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Skyy - 3/3/17

Name: Skyy - btw 2 - 3 y/o

How long has Skyy been in the family? 6 weeks

Family Members: Steve, Betty, India (19 - not pictured) & Destiney (17)

Professions: Steve - Service Sales Rep for Cintas, Betty - Stockroom Support Personnel

Location: Conyers, GA

Nicknames: No nicknames (yet)

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Skyy?

Peaceful
Calm
Loving
Serene
Well Behaved

What makes Skyy unique? Skyy does not bark.

Rescue Story: We came to rescue Skyy in a funny way. We looked at a few dogs online from Dekalb County Animal Services. So after a few emails back and forth we actually went to go see a boxer. After seeing the boxer and the boxer trying to attack me, I took him for a walk but still never felt comfortable with him. So they brought us another dog, well that dog didn't really want to move. So we were about to leave when they said go inside and just look. We said, ok, it can't hurt. Well once inside this beautiful pit bull mix saw us and gave us that look, but we kept going. We ended up going back to her; we didn't want a pit bull but those eyes and her color.... We ended up taking her for a walk and she was so good, along with her beautiful nature we decided ok, let's take her home. From what we were told she was rescued from a home that had used her primarily to breed. We were kind of nervous at first because we were always scared of pit bulls but after learning it's how they are raised and seeing what a loving dog she is, she is now part of our family.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Definitely long walks, she has brought us to all walk
together more.

What is life like since you rescued Skyy? It has been good. Especially how much I enjoy play fighting with my daughter over her to see who Skyy likes better. (LOL)

Photographers Note: This family decided to meet me at Piedmont Park for their photo shoot. A gorgeous sunny day without a cloud in the sky. Skyy was in heaven with all the new smells around and so many doggies that that been there before her. It took us some time to go from location to location, since she had to have her "smells". This little girl just cracked me up, she spent most of her time rolling in the dead grass and as soon as her family wiped it off her, she would do it again. In fact, when we wanted her to roll, she wouldn't and that is when her family discovered the brush off trick! Everything Steve says about her above is true, she was so calm and so sweet. We even had another photographer mention what a great poser she was during some of her shots! So happy this sweet girl found a wonderful forever home!

Baxter & Cadence - 2/12/17

Name: Baxter (3 y/o) & Cadence (2 y/o)

Family Members: Parent: Bill and Lee, Children: Will/17 yrs, Henry 15 yrs, Brandon 12 yrs. Other Pets: Sophia (aka Lucifer) 6yrs, Yoda 10yrs, Oscar 10 yrs, Chester (cat) 8yrs Frank (cat) 5yrs

How long have Baxter & Cadence been in the family? Baxter for 2.5 years and Cadence a little over a year.

Professions: Lee - Office Manager for Pediatric Dental Office, Bill - Controller for the R/D department at Novelis

Location: Johns Creek, GA.

Nicknames: Baxter: Muppet or Big B

Cadence: Cady or sometimes we call her KiKaw which is just a silly name that we made up, we are not even sure who said it first.

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Baxter & Cady?

Baxter:

Loyal
Friendly but reserved
Needs his people and relies on us to help him navigate this world
Can be anxious but through our work with a balanced trainer and spending time at his daycare he has become a much more secure guy.
His new found security came from a stronger relationship with his family. He knows that no matter what comes up we will always have his back.

Cady:

Happy
Pure Joy
Fun loving
Comical
Overgrown Toddler

What makes Baxter & Cady unique? Baxter has a funny posture to his zoomie that we call his butt run. He tucks his back end under and does this funny run all about the backyard or in the house. Baxter also has a wicked under-bite that always just slays us.

Cady has a donkey call. When she has decided that she has had enough of her crate she pushes her nose and lip into the crate door and makes the heehaw donkey call. I have tried for the entire time that we have had her to get it captured on video or photo but she stops as soon as she sees me. But it makes me smile each time I hear it.

Baxter has a special bond with his human big brother.

Rescue Stories: I was working on a donation from a Cuban restaurant in Johns Creek for my oldest son's football teams fundraiser. I went up to meet the restaurant manager and he was climbing out of the dumpster behind the restaurant pulling out three very small cat carriers. Once opened, out came these pitiful looking little puppies. They ended up being 6 month old puppies and they were just stuffed in the crates and thrown in the garbage. They were dehydrated and hungry and very sad creatures. I am not sure what made me but I just knew that I was leaving with those kids. I had no idea what I was going to do but I knew they were coming home with me. I had zero experience with pit bulls or bully breeds but nothing about these kids scared me, they just needed someone to care and look out for them after they had been failed so badly. Bringing them home I began to get a taste for the prejudice that exists with these dogs. I had a neighbor flip out on me, declare them to be dangerous and they needed to get out of the neighborhood. The funny thing is that this neighbor would be the one that connects me with the individual, that would eventually connect me with the rescue group that not only helped me with placing one of the three dogs but that would slowly but effectively drag me into the world of life with a bully. In an effort to get these three dogs out of the neighborhood this neighbor connected me with Fiona and she in turn introduced me to Bullseye Rescue and Carla. Because I was willing to vet these dogs and to foster them, Bullseye was able to help me to find the most amazing home for Carter, one of the pups. Layla the only girl, went to a very sweet family that is connected to our family and I get to keep an eye on her as she thrives. The real joke is that my neighbor and former friend in her effort to get these dogs out of her hair, she introduced me to the very organization that would show me how to appreciate and respect these dogs because we fell in love with the third and final one we named Baxter. He was the weakest and the saddest of the three. He was missing a portion of his hair and was severely dehydrated and suffered from malnutrition. We nursed him back to health and we are the luckiest family to have him in our lives. We also became a foster family for Bullseye and would not change one turn in our path to this place.

Cady came to us as a foster through Bullseye Rescue. She had been returned, was in boarding and we had just had our last puppy foster adopted. Bullseye posted a need to bust her out of boarding and we answered the call. We were told that she had some bratty puppy type behavior and needed a stable place to land that would help her with manners. You see she had been returned for being aggressive and the reality was just so far from the truth. For the most part families will adopt or purchase dogs and these dogs will require very little investment from their families aside from food, affection and medical care. They will live out their lives and all will be mostly happy. However, Cady is not one of those dogs, she requires that her family be present in her life each and every day. She requires no less than a deep and solid relationship with her people. She is the perfect family dog but she requires total immersion by her family and each day you must be willing to guide, direct and provide a stable environment for her. Absent of that guidance she can be mischievous and will find her own way, which may involve making poor decisions ie. chewed shoes or counter surfing etc. We provide her with structure, training and consistent discipline and she has blossomed into the most perfect family member. She makes her brother Baxter braver since she has never meet a stranger and loves to experience new places and people. We have committed to being a strong leader for her and she has repaid our efforts with unconditional love. What more could we ask for from her? After having her as a foster for over a year and two additional bounce backs in that year, we made her ours and we became her forevers and could not be happier!

Baxter after coming home with his siblings.

Cady's first day in her foster home, which would become her forever home!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? My husband and I love to take long walks in our area with Baxter & Cady to get a coffee on Saturday morning. Baxter is a pretty chill guy and we love to snuggle on the couch and watch movies. When we are feeling more active, we will pack Baxter & Cady's backpacks and go on day hikes with friends and their dogs. We travel to lacrosse tournaments most summers and both dogs tag along with us to each destination.

What is life like since you rescued Baxter & Cady? I know that on the surface it would appear that Baxter was the biggest winner in this scenario but the truth is that while we have lost a friend or two and a couple of family members will not come over to our house because of him, we are the biggest winners. He is a love and we are better people and dog owners because of him. Plus we feel like we have expanded our family being apart of the Bullseye crew.

Our life is rich with love and we could not be happier that Cady is a part of our lives. These bully dogs are amazing and we have sought out the education and support in order to give them the very best of lives. Having a dog such as this is a blessing but they require an environment that provides them with strong leadership and you have to be willing to sacrifice to provide them what they need. It is not different with any other working or sporting dog. However, if you are prepared and willing to make the sacrifice of time and leave your ego out of the equation and make it about what is best for them….. oh how they will enrich your life and return the investment two fold.

Photographers Note: As you can tell from the family photo, these folks have a full house. Not pictured here is their foster Remi (photos on the Shine A Light ATL Facebook page) and their 2 cats. So there is a lot going on and yet everything seems to be pretty darn balanced and running smoothly, at least from an outsider's perspective. It was really so impressive to see how much they work with their pups on training and structure, doing the same for their foster pup as well. Such a wonderful family and am so happy they are one of the many foster families out there helping dogs find their forever homes.

Now for those of us who own pit bulls and pit bull mixes we know that generally they are really some of the friendliest dogs to people and as Lee stated have never met a stranger, which is definitely Cady to a T. Then there was sweet Baxter, who at first just sat all tucked up within himself and trembled as he looked at me. I didn't push it with him, I let him make his own decisions. He eventually made the decision I wasn't so bad and warmed up, all the while checking back into his secure spots with his family, especially Will the oldest son. Cady was racing around the yard, playing frisbee and not a care in the world. Baxter was more tentative and reserved. When he came right up to me when I was sitting on the steps, solo no family encouragement or guide, got right in my face for a little snuggle, that is truly one of the best feelings.

Maverick & Avery - 2/11/17

Name: Maverick (2 y/o - 3 in May) & Avery (approx 2-3 y/o)

Family Members: Brandi & Jason

How long have Maverick & Avery been in the family? Maverick was rescued at 7 weeks old and Avery was rescued March 2015

Professions: Brandi - Director of Sales and Events for the Atlanta Hawks & Jason - Sales Rep for United Rentals.

Location: East Atlanta Village

Nicknames: Maverick: Mav, Mavy, Bubby, Bubs

Avery: Avy Girl, Baby Girl, Avery Jane (only when she is in trouble!)

5 of the best words/phrases that best describe Maverick & Avery?

Maverick:

Sensitive
Regal
Strong
Perfect (no really, to me he is perfection)
Relaxed

Avery:

Chaos
Wiggle Butt...actually full-on wiggle body
Rough and Tumble
Fierce Cuddler
Can't hold her licker

What makes Maverick & Avery unique? I'm not sure Mav has a behavior that is unique or maybe I think everything about him is unique. When he was a puppy, I called him Houdini. He could find his way out of any crate or gate, no matter what. When I realized the crate wasn't for him, I had an iron gate put into the doorway of my kitchen so I could gate him in there while I was gone. There was NO WAY he could get out; too tall to jump and too heavy to move. By day two, my strong boy figured out how to pull the gate up from the bottom and squeeze underneath. Needless to say, from about 4 months old on he was never crated. I may have lost a few things during the teething stage, but overall he was pretty amazing. He's a fast learner and has learned just about everything quickly and easily. He's incredibly smart and knows exactly how to read situations; with other dogs, other people, he just knows.

Avery may be the complete opposite of her brother. She's wild, she tests her limits, she acts deaf (but we are positive she can hear), yet she will literally squeeze as close to you as possible and love you fiercely. She has a way of picking up on your emotions and she reacts accordingly. When you're sad, she'll lay her head on your shoulder or anywhere, and won't move until you do. Oddly as rough and tumble as she is, she almost has a motherly instinct, she just wants to take care of everyone. She's a tomboy, will puff out her chest and basically protect her brother if she feels it's necessary. At the same time she just wants love from anyone and everyone. She craves attention and the reassurance. Avery loves with her whole body, she loves to love. Too close doesn't exist, either does personal space.

