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Jax - 7/23/18

Name/Age: Jax - 1 - 1.5 y/o

Family Members: Ashley & Frank (adults), Gerald & Wesley (19yr old twins) & Steve (cat 14 yrs old)

How long has Jax been in the family? 8 weeks. Fostered on May 21, adopted on June 9 2020

Professions: Ashley is an account manager in the waste and recycling industry and Frank is an operations manager at Loves.

Location: Austell, GA.

Nicknames: Handsome Boy, Sweet Boy, Poo, Pupper Poo, Jacksonville

5 words/phrases that best describe Jax?

Sweet
Kind Eyes
Loving
Loyal
Mama’s Boy

What makes Jax unique? He has the best demeanor of any dog I have ever met and he listens really well (when his attention isn’t fixed on a squirrel). There is something about his eyes in the way he looks at you, you can honestly just feel his love for you in his eyes.

Rescue Story: We had been wanting a rescue pit for about a year but we knew it would be challenging with an older cat (who is also a diabetic). Ideally, we wanted a dog who just didn’t care about the cat and would ignore him. We came across Two Tailz Rescue via a friend who was a volunteer. We tried to foster one of their adoptable dogs and met some other potentials but in all cases they fixated on the cat, wanting to play or chasing/barking. So we had almost given up hope, thinking we would have to wait until the cat was no longer with us. I reached out to Two Tails one afternoon just to check in on a dog they listed on Facebook. The response was that he was recently adopted but they had a new dog that had not been listed yet. They described him, sent me photos and video of him and in those videos he was showing how well he listened to his foster mom. I told them I wanted to meet/cat test him right away. I picked him up on a Thursday afternoon. He was so skinny you could see his ribs and spine. The rescue said that they had found him wondering around, no collar or microchip and no response to multiple social media postings about him. He was so sweet and gentle and enjoyed his car ride to my house-hanging his head out of the window. When we got home he was a little timid but followed me around everywhere. I setup a baby gate and introduced him to the cat. He didn’t seem to care much about him. When we let him out to sniff the cat he sniffed and just walked on by him. I felt so elated in that moment because he was the first dog who just didn’t care about the cat. He has maintained that demeanor to this day. Jax and Steve live together in harmony, neither bothering the other whatsoever.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Play time is always fun because he makes me laugh. He will zoomie around the back yard, fetch his favorite football toy or play tug with his rope.

What is life like since you rescued Jax? Since COVID-19 started in March I have been working from home so we have a routine of breakfast, morning playtime, nap times, afternoon playtime and evening walks down the Silver Comet Trail. I used to be one of those people who liked to sleep in and hated exercise. I now feel so accountable to his health and happiness that I get up at 8:30am every day (weekends too) and make sure we have our 2-3 mile walks every evening. He is helping me become a healthier and happier person.

Photographers Note: Just to start out Jax is such a handsome boy. HIs coat is so beautiful especially in the sunshine. For such a young dog who hasn’t been with his family for long he is so well behaved until……the football comes out! :) Ashley had hoped to surprise Frank with a photo of Jax in his Texas Longhorns gear and a football when we had originally scheduled for a weekend shoot . Well our schedules worked out so that we could do this photo shoot during the week and Frank could be in the family shot, so less of a surprise on the football picture but we still got it! Ashley had gone out and purchased a fresh new football for the photo, because he pops the footballs. In evidence of his previous football that was deflated. She said we need to be quick with the photo because once he gets focused on the football it’s all over. She wasn’t kidding!! Thankfully he was a very good boy and didn’t touch the new football until after I got a few shots. Then his focus was only on that football. Even trying to get it away to throw it was a challenge unless there was a trade off, either with the other football or a cookie. Then we discovered one thing that worked…..a squeaker toy. The duck I use to get the pups attention did the trick , he wanted to see what that was all about. We were able to get some good shots of him actually chasing the football and running with it, versus just chewing it! I mean as obsessed as this good boy is with his football seems like there has to be a team that could sign him up!

Mr. Magoo & Willa Dean Opal - 7/18/20

Name/Age: Mr. Magoo - 11 y/o & Willa Dean Opal - 2 y/o

Family Members: Stephanie & Nancy, Omar ( 12 y/o Corgi Mix) & Mavis (10 y/o German Shepard/Chow Mix)

How long have been Magoo & Willa Dean been in the family? Magoo for 11 years & Willa Dean for 18 mths.

Profession: Stephanie: Owner Atlanta Mindfulness Institute & a Psychotherapist

Nancy: Dean at Georgia State University

Location: Decatur, GA.

Nicknames: Mr. Magoo: Goober, Love Monster, Mr Squishy Head, Goo

Willa Dean: Wills, Deanie-Opal, Honey Badger, Hot Mess

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Mr. Magoo & Willa Dean?

Mr. Magoo:

Loving
Extroverted & Social
Nosey
Lazy
Super Super Resilient

Willa Bean:

Very Loving
Silly
Athletic
Busy
Attention seeking

What makes Mr. Magoo & Willa Dean unique? Magoo has been trained in trauma therapy and has worked as a therapy dog in Stephanie’s psychotherapy practice. Willa Dean has an insane high jump, about 8 feet!

