size and cuteness, rather then what they perceive their behavior might be based on what breed they are listed as. I personally think that is a fantastic idea and another great way to give these dogs a chance. Phillip and Elizabeth are doing all the right things for this puppy. Not only did they take on a puppy (which is an adventure in itself), they are also taking on any stigma's that might come along with owning a pit bull. They have already started her training and socialization. When walking her they proudly state when asked, "She is a pit bull"!

Bobby & Layla - 6/14/15

Names: Bobby (1.5 y/o male) & Layla (1 y/o female)

Family Members: Samantha (Mom), Christopher (Dad), Craig (brother- 4 y/o), Dominic (brother- 2 y/o), Zoe (pit bull hound mix - 5 y/o), Shiloh (rescued pitbull - 6 y/o), 4 cats (Pipkin, Cleo, Frankie, & Amelia Pond) and various reptiles.

Location: Hampton, GA.

Nicknames: Bobby - Bobby Brown, Big Head

Layla - Laylay

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Bobby & Layla:

Bobby:

Strong silent type
Intelligent
Calm
Protective
Lap dog

Layla:

Exuberant
Full of Life
Loves everything with a beating heart
Wiggly
Breed Ambassador

What makes Bobby & Layla unique? The first week when I was fostering Bobby, I made my two year old a cup of milk and approached him with the cup and the gallon of milk. Bobby would not let me get past him to my own son until he inspected every cubic inch of that milk jug and deemed it would not harm the baby.

Layla's unique trait is her resilience. (once you get to her rescue story, you will understand why)

Rescue Story: Bobby was on death row at Fulton County Animal Services. He was found tied to a porch with a short leash, no food or water, a torn up neck and broken teeth. He was labeled dog aggressive and heartworm positive. I offered to temporarily foster him for two weeks and pick him up from the shelter just to save his life. He was scheduled for euthanasia the day I picked him up. The lady that pulled him in her name said she would take him in two weeks time. Money was donated to cover his heartworm treatment. Well, two weeks passed and many excuses later, I decided I would foster Bobby until he found his forever home because he had some pretty bad behavioral issues (extremely dog reactive). I ended up having to raise the money again for his heartworm treatment because it conveniently disappeared. It took a full month to introduce him slowly to Layla, Zoe and Shiloh properly. He now gets along with them all very well, and Layla is the love of his life. We have to be careful when we go outside, because he goes crazy snarling and jumping when he sees a loose dog. We are trying to come up with the money for a professional behaviorist or trainer to assess him and assist us with correcting this. We never planned to adopt him , but at this point, we are (quite happily) stuck with him.

Layla was found on the side of a rural highway. She was extremely emaciated, covered in bleeding wounds, and too scared to do more then crawl on her belly. I immediately rushed her to the vet , thinking she had been hit by a car. Turned out she was covered in chemical burns, starved, beaten and had 4 different intestinal parasites. The vet estimated her to be a 6 month old pit bull and she only weighed 18lbs. A wonderful rescue in Barnesville allowed me to put her under their account for discounted vet care, and family/friends donated directly to the vet for her initial medical expenses. At first, she had to eat 6 tiny meals per day or she would just vomit the food back up. Her intestines were permanently messed up from the parasites and the starvation. She slowly gained her physical health back, got spayed and vaccinated. Even more slowly she gained mental health. She is now a gorgeous, loving, well-adjusted member of our family. Her 4 year old human brother taught her how to properly fetch. She can be a little too hyper and rough sometimes, but she loves every member of the family dearly and we decided that she had found her forever home with us.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Bobby loves to curl up with me on a blanket in the yard and read a good book. We also love to go hiking in a place called Cochran Mills. There is a secluded waterfall at the top where the dogs can play off leash in the water, we have a blast.

What is life like since you rescued Bobby & Layla? Bobby has learned what it feels like to have a blanket to sleep on, meals are guaranteed, and air conditioning is awesome. He's become my right hand man, my "ride or die"companion and protector. He wants to know where I am at all times and loves nothing more than to plop all 70lbs of himself into my lap. He has learned other dogs can be lovely friends and that he doesn't need to defend himself from them. He's slowly making progress and we hope that one day he will also be a well adjusted member of the family.

Layla's life is much improved from what I assume her previous life was. She has been a lot of work, with house training and basic obedience. Sometimes she doesn't listen well and she causes a lot of extra work for me. However, I wouldn't trade her for the world. She has brightened my life considerably and I can't imagine our family without her.

Photographers note: First I want to say that Sam made the decision to only showcase Bobby and Layla for Shine A Light, even though she has two other dogs that would qualify. She thought these two would be the best behaved for the photo shoot.

We conducted this shoot in the parking fields around Atlanta Motor Speedway, it was an extremely hot day as you can probably tell from the pups and all the tongue pictures. To see these two beautiful dogs, you would never guess what was in their past. They were both so sweet and their physical appearances 100% improved from their rescue photos. Bobby is just this big sweet lug with a bit of a stubborn streak and Layla is the beautiful joyous puppy that is just happy happy happy. Everyone was so patient and well behaved, both dogs and kids. Another great example of a family that did not give up on these wonderful dogs and look what fantastic family members they have become.