Rescue Stories: I (Brandi) had been interested in adopting for a while, but was scared about the time commitment and the amount of time I spent working. I’ve grown up with dogs and have always loved them, but had never been able to make the commitment on my own. I had grown in my career and as a single girl, knew my heart was open to a dog and had started the search for the perfect one. I searched all the adoption websites and there were so many beautiful dogs in need of a home, but still never saw one that just flipped the switch, until Maverick. His name was Vito originally, he was one of 10 puppies born to a dog at the GA SPCA. Five of his siblings were small, almost looked like boxers and the other five were bigger; all with the bully face. He was the only blue and his photo was perfect. He was play bowing with a look that just screamed “I’m going to cause you so much chaos but I’m going to be completely worth it.” It was simply love at first sight. I called immediately, they were closed of course and the very next day I was headed out of town. They had an adoption event that Sunday and I was first in line, but he wasn’t there. He was supposed to be, so I was convinced he had been adopted, my heart sank. A sweet volunteer saw the look on my face and called the SPCA directly for me and found out they had only taken half the litter to Petsmart that day. So after driving an hour, I waited until the SPCA opened 2 hours later. They let me into the visitation area and he came barreling towards me. Jumped right into my lap, army crawled up my chest and burrowed into my neck. After all that time analyzing and contemplating, it took less than 2 seconds for me to know he and I were meant to be a family. It was hard and he was exactly what you would expect from a puppy, but he was perfect and IS perfect. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

We don’t know the entirety of Avery's story as with many rescues. We weren’t even sure we were ready for a second dog. She wasn’t a bait dog or a fight dog, she didn’t have a heart-wrenching story or beat the odds. All we know was she was picked up as a stray in Fayette County and we found her at the Atlanta Humane Society. She was beautiful and from our vet, DNA tests, and her trainer, one could almost gather she was the product of backyard breeding. She’s 75% Staffy and 25% American bulldog, so who knows what her former owners had in mind. At nearly a year old she severely lacked in socialization, most likely crated or chained based on her fear of restriction but her desire to please was overwhelming, infectious and we couldn’t live without her. Avery joined her brother, Maverick and as much as I love a good fairy tale, ours was not. We lovingly designated her our firecracker, mischief-maker, instigator pup. If there was a line, she was crossing it. The pups were both the same age, under a year old – but Maverick, rescued at 7 weeks, had a social understanding that escaped her. She couldn’t go to daycare like he did and we had to research and find a behaviorist for help. So we learned to take a deep breath. As frustrated as we were, she didn’t know any better. Avery taught us patience and understanding, that nothing is perfect and change doesn’t happen overnight. She is only as good as we give her the opportunity to be and sometimes, that means slowing down, losing the expectations, and taking things one day at a time. Avery has seen more of the discrimination against her kind maybe because she looks the part; stocky body, block head, and she is definitely more territorial. She doesn’t like to be confined and has shown her fear. Often her fear is mistaken for aggression and it breaks my heart. She’s just an amazing dog. We still have to work with her all the time, every day. Give her time in new surroundings with new people. Not knowing her history has been a challenge and we don’t always know what upsets her or makes her react. A year later Avery is still learning, we are still learning and every day we are more proud of her than the next. She wasn’t perfect then and she isn’t perfect now, but she’s perfect for us.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Maverick loves the water. He hates baths, but loves the water. We take him and Avery to the mountains and to the lake where we play for hours. Living in the city and until recently in a townhouse, being able to let them run free is my favorite thing to do. We get dirty and muddy and smell like lake water, but it’s the best time and it’s always full of laughs.

Like, Maverick, Avery lives to run freely. She’s not great at the park especially if there’s a ball around. It doesn’t have to be hers, they are all hers in her mind. She’s not the sharing type, so we learned not to put her in a situation to fail. So we go to the lake and to the mountains. Where it’s quiet and she can just be free to be her and take in her surroundings.

What is life like since you rescued Maverick & Avery? My life has never been so full. For a while it was just me and Mav and my every day was dedicated to him. I rearranged my schedule, learned that working all the time wasn’t the key to happiness, stopped going out as much and traded in the “scene” for staying home with him. He grounded me, made me less selfish, more aware and lead me to the world of rescue. While I was never naive to the plight of many dogs in our area, I didn’t fully grasp it until I had him. I started following more rescues, reached out and did what I could to help. While I wish I could volunteer more of my time, I donate, share, advocate and hope in some small way I am making a difference. More importantly, Maverick has helped change the minds of many when it comes to the bully breeds. He’s not the typical body type and quite a few people don’t see him as a “pit” – and I guess really, he’s not. He’s a mixed breed, a rescue. I don’t label him and don’t let anyone else do so either. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted and he’s perfect. Staffy or otherwise. He’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

As with any change, there have been challenges and there have been triumphs. Maverick was easy so bringing Avery in changed a lot of things. But she opened my heart even more to the sheer greatness of these dogs. I’ve never met a dog that wants to love more than she does. She makes us laugh every day and her actions/antics can’t be described. I smile just thinking about it. She’s certainly one of a kind and has brought such a joy to our lives. She also challenged us to learn and to be more understanding; be patient. Take things one day at a time. Some dogs just need the right family to come along to make them the best they can be. She lives the good life and no matter what her life was before that, it’s a distant past.

Photographers Note: Brandi made the suggestion we meet at Oakland Cemetery for the photo shoot. For those who aren't familiar with Atlanta or this particular location. It's a beautifully historic cemetery dating back to the 1850's, with many of it's residents in the history books for this great city. You may think an odd choice for a photo shoot, but it is a photographer's dream. It also happens to be very dog friendly and a favorite spot for locals to walk their dogs.

Both of the dogs did great, a new place and some other pups around, but they handled it well. Mav just cracked me up because his general facial expression is very laissez faire, so to be able to capture a different expression was a fun challenge. Then there is sweet Avery, who has that beautiful pittie smile and the most beautiful light blue eyes. She was definitely having a ball with all the new smells. I thought she did great, it was clear all their hard work with her was paying off. Which brings me to the comment that Brandi makes above, which I love, "Some dogs just need the right family to come along to make them the best they can be". This is so true for all dogs that are looking for their forever homes, no matter what they look like. Every dog is an individual!

Mercy & Addie - 1/29/17

Name: Mercy (18mths) & Addie (8mths)

Family Members: Josie & Kevin -parents, Kara (12), Conner(9) & Kitty - cat (we're really creative)

How long have Mercy & Addie been in the family? Mercy - 4 months and Addie - 5 months.

Professions: Josie is a Kennel Manager for Hart County Animal Rescue and Kevin is a branch team leader at Regions Bank.

Location: Elberton, GA

Nicknames: Mercy: Mercy Moo & Merc

Addie: What are you eating now?

5 of the best words/phrases that best describe Mercy & Addie?

Mercy:

Incredibly Kind
Forgiving
Intuitive
Goofy
Strong

Addie:

Mischievous
Nurturing
Funny
Goofy
Sweet

What makes Mercy & Addie unique? Mercy has been through so much pain. The fact that her heart is so big is incredible. She loves everyone she meets despite having been essentially tortured. Her forgiveness & trust are traits that we should all aspire to have.

Addie is such a funny dog. She makes us laugh so much. When she was a little puppy I would carry her to her crate (like a baby) after she fell asleep. She now weighs 35 pounds and still expects that same service. When we ask her if she is ready for bed, she will roll to her back and stick her legs in the air. It's cute and funny but I really hope that she will stop growing soon!

Rescue Stories: A friend of mine and I volunteer to help animal control when needed. Mercy was brought in by city police severely injured over the weekend while the animal control officer was off duty. When she came in and saw the injuries she called my friend to come help doctor her. We all quickly went to work raising funds for a vet visit. I volunteered to take her to the visit and let her heal in my home. She was in so much pain that she couldn't lay down so I would sleep on the floor and hold her wounded end up so that she could get some rest. The vet said that the injuries had to have been caused by being dragged by a car. We like to hope that it was an accident and that no one could be so cruel however X-rays revealed a broken hip that had already healed. Once she was a little better, we got her vaccinated and found that she was heartworm positive. Officer Berryman, Mercy & I were interviewed by the local paper. It was amazing how our small community rallied to help this sweet little pit bull. In the meantime, she was microchipped, which then abscessed and had to be surgically removed. It has been one thing after another for her. She is now healed from all the wounds and a month post heartworm treatment and finally living a normal comfortable life.

A friend saw Addie for sale on Facebook. There was a man that was trying to buy her, This man was a known drug dealer and suspected dog fighter. We knew the situation would not have been for good for her if she was purchased by this man. So we managed to buy her to keep her out of harms way. She was only supposed to stay a few days but here we are 5 months later.

Mercy after being brought in. (notice the blur of the tail wag)

Settling in with Conner and getting much needed rest and healing time.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Mercy loves to snuggle and has spent most of her time with us healing from one thing or another, so we all spend a lot of time relaxing. She enjoys going shopping at our local Tractor Supply to pick out treats. Now that she is all healed up from everything we are so excited to take her on boat rides at the lake this summer.

Addie loves to eat, anything. She likes to work on learning tricks because she gets treats. She enjoys playing with her human brother, Conner and napping with her human sister, Kara. In the summer, we all love spending time at the lake. Addie really likes riding on the pontoon and playing on the beaches.

What is life like since you rescued Mercy & Addie? When Mercy came into our lives we were so focused on getting her well that there was not a typical adjustment period. Myself, family and friends all pitched in to do what was needed. Even our puppy Addie could tell that she was in pain and would just lay near her or sometimes lick her wounds. Pit Bulls are so sensitive to the needs of other dogs and people. Conner has severe ADHD and suffers from anxiety. Mercy has been so theraputic and calming for him after long emotionally draining days. We are truly blessed to have her in our lives.

Addie is such a funny and silly puppy, there's never a dull moment. She is definitely a chewer so we spend a lot of time chasing her down to take something away. She had to have surgery because she swallowed a ball so now we try to stay alert. She has always been great with the kids and the cat. She is a joy to have around.

Photographers Note: First I want to start with the fact this family drove to meet me 1/2 way for their photo shoot, since their home town is about 2 hours from Atlanta. I so appreciated their commitment to my little project and boy do they have a story to tell. They selected a wonderful park, Sandy Creek near Athens, that we basically had to ourselves on a sunny brisk winter day. We even got to get some great shots on the No Dogs Allowed Beach (shhhhh!) since there was no one around!

Originally Josie had just submitted Mercy to be featured but when they pulled up there was another adorable pitty in the car. When I asked about her (Addie), she said well I bought her so didn't think she applied but couldn't leave her home. Once I heard the story, I said that definitely qualifies as a rescue. Due to her quick thinking, she very likely prevented sweet Addie from being part of a world that no dog should ever be a part of. Money well spent!

To look at sweet Mercy, you would never guess the trauma she has already experienced in her young life. Josie sent me several photos of when she was first brought in and I chose not to show the more graphic ones, but believe me it was just heart wrenching seeing what happened to this sweet pup and then to add on what the vet assumed caused these injuries; so upsetting. I think her "before" photo above says it all about the resilience of these dogs, that blur of a tail while it wags away for whomever was holding the camera; not blaming anyone for her condition. These two pups have found a fantastic family to grow and be loved with, never knowing what their fates could have been. That's the way it should be!

Graham & Matilda - 1/28/17

Name: Graham (3.5 y/o) & Matilda (1.5 y/o)

Family Members: Sara, Adam & a baby brother on the way!

How long have Graham & Matilda been in the family? Graham was adopted a little over a year ago and March 1st will be 1 year with Matilda.

Professions: Sara is a CPA with a big 4 Accounting Firm and Adam is in Merger and Acquisitions for a Technology company.

Location: Alpharetta

Nicknames: Graham: Graham Cracker (We named him Graham because I thought his coloring looked like a Graham Cracker)

Matilda: Tilda, Tildy, Matilda Moo, The Little Princess

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Graham & Matilda?

Graham

Loyal
Playful
Disciplined
Athletic
Smart

Matilda

Fearless
Bouncy
Loving
Athletic
Protective

What makes Graham & Matilda unique? Graham is pretty much your typical pit, very cuddly and loving. He doesn't just wag his tail, he literally wags his entire body. It's super cute. There are certain moments when we can tell his life before us wasn't the best. He's very cautious around anything new and jumpy around certain noises. He doesn't like going outside at night if he's not on leash (e.g. letting him outside in our backyard). We suspect he was maybe left outside overnight by previous owners.