Rescue Stories: My five-year-old godson and I found little eight week old Magoo near Memorial Drive, a very busy Street in Atlanta. He was so little, covered in mange and clearly sick. At first we didn’t even know if he was a dog. Of course we scooped him up with the intention of taking him to the Humane Society as I already had a home full of dogs. I wanted him to be safe and have an opportunity to heal. Unfortunately, the Humane Society took one look at him and said we could not bring him in due to his obvious skin condition. So I called my own vet and ultimately I ended up bringing him to Village Vets who immediately began treatment for multiple conditions. After two weeks of being in the hospital he came home with me. My intention was to try and rehome him to a loving family. Little did I know how hard it is to find a home for a black pit bull. Thank God I could not find him a home! After about two weeks, one night while I was walking him, this is weird, but my heart opened up so wide and I fell in love with him. From that moment on there was no looking back. He has been such a wonderful and beautiful part of our family. Our bossy little Chihuahua Lucille also took to him and taught him how to be a dog. Magoo fit perfectly in our pack! In addition, for the last 10 years he has been my co-therapist in my psychotherapy practice. He has had so many problems with his body but this dog was born with the biggest heart I have ever come in contact with; he is intuitive and knows how to offer comfort to whomever is in need. In fact, I think many of my clients come to therapy to see Magoo more than they come to see me. LOL.

Willa Dean was found at a dumpster in Athens Georgia by a big hearted young women who brought her home. Unfortunately, she also had a number of other dogs that she had rescued and a new baby. Day after day our dear friend who lived across the street would see Willa Dean left out in the yard. One cold day in January I was sitting at Starbucks in Ellijay GA and I got a phone call from my friend. She was crying. It was cold and she could not watch this little puppy be left outside so she asked the woman if she could have Willa Dean. The woman, quite overwhelmed in her own circumstances said yes! Our friend called me to ask if I could help find Willa a home. Don’t ask me why but I knew that home would be with me. I immediately drove to Atlanta and picked up Willa Dean. We already had three dogs so I was a little nervous how this would work. But she was such a baby, they took her in and taught her how to be a pack member. During this time, our oldest dog Lucille, our alpha was in her last stage of life. Willa Dean was so gentle with Lucille and snuggled with her whenever possible. Sometimes I feel like Lucille sent Willa to us as she was leaving this earth.

This is my forever home now? - Willa Dean

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Magoo loves a tennis ball. He’ll fetch (when he still had 4 legs) and now he loves to just chew it like gum!!! So even now as a three legged senior fighting cancer, he lies on the bed and we throw the ball to him and he catches it. And his tail wags furiously while he has the biggest smile on his face! With Willa, paddling my SUP board and throwing sticks in the lake. She loves the water and would swim all day.

What is life like since you rescued Mr. Magoo & Willa Dean? Words are hard to capture how much joy and love Magoo has brought to us, our home, and the other dogs he lives with. He has been a comfort through the various ups and downs in our life. Even our other animals when they age, seek out his calm demeanor and comfort. To be truthful, we have a difficult time imagining our lives without him…

Our house is alive with Willa Dean’s energy. Every other dog is geriatric but Willa Dean. She brings a silliness to our lives. She is a total clown. But she is also so loving. And she LOVES Magoo. On Friday night everyone piles on the bed for movie night. It’s really so sweet!

Photographers Note: This was definitely not your standard photo shoot. To start, I showed up with two pugs I had rescued off the street on my way over to their house. I believe I said, “ We may have a slight change of plans” as Stephanie walked out of her house to meet me for the first time. Thankfully Stephanie & Nancy were completely understanding and we got the Pugs water and put into the AC bathroom of their home. They took photos and got them posted on all the social media neighborhood sites. Then we got to business. It’s always entertaining trying to get multiple dogs and humans all to look in the general direction of the camera. For some reason, Omar (the corgi mix) was just set on staring down Stephanie, as if to say…why are we doing this, I have better things to do today!!! He just wouldn’t stop staring at her no matter what I did. Finally I made some noise that he liked and he finally released the death stare and looked at me with ears up. However, that is not the photo I chose to post here. Going through all the family photos I took I was literally laughing and smiling all over again at the joy in Stephanie & Nancy’s face and the expressions of the dogs. This photo I thought showed the dogs personalities and the pure happiness of this family….don’t we all need to see a little more of that these days. I so loved meeting all of their dogs, witnessing the silliness of Willa and experiencing the sweet & soulful frosty face of Mr. Magoo; truly a pleasure.

We joked at the end of the photo shoot, that you get a photo shoot from Colleen and she leaves you Pugs as a parting gift. I did take the dogs with me and thankfully their Mom saw one of the posts and I was able to get them safely back to their home!

Marlee - 7/12/20

Name/Age: Marlee - 5 y/o

Family Members: Sofia & her husband

How long has Marlee been in the family? Foster since January ’20, officially adopted in April 20’

Profession: College Student/ Student Teacher

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Mar, Bunny, Sunny Bunny

5 words/phrases that best describe Marlee?

Affectionate
Velcro Dog
Sweetheart
Misfit turned docile couch potato
Lil Mama - we call her our resident bunny rabbit! HaHa

What makes Marlee unique? Resilient regardless of her past life. She has become somewhat of a breed ambassador.

Rescue Story: I went to visit dogs at my local Lifeline shelter to see if I could take home a dog with their “weekend warrior” program (basically 2 day temporary foster) because I was planning on going on a hike the following morning. I stopped by with 30 minutes till close with a dog in mind. When I arrived I found out she had been taken home to foster only a few hours earlier. I messaged a volunteer friend asking for a recommendation, and she told me “Sandy” needed a break. I had seen her previously but never had desire to meet her due to her intense and not so nice kennel presentation. I took her home anyway and she won me over so fast! She first got to the shelter when picked up by AC as a stray. She was later reclaimed, then showed up as a stray once again. After a few months, she was adopted, then found as a stray yet again a few weeks later! After returning that time, she spent about 300 days in the shelter. She was labeled as “challenging” by staff due to her kennel behavior and only had a couple of volunteers willing/able to walk her. We decided to adopt her once she completed her heartworm treatment!