Bruno - 6/13/15

Name: Bruno/2 years old

Family Members: Nichole & Michael, Hogan (10 y/o dog brother), & cats

How long has Bruno been in the family? 17 months

Professions: Registered Nurse and International Finance Manager

Location: Marietta, GA (recently relocated from a Chicago suburb)

5 words or phrases that best describe Bruno:

Best cuddler
Energetic
Observant
Loving
Empathetic

What makes Bruno unique?: His courageousness

Rescue Story: In January 2014, I had agreed to foster him back in Illinois when I learned of his urgent need for placement. I was his 4th foster home in a week following a complaint call by a neighbor alleging Bruno had been beaten with a baseball bat and couldn't walk on his rear leg. A humane investigator followed the protocol for investigating and upon the 2nd visit to the home he still had not been taken to a vet, at which time the owner signed over his rights. He was taken to the vet, had a knee x-ray and was diagnosed with having an old soft tissue injury. I had agreed to foster him, not being informed he had any injury. He arrived to me as a tripod, dragging his rear right foot and he had a bad case of kennel cough. After another vet visit, physical therapy was recommended and stated if no improvement then next step would be hip x-rays. I started my own fundraising as the rescue informed me they didn't have the funds to cover his needs. He attended physical therapy 3 days a week and after reaching a plateau, x-rays of his hip were necessary.

In awe we looked at the x-rays (photo below) and wondered how this courageous boy was even getting around, let alone showing no signs of pain. His femur head was fractured off. He was also only 43 pounds when I first rescued him , with every bone visible and he had complete muscle loss in his right rear leg. We continued therapy to further build up his muscle and put on weight before surgery could be done. We saw 3 specialists and scheduled surgery in March with a very generous and talented surgeon. He had a modified FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) surgery, his was not a clean cut FHO because he had so many fragments of bone and the fracture left him with a jagged femur bone. They cleaned out his hip socket and he had no exercise restrictions immediately following surgery. He continued physical therapy and swimming for months. His surgery and continued therapy was funded by generous individuals who continue to follow his new life. He still enjoys swimming for fun. Bruno became very attached during this time, as did we, so we foster failed him. He is very loyal and has been through 2 intense day care style training classes. He likes to spend his days curled by his momma and running in his new yard!

Bruno's x-ray, his "before" photo and chilling out during therapy.

What are your favorite pastimes with Bruno? Swimming and playing catch.

What is life like since you rescued Bruno? I have a constant companion, who is very in tune with my feelings and is never far from my side. He shows an endless amount of love and always puts a smile on my face.

Photographers Note: In first meeting Bruno, had I not read his rescue story I would never have guessed this strong boy ever had any physical issues. He ran up the deck stairs to greet me and then proceeded to run back down to race around his new back yard. He is now a healthy 68 pounds and as happy and exuberant as can be. During the shoot, his parents were trying to get him to chase his ball and after a short time, he was pooped and over it. He just wanted to lay in the cool dirt. I joked that since he just moved from the Midwest, he is not use to these Southern hot days. Don't worry Bruno, I moved here from the Midwest as well and you will adjust...just do as I did; leave activity to the mornings and evenings and the rest of the time stay inside with the A/C!

Rhego - 6/2/15

Name: Rhego/ 3-ish years old

Family Members: Mom - Megan, Grandparents - Kelly & Jerry, Uncle- Ethan (17), Dog Sister - Oakley(beagle mix)

Location: Atlanta

Nicknames: Ragu', Munchkin, Goober

5 words/phrases that best descibe Rhego:

Tennis ball destroyer
Shoe Eater
Lazybones
Chin to Hairline Kisser
No concept of personal space

What makes Rhego unique? He is about 70lbs and has the ability to fit in a space too small for a cat. He curls up to be about the size of a throw pillow. This is just one of the few things he does that makes me think he was raised by cats.

Laughing Rhego....that big smile makes you want to be in on the joke!

Rescue Story: I found him via Facebook through a neighborhood group now known as W-Underdogs. (Thanks Gracie!) He was literally skin and bones, weighing in at about 30-40lbs with a really bad limp. I could see all of his ribs! He was scared of everything and barked at every noise he heard. I took him in and got a spare crate from another wonderful couple in the area. I had him for all of a weekend when I was notified by my roommates that "Aggressive Breeds" were strictly against the lease.

That same weekend I contacted the couple that offered the crate and they become Rhego's wonderful foster family for about 3 months and then I got him back for good. I then moved in with my parents who were not keen on having an "aggressive" dog in the house either....then they met him. He cuddled his way into their hearts and my parents have officially dubbed him "Grand-dog". As my Dad likes to say Rhego is "so human" , based on his passive aggressive sighs when he's not allowed on the couch and his need to be a part of the family. My Mom has grown very fond of him and prides herself on teaching him how to shake. My brother and his friends play Lacrosse with him every weekend. He's converted the hearts of many.