Matilda is so happy to be alive every day. She loves doing anything new and is totally fearless. She's truly a dog's dog and loves playing with other dogs. One of the day cares we take her to calls her the Mayor because she must be the first to greet all new dogs. She is the perfect balance to her brother and has the unique ability to calm him in situations where he may be uneasy.

Rescue Stories: Graham was our first dog. Adam and I have always wanted dogs however living in NYC for most of our relationship made it challenging. When we moved to Alpharetta getting a dog was top of our list however, prior to purchasing our home, we lived in a rental that didn't allow pets. The weekend before Thanksgiving, I convinced Adam to go check out some dogs at Atlanta Humane Society knowing we weren't at risk for an impulse adoption given our living situation and the fact that we were spending Thanksgiving in NY. Adam was open to any breed however I had my heart set on some sort of a pit mix. Adam was the one that noticed Graham (f/k/a Irin) first. It was pretty much love at first site. Unfortunately we knew we couldn't take him home that day. We spent Thanksgiving in NY and all we thought about was Graham. We got off the plane on Black Friday and drove straight to the Atlanta Humane Society. We told ourselves if he was still there we could take him home and figure it out. The rest is history. It was like he was there waiting for us. We don't know much about Graham's background. We were just told he was a transfer from somewhere in South Carolina and he had been in shelters for a while. Graham came to us very well behaved, however since Adam and I were inexperienced with dogs we decided to work with Josh Donohue of Argos Dogworks. This was a huge game changer for us and really helped build our relationship with Graham and our confidence as new dog owners.

Adam and I always knew we wanted to get a second dog so once we felt comfortable with Graham, we decided to ask Josh for advice on #2. This is when we were introduced to two local rescue organizations. Josh was really amazing in this process and even helped us with a meet and greet with one of the potential dogs. Our first priority was finding a dog that would work well with Graham. We met two dogs before Matilda so I guess she was lucky #3. Matilda (f/k/a Jewel) was with You Lucky Dog Rescue and at the time she was about 6 months old. While I am not sure it was love at first site between the dogs, there were a lot of good signs. We wanted a dog that could keep up with Graham without feeling the need to compete. Matilda was just that. At the time, she was still a floppy uncoordinated puppy but she tried her hardest to keep up with him. For example, when she couldn't run as fast as he could, she would try and outsmart him by cutting corners or hiding behind trees. After a few days of our trial period with Matilda, it was clear she was a perfect match for our pack. Since then they have become inseparable. Angela, Matilda's foster mom was amazing throughout the whole process. Matilda came to us very well trained and the support Angela provided was above and beyond.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Graham is super athletic so anytime we can get him outside and let him run and play is always fun. He loves to swim. One of the day cares near our house has a doggie pool and we noticed he seemed interested in playing but hesitant to jump in the water. So we invested in swim lessons! He he became quite the swimmer this past summer! He loves swimming to catch balls and will even bring them to the edge of the pool for his sister, who doesn't love the water as much.

Matilda loves running around the backyard with her brother. They love playing keep away with a ball and have even figured out hide and go seek. Matilda is happiest when she's with other dogs so both of our dogs frequent day care with all day play. We're a pretty active family so we're always outside. Matilda loves car rides so we take her out on errands as much as possible to farmers markets, coffee shops and even the frequent Home Depot run.

What is life like since you rescued Graham & Matilda? Graham definitely changed our life. For the first time we had to think about someone other then ourselves. Adam and I always say, we will never not have two dogs. Seeing Graham and Matilda together is just heartwarming. They are such different dogs which is what I believe makes them so perfect for each other.

I work from home so we spend a lot of time together. Graham's days involve running around our fenced in backyard, sleeping in sun spots in the office while I work, playing with his sister and a long 1 hour on leash walk almost every day. Matilda can be found sharing the sun spot with her brother or sharing a squeaky toy. At this point, Matilda is just as fast as Graham so they love running together.

Two months after adopting Matilda, we got pregnant so we're excited to start this next chapter of life with this pack that has truly become a family.

Photographers Note: So far Sara gets the best volunteer submission email award. She sent me this on January 26th "Hello - I would love to volunteer to share my families story! We have a pit/lab mix that we adopted from Atlanta Humane Society a little over a year ago and an american bulldog mix from YLDR (she was actually one of Angela's fosters). We live in Alpharetta and our schedule is pretty open however I am 39 weeks pregnant with our first baby. If you can't fit us in before, we could also try for sometime in March post-baby." Talk about playing it cool!! You will notice she doesn't actually tell me her due date, so I took that to mean she was ready to volunteer right up until she was going into labor. Luckily, my schedule had some changes and I was able to fit them in 2 days later. The first time I have been nervous during a photo shoot that one of my subject's might go into labor! After I arrived, she did share with me that she wasn't feeling so great in the morning and there was the question, "Are you in labor?" from Adam. Thankfully she started feeling better later and all went off without a hitch.

Now to the dogs, these two had me cracking up the whole time I was there. They have an enormous backyard to play in and were just running around having a ball. Their toy of choice being the stuffed football, which I appreciated with the Super Bowl approaching. Several times Graham did take a break to come over to see me, using his entire body tail wag that Sara mentioned above. These two really are the perfect pair. Graham can at times come across as the grumpy old man (even though he is only 3.5) and Matilda is just a happy new soul who just loves life; taking flying leaps off of high deck walls and just loving it. I can't wait to hear about what good siblings these two will be to their new human brother when he arrives. That kid is going to have a ball growing up with these two!

Side Note: The foster Mom - Angela mentioned in this story is one of our past contributors. Angela's family and Graycie their pit bull were featured back in November.

Gerrie - 1/15/17

Name: Gerrie - 6 years old???

How long has Gerrie been in the family? 1 year, 3 months

Family Members: Alicia & Dustin (parents), Katrina & Elijah (kids)

Professions: Dustin - Market Director for TrueBlue Inc., Alicia - former educator, presently a Fitness Instructor and stay at home Mom!

Location: Acworth, GA.

Nicknames: GerBear, Goog, Googie, JeepersCreepers, Nuggie, GERALDINE!

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Gerrie?

Loyal
Loving
Intelligent
Intuitive
Bonded/Attached

What makes Gerrie unique? Gerrie, like many family pets, is most happy when exploring and adventuring with us! She loves car rides as she knows she is on her way to accompany the kids & us on adventures. She smiles so big and just lets go of her "serious work" role. She has had us laughing hysterically as we watch her try new things and learn new things outside of her comfort zone Wherever we go, she has to find a place to dig a hole and build a "nest".

Gerrie is one of those dogs that gets super proud of herself when she does stuff, she recently showed it when she earned her Canine Good Citizen Reward!

Rescue Story: Prior to relocating here to Georgia last April, we lost both of our elderly rescue dogs to different forms of cancer within 2 months of each other. It was rough going through all of the changes and transitions happening in our lives. We tried to go without a fur family member until we were fully settled, but those darn PetSmart adoptions seem to be there every weekend during our errands and of course stopping by just to say Hello to the furbabies seemed harmless. We always let Kat and Eli "look", which never goes over well with any of us!

We received a business card from a gentlemen telling us about Friends of the Forlorn , we kept it. Before we knew it, we were on the website reading up on this rescue and staying up late reading the adoptabulls bios. We filled out an open application for FTTF and another rescue in the area. Shortly after, we received a phone call from a FTTF representative. She shared all of the information, explained the adoption process and presented some options. Normally, potential adopters may have a dog in mind, but for us, we learned that there are many hidden gems among the rescues and shelters. We'd be honored to have any of them join our family! We preferred that the staff and volunteers share with us their recommendations of dogs that would fit our family best. We requested an older dog, medium size but certainly were open to many options. Among the group of dogs listed was Gerrie. Gerrie had spent 3 1/2 years, I believe, with the rescue and never once got an application. We visited adoptions several times viewing each of the dogs, but in the end, we were so excited to begin the foster to adopt process with Ger to see if we were the right match. Gerrie fit in immediately, quickly taking a liking to the kids! Working Ger into our routine was seamless. She came crate trained, potty trained, a huge bag of expensive food, all up to date on shots, heartworm, etc. How wonderful is that?? She is SO eager to please and easy going. She was the perfect mix of playful, calm, loyaly and easily learns!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We LOVE taking Gerrie out in the boat on Lake Allatoona! Although she is able to swim, she loves to dig holes in the sand and lay in them! She's the old lady beach bum who simply likes to enjoy the fun from afar just watching her family.

What is life like since you rescued Gerrie? For us, having a dog(s) is something we could not go without. There is something that they add to your life that is so valuable. The dog we needed at this point in our lives found us. We have always chosen rescue when adding to our family for many reasons. People always comment on how lucky the dogs are, but it's a ridiculous comment, as we always feel WE are the winners a million times over. This time, we won BIG!! FTTF has become our family, away from family. So many of the volunteers have supported us in so many ways. We have made such great friendships with those that have been part of Gerrie's life. Such a great experience and so blessed.

Photographers Note: After several reschedules with this family due to weather or illness, we finally got to do the shoot and it was on just about the most perfect winter day you can get in Atlanta. We met up at Pigeon Hill Trail in Marietta and did a short hike to get to some great spots for photos. Alicia had mentioned that Gerrie can be slow to warm up to strangers, so I took my que's from her and really focused on the job at hand. Well before you know it, this sweet girl was coming right over to me while I was sitting on the ground and giving me kisses and love. Alicia sent me a note afterwards with the following: "Gerrie certainly made fast friends w/you & sensed you were a doggie lover! She doesn't warm up so quickly to many, so it was so wonderful for us to see her share those kisses so quickly w/you--even if they are a bit smelly, her kisses are the best! Hahaaa! " This made my day! There is something about knowing you have won over a pup that takes a little more time!

As we were finishing up the shoot, Alicia and I were chatting about a post written by Justice for Bullies I had shared on the Shine A Light Facebook page, related to the tendency that many pit bull advocates/owners over compensate the negative narrative with comments about how special pit bulls are and how different they are, when in reality they are just dogs. Yes, everyone's family pet is special to that family and they all have their own personalities but they are dogs regardless of what they look like. Alicia's comment to me that they have had pit bulls in the past, and to them it was just a family member...it never was a thought in their mind that they were adopting a pit bull. They were adopting a member of their family. We need more people out there like this family who think that way!

Moxy & Slater - 12/11/16

Name: Moxy (2.5 y/o) & Slater (2 years 3mths y/o)

Family Members: Alex & Lindsay

How long have Moxy and Slater been in the family? Both Moxy and Slater have been with us for 2 years.

Professions: Alex is an Account Executive for a media firm and Lindsay is a Paralegal.

Location: Decatur, GA.

Nicknames: Moxy: Mozzy, Mozzimous, Sausage Monster, Mama, Mooshie

Slater: Slater Tater, Tater, Tater Man, Mater Man

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Moxy & Slater?

Moxy:

Sweet
Sensitive
Snuggly
Demanding (mostly of noms and snuggles)
Protective

Slater:

Goofy
Intelligent
Entertaining
Sweet
Mischievous

What makes Moxy & Slater unique? Moxy is very in tune to others emotional state. If someone is upset in the house she will come up and provide snuggles and comfort until the upset person feels better. She is known at the dog park as the snuggle dog. Slater is the happiest dog. He is the Tony Robbins of dogs. He is always upbeat and will put anyone in a good mood.

Rescue Stories: We went down to DeKalb County Animal Shelter , looking for a new puppy after we lost our first pit mix. Slater was 9 lbs and the size of the average man's shoe (which he would be happy to chew on). Alex immediately fell in love, but unfortunately Slater was spoken for. We went to meet other pups but did not bond well with any. When we came back to his crate, we saw that his adopter had backed out, so we wrapped him up and took him home that day.