First week at her Foster soon to be forever home!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We live next to the Chattahoochee trail, and she loves going for walks there. She also loves a good car ride, and is aware that a starbucks run means a cup of whipped cream for her! She is also super affectionate and likes to squeeze herself onto your lap to cuddle!

What is life like since you rescued Marlee? She has totally transformed since her shelter days, Marlee is a totally docile sweet baby now. Even my mother (who was previously scared of pit bull type dogs) adores her and asks for photos all the time! She has made herself at home and we all absolutely love and spoil her the way she deserves to be loved. She completes our family!

Photographers Note: Two things I want to touch on regarding Marlee. First of all, her ears are the cutest things on the planet. (see photo below on how they lay on her head in a relaxed state). They remind me a little draw bridge and when she see/hears something of interest they unfold and go up. So adorable……

The second thing is shelter behavior. Marlee is a great example of how you can’t judge a dog by how they are in the shelter. Shelters are very stressful places for most dogs, especially one that has spent 300 days there. If you give a dog an opportunity to relax and decompress you may find yourself the perfect forever best friend. There is not a single sign of the stress she experienced in the shelter in this sweet girl. She was happy and loved being able to explore the trails, very curious and all about the sniffs. This did not prevent her from giving a couple thank you kisses to the photographer when we were all done. So happy that Sofia and her family gave this girl the chance she deserved and now she is definitely living her best life!

Anha - 7/4/20

Name/Age: Anha - 7 mos. old

Family Members: Rebecca & one foster dog sister

How long has Anha been in the family? 3 months

Profession: Recently graduated from graduate school at Emory University

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Baby or Baby Shark

5 words/phrases that best describe Anha?

Loving
Goofy
Smart
Friendly

What makes Anha unique? She has the biggest grin and a special way of force loving you with more weight than she actually weighs.

Rescue Story: Anha’s story is a little vague, she was abandoned at a neighbors house. This neighbor allowed the children of the neighborhood to take her to the park multiple days in a row, unsupervised. She ended up biting one of the kids that was on a swing. She was then turned into Fulton County Animal Services as a bite case at just 3/4 mths old. She was in the shelter for a few weeks and I took her home to foster. She had worms/fleas/mild case of mange but is now healthy and crazy happy! She is by no means vicious but was very afraid of children and large males when I first met her. We have been working hard on our training and now are totally fine with everyone except children running straight at her. Luckily this is something we can mostly prevent and continue to work on.

Sweet Ahna at the shelter before heading to her forever home.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love to go out to meet dogs and people at patio’s all over Atlanta

What is life like since you rescued Anha? More chaotic, but definitely better! She keeps me on my toes and laughing.

Social Media Account: She is on Instagram: @drinkingwithdogsatl all the time with our patio hopping adventures, but doesn’t have her own account

Photographers Note: Rebecca volunteers at Fulton County Animal Services and that is where she and I met. She helped me pull dogs to photograph before one of their big adoption events a while back. I told her about this project so when she adopted a pibble of her own she reached out. I know Rebecca fosters a lot of dogs and I asked why this one? Why was Anha the foster fail? She said because of her background she didn’t want her falling into the wrong hands & I am pretty sure that adorable pit bull smile won her over in a second. Anha is a very well trained puppy, she did so well for the photo shoot and I even got to experience the “force love” that Rebecca mentioned above when she bowled me over while getting into my lap! It’s always a bonus if you get some information about a dogs history when adopting from the shelter, as a tool for training and socialization, not for judging. Rebecca is the perfect person for Anha in that regard because she will work with her on her fears and ensure she is setup for success throughout her life. I mean seriously have you seen a more adorable smile on a pup??

Auggie - 6/28/20

Name/Age: Auggie - 7 yrs old +\-

Family Member: Debbie

How long has Auggie been in the family? 1 year

Profession: PR/Advertising/Marketing/Sales

Location: Decatur, GA.

Nicknames: Handsome, Sweet Pea

5 words/phrases that best describe Auggie?

Enthusiastic
Handsome (People always stop and tell me that)
Lover Boy
Snuggle Bug
Opportunistic Eater

What makes Auggie unique? He sticks his head in the shower to lap up water dribbling down my hand. So we have to play the watering game where I keep water running down my arm for him and he keeps lapping it up. He must be one of the happiest dogs on earth. He only barks if he wants to be let out in the yard, or when someone rings the doorbell. (Or hears one on tv.)

Rescue Story: He lived at a car repair shop and was apparently left there by a former employee. He learned my voice from my frequent visits (with two older cars) and would come out to see me. Owner saw how much we enjoyed each other and one day he shouted out, “You want him?” and I said “Yeah!” There are no puppy pictures of him. I’d love to see what my handsome boy looked like when he was a puppy. The first night together, he kept getting up and licking my face. Was the best sleepless night ever!

Auggie at the shop before his life changed forever!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We take car rides to Ace Intown Hardware. Everyone there knows him; he barks when we go in to let everyone know he’s here! I’ll hear “Hey, Auggie!” from the back of the store. Many employees and customers pet him, and employees give him treats. Then we go outside and sit in the chairs and watch the world go by for a while on nice days. It’s good socialization for him.

I’m always buying new squeaky balls. He goes nuts over the sound, and he usually kills it in five minutes. I have to keep the spares in the trunk of my car so he can’t get to them. We play with three balls at a time so I can keep him chasing one instead of him playing keep away.