What are your favorite pastimes with Rhego? When we are not watching Game of Thrones and cuddling together, I love to play fetch/keep away with him. Rhego is very good at chasing tennis balls and bringing them back...however he is not so good at letting them go, hence the game "keep away".

What is life like since you rescued Rhego? For me, I have noticed a great deal less anxiety in my day to day life. Rhego has helped me get past thinking about the little things and focusing on something other then myself. I am happily forced into taking him for walks and playing with him. For Rhego, I think he has learned to relax around other people more and to get over the anxieties of being abandoned. He use to whine constantly when he was left alone, and now he gets comfortable in other peoples beds when they're not home....I think he has adjusted!

Photographers Note: Rhego is such a doll and a big goof ball. He seemed to be far more interested in the sounds the camera was making then the treat that his Mom was holding to bribe him for the photo. His big beautiful Pit Bull smile is so contagious, I dare anyone that sees it to not respond with their own big smile. Unfortunately, we were not able to get a photo of Rhego, Megan and sister Oakley, due to some very excited pups. As the photographer you need to adjust to the situation otherwise we could have been there for hours! Trust me the cuteness of seeing Rhego and Oakley romp in the backyard and Oakley doing her own little circus dog tricks to get a treat,was not going to be captured in a photograph!

Zuzu - 5/17/15

Name: Zuzu/3-ish years old

Family Members: Sarah

The rest of her pack consists of my folks (Vicki & Dick) and their dog Lincoln who is about 6 or 7. We don't live with them but spend some time with them weekly.

Location: Grant Park

Nicknames: Zu; and hilariously when I use my voice text and say her name, it always auto-corrects to one of the following so they have become nicknames - Suzy, Susie, Suzie

5 words/phrases that best describe Zuzu:

Curious
Timid
Affectionate
sense of humor
playful

What makes Zuzu unique: She hilariously and repeatedly crouches and pounces and sprints around in a circle while in the crouch, when she is really playful. (it's really hard to describe but it is one of the funniest things she does. A year later, I still crack up every time.) She also does sort of the same thing in monkey grass but she jumps in and out of it in a crouch. She eats sticks. If a treat is really special to her she will do everything she can to cover it up and hide it. She worked for at least 30 minutes one night to fold her bed over on top of something I had given her. I finally had to give her a blanket to cover it up, which made her settle down but just for a couple of minutes.

Rescue Story: (As part of volunteering for this project, Sarah reached out to Zuzu's former owner - obtained via the rescue where she adopted Zuzu to get more detail on her history. Prior to this point, Sarah only knew some information about her history but not all the specifics. Sarah shared the email with me from Zuzu's former owner. The following will be a combination of information provided by both Sarah and the previous owner Martha.)

Zuzu was found in the Lakewood area of Atlanta in the fall of 2012 with rubber bands wrapped tightly to her ears. It seems that the former owners were trying the do-it-yourself ear crop method. The blood flow had been stopped, so her ear flesh was rotted and barely hanging on. She was brought into a rescue group, who surgically corrected her ears, resulting in her earless look. They estimated her to be 9-10 months at that time.

Martha and her husband adopted ZuZu after a trial weekend with her, as they had an 18 year old cat and two other dogs. The connection with her was slow at first; she was very independent and a little bit aloof. She showed good judgement with the cat, got a long great with the other two dogs. After a few days, the connection with the humans in the house grew stronger. Everything was great for almost 4 months.

Upon returning from a business trip, Martha was greeted at the door by all 3 dogs. One of the dogs, a 35lb. rat terrier got very excited and Zuzu attacked her. Resulting in serious injuries to the rat terrier. Another attack occurred later that day while the rat terrier was sleeping. The family was terrified and felt they were not equipped to deal with a dog who was prone to fighting, especially when the opposing dog submitted immediately. They had signed an agreement with the rescue group that if they could not keep her they would return her back to the rescue. After contacting the rescue, they asked the family to bring her to the vet with the assumption she would be boarded there for a few days before going back into a foster home. The family was devastated to have to say good-bye to their sweet Zuzu.

A couple months go by and Martha discovered that Zuzu was still being boarded at the vet. Martha asked if she could come by and walk her and the vet agreed. When she got there, she found that Zuzu was being kept in an outdoor pen with very little protection from the elements. The vet stated that she could not be kept near other dogs because she wanted to fight them. She had become very skinny because all she did was pace in the pen. Martha and her husband asked if they could come by and walk her from time to time, the vet office agreed. They walked her 2-4 times a week through the summer and into the fall. After just a few weeks of this the vet staff mentioned she had stopped pacing in her pen.

During the time while they were walking her and giving her the attention she craved, Martha asked the rescue (which had done nothing to try and find her a new home) if she could update her Petfinder page with new photos and information, they agreed. She contacted as many rescue groups and dog-lovers that she knew of, even Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. Then an email she sent at work regarding finding Zuzu a home resulted in a referral to You Lucky Dog Rescue. YLDR agreed to make her a Lucky Dog and after a lot of training and behavior therapy, we now turn the story over to Sarah.