The same day, we met Moxy in the parking lot of the Dekalb County Animal Shelter. She was being surrendered and I (Lindsay) fell head over heels when I met her on the way in the building. We looked at other pups in the shelter, and when I walked down one of the aisles, she was in a kennel. I took her out to do a meet and greet; she, very gently, climbed up into my lap and kissed my face. That was the puppy kiss of true love. Her fate was sealed and we took her home.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Every Saturday morning we play tug of war with Slater's favorite tire toy and we go on a hike. Our favorite thing is hiking with the dogs. Moxy is up for anything. We all love the weekend adventures we have together. Slater knows both these words now, hike and tire. He will run and get his tire if you ask him and he runs to the door when you say the word hike, walk, park or go. It's super cute.

What is life like since you rescued Moxy & Slater? Shear pandemonium! Since we adopted both Moxy and Slater the same day, the first 6 months were interesting. We have learned many things over the last two years. Mostly, we have learned to be patient. Moxy is an incredible girl! The first few months were tough with her. She was in the middle of her chewing everything phase and she is part Labrador so it was excessive. Once we got through that, we have had the opportunity to watch an amazing doggie personality take form. Moxy has been integral in reducing her Mom's anxiety and panic attacks. We are even considering making her a therapy dog because she is so good at it. Moxy has improved our lives so much, and she is a wonderful ambassador for her breed! Her favorite things to do are snuggle and eat delicious noms, so as long as she has those things she is a happy girl and we are a happy Mom and Dad! Slater has brought us both countless hours of laughter, love and joy. We are blessed to have such great pups in our lives.

Photographers Note: It was a pretty chilly day by Atlanta standards the day we did our photo shoot. Thankfully Lindsay and Alex were prepared and brought the pups sweaters, which they both just look so cute in. Wish I would have had an extra layer myself as I made the decision to lay flat on my stomach in the middle of the Piedmont Park paved path to get the shot of them walking towards me. Thankfully it turned out just as I imagined, so the cold seeping through my clothes was all worth it.

Besides having such adorable pups, these two created a non-profit organization called Barbells for Bullies which is dedicated to being the champion for all Bully Breeds. Along with hosting fundraiser CrossFit competitions they also aim to find homes and fosters for many dogs in need. Such a great organization and it has to be one of it's kind. Hoping those of you who are CrossFit-ters or know folks who are, will share this organization around. They do competitions all around the US. We all need to support our fellow advocates and those who's objective is to find dogs in need of forever homes!

Lexi - 12/10/16

Name: Lexi - 1 y/o

How long has Lexi been in the family? 4 months

Family Members: Susan & Stephen

Professions: Susan is a Physical Therapist and Stephen is a Lawyer

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Leximoo (she looks like a cow), Lex & Croissant (she likes to lay curled up like a croissant)

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Lexi?

Playful
Perceptive
Intelligent
Adventurous
Cuddly

What makes Lexi unique? Lexi is a comfort princess and thinks she's human-like when getting ready for bed. She spends sometimes up to 30 seconds making her "nest" of covers and pillows, which she often doesn't approve of until the 3rd or 4th attempt. She'll spin around and pull covers or blankets together using her nose and mouth until she is satisfied that it'll be comfortable enough to lay her head on. No matter what she decides, when we wake up in the morning she has snuck in between the two of us with her head on the pillow or in one of our arms, laying 3 across.

Rescue Story: Susan was helping Atlanta Lab Rescue at their adoption day at the end of June 2016. She was handling a dog that was being kept in a kennel because it didn't have a foster home. That dog ended up being Alexis, now Lexi. She had a reputation from all of the ALR volunteers that knew her of having an energetic attitude and being very sweet. Her history was a little fuzzy but she was found as a stray and had difficulty staying with fosters which they believe was due to her high energy level; this is why she was back in a kennel. Lexi received a lot of attention at the adoption day and Susan thought she would be adopted by the end of the week, no doubts, and therefore decided to bring her home to foster the next day instead of taking her back to the kennel. Nothing worked out with those interested in Alexis at the adoption day, and within a month Susan and Stephen decided one night that they could not let her go. That evening they emailed ALR and asked to adopt her, which they were fortunate enough to do! Lexi has become an essential part of the family!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? One of our favorite things as a family to do is to go to the dog park and play fetch. Lexi loves tennis balls and running, so giving her the space to do so makes everyone happy and she's able to run and play with some other neighborhood pup friends at the same time.

What is life like since you rescued Lexi? Lexi has been a wonderful addition to the family, and even a favorite pup of the extended family when she spends the occasional weekend with "the cousins" if we have to go out of town. She is loved by all of our family and friends that have met or played with her; she loves people! She shows us how grateful she is daily by giving us her love through kisses and wags. She is a quick learner and took no time in being house trained and catching on to commands and tricks. Even when she is trying to be sneaky, like picking up an acorn on a walk, she is very well-behaved. She no longer has to be boarded and gets to sleep on a comfy bed snuggled up next to Stephen or Susan whenever possible. She has given us a bigger reason to get out and enjoy Atlanta, whether hiking or finding new trails or neighborhood loops to walk. She gives us something to look forward to with her excitement as soon as we walk through the door, especially after long days at work. Life wouldn't be the same without her!

Photographers Note: We had to reschedule our initial date for the photo shoot due to rain and a good thing we did because we ended up with a brisk sunny day, which made photographing this beautiful pup a dream and required very little editing on my part! (yeah) We met in a nice park that is between new condos/apartments still being built or still being filled with people. So there was no one there. Plenty of space for Lexi to play ball and race around. When she saw me approaching she immediately took a break from the ball playing and came over to greet me in her adorable red puffer coat. (I do love a pup in a puffer coat) A few pats from me and some sniffs from her and she was back at it! Occasionally she would come back and check on me in between ball tosses and get some more love.

It was so clear how bonded she is to Susan and Stephen. When Stephen went to the car to get a towel for me to sit on (so nice), she trotted right along after him. When another dog walked by she showed some interest in saying Hello, but immediately came back to her family when called. I couldn't believe she is only a year old and had only been with them for 4 months, so well behaved.

Here is the best part, Susan learned about Shine A Light through Finnley's story who was also rescued from Atlanta Lab Rescue. First of all, I love that the sharing of one story led to another and second who knew I was going to get all these volunteers from a lab rescue!! (I do love that this group does not discriminate on who they rescue, they currently have another pittie on their site named Carli) Just goes to show the power of sharing these stories!

Graycie - 11/26/16

Name: Graycie - 10mths old

How long has Graycie been in the family? She's been considered part of the family since Feb 7th when I first met her. She physically came to our house April 16, 2016 and we paid her adoption fee on May 14th, 2016.

Family Members: Angela & Melissa, Lexi (3.5 y/o Shepherd Mix), Jax (3.5 y/o Dobie Mix), Piper (1.5 y/o Whippet Mix (?) though she looks like she might have some Pit in her) - at the time of this photo shoot two fosters as well - Raelynn (1 y/o Catahoula/Staffy Mix) & Declan (2 y/o Husky/Shepherd Mix)

Professions: Angela is a Research Chemist for the CDC in HIV and Melissa is a corporate lawyer for Suntrust Bank.

Location: Austell, GA

Nicknames: All of them?! Hehe. Graycie is called Gray for short but really is known as Fatty Cakes or Bowling Ball, according to who you ask. I call her Miss Licks-a-lot.

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Graycie?

Licks-a-lo
Bowling Ball
Loving
Amazing
Resting Bitch Face (RBF) expert

What makes Graycie unique? She has never met a person or dog she doesn't like, yet she is very protective. She has unique eyes that have a deep soul about them and look right through you.

Rescue Story: We lost Belle our blue brindle pit in November of 2015 from cancer. It was a tragic loss and we took a couple of months to deal by fostering another blue pit from Bullseye Rescue. We knew we weren't ready to adopt another dog but we agreed when we were we would most definitely get a Pit because we didn't see how our family could be complete without one and we kind of defined ourselves by being Pit Bull parents. Currently the other 3 dogs in the house were not Pits.

You Lucky Dog Rescue posted the saving of a litter of puppies from a high kill shelter. They were born in the shelter the day before. They pulled them and as a volunteer foster for the organization, I was privy to all the behind the scenes. I was already so in love because 3 of the 4 puppies looked just like Belle when she was a baby. One in particular had the same white stripe down it's nose. I wrote the foster and asked the sexes of the pups. I was told that Bessie (the mom) had 4 boys. I was sad, cause I definitely wanted to adopt a girl. So I let it go. A week later Elana the foster mom wrote me and told me that she was wrong! That Bessie had one girl and she sent me a picture of the white striped blue brindle puppy. I made an appointment to go and meet her in two weeks. Bug (her name at the time) was 4 weeks old when I first held her and I knew deep down that she was my pup. The wife fell in love too and we told You Lucky Dog that we would be taking her as soon as the separation from Mom was to happen. Since I had parvo at my house (Bullseye Foster) I couldn't bring in a puppy right away so I lined up a temporary foster that lived closer and we worked out a sharing schedule on the weekends, where I would come and spend time with and take her places and such. She came to live with us in April and has been a wonderful addition to our pack.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? I love taking Graycie everywhere. She is my hiking friend , she loves to walk , and as a rather well rounded pup she handles social situations like a champ. We also love to take her to our best friend's house for play dates and bon fire nights.

What is life like since you rescued Graycie? It's been a wild ride so far and it's only getting better. She loves the pack and plays well with her siblings and all fosters. She has already been a foster sister to 3 dogs. 2 currently with us, and she is one of the best foster sisters. I can't imagine my life without her and though I miss Belle with a deep ache in my heart, Gray has been one of the best things we have done this year.

Photographers Note: When I read through Graycie's story and saw she was 10 months old, I thought oh this will be fun with a high energy pup running around. Graycie is the most chilled out puppy. Very calm in greeting me and sat perfectly for her bow tie shot....so well behaved and just as sweet as can be. (Angela wasn't kidding about those eyes, they are just mesmerizing) When I arrived all the other pups were in their crates and we started with just Graycie. Then they brought our her foster sibling Raelynn (pup on the far right of family shot) and the two of them ran around and played so I could try and capture some of their interaction (which is not an easy feat and I was not successful this time). Then it was time to bring down the rest of the pack for the family shot. One might think, with 5 dogs that must have been chaos. Completely the opposite....the shot I selected to post was one of many that turned out. Sure the dogs heads might turn here and there, but they weren't trying to run away. Definitely one of the easiest multiple dog shots I have had and 5 dogs is now my record! I will note that of all the family shots I took (and there was a lot), sweet Raelynn was in the same pose that she is in above, for about 95% of those shots. She is a model in the making and I hope her future family loves taking pictures cause she sure does love posing.

I love meeting families that are so committed to fostering dogs, like Angela and Melissa. That's a lot of work, especially when you already have 4 of your own but they take it on and do it so well. I was truly in awe of how great all these dogs got along. Their foster Declan had to stay inside because he is going through heart worm treatment and needed to keep calm. I did get an opportunity to meet him before I left though and he is such a handsome guy. Both Raelynn and Declan are available through BarkTown Dog Rescue.

Sirus, Capone & Dempsey - 10/22/16

Name: Sirus (2.5 y/o), Capone (2.5 y/o) & Dempsey (1 y/o)

Family Members: Elliot & Brittni

How long have Sirus, Capone & Dempsey been in the family? Sirus and Capone have been with us for 2 years and Dempsey for 4 months.

Professions: Elliot is an Information Security Consultant and Brittni is a Radiologic Technologist

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames:

Sirus: Bubba & Wiggle Butt

Capone: Bubba and Cheese Ball

Dempsey: Bubba, Doodle Bug and Dempsey Doodle

5 of the best words/phrases that describes these 3 boys?