What is life like since you rescued Auggie? Best decision I ever made! The house was cold and empty; now it’s full of sunshine with him here and we’re both smiling a lot. He truly is the light of my life! Auggie got attention at the shop, but not much affection. He’s always by my side, and I sing him to sleep every night. He loves to rearrange the pillows and steal my space in bed. I have to help him into bed since he tore both his CCLs chasing squirrels for the first time just after I got him. We slept on a mattress on the floor in the den from September through April between his two surgeries. He has a large fenced-in yard, and a shady neighborhood to walk in with lots of four-legged and human friends to greet. We’ve made friends with so many neighbors and everyone knows him! Before he only had short leash walks on a concrete sidewalk, he didn’t have any doggy friends, and he didn’t know what to do with a yard. Now he has a best friend, Jack, the standard poodle, and we have play dates in our yard since it’s fenced in.

Photographers Note: Had some firsts with Auggie’s photo shoot. When I arrived he was pretty shy at first but warmed up quickly. For those who have volunteered with SALA before you know I use a squeaky duck to get the attention of my furry subjects. I also don’t allow the dogs to get to the duck because it was the only one I found that I can easily squeeze with my knees or arm pit, and can’t risk it getting destroyed. Well…I did not take into account Auggie’s love of all things that squeak. When he saw the duck it was game over. I quickly tried to hide it in my bag, which was on top of a little table. NOPE…he jumped on the table and wouldn’t give up; not even a treat would change his focus. So I let him have it briefly ( the first dog to win possession of the duck) while Debbie went inside to get his ball. Then he was all about the ball and could careless about the duck. This also led to I believe our first bow tie shot with a ball in mouth (looked back and couldn’t find a past volunteer but of course there have been a lot) and it’s pretty adorable; maybe need to start a new trend!

Rudy - 6/20/20

Name/Age: Rudy - approx. 2 years & 8mths

Family Members: Shawna, Rob, Human Brother: Madix - 6 y/o & Dog Sister: Rylee - 6mths old (rescued from Atlanta Humane Society)

How long has Rudy been in the family? Since August of 2018

Professions: Shawna - Operations Analyst for Property Masters, Inc.

Rob - Draft Technician for United Distributors

Location: Hiram, GA.

Nicknames: Big Booty Rudy, Ru, RuRu

5 words/phrases that best describe Rudy?

Loyal
Sweet
Happy
Playful
Cuddly

What makes Rudy unique? He’s Velcro! He’s always attached to one of us. We tell him he’s part cat because when you arrive home he does the rub/wrap that cats do around your legs… except he’s 75-80#! He also has copper eyes which I’ve personally never seen before.

His family calls this his Mufasa pose, as he takes in his kingdom below!

Rescue Story: I grew up with pit bulls and found them to be the best family dogs, so I knew I wanted to adopt (specifically) a pittie. I had a friend who volunteered at DeKalb County Animal Services, who had informed me that they were packed so I began looking at their site. When I came upon Rudy (formerly Lulworth lol), I knew it had to be him but my husband took some convincing having never owned a pit. The three of us went to the shelter asking to visit him. As soon as he came out, he gave us his belly and I knew that he was coming home! According to the shelter, he was a street pickup. He had no bite history or dog aggression while at the shelter; he had been there since late winter. :( He was approx. 10 months old when we adopted him and severely underweight for his size. We don’t know much about his past but his ears were cropped very short, he was pretty skittish when we brought him home, and he does have some scars on his snoot, as well as some on his inner legs. On the way home from the shelter, he rode in the front floorboard with me and hid his face the entire ride home. He’s pretty wary of riding in a car, although he acts like he wants to go!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? ALL THE CUDDLES & tug-o-war/fetch

What is life like since you rescued Rudy? For us, fulfilling and hopefully for him too. He sleeps with my son every night and they can usually be found spooning the next morning or Madix will come downstairs so we’ll ask where Ru is and he’ll say “still asleep on his pillow.” He was about 40# when we brought him home; now he’s close to 80#, so he is a healthy guy! Who doesn’t need a big sweet baby to greet them at the end of a work/school day??

Photographers Note: The first three words I thought of when meeting Rudy, was Big, Beautiful Boy! I mean he is really very very handsome, then when you get to know him you can add Goofy Lug to the description! LOL He really is just the happiest boy and kind of runs from person to person, like what’s next? Now it was pretty hot that day, so he wasn’t so excited about chasing his ball but with his good looks he could strike a pose anywhere and it’s photography gold! I absolutely loved hearing about he and Madix’s relationship, they are just the best of friends (evidence below) and really what’s better then a kid getting to grow up with his best friend? Now Shawna had decided to keep Rylee in the house for the family photo because she is still a puppy and still has a few things to learn, but they did let her out to play at the end of our shoot. Rylee just loves to chew on Rudy and he doesn’t even bat an eye…such a patient big brother.

Tito Villalba - 6/14/20

Name/Age: Tito Villalba - 4.5-ish y/o

Family Members: Jennifer, David, Clara (21), Carlos (14), & Moose (cat, aged 5)

How long has Tito been in the family? Since October of 2019

Professions: Jennifer & David are both teachers.

Location: Decatur, GA.

Nicknames: Tito Bandito, Puppo, The CEO of Good Boys (my son’s nickname for him)

5 words/phrases that best describe Tito?

Enthusiastic
Wants-to-be-good-so-bad
Loyal
Protective
Spaz

What makes Tito unique? He yowls when one of us walks away - he wants his pack together. He is SUPER fast but exhausts himself very quickly. He wouldn’t let me rub his belly until just recently. I thought he just wasn’t a belly rub guy, but whenever he’s lying down and I walk by now, he raises his leg and rolls over for a rub. He is the most food motivated dog I’ve ever met, but to resist the temptation, as soon as my husband begins cooking dinner, Tito crates himself until we are done eating. He loves to pull my son on his skateboard!