I heard of YLDR through her neighborhoods Next Door site and Zuzu's picture was on their list of adoptables. After a short foster with another dog, YLDR suggested I meet Zuzu, who was in a board and train program with Argos Dog Works (they are incredible). I took my Mom and Lincoln (my parents' dog) over to meet her. She ran around like crazy and seemed fine around Lincoln and that weekend I went to pick her up. Josh, her trainer, did a 2 hour session with us before we went home to teach me about Zuzu's structure and set her up for success in her new home. She settled right in when we got home. Due to her ears, it is hard to read her when you first meet her because you can't use her ears as signals. I had to learn to pay attention to the wrinkles on the top of her head and now I just know her moods. About 6 months later, when she really started to blossom I realized that I may quite possibly be her longest term human.

Zuzu when she was first taken home by Martha.

What are your favorite past times with ZuZu? I'm not sure if this is Zuzu's favorite, but I love taking her for runs. We run most mornings before work and she usually is great; every once and awhile she will get freaked out by something and want to go home. Most times she is happy to trot along beside me and try to find squirrels to torment.

She is not allowed on furniture, but she has one grey blanket and she knows when that blanket goes on the sofa she can lie with me. Sometimes she sits facing the sofa and stares at the blanket like she is willing it to unfold for her.

What is life like since you rescued Zuzu - for both you and her? Life with Zuzu is very full. She is very active, but like most dogs can also be very lazy. She is full of love and is very good at being sneaky and climbing in my lap (my 50 lb lap dog). She brings me joy every day and is a dog that wants to play rough as well as be cuddled. I jokingly say that she is aggressive with her love. She always wants to be close and if she is going to give kisses, she will try to lick your face off. Since she has been passed around so much, it took her about 6 months to know that I was coming back every time I left and that if we got in the car, we were going to come back home too. She is very happy in both my home and in my parents home, where she goes a couple of times a week.

Life with Zuzu is not without challenges though and I think it is great that you still want to highlight her. She can be very anxious. When she gets anxious she either gets very timid (like if a plastic bag unexpectedly blows across the street), or she gets very reactive. She is reactive with some dogs, but not all and is uncomfortable around some people. For this reason, she doesn't have any dog friends besides Lincoln. There are a lot of rules (set by her trainer Josh at Argos), when she meets new people (no eye contact, no petting, essentially a person needs to pretend she doesn't exist). When her rules are followed well, she pretty quickly becomes at ease. I'd like to start socializing her more to see if she can develop at ease relationships with other dogs because she loves to play with Lincoln. I think with the right fur buddies she would start to thrive even more.

Photographers note: Zuzu's journey is such an incredible story and there is so much I want to say about it but I will try and keep my comments brief. First, I know that Zuzu's first Mom had a lot of regret when it came to Zuzu and what happened with her. Her exact quote in her email was " My memories of Zuzu are filled with tears and regret for the horrible time she endured after we abandoned her; and deep, deep love for that crazy, sweet, resilient girl. She will always have a special place in my heart". My opinion is that because of her love for this dog and her own resilience to find her a better life, she brought her to Sarah, where Zuzu thrives. Many people would have given up on her but not these two women; who are wonderful examples of strength and determination, all for the love of a special dog.

Sarah had provided me with "Zuzu's Rules" before I met her. When she came into the room after I was seated, I was struck by her beautiful coloring and her piercing eyes. She warmed up to me pretty quickly (I think the treats may have helped) but even still during the shoot she was very reserved.(I am sure the large camera lense being pointed at her didn't help) That is until Grampa came out to play and then she loosened up a bit, chased the ball, chewed on some sticks. Zuzu is one of those dogs that does not give out affection too easily, you need to earn it with her and prove you are worthy. Once you do earn ZuZu's trust (as seen with Sarah), the rewards are devotion, love and loyalty and they cannot be measured.

Thank you Sarah and Martha, for saving this sweet girl and for sharing her story.

Sawyer - 5/10/15

Name: Sawyer/5 years old

Family Members: Julie

Location: Atlanta (Buckhead area)

Nicknames: BooBoo, Goofball

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Sawyer:

Happy
Silly
Goofy
Expressive
Playful

What makes Sawyer unique: He loves vegetables - especially raw turnips! He comes running anytime he hears me take out a cutting board in the kitchen. I have to spell out the word T-U-R-N-I-P, because he goes bananas if he hears me talking about them. (on a related note, he does not care for bananas at all.)

Sawyer with his best Josie Jane (J.J) playing a little tug of war.

Rescue Story: Animal Action Rescue rescued him from Dekalb Animal Services. A wonderful woman named Rebecca fostered him, got him healthy, and helped him with his manners. One day I received an email from a mutual friend with a photo of this amazing dog with an adorable pouty face and I knew he was meant to be mine. Funny enough I didn't even know he was a pit bull until Rebecca asked me if I was okay with the breed. I had no idea there was so much discrimination and she wanted to make sure I understood the commitment that I was making.