Sirus: 1. Snuggly 2.Wiggly 3. Goofy 4.Happy 5. Can sleep anywhere

Capone: 1. Loves to sit in chairs 2. Energetic 3. Playful 4. Sweet 5. Loves to be held

Dempsey: 1. Happy 2. Playful 3. Energetic 4. Goofy 5. Hungry

What makes each of these guys unique? Sirus is such a fun and loving dog who is excited to see anyone who walks through the door. When he gets excited he gets so wiggly, most dogs wag their tail he wags his whole body. (thus the nickname wiggle butt). Capone also gets super excited when he sees people he knows. There is no way to stop him from jumping around and when he runs he pulls his mouth back so that it looks like he is smiling. (that is why we call him cheese ball because he "cheeses" when he runs). Dempsey's left ear is always up! He is such a big goofy personality that never wants to stop eating or playing.

Rescue Stories: We had just moved in together and decided we wanted to rescue a dog. We rescued Sirus from Fulton County Animal Services when he was 5 months old. He was a stray that they took in when they found him wandering the street and malnourished. As soon as we got him home we started spoiling him rotten! We did have to take it easy at first because we had to treat him for kennel cough, as well as fatten him up because he was so skinny.

When we decided Sirus needed a buddy, we started looking at Fulton County Animal Shelter again and couldn't help but notice Capone looked identical to Sirus and was the exact same age. When we inquired about him we found out he was found tied up outside a house just 2 blocks from where Sirus was found. Our vet actually thinks they may be from the same litter. Capone was also malnourished, when he was found by animal control he had no food or water anywhere near where he was tied up. When we met him we were instantly in love and the meet and greet went great! So the next day we brought Capone home. Once we got home things didn't go so great with Sirus, they weren't getting along. So two days later we were discussing having to take Capone back even though it was the last thing we wanted to do. As we were having this horrible conversation we looked over and the boys were actually playing! Since that day they have been inseparable! The inability to separate them became a problem when we found out Capone was heart worm positive (the shelter didn't know it because it can take up to 6 months after infection to get a positive test). Since he is so easily excited and always playing the vet suggested we separate them while he goes through treatment (my parents were so amazing and offered to take care of Sirus while we treated Capone. We can never thank them enough). We are happy to say treatment worked, he is negative and the boys are back together and couldn't be happier!!

We found Friends to the Forlorn through Facebook and began noticing the events that they have. We decided to go to their Pups and Pints event and there Dempsey was! We instantly fell in love with him and left the event to go home and put our application in for adoption. Dempsey definitely didn't have an easy start to his life, at 7 months old Dekalb County Animal Control found him tied up outside a CVS with severe mange and an eye infection. Thank goodness for Friends to the Forlorn for getting him from animal control and getting him healthy. For more on Dempsey's story, click here.

Sweet little Dempsey, can't believe it's the same pup!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Sirus is a pretty lazy dog, his favorite activity is probably napping. He also loves going for walks down by the river (and maybe in the river if it is warm enough. Capone is always up for a walk anywhere! He also loves running around in circles in the back yard. Just like his brothers, Dempsey loves going for walks and running around in the yard. He always gets everyone riled up and playing, he never wants to stop!

What is life like since you rescued the boys? Life has gotten better since they came into our lives. Sirus and Capone are inseparable, they are definitely meant to be. Capone is our little goober, he is always so excited and happy about everything! He hardly stops playing unless you get him to roll over for a belly rub. Since we have rescued Dempsey our house has gotten even crazier, in a good way of course! Dempsey is the perfect compliment to Sirus and Capone. He can keep up running and playing with Capone and power naps with Sirus!

Photographers Notes: Walking into Elliot and Brittni's house is kind of like walking into a pibble sitcom. You have Sirus, who has this little grumpy look on his face...always ( I thought he looked like the dog version of Grumpy Cat), Capone who is always looking for action and Dempsey is the lovable clown. They all have very different personalities but they are all lovable, sweet as can be and truly interact just like human brothers would in an active household. When they were running around the backyard, I was cracking up laughing because you may have noticed that Capone and Sirus are little more long legged then their smaller stockier little brother. Which means they are quite fast and sweet Dempsey would do everything he could to keep up, even at one point just grabbing on to Capone's leg in the hopes he might slow him down or Dempsey could gain some ground. This was probably one of my most entertaining photo shoots to date, they were just hilarious. I will also say as I was editing the photos and going through the 200+ that I took, I literally squealed with delight when I saw I got all 3 of them in a Bow-tie shot! My first Bow-tie 3-fer!!!!

I love these pups story for so many reasons, first that they were able to reunite brothers and then because sweet Dempsey got such a happy ending to his story. So often people will see pups with mange and pass them by, because they are not "pretty" or they think they are sick/contagious. Dempsey is a fantastic example of a pup with a horrible case of mange who blossomed into such a gorgeous dog. Can you even believe it's the same dog from the before and after photos?!

It should also be noted, shortly after we completed the photo shoot, I learned that this wonderful family was fostering another FTTF pup. A female this time...I joked with Brittni that she needed to get some more female energy in that house!

Roxy - 10/16/16

Name: Roxy - 2 y/o

How long has Roxy been in the family? 10 months

Family Members: Kristin, Henry (beagle) & Guinness (cat)

Profession: Development for Shepherd Center

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nickname: Foxy Roxy

5 words/phrases that best describe Roxy?

Cuddly
Spunky
Wiggly
Smart
Playful

What makes Roxy unique? Despite having been a stray on the streets the first year of her life with no home or good care, Roxy has tremendous love and trust for all people, regardless of sex, color, race or age. She has never met a stranger.

Rescue Story: Months after losing my senior dog Jake to a long, tough battle with liver cancer, I went to Cobb County Animal Control to look for a new companion for myself and my seven year old beagle Henry. After visiting with a few dogs, Roxy (then Tally) beckoned me to come and see her. She was a year old, much younger then I was initially seeking. She had been picked up by animal control as a stray, no history or information. She had visible signs of having had puppies very recently (no sign of them) and was missing a lot of hair on her back and was thin. The shelter volunteer said she was overlooked because people thought she was "ugly" due to her postpartum state or "sick" due to the hair loss. The last thing I care about is what a dog looks like, and I could see she had a sweet personality, so I took her out to the yard. We bonded instantly. This happy, wiggly little girl also seemed to have a soulfulness to her that I connected with. We both had a tough year it seemed and maybe we could be good friends.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Snuggling! Despite being a young dog, Roxy loves nothing more then a day on the couch or sleeping in late. She gets as close as she can to me and is as happy as can be! That down time is good for me as well, I have learned to "turn off" and relax more.

What is life like since you rescued Roxy? It had been years since I had a dog as young as Roxy, and she has brought a wonderful new energy to our home. I love her enthusiasm, playfulness, sense of humor and joy. Within in two weeks of love and care, all of Roxy's hair had grown back in. She is perfectly healthy. She just needed a good diet, love, trust and security. I'm so glad I could provide that for her. She seems to love her new life with us. She goes to daycare, the dog park, has many dog and human friends, and cuddles with me every night. She's a fast learner with commands and tricks. I have brought her to Shepherd Center where I work. She did beautifully with patients in wheelchairs so I feel she may have a future as a therapy dog. My other dog Henry, an old soul by nature, has much more energy and is very playful around Roxy. She has brought new life to him too. She makes me smile and laugh every day. Roxy and I have many years ahead together of friendship, love, fun and adventures.

Photographers Note: When I pulled up to Kristin's house I was immediately greeted at the door by Roxy and Henry. Kristin is not kidding about her love of people. She was so excited for a visitor and really just wanted to be near me the whole time. Which was just sweet but also challenging when we were trying to get her to play so I could get a photo of her in action. Her thought was, "Yeah, no I will just come sit near this new person who keeps loving on me". This girl has her priorities straight. Hopefully after that visit I am now among her human friend collection! Kristin mentioned the shelter thought she was a pit/chihuahua mix, can definitely see that. She has the build of a pittie in this cute tiny little package. Such a wonderful combination. Both she and her brother were so much fun to spend time with!

Neva & Chunk - 10/9/16

Name: Neva (11 y/o) & Chunk (7 y/o)

Family: William, Jessica & Issac (human little brother - 11 months)

How long have Neva and Chunk been in the family? Neva has been in the family 8 years and Chunk for 5.5 years.

Professions: Both Jessica and William are Engineers

Location: Manassas, VA.

Nicknames:

Neva: Neva Boo, Boo, Sweet Neva Cakes

Chunk: Chunkalicious, Chunky Butt, Big Sexy

5 of the best words/phrases that best describe Neva & Chunk?

Neva:

Devoted
Stoic
Playful
Polite
Ladylike

Chunk:

Charming
Social Butterfly
Snuggle Buddy
Softie
Love Bug

What makes Neva & Chunk unique? Neva is solid white with a beautiful physique, reminiscent of the pit bulls of the past. She is very loyal to us and has taught us so much about caring for a dog. Chunk has beautiful, unique markings and a personality that makes him stand out in the crowd. Everyone we meet wants to pet him and he is happy to oblige.

Rescue Stories: Neva was our first adoption and our first dog as a family. We adopted her at 3 years of age from Homeless Animal Rescue Team (HART). We had been looking for dogs and decided a pit bull would be the right fit for us, i.e. active, short hair, healthy breed. We looked for about 2 or 3 months before we met Neva at a HART adoption event. She was calm and quiet at the adoption event and that really appealed to us. We filled out the adoption application and she came home to us the next week. When we met Neva it felt like it was meant to be. We needed her as much as she needed us. She was my new office mate since I was working from home. She came from the Montgomery County Maryland animal shelter and was with her foster for 2 weeks. To this day, if we see her foster Dad she can spot him from 20 yards away and gets so excited to see him.

We foster dogs and had been fostering for a couple of years before we met Chunk. The coordinator of the rescue showed us a video of another dog she was interested in and Chunk was the dog they used to dog test the other dog. We weren't that interested in the other dog, but immediately asked who Chunk was. As it turns out, this was his second stint at the shelter since his owner was in jail for a second time. This time he wasn't going to be able to get him out and the shelter really wanted Chunk to get out of the shelter. About a week later, we went and visited the big guy and boy was he full of life. He was the friendliest dog with a lot of personality, but wow was he excited. Since there was no available visitation room, we only got to interact with Chunk by walking him around the hallways of the shelter. When we put him back in the kennel, he sat down and leaned against the kennel door begging for us to pet him some more. When we stopped petting, he sat there and hung his head low, and that was it. We said we would take him and foster him for the rescue.

We took him in as a foster and Jessica fell in love with him immediately. I really liked him, but he was a super excited boy and was very excited with other dogs. We had been wanting to adopt another pit bull and we had Neva as well. I was worried we wouldn't be able to continue to foster since he was so excited with dogs. We took him to the adoption events, but Jessica didn't want to hold him because she wanted to keep him. One day we got an email that someone was interested in adopting him and had adopted a pit bull from the rescue before. Jessica immediately teared up at the thought of him leaving, so at that moment we decided to adopt him and signed the adoption paperwork the next week. He is our foster failure and has been a wonderful addition to our family. Chunk has been with us for almost 6 years. He has helped us foster 20+ dogs ranging from pit bulls to dobermans to chihuahuas, all after adopting him. He has been a great and welcoming dog to foster with.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We really love to just hang out with our dogs anytime. We love to take them hiking. Neva loves to hang out anywhere with us especially in the back yard sunbathing. Chunk is an excellent frisbee dog and will catch the frisbee until he can't run any more. Unfortunately, he tore one of his ACL's in late 2014, then tore the other ACL in January of 2016, so we haven't been able to do frisbee for a couple of years now. His ACL's were surgically repaired so he is a bionic dog now!

What is life like since you rescued Neva & Chunk? We can't imagine our lives without them. They have been such great companions to us on the good days and the bad. No matter what kind of day you have, they meet us at the door with tails wagging and always put a smile on our faces. They have helped us to foster so many dogs, something we wouldn't have even thought about doing until we adopted them.