Well into the exhausting himself process…

Rescue Story: We adopted Tito from Lifeline Animal Project. He was with a foster who was getting ready to graduate from Emory and move, so he needed to find a place for him quickly. Prior to that, Tito had been in the shelter for a year. He was caught running the streets twice - the first time, the owners were called and picked him up; the second time, they did not pick him up.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Snuggling together on a chair that’s too small for both of us. Just watching him run around the house and laughing. Watching him and the cat try to figure out how to get along.

What is life like since you rescued Tito? We can’t imagine what quarantine would have been like without him as he is a constant source of joy and entertainment. While I taught my classes over Zoom, he liked to fall asleep right behind me, and sometimes he snored so loudly, the kids could hear him.

We have a teen aged son who was never a big talker but has been especially quiet with us since the hormones hit - but we can always get him to talk about Tito.

Photographers Notes: I met up with Jennifer & Tito at a local baseball field in their neighborhood. One small benefit on things being shut down due to the pandemic are available fenced in spaces for dogs to run and for me to capture some good action shots. It really is humorous the facial expressions dogs make and you can capture with a camera when they are in full sprint, many of them not so flattering! Even with that, I was able to get a couple of him having a blast racing around the outfield.

Something I noticed about Tito after looking at all the photos I took of him, he has the most unusual eyes; they are almost cat like in their shape. It really gives him a very distinct look, especially when you pair it with his great smile!

Ben- 6/7/20

Name: Ben - approx. 7 y/o

Family Member: Rosemary

How long has Ben been in the family? 8 months

Profession: Production Tech @ a Medical Device Company

Location: Alpharetta, GA.

Nicknames: Big Ben, Benny, Schweepy (don’t ask), Sillyboy, Nips

5 words/phrases that best describe Ben?

Fun
Smart
Loving
Velcro
Survivor

What makes Ben unique? He doesn’t smile much but I know he’s happy. It’s his eyes, really, that make him so endearing. And when I’m upset/crying, he comes over and leans in and stays there until I’m okay.

Rescue Story: I had to put my previous dog, a lab-mix named Dempsey, down in April of 2019 and started considering adopting in early October. I went online to Lifeline/DeKalb County Animal Services and was looking for a senior or urgent dog that needed out. I found a dog named Leon and was scheduled to meet him on a Friday but the day before the coordinator called and said Leon was getting out for the Weekend Warrior Program, which was great for Leon. I decided to go down anyway but as I pulled into the parking lot, I started to get anxiety because I knew I would be overwhelmed by all the dogs that needed out and which one was I supposed to pick. I walked into the lobby and saw this handsome manatee laying on the floor with his temp foster mom, Josie. (His regular foster mom, Charlie, was out of town). For the next 30 minutes, I sat on the floor petting him while talking to Josie. I’ve known for a long time that my next rescue would be a bully breed. Unlike many people, I know how inherently good these dogs are and I was determined to do my part to prove this. Abra Kadabra was a 7 year old, heartworm positive dog with serious skin allergies and he was perfect. We walked out the door, got in the car – changed his name to Ben (easier to spell) and went home.

What is your favorite past time as a family? Ben loves car rides and trips to Cogburn Park or the Greenway near our home; he loves tug of war with knotted ropes. Of course, our favorite thing together is snuggling.

What is life like since you rescued Ben? It’s true…you save each other. I know he feels safe and at home but the biggest change has been for me. Dempsey was a reactive dog who could not be around any animal and in the end, it became too dangerous for both of us. It was a difficult 7 years being outside for walks and I didn’t realize the toll it took on me until Ben and I took our first walk. Sometimes, I feel guilty having this calm, great experience being outside with Ben but I also know I loved Dempsey and did the best I could with my limited resources. Ben has been such a blessing and joy to be around.

Social Media: Instagram: @rescuelifebeganwithdempsey but I really don’t post that much…I’m much more of a follower.

Photographers Note: I met Rosemary back in Nov. of 2018 when she and Dempsey volunteered for Shine A Light. (http://www.shineliteatl.com/new-blog-1/2018/12/8/dempsey-111118). So when I saw she adopted another pibble after his passing I knew we had to go for round two. Ben had some medical issues he needed to clear up before the excitement of a photo shoot could happen, so once he was in good health we got it scheduled. Ben is just a quiet, well mannered, sweet boy, with really the most soulful eyes as Rosemary mentioned. We met up at a small park near their home and we thought we would work to get some action shots. I was ready with the sport mode on my camera and the first attempt was more of a lope then a run from Ben! :) Second and third attempt were much better and full on zoomies broke out. So much so that he basically just bowled me right over in his excitement and glee. Rosemary was just laughing and laughing . After I got home, she sent me an email and said because Ben had basically been home bound for the first 6 months clearing up his heartworms, that was the first time she got to see him really run around and she loved it. I did too, cause the expression on his face was just priceless….that was definitely a smiling Ben!

Angel, Cammie & Penny - 5/17/20

Name/Age: Angel - 13 y/o, Cammie - 11 y/o, & Penny - 6 y/o

Family Members: Justus, Kaye & Lady a 12 year old beagle/boxer mix.

How long have Angel, Cammie & Penny been in the family? Angel - 13 years, Cammie – 11 years & Penny – 6 years

Profession: Justus – Manager for a car wash installation company. Kaye – Loan processor for a mortgage company.

Location: Cartersville, GA

Nicknames: Angel: Ang, Angel Marie

Cammie: Cam, Cammarella

Penny: Pens, Benny, Benz, Benzo

5 words/phrases that best describe Angel, Cammie & Penny?