After one home visit and two day-long training sessions later, I was in love with Sawyer and had made new friends out of Rebecca and her husband, Brian.

&nbs… — The day Sawyer went into Foster care.

What are your favorite past times with Sawyer? He is definitely my constant companion. I take him with me wherever I can. I'm fortunate enough to have friends and family that welcome him into their homes and he has even come to work with me on occassion.

We love the outdoors, hiking, playing at Piedmont Park or just running in the yard with his puppy pal Josie Jane (pictured above). He's also content to just snuggle on the sofa and watch TV. His favorites are Dateline Friday and My Cat from Hell! :)

What is life like since you rescued Sawyer - for both you and him? We are two peas in a pod. I can't imagine life without him.

Photographers Note: We conducted the shoot at Josie Jane's house, who has an enormous backyard. As soon as I came to the back, Sawyer greeted me with his big grin and when I said, "Come on Sawyer" he followed me around to determine the best location for his bow tie shot. Julie was just standing back and watching....you can tell this sweet boy doesn't know a stranger. He was so good during the bow tie shoot, I think I took like a 100 shots of just that and there were so many good ones to choose from...such a great model. When we decided to take some photos of him and Josie Jane, we knew that would have to be the last shot of the day because once JJ came out of the house, it was party time. Constant motion and play...they are such a great pair!

Nala & Dylan - 4/26/15

Names: Nala (6 y/o female) & Dylan (2-3 y/o female)

Family Members: Keri & Mike

Location: Atlanta, GA. (Kirkwood neighborhood)

Nicknames: Nala - Nala Masala, Nani, Noodle

Dylan - Dylpants, Dylpickle, Boog, Gremlin

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Nala and Dylan:

Nala:

Loving
Loyal
Snuggly
Intelligent
Striking

Dylan:

Clownish
Sweet
Silly
Kissy
Clumsy

What makes Nala & Dylan unique? Nala is an incredibly unique-looking dog, so she turns heads wherever we go. She absolutely loves people, especially those who we invite into our home. For that reason, all of our family, friends, pet sitters and neighbors have a special love for Nala. She's a fantastic breed ambassador because she is friendly with people, dogs and cats. Nala is special because she allows people to see how beautiful and sweet rescue dogs (especially pit bull type dogs) can be.

Little Miss Dylan is the most talkative dog I have ever met. She almost never barks, but she sure does communicate with us. When she is ready to come out of her crate, she sings us a song in her best falsetto. When she is excited about going to do something new, she lets us know with a gurgling, growly howl or a high pitched yawn ending in a squeal. She also grunts when she reluctantly does her tricks on walks when she'd rather check out another pup.

Nala - Look at those beautiful eyes and markings.

Rescue Story:

Nala was our first dog as a couple and the second pit bull type dog we had ever met. She was found when she was almost a year old and rescued from the pound by Animal Action Rescue. Her foster dad did an amazing job training and socializing her with other dogs, cats and children. When we met her, she was so sweet and small; we knew that she would be a perfect addition to our family. She fit right into our family, and we took her everywhere - she loves car rides and new people. Having Nala in our lives showed us how loving and loyal this type of dog is and we realized we wanted to rescue another one.

When we first rescued Dylan, she was about a year old and a mess. She was found by a good Samaritan who couldn't keep her, but worked with Shelter Angels Pit Bill Rescue to get the word out about her. We went to pull her from DeKalb County Animal Services after I saw her photo and fell in love with those wonky ears. We took Nala to meet her, and despite the fact that they are both female, initial greetings went great. Dylan had recently had puppies, and it turned out that she was heartworm positive, had every other type of worm and had kennel cough. She was terrified and did not know how to live inside a house, so she and Nala had a couple of battles in those first few months. We worked so hard with both of these dogs that first year. Heartworm treatment with a young and energetic dog was not easy, and we crated and rotated the dogs for a full year while the girls got use to each other. I'm happy to report that our hard work paid off. Dylan is heartworm negative and she and Nala are happy companions. They love to snuggle together when it's cold out, and Dylan kisses Nala right on the mouth when she is feeling sweet.

Nala's first day with her new family at Piedmont Park.

Dylan snuggled under the blanket with her sister, not feeling so great when she first came home. — Dylan snuggled under the blanket with her sister, not feeling so great when she first came home.

What is your favorite pastime as a family?: Nala is an adventure dog - she loves to hike. Arabia and Stone Mountains are her favorite because we see a lot of animals there and she sometimes gets to play in the water. As a family, we love to spend sunny mornings hiking together because it's a great way to exercise and socialize the pups.

Dylan is our little athlete! She loves the beach because she can swim and chase bubbles and waves. She also loves our family jogs in our neighborhood because our walking pace is a bit slow for her taste.

Overall, we are a very active family; taking long walks daily to keep the dogs healthy and happy. Our family walks allowed the dogs to get to know each other and become happy together in our home. They also allowed us to get to know our neighbors when we first moved in. We get plenty of compliments on our pretty dogs when we walk around the neighborhood, and people are always surprised to hear that they are rescues.