Neva was very calm at home for about the first month and then she really came out of her shell. We thought we had a therapy dog, but boy were we wrong. As it turns out, her calmness was really fear and she is fearful of new people. While she is fearful of people, she loves dogs and animals and is very gentle. She loved going to the dog park to run and play with big and little dogs. She even went to dog daycare and everyone loved her because she was so polite and sweet. With Neva's fear of people and new places, we had to really work with her to help her overcome these challenges. This resulted in us doing a lot of research into training and working with her. She still needs time to get to know people but once you are in her circle of trust, she remembers you forever and gets very excited to see you. Our work has paid off to the point where she could participate in the photo shoot for this project. She was quite calm and relaxed.

Neva also exhibited separation anxiety once she bonded with us. This also led to reading and research in how to deal with this issue. Her separation anxiety improved once we started fostering other dogs. That led us to keep our eye out for a male dog to be her permanent playmate..which was Chunk! Neva has opened our eyes to dogs and dog training, we wouldn't have been able to help so many fosters without learning from and working with her. She is a loved member of the pack and is very gentle with our 11 month old son Isaac. Our involvement with dog rescue and dog training all started with Neva and for that we are thankful.

Now Chunk is always eager to go on any adventure with us. He loves to go for a car ride. We joke that he is our frat boy! He loves to hang out when we have friends over and will even steal their beers. Chunk is our social butterfly who we love to take on social outings. He has even attended baseball games with us.

Photographers Note: When William and I first started communicating about volunteering, he sent in a questionnaire for just Chunk. When I read through the story, I asked about their other pup. He wasn't sure how she would be, so we decided to play it by ear. When I arrived, both pups were in their crates and we needed to do a settle down period for Mister Personality, Chunk. So William brought him out on leash and I ignored him until the excitement of a new person in the house to love on dissipated. I spent the time just chatting with William and Jessica about all the wonderful work they do with fostering and rescue. Then William brought out Neva, she was a little shy and nervous at first, but seemed to start to relax pretty quickly. I didn't push it with her, I let her make the decisions on when she wanted to come up to me. While I was sitting on the ground, she did come and say hello to me once or twice. Of course this just made my heart melt, because the feeling you get when a shy dog decides to trust you, is just amazing. I was truly honored she warmed up to me that quickly. I so appreciate people who take the time to do what is needed to make their dogs happy and to help them through challenges, because not everyone would.

While taking their individual photos, I learned about " Zen Neva", where she likes to crawl under the low branches of the trees and through the long ornamental grass and get a bit of a massage usually accompanied by a very "zen" look on her face. (the reason for the photo of her in all the grass) For Chunk, William thought it would be ok to dust off his frisbee for a few throws to show his stuff. You could just see the glee on his face when that was brought out.

Such a beautiful family and a wonderful pleasure to chat with them and spend some time in their space!

Izzie - 10/9/16

Name: Izzie - approx. 4.5 y/o

How long has Izzie been in your family? She came to us in September 2013, just over 3 years ago.

Family Members: Angie, John, Aiden (Human child - 11 y/0), Allie (K9 Child - Boston Terrier 7.5 y/o)

Professions: John is a retired Army officer after spending 27 years in and now works for The Home Depot. Angie is what we called in the army "Household Six" ("six" being the commander)

Location: Northern Virginia

Nicknames: Izzie Bear, Izzie Pizzie, Izz, Pretty Girl

5 words/phrases that best describe Izzie:

Spoiled Rotten
Playful
Affectionate
Loyal to her peeps
Loving

What makes Izzie unique? Her ability to sound just like Chewbacca, her overbite, which makes her tongue hang out and her constant happiness.

Rescue Story: I will start by giving props to an organization - Pets for Patriots. John, being an active duty service member, discovered them. They work with local shelters and pay adoption fees for dogs over 2 years old, special needs animals and dogs over 40lbs. "Lucy" (now Izzie) was 26 lbs at intake and 41 lbs when we brought her home.

We had just put our 15 year old Boston Terrier, Cannon (also known as Bucky) down on Tuesday. Cannon was the love of Angie & Aiden's "dog life" - it was horrible. We knew we weren't meant to be a 1 dog family , but never thought we would be looking at a dog that Saturday. We always look - but just look- at the dogs online. This time we saw "Lucy", who lived with a foster family in D.C. We made arrangements to go see Lucy on Saturday. So all of us, including Allie went to meet her. Everything went well so we took her and Allie for a walk together, that also went well.

We decided we wanted to take her home. So we went to the shelter to find out more about Lucy. Apparently she was abandoned in a basement with another male pibble when the people moved out. WHAT? They moved out and left their dogs? Sure, happens more then we know. Disgusting. Don't know how long she was in that basement, but had been in the shelter and foster care for 4 months. We decided not another day would go by that "Lucy" would not be a part of the family.

Went to lunch at Jimmy Johns, talked some more and decided that we weren't going to have a Lucy dog and we all decided that her name in our family was going to be Izzie. We went to Petco Unleashed and bought her all sorts of stuff and waited for the paperwork to be done. Back to the foster home we went and Izzie was ours!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Angie is the dog cuddler in the house. Izzie and Allie both sleep with us. Izzie "spoons" her human (she cannot possibly get any closer then she does) and Allie sleeps under the covers between Angie's legs. John and Izzie play with tennis balls.....Endlessly!!

(Did you know if you spray them off with the sprayer in the sink and then run them through the dishwasher, they come out neon yellow again?)

What is life like since you rescued Izzie? Izzie fits. She has brought so much love for the breed to us. They are nothing but goofy lovers. Aiden has friends in and out almost every day - she loves to see each one of them and lets them know she is available to play if they like. She knows when his bus comes down the street and waits by the garage door. She hears John's car pull in and again waits by the garage door. (I'm not sure what she does when I come home, but she's always by that door - waiting for someone to come in)

She's a goofy girl, she loves to throw a carrot around the living room like it's a super special expensive toy. More then anything (other then her humans) she loves her tennis balls. If we'd let her, she would play with them 24 hours a day!

Photographers Note: I have known Angie and John for over 20 years. In fact, it was both Angie and my sister who encouraged me to fly to DC for the Million Pibble March, which is what started the idea for Shine A Light. So when I had the idea to come to the DC area for my first remote session, I knew that Angie and John would be the top of my list for volunteers.

Izzie has these beautiful intense golden eyes and insane muscular shoulders, which I think just keep getting bigger from all the ball playing. Looking at her imposing frame, says nothing about the sweet goofy girl she is.... This girl, is all about her ball. We cracked up when I was shooting her during play time, because I captured her ears straight up (like in the photo above) and they had never seen her slowed down enough to see that particular pose. As long as I have known them they have always had Boston Terriers but I think based on the "looking" that was going on while I was staying at their house on this weekend, another Pibble may be joining their household sometime in the future. In the mean time, I am just so happy for Izzie that she went from such a horrible situation to hitting the jackpot with this family, where loving and spoiling dogs is a necessity and a requirement!

Sparky - 10/8/16

Name: Sparky - 8.5-ish y/o

How long has Sparky been in the family? 2.5 years

Family Members: Charlie, Patty, Julius (10 y/o) & Jeter (Chihuahua)

Profession: Police Officer

Location: Montclair, VA

Nicknames: Buddy, Knuckles

5 words/phrases that best describe Sparky?

Loyal
Attentive
Friendly
Playful
She is every person and every dogs friend!

What makes Sparky unique? She is very tolerant of all people and other dogs.

Rescue Story: Sparky was at the Prince William County animal shelter for 3 months. She was reported to be a stray and came into the shelter; maybe she was abandoned by her owner. 3 months is a long time for a dog to be housed at the shelter. My girlfriend, Patty, befriended this dog at the shelter while volunteering there. She had been adopted once and returned after one week. When she came back to the shelter she had bite marks around her head and on her legs and chest. She was attacked by another dog at the residence of the people that adopted her. During that week she had also been spayed. I went to the shelter at the request of Patty to meet the dog. I never had any desire to have this breed of dog. I was concerned about the perception of having such a dog. However, my contacts at the shelter said she was a very pleasant dog with a good disposition.

Upon my arrival at the shelter I was able to meet the dog, walk the dog, and watch her interact with other, and smaller dogs. She just wanted to play. Other employees at the shelter were overheard mentioning the extent of the bite marks she had and that they were down to the bone and would become infected. I met with the staff vet, who granted me permission to take the dog immediately , as long as I continued her treatment of antibiotics.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Sparky has no favorite or special pastime. She just wants to be included, she wants to go. She wants to go for a walk , she wants to ride in the truck. She just wants to be included.

Photographers Note: My photo shoot with this family came together later in my scheduling process for volunteers in the area, and I am so glad that it did. After I returned from Baltimore and yes was stuck in traffic (no surprise to those who live in the area), I was able to run over to their home and get their photo shoot completed pretty quickly. It was such a pleasure to meet this sweet senior girl. She really does love all people and greets her visitors so warmly. We joked when they brought out their second dog Jeter, he was the one that you had to be weary of....I didn't try to pet him after that warning. : ) Meanwhile that tough pit bull was all love and affection. Sparky is yet another fantastic example of what great family dogs these pups are. I am so glad she is spending her later years in a loving home and out of a shelter.

Daisy & Charlie - 10/8/16

Name: Daisy (4+ y/o) & Charlie (2 1/4 y/o)

Family Members: Sani, Howard, Isabel (26), Jackson (23)

How long have Daisy & Charlie been in the family? Daisy for 4 years and Charlie for 2 1/8 years

Professions: Technology (Sani) & AAG for Maryland (Howard)

Location: Baltimore, MD

Nicknames: Daisy: Missus. Charlie: Carlos

5 of the best words/phrases that best describe Daisy & Charlie:

Daisy:

Lover
Hates the rain
Couch Potato
Bed pillow hugger

Charlie:

Enthusiastic
Toy Obsession
Thinks he is a 2 lb Chihuahua
Food Lover
Wiggle Butt Extraordinaire

What makes Daisy & Charlie unique? Daisy is a people lover and Charlie's wiggle butt showing his excitement to see you.

Rescue Story: Our son, Jackson, was responsible for the rescue of both Daisy and Charlie. Daisy was found on the side of Interstate 270 by a friend of his co-worker at a lab where Jackson was working for the summer. The friend and co-worker tried to find her owner. When they could not, Jackson called and asked if we could take her to keep her from going to the pound and, ostensibly, as a way station to a foster home and a forever home. That was four years ago. We guess that she was about four months old when we took her in. She had no tags, collar or chip but was in good health. We have no information about her history but suspect she was turned out by someone who could no longer keep her.

Fast forward two summers and Jackson was working at the same lab. Somehow, he found out about a puppy at a garage. He drove out to the place and, this time unbeknownst to us, took Charlie in. Charlie was approximately 8 weeks old at the time. He had a bad case of worms and kennel cough, weighed in at 2.47 lbs. He was tiny and could be held in the palm of your hand. Jackson nursed him back to health and he's now a robust 85+ pounds.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Long walks and cuddling on the couch. Charlie also likes to play fetch.

What is life like since you rescued Daisy & Charlie? Life is better with a dog! Given the circumstances in which they were found, i.e., the side of a busy highway and sick with no medical attention, we think both are lucky to be alive and certainly happy to be in a house with people who love and take care of them.

Photographers Note: During my weekend in DC, I took a short road trip to Baltimore on the Saturday to meet this wonderful family. Sani had asked if it was ok for them to meet me outside with Charlie, as he is a big boy and gets very excited meeting new people in the house. When I arrived, Sani met me outside and said Howard and Charlie were around the corner. As we turned the corner, the first thing I see is this massive head and then the most beautiful brindle coat. As mentioned above, he is a big boy so from a distance you could see how he might be intimidating but as soon as you get close, you just see this very goofy puppy who has no idea of his size and just wants to love on you. So we all walked back to the house together and Charlie was so good. When we entered the house, I was greeted by Daisy. Talk about night and day. You have this big lumbering, not in full control of his body playful boy, then you have Daisy who is quiet and gentle. She came right over to greet me and jumped up, but she was the most soft footed dog I have ever met. I barely felt her paws on my side, it was just a slight pressure to let me know she was there and wouldn't mind a head scratch. She is very serious and reserved compared to her younger brother, but while Charlie was all about his Kong, Daisy was all about me and soaking in some additional attention for the new person in the house. When we sat on the couch to chat about the pups and talk about logistics, Daisy jumped up and tucked herself in right next to me. Then proceeded to drape herself across my lap (photo evidence below). My heart just melted.