Angel:

Loyal
Sweet
Sensitive
Happy
Friendly

Cammie:

Bulldozer
Snuggly
Funny
Friendly
Social

Penny:

Silly
Comedian
Active
Smart
Loyal

What makes each dog unique? Angel is always ALWAYS in a good mood. She wags her tail all of the time and is always comforting on a bad day.

Cammie is the most connected to us on a metaphysical level. She has the most expressive face. We can almost always tell what she is thinking and when we talk to her, it’s as if she understands.

Penny plays hard and sleeps even harder! She’s like trying to get a teenager out of bed in the morning. When I wake her, it’s almost as if she’s asking me for 5 more minutes. I usually have to drag her out of bed to go out and potty.

Rescue Stories: Angel was born in a backyard to some people that thought they were going to make some money off of the puppies. One of the puppies, Angel, was given to a friend of ours. He was living in a situation where he couldn’t have a dog, but was going to be moving in a couple of months. We were asked to keep her until he moved. He came to visit her every weekend, and when he finally moved, he decided he didn’t want the responsibility of a dog and asked us to keep her.

Cammie was abandoned at a vet’s office because her front legs were a little crooked. The vet kept her a round for a few weeks and finally decided to send her to animal control. Justus somehow caught wind of this and said that we would take her and try to find her a home. Unfortunately, neither the vet nor the previous owner gave her any shots, so she immediately ended up with parvo when we got her. We treated her for the parvo and decided that after the struggle we went through to keep her alive, we were just going to keep her. And, her legs straightened right out with some good food!

Penny was at Cobb County animal control. She had tested positive for parvo and was lightly treated for it. Road Trip Home Animal Rescue pulled her to be in our program (Kaye volunteers with RTH), and since I was the post parvo home (thanks Cammie), I took her in to foster. She had kennel cough so bad, it turned into pneumonia. After being treated for that, she was to be transported to Maine to be adopted through our transport program. She had been with me for many weeks of ups and downs with her health and had become more bonded than any other foster I’ve ever had. I put her on the van to leave to head to Maine and she started screaming and crying. After a few minutes of this, I couldn’t take it anymore and I took her off of the van. I thought I would try it out for a couple more weeks to see if she would really fit in with the pack and if not, she could leave on the next transport. Well, she never left and has been with us ever since!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Cammie and Angel are older now and love to sunbathe on the back deck while we work in the yard or grill out our lunch.

Penny loves agility classes and we all get exercise when she runs agility. She’s not fast or focused enough to compete for real, but she loves to get out there and run the course!

What is life like since you rescued these three? All 3 girls have such great and different personalities and enrich our lives in different ways. They are always happy to see us, no matter what else is going on, and we are always happy to see them greeting us at the door.

Photographers Note: This photo shoot was our first after taking the break due to the on-going pandemic. So testing out the guidelines for the first time and still ensuring everything went smoothly, which I think it did. It’s not a ton of fun wearing a mask in the heat and humidity of a Georgia spring/summer but it’s worth it to keep all my volunteers safe. I also couldn’t have asked for a better group of pups to restart things with. We started with just Penny as she has a little more energy then the senior gals so Kaye thought this was a better course so as not to overheat/overwhelm Angel and Cammie; especially since Angel has two bum knees. When it was Cammie & Angel’s turn, the hose came out for Cammie who just LOVED playing in the water and definitely shed about 5 years of age right in front of my eyes.

Now you may have noticed in the photos that Penny & Angel have certain monikers on their collars that one would assume describes their personality’s. Needless to say they were both fantastic and well behaved. When I mentioned that fact to Justus & Kaye, that maybe these collars weren’t accurate, without skipping a beat they said, move in with us for a week and see if your opinion changes! LOL

Demo, Elwood Blues & Twitch - 3/14/20

Name/Age: Demo- 10.5 y/o, Elwood Blues - 5 y/o & Twitch - 3 y/o

Family Members: Terra & twin kitties Edy and Oy

How long have Demo, Elwood & Twitch been in the family? Demo for 10 yrs, Elwood for 4.5 yrs & Twitch for 1.5 yrs.

Profession: Project Engineer

Location: Lawrenceville, GA

Nicknames:

Demo: My Love, Little D, Bubby, Dem-O-Lition (when he is in trouble and needs a full name used)

Elwood Blues: Slimer, Bubs, Hippo, EW, Nasty Mo-Fo

Twitch: Little Miss, Ladybug, Cow, Spaz, Dana (shelter name and what she responds to best when in trouble)

5 words/phrases that best describe Demo, Elwood & Twitch?

Demo:

Sensitive
Silly
Bubbly
My little Soul Puppy
Pee Monster

Elwood Blues:

Goofy
Lovable
Soulful
Snores like a freight train
Leaves a slime trail everywhere he goes

Twitch:

Crazy
Neurotic
Most Energy I have ever seen in a dog
Ball Obsessed
Very Very Sweet

What makes each dog unique? Demo’d bubbly personality is his best trait. All the neighbors love him and he used to be known in the neighborhood as the doggy UN because anytime someone got a new puppy Demo was the dog they wanted to borrow/play with. He has never met a person or animal he doesn’t want to love on. He does not have a mean/tough bone in his body.

Sweet Man Demo coming in close to say Hello!

Elwood, Oh this guy…he likes to bop your nose with his nose even when you aren’t ready. When you’re sleeping, trying to do yoga, scrubbing the floor…. Although he is 70lbs he knows his calling in life is to be a lapdog. As soon as I sit down, where I sit down he is on my lap. On the couch, in the recliner and even at the dinner table he tries (although I think that is more for the food options than the mama option) .