What is your life like since you rescued Nala & Dylan?: Life for everyone is warm, safe and full of love. Having two dogs means that there's always at least one dog near each of us all the time, but it also means that we have to keep up with double training (each pup has something different she is working on). Having two rescue pups means that we do our best to make up for their rough beginnings. While they sleep in their own beds at night, on weekend mornings, they love to come up in the bed with us and curl up under the covers. When I get ready for work in the morning, the dogs curl up together in our bed. We love having the dogs as a reason to get outside and be active, and as animal lovers, we feel fortunate to have these sweet girls in our lives.

Photographers note: When I first met these two cuties, I was surprised at how short they are. They are the definition of pocket pitties! Then what struck me was their coats are the exact reverse of each other. As Keri said, "We definitely have a type". These two girls were so good and boy do they love their cheese. What I love most about this family is their dedication to their dogs. As you read in the story, they had to work through some challenges with these two and they did. They didn't opt to give up on Dylan and send her back....it took a lot of time and patience and they stuck with it. Today you could never tell there was ever an issue, they are buddies and happy pups. Patience pays off!!

Lyla & Abbey Road - 3/29/15

Names: Lyla (1-ish/female & Abbey Road(8 - female pit/lab mix)

Family Members: Ken, Allie, Harrison (4) & Annie (2)

Location: Cumming, GA

Nicknames: Lyla - Lylabean & Beanie Abbey Road - Boots & Bootie

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Lyla and Abbey:

Lyla:

Snuggly
Playful
Loving
Loyal
Hungry (haha!)

Abbey Road:

Cat-like
Sleepy
Snuggly
Guard Dog
Goofy

What makes Lyla & Abbey Road unique?: Lyla jumps like a deer mid-run. It's great! It shows how carefree she is. While Abbey is like a cat. She'd prefer to be on top of the couch cushions sleeping all day.

Rescue Story:

Abbey Road: We adopted Abbey Road, a lab/pit mix from the Richmond SPCA soon after we were married, when she was a puppy. I volunteered for one day and we had a dog. We had no previous experience with the breed, but soon learned what incredible traits they have.

Lyla: We lost our fur baby (Allie's Soulmate) Julia, on June 18th to a very aggressive form of lymphoma. At the time, we couldn't imagine having another dog. Sure enough an emptiness became evident in our home, especially for Abbey Road. Soon after adopting Abbey, the horrors of Michael Vick's dogfighting ring became national news, shedding light on the abuse and neglect these types of dogs are victim to. We followed his dogs rehabilitation at Best Friends Animal Society in Utah, and were in awe of their ability to forgive and love. We knew we wanted to give a dog like this a 2nd chance. A month after Julia had passed we googled 'Pit Bull Rescue Atlanta' and Friends to the Forlorn Pitbull Rescue was the first organization to pop up. We scrolled through the pictures and saw Lyla and that was it, love at first sight! We then read her story and learned that her foster parents picked her up on the highway in Mobile, AL. (her fosters are Neely and Joe, featured earlier with Walter and Lucky, they were actually on their way to Florida on vacation when they spotted her). She was eating dirt, pregnant and very heart worm positive. We knew we wanted to give this sweet girl a second chance in a loving, safe environment! We visited Lyla at Neely & Joe's house every week for 2 months while she completed her heart worm treatment. ( the drive is almost an hour each way). With each visit, she became more comfortable with our family. She came to live with us on Sept 24th, 2014. Its been an absolute joy to love her!

Lyla in Joe & Neely's car after her rescue in Alabama.

Lyla and her foster sibs, Lucky & Walter ( Shine A light contributors)

What is your favorite pastime as a family: We love snuggling on the couch with Lyla, it's her favorite spot in the house. We love to watch Abbey rocket run around the house when she is excited.

What is your life like since you rescued Lyla & Abbey Road?: Our lives are more loving. Abbey is a lover. There is no way to be in a bad mood when she is around. With Lyla life is also more loving and also less judging. Lyla represents the underdogs of the world - those who society stereotypes and expects/allows to fail. Lyla is an example to our children that you don't have to fit in or give in. Love is always the answer. Lyla is quite simply happy. She shows no sign of her previous life as a stray. She loves all people, and loves us. All you need is love....and a dog!!

Photographers Notes: I was so excited that Allie volunteered for Shine A Light due to the link with our previous contributors and also to be able to illustrate a complete rescue story. So often we rescue our dogs from shelters and don't know their back story or their history. In Lyla's case, we may not know how she ended up on the streets, but we definitely know the rest of her story and how truly wonderful it turned out. Both of these pups are just as sweet as can be and truth be told, I was trying to figure out ways I could sneak Lyla into my car and take her home! : )

A girl and her dog! I had to add this photo because it's so darn cute.

Maurice - 3/20/15

Name: Maurice/ 4 1/2-ish years old

Family Members: Leslie & dog brother Banjo (8 years old)

Location: Royal Oak, MI.