With all the dogs I meet doing this project and all of their individual personalities, the one constant is the trust and affection they show me. Some may take a little longer to get there, others like Daisy act like we have known each other forever, but there is always that constant. Then I think to myself, the people that fight against these dogs have never really met these dogs. The dogs that have loving homes and people that take care of them. These dogs are individuals just like you and me, the only thing they all have in common with each other is their inherent goodness.

Max & Macy - 10/7/16

Names: Max (10 y/o) & Macy (2 y/o)

Family Members: Carolyn, Crook & Pearl (Sugar Gliders)

Profession: Nurse

Location: Ashburn, VA

Nicknames:

Max: Maxy, Maxy Boy, Maxy Pooh, Boo Boo, Boo Bear

Macy: Maniac Macy Monster, Mace, Macy Girl, Boo Boo, Baby Boo

5 of the best words that describe Max & Macy?

Max:

independent
tolerant
side-kick
people-pleaser
best smile ever

Macy:

affectionate
agile
clever
maniac
sweet

What makes Max & Macy unique? Max is a very good big brother to his adopted sister Macy. While Macy is completely and totally random. I never know what's running through that crazy brain of hers. I look at her quite often and think to myself, what in the world is she doing? She is very entertaining!

Rescue Stories: Max came from a very loving home. He lived with a family that loved him very much. I was in that home a lot, but didn't really bond closely with him. I wasn't what you would call a "dog person". He seemed big to me, and I was a little reserved around him. I didn't really want to pet him and I didn't know what to do with him or how to act around him. I didn't know for sure what kind of a dog he was when I met him, but later found out he was a pit bull. It was the first one I had ever seen with natural ears and tail! I had only ever seen pit bulls on TV and pictured them as looking tough. Max does not look tough! I had heard stories about pits, and knew there were some people close to me that did not speak highly of them, but I didn't have any personal experience with them. The owner of the property they were renting at the time knew that Max was a pit bull but chose to not enforce the breed restrictions that were in place. Then one day a neighbor complained and the owner could no longer ignore the rules. The family was given a time frame of when Max the pit bull, which was a restricted breed, had to be removed from the property. My friend tried to find him a new home, but was unable. He was going to surrender Max to the shelter. This dog was his best friend and the only constant in his life. I will never, ever forget the look on his face when time ran out and he was going to bring Max to the shelter. I told him Max could stay with me, but only until he could find a new place to live that didn't have breed restrictions. At the time, I did not want a dog in my house. I had just bought my first home, and I was a germaphobe. The thought of a dog bringing bacteria into my home was a lot to deal with. I was still at a point where I basically had to wash my hands every time I pet him, plus I didn't know what to do with a dog. That look in my friend's eyes didn't give me any other choice. So I offered to keep Max at my home....and that was about 8 years ago! I wouldn't change it for the world. Max was officially re-homed. I am so fortunate that his original family is still so much a part of his life. My friend is able to see him all the time and still helps to take care of him. But Max is certainly my baby!

Macy's story starts with me walking to my friends house very late one night along a usually busy street. My friend walked right past Macy in the dark, but something caught my eye. I thought it was a baby deer, as there are many of them in this area. I saw an animal curled up in a little ball, nearly underneath a truck on the side of the road. I walked up slowly and found that the little ball was a dog. I didn't want to approach her to quickly so I bent down to take a look. She could barely lift her head up and seemed to be in pretty bad shape. To this day I have NO IDEA why I had a zip-lock bag of peanut butter cereal in my pocket, but I did. I tossed a few pieces in her direction until I could lure her towards me. She was very calm and did not appear to pose a threat so I got close to her then. Meanwhile my friend got Max and brought him down. He investigated and seemed to approve of the next step of bringing the dog inside to check her out. I wrapped her up in my sweatshirt and walked home with her in my arms. She was far too weak to stand, much less walk. I knew pretty much right away she was going to need to go to the ER. In the middle of the night, I went on my way to the ER by myself. I didn't know what I was going to do with her, I didn't have a plan. I just didn't want her to die and I certainly didn't know enough about dogs to know how close that time was for her. The vet couldn't tell me what would happen with her if she was ok and they wouldn't treat her if somebody didn't make payment. I had wanted to get another dog for a long time, but I was never in the position to do so. I especially wasn't at this time. I had quit my job earlier in the year for ethical reasons and had spent most of my summer in the hospital, part of that time on life support. When I found Macy, I was still recovering and had not started working again so I had no income. I was in a worse position then ever to take in another dog. I signed the papers anyway and became her Mom. It was a $700 visit, which was just the beginning, but she was healthy enough to come home with me that morning.

She had a horrific case of demodex mange, secondary skin infections, abrasions, needed a few staples and although her stool was negative, she looked like she had a wormy belly. Her skin was just hanging off her because she was so underweight. She smelled horrible! Her mange was overwhelming and stunk up the whole house. I was still recovering and had not moved back home yet, so thankfully my dear friend helped me and kept her with him for awhile. I'm still jealous of the time they got to spend together in the beginning. Macy required months and months of treatments and medications, but she is perfectly healthy now with a beautiful coat of fur.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love to play with bubbles. Max goes nuts over them. It is the one time he really lets loose, enjoys himself and acts crazy. He is usually quiet, calm and regal, but with bubbles he is hilarious.

Macy loves to be chased by other dogs and wrestle. She instigates these activities with her big pit bull brother and they make me laugh hysterically.

What is life like since you rescued Max & Macy? Initially it was kind of hard, because I didn't necessarily want a dog. I then met an amazing woman. She is a "dog person". I thought she was crazy. I didn't understand the way she felt about dogs. I had the mentality that "it's just a dog". She started me on the path to learn about why they are not "just dogs". Then one evening I was walking Max and he was brutally attacked by another dog. Max was on a leash and looking in the other direction when another dog charged him and mauled him, nearly to death. That incident changed our lives. He had to be taken to the ER. When they brought me back to see him he was in a crate. I had never seen him in a crate before. They opened it for me to spend a few minutes with him before I left him in their care. He was being so good and the staff commented on how good he was, especially being in such bad condition, but the look on his face pierced my soul. When it was time to go, as I was walking away I started to cry. It was the look on his face. I knew then how much I really loved this guy. Shortly after he was able to return home he received the biggest package I've ever seen. It was from that amazing woman I mentioned earlier. Max got the surprise of a lifetime with all the treats and toys a dog could imagine. I couldn't believe someone would do something so nice for a dog, especially one that isn't their own. After all of this is when I started getting involved in advocating for this breed; pit bulls and pit bull type dogs. What an amazing, loyal, resilient, forgiving, kind, loving, goofy breed of dogs they are. I love my pit bull!

With Macy, it hasn't always been easy. I can say that so many good things came from finding this mutt I love. She was given me the opportunity to talk to so many people about rescuing and adopting. She has helped me to become more social because I want to take her out and do special things with her. Mostly I am thankful because she taught Max how to be a dog. She even taught him to bark! I can't say I'm a huge fan of that one, but it's been fun to watch that old timer learn how to do dog stuff. I also love watching the two of them together. I love that they lick each other's ears. I love that they share treats and snuggle. I imagine she's okay with her new life with me. I think it's definitely an upgrade from her old life. I sometimes wonder what exactly happened to her, but I know it's only important what's going to happen with us. It's time we plan some new adventures!

Photographers Note: My first email exchange with Carolyn was related to whether I felt she qualified for the project, because Max was a friends dog and she didn't adopt him from a rescue or a shelter. My response was absolutely!! She prevented yet another pit bull being sent to a shelter, that is a definitely a rescue in my book!

Carolyn very sweetly agreed to meet me at the Capitol building for her photo shoot. I had really wanted to be able to return to the West Lawn where it all started for me and this project. I soon found out that Carolyn was also there during the Million Pibble March, so it seemed like it was meant to be! I can tell you on a Friday evening just after work on a beautiful fall day, the Capitol is a busy place but her pups did great with all the distractions. Unfortunately, I was not aware there was some work being down on the grounds so they had the whole lawn roped off, so the photo above was as close as we could get. I will take it!

Having read Carolyn's story where she wasn't a dog person and didn't understand these people who gave gifts to other people's dogs. I would have never known, she adores her pups, I mean Macy wears pearls for gosh sakes! She also made homemade all natural treats for me to take to my dogs, two dogs she has never met! Carolyn, it's a official...you are now THE BEST "dog person"!

Frankie - 10/07/16

Name: Frankie - 12 y/o

How long has Frankie been in your family? Almost 6 months

Family Members: Angela

Profession: US Peace Corps & The Table Church

Location: Washington, DC (Capital Hill)

Nicknames: Franklin & Polar Bear

5 words/phrases that best describe Frankie:

Giant Marshmallow
The Sweetest Old Man
My Shadow
Strong
Loyal

What makes Frankie unique? I think it's unique that the moment Frankie arrived it was like he was supposed to be here all along. No adjustment period what so ever. He came right in and took over the house! Also, his life up till now, was not awesome. So to have him be so loving and so kind despite any type of rough experiences speaks so strongly to bully breeds in general. They have so much more grace then any human I have ever met.

Rescue Story: I lost my sweet Reese in October of last year. Reese was my 15 year old pit bull that I had almost all of her life and mine. I loved all of Reese's years, but there was something so special about her senior years. I knew when I was ready to adopt again it would definitely be a senior dog. I was looking for about 2 months when I saw that a 12 year old who looked like he could be Reese's brother was surrendered to Washington Humane Society. The day that I went to look at him, we found out he was at an adoption event near the White House, so we went straight over to meet him. At the time, his name was Buck and as soon as I met him he fell right into my side and I instantly knew he was to be mine. And then, two weeks later he was home.

We know very little about Frankie's past. I know he was surrendered to the shelter by an elderly man who asked him to be euthanized because he was heading into assisted living and sadly could not take him. I know it sounds strange, but his request to have him put down illustrated to me that Frankie was loved by this man and he didn't want him to suffer as an old dog in a shelter. Although he was loved, I don't think they had a lot of money so Frankie wasn't in the best physical condition when he came to me. But don't worry, it didn't take him too long to become nice and plump.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? It's only been 6 months, but feels like much longer. My favorite thing thing to do with Frankie is cuddle. I've never met such a squishy cuddly dog before him.

What is life like since you adopted Frankie? Life is pretty great. I know Reese would've loved to have Frankie as a brother and it brings me a lot of comfort in knowing I made the best decision for myself and for him. When I tell friends he hasn't even been here for 6 months they can't believe it. He quickly became a significant part of many lives, not just mine.

Photographers Note: After I had made the decision to do a segment for Shine A Light with volunteers from the DC area, I knew that meant I was going to actually have to find volunteers. I happen to be looking at a post from a group I follow on Facebook called Susie's Senior Dogs, which helps senior pups find homes. This post was a re-post from Angela's Instagram account and it showed a sleepy Frankie in a bag in the back of a car. Stating something to the effect, when your Uber driver says the only way you can take your dog with you, is if he is in a bag. So you put your sleepy pit bull into a bag. I thought this was just the cutest thing, so I started following Angela on Instagram and seeing all of Frankie's adventures. I decided to send her a private message on Instagram and the rest is history.