Elwood with the full stretched out leap…..

Twitch is insane. I don’t think this makes her unique to the breed but it is unique to my household. She is BY FAR the most high energy of the group. She never lays down for longer than a 2 minute power nap and then she is off again. If in that two minutes I adjust my seating position she gets up to come over and make sure we aren’t going anywhere. She is also the most likely to be protective of the house, sometimes she sleeps with me but usually she sleeps downstairs on the couch and because she is such a light sleeper she is the first to hear any noise that does not belong.

Twitch the girl on the go and always with her ball.

Rescue Stories: Demo’s Story: I have one of those friends and 10yrs ago, pre-FB she would send emails out every week of dogs that were in danger of having to take “the walk” if no one stepped up. I never looked at these emails because I knew I would fall for one of the dogs and my now ex had put his foot down that we could have NO MORE ANIMALS (we had 3 large dogs and 5 cats). On a random Tuesday, I got the email and for some reason that day I opened that email and almost at the bottom of the list was this picture of this little smiling face with these giant ears, I looked into those eyes and even though it was just a picture I KNEW he was MY dog. He had been left tied to the fence of the shelter one night two months earlier and his time was up. I called my boyfriend immediately and all he said was no. This continued for the remainder of Tuesday, all day Wed & Thurs. On Friday when no amount of tears and anger and pleading seemed to be working, I went to my Mom’s after work because I was so upset that I couldn’t even be around him. Somehow this was the thing that worked. He showed up at my Mom’s about 4:30 and said if it meant that much to me, we could get the damn dog. But he was scheduled for the walk that afternoon…and he was in Greenville, SC. So I called the shelter and called and called until someone finally answered and begged them to let me pay the fee over the phone and I promised I would be there at 8am the next morning but please please PLEASE hold him over. And thankfully they did. When we got there the next morning (at 7:30 before they opened) he was in an outside kennel, stinky and dirty but he was SO freaking happy. His smile was contagious. Only then did we find out he was a dog assigned to a prisoner and that prisoner shook our hand and cried as we signed the papers. He was so thankful we had been able to save this special little dog.

Elwood Blue’s Story: Elwood was found as a stray in Fayette county when he was roughly 7 months old and pulled by a rescue in Rhode Island. My friend had agreed to foster this goofy looking guy while he awaited his transport since she had just placed a dog in a new home. She was supposed to have him for 3 weeks. After a little less than a week she was contacted by her previous fosters new parents that the adoption was not a fit and they were bringing the dog back. So I agreed to take in this guy until the transport came. He was totally different than Demo. He seemed happy but he also seemed a little...”special”. His tongue was constantly hanging out of his mouth with a drool string attached to whatever he was standing near. His head is a little crooked, he has a burn scar down his back and he roared like a lion anytime he “played”. The other dogs and the cats where petrified of him except Demo. Demo claimed him immediately. My doggy UN decided this weird looking drool factory was going to be his best friend forever and ever. So after 2 weeks, I contacted the rescue group to ask if he was being transported to a foster or a home. When they said he was being transported to boarding it was decided, he was staying and a different kid got their freedom ride up north.

Twitch’s Story: I was fostering a dog awaiting transport to VA, when the transport arrived we got to talking, he was petting my dogs and commented how sweet they were. He then asked if I would be interested in fostering a small pittie mix girl that was very high energy and that he couldn’t seem to keep in a foster home. She had been in boarding for almost a year. After some thought, I agreed and drove to NC to pick her up a couple weeks later. She was not small, she was covered in fleas, her hair was very sparse and she had fluid pockets on her knees and elbows from sitting/laying in a crate too many hours a day. The only thing that was true is that she was every ounce as crazy as he had suggested (but that’s another story for another day). But I had made a commitment to foster her so I brought her back to GA and straight to the vet for Capstar and a look over to make sure I wasn’t bringing anything into my house to my dogs. Then she hung out in the back yard for a few hours while I waited for the fleas to fall off so I could bathe her. The first week or so she wasn’t overly interested in me, she wanted to hang out on the couch and with the boys but once she got settled in a little all she wanted was to lay next to me with her ball and her head in my lap. She doesn’t care if I’m petting her as long as I am touching her. If I try to hug her she turns into the Tasmanian devil and whirls off around the house so we do everything on her terms. That foster lasted roughly 4 months before I decided to keep her, she just fit and added that last little missing piece to our get along gang as the neighbors call it.

Twitch- the missing piece (& always with a ball)

What is your favorite pastime as a family? For Demo it’s trips to the park. Playing fetch (that he never brings back) but he runs around the yard with whatever toy in his mouth and tosses it in the air. Then there is the adorable way he never picks anything up out of the dirt with his mouth, he uses his paws to wiggle it up to a sitting position so he can keep his mouth “clean”. As he has gotten older I just love sitting with his head on my lap running my thumb along his white stripe between his eyes.

Elwood Blues it’s playing in the water…he LOVES the water. The pool, the hose (he barks from inside the house the WHOLE time I wash the car and then we have to play in the hose as I clean up), the ocean (although he is NOT buoyant and can’t swim for sh*t, he has a life jacket), the shower (he will climb in with you if you forget to close the door) and then the crazy joy he gets out of being dried off afterwards.

For Twitch it is anything to do with her ball. If she had to choose between that ball and food I’m not sure which one she would ultimately select. If we can play ball with a puddle to run through all the better. My yard doesn’t puddle well but my sisters house is the BEST ball / puddle combination. One throw equals 15 minutes of puddle runs before she comes back for another throw. On the plus side – this actually does wear her out so she sleeps HARD.