Nicknames: Mr. Pit, Mo Man, Mooreese, Space Cowboy, Gangster of Love

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Maurice:

Cuddle Monster
Silly
Gregarious
Shameless
Loyal

What makes Maurice unique? Maurice wins over everyone he meets and always seems to know the one person in the room that isn't sure about him. So he quietly sneaks up into their lap before they even know it!

Rescue Story: Maurice was on one of the rescue sites I follow as being one of many dogs that were going to be euthanized from the Inkster, MI pound that was shutting down. The group Homefurever was looking for fosters. I had just lost my beloved dog Rossi in July and thought it was time to find Banjo a new friend since he was very depressed without his lifelong buddy. Maurice was very thin, dirty and sick when I brought him home. I fostered him for 4 months, each time I dropped him at an adoption event I would cry and wanted to make sure I got a say in who took him. My family knew before me that I was going to have yet another foster failure, Banjo was my first! (Banjo was rescued from a kill shelter outside of Atlanta when she was visiting her sister - the photographer)

All I know about his back story is that he was picked up as a stray with another dog and the owner claimed the other dog but not him, even though their collars matched. Based off his appearance I would be surprised if he had a 'steady' home. He was very beat up and has an affinity to wine and beer that I liken to his time 'on the streets'. (I don't give this to him mind you but he'll try to sneak some if someone is having one of those beverages at our house).

A before and after shot of Maurice, where he was recently featured in the Top 30 rescues for HomeFurEv… — A before and after shot of Maurice, where he was recently featured in the Top 30 rescues for HomeFurEver.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love to take long walks around Royal Oak and we especially like to walk to the downtown area. Maurice likes to say 'Hi' to everyone we pass, which is sometimes welcome and sometimes not! He definitely changed how pitbulls are viewed in our general neighborhood since everyone is so used to seeing him now.

What is life like since you rescued Maurice? (both him and you) Busy!! Maurice requires a lot of exercise, he's either on or off. He is the biggest couch potato you'll ever meet and loves to cuddle but he definitely needs his walks to get his extra energy out. He is the consummate host and loves it when I have people over. We have a saying that he's consulting his "Pitbull Playbook" to win over anyone that comes through the door. Among other things, I now have to make sure all my shoes (and my guests shoes) are always put away since he likes to play with them, which entails whipping his head around with them in his mouth. A game of chase always ensues if he gets a hold of one! Maurice enjoys anything soft to lay on, including his brother! He makes me laugh every day due to his silly antics and I wouldn't trade him or Banjo for the world!

Photographers Note: You all may recognize Maurice, who is also mentioned in the 'About' section on this website. He was one of the many reasons I started this project and because of that it was important to me to feature him here. His story is one that truly supports the forgiving nature of these dogs. He was one persons trash and became a true treasure to my sister and our family.

I also want to point out all the fantastic work my sister has done with fighting against BSL in her area. She was asked to speak in her community when BSL was being proposed (it didn't pass) and then again in a neighboring community to where we grew up. She has been yelled/cursed at during and after these talks but she remains calm and continues to only speak the facts of why this legislation should never be passed. For this and many other things, I am very proud to call her my sister and friend!

&nbs… — Maurice consulting the "Pitbull Playbook"

Autumn - 2/14/15

Name: Autumn/6 years old

Family Members: Jacklyn and Dave

Location: Atlanta (Old 4th Ward)

Nicknames: Autumn Rose, Auttie, Rose, Rosie, Rosalie, Rosalita, Autumnus Prime, Honeybear...there too many to list!

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Autumn:

Bouncy
Squirrel Hunter
Fearless Explorer
Hungry (always looking for treats)
Backseat driver

What makes Autumn unique? Autumn loves to go under people's legs when they are sitting on the couch or standing, or doing anything really. She is also a total backseat driver. Except when we are driving at a constant speed on the highway. Then she is asleep because she knows mommy has it under control.

Rescue Story: About 5 years ago, I was browsing Petfinder.com and found Autumn. She had a pink nose just like the childhood dog I grew up with so I couldn't resist going to meet her. When I visited the Dekalb Animal Shelter , the attendant opened her crate; both she and her brother bolted out of their pen and down the hallway. She's always had a ton of energy and thirst for exploration! I hung out with her in the outdoor area for a half hour while she chewed on a stick and I knew she would be coming home with me. After filling out her paperwork and paying the adoption fees, we were on our way home!

Autumn's Freedom Ride! You gotta love that wink!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Autumn really loves to walk on the Beltline and sniff everything. When it's warmer outside, we walk the Eastside trail every day. She really loves to pause and sniff something and then bolt into a run, yanking her unsuspecting parent's arm.

We as crazy dog parents like to change the lyrics to famous songs to make them about Autumn. Thanks to her human father's unmatched guitar talent, we can probably record our own Autumn Tribute Album. Songs such as: Rosalita (Bark Loud Tonight) - Bruce Springsteen; Brown/White Dog - Led Zeppelin; How She's Going to Bark - Third Eye Blind; Where the Squirrels Don't Stay - Drive By Truckers; Sweet Brown Girl - The Rolling Stones; and on and on....