Frankie is such a beautiful gentle boy, all snow white with just a few small black flecks on his ears. He is also quite the kisser and happy to give them out to those who are willing to accept, which I happily was! He is a little arthritic and slow moving, has had some health issues but as Angela says, she is going to keep him happy and he will be loved for however long their adventure may be together. Boy is he happy! I chose the photo above of the two of them because you can just see how much he adores Angela and she him, with just one look. To have met them both was a privilege, Angela because she saved this wonderful dog from having to live out his life in a shelter or worse, where many would have passed him by. Frankie, because there is just something about a senior dog. They seem to be all knowing and yet still loving the little things in life, like a walk through the park or head scratch from a stranger. There is wisdom and sweetness in those eyes and I am so happy I got to spend just a small amount of time with this adorable senior gentlemen!

Finnley - 10/1/16

Name: Finnley - 1 y/o

How long as Finnley been in the family? We adopted Finnley on June 26th, 2016

Family Members: Alissa & Alexander, Camille (3 y/o Cat)

Professions: Alexander - Attorney, Alissa - Social Worker

Location: Atlanta, GA

Nicknames: Finn, Finny, Baby Grey

5 words/phrases that best describe Finnley?

Devoted
Playful
Resilient
Sweet
Companionate

What makes Finnley unique? Finn LOVES his people! He is our shadow! If we are hugging, he likes to join in for a "group hug". Finn also loves to cuddle in the "big boy bed", especially on weekend mornings. In addition, he loves to sit in our laps, which we affectionately call "Big Fat Baby Time".

Rescue Story: We adopted Finn from Atlanta Lab Rescue (ALR) (ironically enough). Earlier this year, ALR had hosted a fundraiser to cover medical bills of a dog that had pneumonia. Tragically, that dog passed away, and ALR created a special fund in his honor (Ladd Lifeline) that was to be used to help deserving dogs in his memory. ALR was notified about a 10 month old dog that had been in a shelter for 5 weeks suffering from a terrible skin condition that was causing non-stop itching to the point of convulsions. ALR chose to get involved and Finn became the first recipient of the Ladd Lifeline fund. He was taken to Peachtree Hills Animal Hospital (PHAH), where he was diagnosed with demodex mange and an intestinal parasite. PHAH selected Finn as their second PHAH Pal of the Month, through which he was provided with full medical treatment. Once he was on the road to recovery, Finn moved in to an ALR foster home where he was able to continue his treatment.

We had applied to adopt a black lab mix from ALR in June and after submitting our application, we learned that the dog we had applied for had already been adopted. ALR still invited us to come out to their adoption event on June 26th and shared a few dogs that might be a good fit for our family. We arrived early to the event and while we were waiting to go back and meet the dogs, we saw Finn come in. As his foster was handing him off to the handler that would show him at the event, we overheard her say " This is the perfect dog - great with kids, cats and dogs of all sizes!" We decided that we would have to check him out.

We met the dogs that had been recommended to us and then made our way over to Finn's station. He immediately crawled into my (Alissa's) lap and started giving me kisses. I knew in that moment that he would become a part of our family.

Funny enough, before meeting Finn I had decided that I didn't want to adopt a pit mix due to a personal experience and buying into the stereotype that pits are aggressive. This could not be more untrue. Finn is sweet, gentle and sometimes even shy! I am so grateful that Finn chose us and that we have had the opportunity to learn the truth about pits and experience for ourselves the joy of having a pit mix as a part of our family.

In addition, we could not be more grateful to ALR, a Lab rescue , for taking a chance on and deciding to get involved with rescuing a pit mix and to PHAH for providing his medical treatment.

The "before" for sweet Finn! (what a difference now)

What is your favorite pastime as a family? One of our favorite pastimes with Finn is swimming! We spend a lot of time at the pool and/or lake. Finn loves to go on the raft and do water retrieves. We never would have guessed that a pittie would love swimming so much!

What is life like since you adopted Finn? Who rescued who? We truly feel like we are the lucky ones. It is such an honor to be this doggies parents.

Finn bonded with us quickly and easily. When we first adopted him, he experienced separation anxiety when we would leave. However, after consistency (and treats!), Finn is now comfortable and content in his new home! We think he knows that he's "part of the pack" now. We have continued to treat Finn for mange and allergies since we adopted him. We took him back to PHAH and his vet was amazed at his improvement and that we are on the right track.

Despite the separation anxiety and skin challenges, Finn has been a total "plug and play" since we adopted him. He has been sweet and gentle with the cat and responsive to us. Finn is silly and fun and he brings so much happiness to our lives!

Photographers Note: First of all Finn was wearing his own bow tie when I arrived and I do like a pup that dresses for the occasion! Alexander had his ball out and the focus this pup has on that ball is amazing. In fact, that is what they used for his "official" bow tie picture, no treats needed. I was also impressed with their cat Camille, not one protest during the family photo. (I don't think she was thrilled but she kept it to herself) You may have also noticed, but Finn's coat absolutely sparkles in the sun...there really is not much evidence left of his mange or allergies. I also am so happy that Finn chose this family (I mean the crawling into the lap trick will work every time for the right family, right Finn?), because with that big pittie smile you can tell he is as happy as can be!

Spunky & Jack - 9/25/16

Names: Spunky (2.5 y/o) & Jack (1.5 y/o)

Family Members: Fiona & Amy, Olivia -dog (6.5 y/o), and Peter - dog (1.5 y/o)

How long have Spunky & Jack been in the family? Spunky since he was 8 weeks old & Jack was adopted 2 months ago.

Professions: Fiona -owns her own company (ROC Associates) and Amy is a Director of Support for CBE Inc)

Location: Marietta, GA.

Nicknames: Spunky: Spunkinator & Spunky Monkey

Jack: Jack Jack & Jackson

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Spunky & Jack:

Spunky:

Big Baby
Funny
Gentle Giant
Has more Facebook friends then we do
Loves to cuddle

Jack:

Happiest boy on earth
Special needs but has no idea
Goofy
Wobbly
Playful

What makes Spunky & Jack unique? Spunky has great eyesight and loves to watch the rain with me. His favorite show is Pitbulls and Parolees. (the other dogs don't even notice the T.V)

Jack is special needs (still being diagnosed), but essentially his brain doesn't communicate with his feet the way it should, it's slightly delayed.

Rescue Stories: Spunky's mother was pulled from Clayton County Animal Shelter by Angel's Among Us and they didn't know she was pregnant. The foster family decided to start a Facebook page as well as a YouTube live feed to get exposure for her. People started watching, including us, and I (Fiona) began volunteering to take care of her while pregnant, as they lived close by and I can work from anywhere. When the puppies were born, there were over 4000 people watching the live feed and Spunky was Sleighbelle's (Mom) first born. We had already been approved to adopt one of the puppies prior to the birth. All of the puppies were pre-adopted and all of the adoptive parents have become close friends. We all maintain the Facebook page (Love Chunk and the Chunklettes) with updates and get the pups together on their birthdays. Spunky came home to much fanfare at 8 weeks old, but I had been looking after the puppies a few days a week since they were 2 days old, watching Mom take care of them until they were more mobile.

Jack has only been with us for 2 months. He was dumped with his mother at Gwinnett County Animal Shelter and BullsEye Rescue pulled them. The shelter pictures were very sad because Mom had terrible mange and Jack's issues makes him drag his toes; they were bloody from the shelter concrete floors. Shortly before this we had to say good-bye to our special needs boxer which was very hard. We wanted to adopt another special needs boy in his honor and fell in love with Jack from the first time we met him. The day that we went to pick him up a rainbow followed us the entire way. When we had our first picture taken with him, there was a double rainbow over head. We thought it was William (our boxer)sending an approving message from the rainbow bridge. Silly but it was certainly a strange sight on a day with no rain in the forecast. We are still trying to diagnose exactly what Jack has with the support of BullsEye Rescue which is amazing because they didn't have to continue his care after we adopted him. They were able to get him into a Univ. of Georgia research program to assist with his diagnosis.

Talk about a before shot. This is Spunky's Mom at the shelter with Spunky in her belly. As Fiona stated " Closest that boy will ever come to being in a shelter"

Jack and his Mom, after being pulled from the shelter.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Snuggling and welcoming fosters!

What is life like since you rescued Spunky & Jack? Life changing......I (Fiona) moved her from Canada, and there is a dog shortage there due to spay and neuter laws. I had no idea the problems in the US and more specifically the plight of the bully! They are banned in Ontario and so it became more important to highlight MY breed of choice, both Pit Bull and Rescued, once I became more educated in the South!

Photographers Note: This was definitely one of my most entertaining shoots. When I pulled up to Amy and Fiona's house, there were cars everywhere. I thought to myself, maybe they forgot I was coming. As I went to the backyard, there was a party going on. They were celebrating a friends birthday and their backyard and pool were filled with dog rescuers and pit bull fans. Although I am not use to conducting these shoots with an audience, I really enjoyed speaking about the project to everyone and getting to chat with their guests!

Then on top of all that I got to meet these two handsome boys Spunky and Jack. They are both the sweetest pups. Spunky cracked me up because I was warned by Amy and Fiona that he was not a fan of the heat (and it was in the 90's that day), so when we tried to get him to chase a toy and play, he wasn't interested. He just wanted to come up to me while I sat on the ground taking photos and give me some love. Then there is Jack, he was buzzing all over the yard chasing his toys. Since he is a bit wobbly there was a fair amount of crashing as well, but just as is stated above....he doesn't have a care in the world and even though he can be unsteady on his feet with an unusual gate, that big pit bull smile never leaves his face.

I so admire Amy and Fiona and the people out there like them who adopt a special needs dog. Providing these pups with such a wonderful quality of life, giving them the care and love they need. I think we all know that a lot of people would pass them by; then you add pit bull to that equation....not always often a good outcome. It makes me so happy to know that this sweet special needs boy, just like his brother will never know the confines of a shelter again!

Mini - 9/14/16

Name: Mini - 6-ish y/o

How long has Mini been in the family? 3.5 years

Family Members: Stacy

Profession: Realtor

Location: Atlanta (Peachtree Hills)

Nicknames: Miss Priss, Mini Moo, Skinny Mini (when she is stubborn and won't eat), My Little Angel

5 words/phrases that best describe Mini:

Resilient
Sweet
Stubborn
Quirky
Funny

What makes Mini unique? She really does not like water, as in she won't swim and really hates being out in the rain. But when I tell her it's time for a bath, she follows me upstairs and jumps right in the tub and loves it. Giving her a bath was the first thing I did as soon as I brought her home from the pound so I think she associates it with freedom and comfort.

Another great thing is I can leave food (human food or dog food) out and she doesn't touch it. I keep her treats within easy reach and she's never once even attempted to get them.

Rescue Story: At the time, I was living with my ex-boyfriend and he had a rescue pittie. We wanted another so he could have a playmate (definitely a female and she needed to be on the smaller side). I was scouring websites and as soon as I saw Mini, I knew she was "the one" for me. She was at DeKalb Animal Shelter - I called right away to discuss next steps. I went on my own to meet her and then I brought the other dog back the next day for a meet & greet. Everything worked out so I brought her home and the rest is history.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Trail running/hiking in the mountains. She is very agile and athletic.

What is life like since you adopted Mini? My life revolves around her (some friends and family say to a fault). But she's very quirky and set in her ways; my priority is to make her feel safe and comfy. So....my social life has certainly taken a blow as have my days of traveling because I don't like to leave her for long periods of time. I've also learned a great deal about patience and selflessness - it's no longer just about me anymore. Most importantly , I feel so happy and blessed to have such a loving soul in my life who offers unconditional love. She makes me laugh, helps me enjoy the good times and she is also by my side to help me through the trials and tribulations.

Photographers Note: It was so fun meeting spunky little Mini. We used Stacy's next door neighbors beautiful backyard for the shoot (and hello talk about fantastic lighting). She ran right over there like she owned the place and as it turns out, her neighbor Gary is her BFF. She was such a good girl and very photogenic, she also had the side eye expression mastered. This was another shoot that took maybe 20 minutes, if that. It was like she was meant to be a model!