What is life like since you rescued Autumn? (for both her and you) True dog lovers/owners understand and expect their entire lives to change. We're crazy about making sure that Autumn has the best life possible. She has a dog walker from DIOGI Pet Services every weekday and she never misses one of her four daily walks. We will race home from wherever we are to make sure she doesn't have to wait too long to use the bathroom. We look specifically for dog-friendly stores and restaurants to visit so she can go for bye-byes in the car and explore new places. Our apartment and furniture are both decorated brown and white for obvious reasons. Our lives are definitely more regimented than before Autumn, but we wouldn't change a thing. There is nothing like coming home from work and seeing that big fleshy nose and wiggle butt greeting you at the door.

Photographers Note: Autumn is such a sweet girl and as we were getting setup in Old 4th Ward Park, one of her buddies from their complex came over (another pit mix) and they romped and played while we finished the setup. Great way to drain a little energy for the photo subject, but honestly she didn't need it. She was very cooperative. Also, I think Dave and Jacklyn need to record one or two of those songs and post them on our Facebook page as a follow up to their story. I know I would like to hear one!

Bunny Brisket - 2/2/15

Name: Bunny Brisket aka The Pig (approx. 8)

Family Members: Tom & Betsy, daughter Ema (not pictured, currently at college), Suma - mixed breed rescue approx 8

Location: Atlanta, GA (Virginia Highland Neighborhood)

Nicknames: The Pig, Pigalicious

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Bunny:

funny, funny, funny
happy
friendly
loving
sweet

What makes Bunny Brisket unique? Pig LOVES skateboards, we have to hold her leash very tightly when we hear a skateboarder coming; she will run as fast as her short little legs can carry her to try and catch up with them. She also loves to play with the vacuum. She snores so loudly that you might have to turn up the T.V or talk louder when she starts.

She is very friendly and incredibly nosy - she wants to stop and check out EVERYONE and EVERYTHING on the street. Walking around the block takes forever!! Her other nickname is Mrs. Kravitz (from Bewitched).

Rescue Story: We had adopted a dog, Shelby, from Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends (AARF) several years ago; then we adopted Suma from a family (who had rescued her from a truck stop in Florida while on vacation) a year or so after that. Shelby, sadly got very sick very quickly and we had to let her go. I thought for awhile that we would not get another dog, or at least not very soon after Shelby, but then we decided that the best way to continue to love Shelby was to adopt another rescue.

The minute I saw Pig on the AARF website, I knew she was the dog for us. My husband and daughter took a little longer to convince, but once she came for a visit, we were all on board.

To be honest, it was a bit of a rough start. Suma and Pig had to do some "negotiating" to figure out how to live together, but they are fine now. Suma is a cranky old lady and still gets irritated at Pig who, despite being the same age, often acts like a puppy!

The story we were told about Pig was that she was picked up in one of the counties outside of Atlanta as a stray and not claimed. The facility recognized how special she was and "lost" her paperwork to be euthanized a couple times. (many of the counties outside of Atlanta will not keep pit bull and pit bull mixes within their county shelters and will euthanize them quickly if a rescue does not step up) Someone contacted AARF and told them that this was a great dog who just had to be rescued, so AARF pulled Pig (originally named Brandy, but changed to Bunny, after which Brisket was added) and then we were lucky enough to adopt her.

What is your favorite pastime as a family with Bunny? Playing tug-of-war with a toy, she loves this game and it's good to help wear her out. We also go for lots of (s-l-o-w) walks. Pig loves to go for car rides too; plus she's happy to snuggle and get belly rubs. When the weather is nice, you can often find Pig sunning herself on the deck in a lounge chair.

What is life like since you rescued Bunny (for her and for you)? She is a fun dog, it's easy to smile at how happy she is. Pig has a big smile when she's happy; likes just about everyone and is happy to be alive. Since we had dogs (and at the time, we had two cats), our life didn't really change much once Pig came, except that she makes us laugh just about every day!

I always tell people that rescue dogs and cats make great pets and Pig is living proof. I would never purchase a dog or a cat when there are so many wonderful animals who need rescuing.

Photographers note: I had to ask Betsy and Tom about the name. It would seem that when the rescue pulled her they didn't think she looked like a Brandy, so she ended up with Bunny...which then someone said she was kind of like a side of beef so the Brisket got added on. Now her nickname The Pig, it didn't take long for me to understand where that name came from. The snorting sounds that came out of this dog, were just too cute.

Bunny is definitely a unique girl and she does get a lot of attention. Many people often ask what mix she is, when Betsy says Bulldog/Pit Bull/Boxer, many people react to the Pit Bull part of that list. As you can see she doesn't look like a typical Pit Bull, so just the words cause concern in those that don't know that every dog is an individual. Hopefully more of these stories will help with those preconceived ideas.