What is life like since you rescued these three? Demo was my first pittie mix. I have always had rescues but his siblings at the time where a Doberman mix, a husky mix and a retriever mix. He was the littlest of the group but he was just SO happy – ALL THE TIME. Everywhere we went he was smiling, and he really showed me that all that crap you see in the media is just that…crap. These are amazing dogs and everyone everywhere we go loves him and asks about him. He is truly my soul puppy.

Elwood Blues took more getting used to than Demo. He is more rambunctious and because he looks more like a “tough pit” he gets a lot more hurtful comments than the others. Which is RIDICULOUS because he is such a lovebug. He doesn’t seem to have had a great first few months of life as he has the scars, his ears are pretty butchered and he has a ruptured saliva gland (according to the vet). He is petrified of fire, loud noises and the toaster so I skip any holidays with fireworks so I can be home with him.

Twitch loves the couch – sitting, laying, sleeping always on the couch. I think after being in the kennel for so long she just loves the softness. Surprisingly she still does good in a crate during the day but she loves the couch. As far as the rest of the group, it took some adjusting to get used to her energy level for the boys but now they play with her as long as they want and then they ignore her and we play ball again…maybe I just need one more high energy dog….hhhmmm…..

Photographers Note: So this was our last photo shoot before the world went on pause and what an eventful one it was. First of all whenever you have multiple dogs it’s bound to be a little crazy and then adding to that a remote location; well these three couldn’t have been better volunteers. They had a blast swimming and playing ball, when we asked them to get together and pose they would take a break from their activities and comply (with treat encouragement of course, they aren’t crazy). They really were such a pleasure to photograph. The fact that Terra ended up “in the drink” (see Facebook/Instagram posts from this date), made it even more memorable. On top of a great photo shoot day, their stories are wonderful examples of every dog is an individual and also educating the public about these amazing dogs. All three had a rough start but now this motley “get along gang” are where they belong.

Axel - 3/8/20

Name/Age: Axel - approx. 2 y/o

Family Members: Meredith, Steven, Hazel- 7 y/o, Wren- 6 y/o, Garcia- fur brother age 9

How long has Axel been in the family? Since Sept. 2018 as a foster; as an official family member since Jan. 2019

Professions: My husband and I are both high school teachers

Location: Hiram, GA.

Nicknames: Axel Rose, Ax Money, Bubba

5 words/phrases that best describe Axel?

Crazy
Soulful
Affectionate
Loving
Happy

What makes Axel unique? He is a tripod.

He flies through the air with the greatest of ease!

Rescue Story: Axel was a stray. He arrived at the Gwinnett County Animal Shelter with a hip injury (turns out he had the hip injury plus a broken pelvis) and sat there for over 60 days before he was fortunate enough to be chosen by Surgery for Strays. He had FHO surgery (Femoral Head Osteotomy) on September 18 and then he came to us a few days later. With all he had been through, he was still so sweet and gentle. I noticed immediately that there was something strange about the way his hip looked. It bulged and he wouldn’t use his leg. After heavily medicating him and seeing the vet numerous times, Axel had his back left leg amputated on November 20. He was immediately relieved. He has become unstoppable. His fur brother, Garcia, decided that this foster was meant to be his adopted brother. While Garcia had been indifferent to other dogs, he eagerly played with Axel and allowed him to snuggle up close to him. For my birthday last January, my husband okay’d the adoption and we told our kids and made a tremendous video announcement. Axel is soooo happy now! He has no clue that he only has three legs...

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love taking Axel to my parents’ pool to play with their dog and to hang out with the family. He loves to get in the baby pool and soak himself. He also constantly checks up on all of the family. He must know where everyone is at all times. We also love watching movies with animals in them. Axel gets into them. His favorites are Benji and Lady and the Tramp remakes.

What is life like since you rescued Axel? Axel is loved every single day. He gets treats and pets. He has a fur brother who chose him as his playmate and companion. I am going through a lot personally as my father has stage IV cancer. Axel has soul dog potential. He knows when I need him to just be calm and relaxed. He looks into my eyes and makes me feel so much better. My son has also come around to becoming a dog lover. He was more about cats, but Axel has stolen his heart. My daughter has become committed to the rescue cause and especially wants to help pit bulls.

Photographers Note: First thing I noticed when I walked in their door was that this particular weekend I had back to back black pittie volunteers with sweet tri-color fur siblings. That doesn’t happen very often! Next of course I was greeted by Axel and his brother. They were both excited to meet a new friend and show me their yard. We haven’t had a ton of tripod volunteers and the ones that we have had, we were in a location that wasn’t really conducive to running around. I was amazed at how fast and agile Axel was during our session. He was just nonstop playing with the kids and having the best time. Which always takes me back to the resilience of dogs. They live in the now and adapt to what they need to adapt to. They don’t feel sorry for themselves, they just push forward and live their best life as is, such a beautiful thing to witness and something us humans could learn from. Clearly this sweet boy with all of his energy, happiness and let’s not forget the ability to take flight (see above) would not have been the same dog with a painful leg to drag around.

Midna - 3/7/20

Name/Age: Midna, exact age unknown, best guess 5 years

Family Members: Emily, my boyfriend Henry, his 3 cats, and my other dog who is a super mutt named Chickadee (2). She was a foster fail that was born in my living room so she's less Midna's sister and more Midna's daughter from another dogter. Kitty frens are a tabby cat named Dino (9), a calico cat named Lucia (6), and a giant floof of a long haired dust bunny cat named Queso (1).

How long has Midna been in the family? 3 years

Professions: Front Office Assistant for the Northside Hospital Cardiovascular Institute and English/Japanese/Board Game Design/ teacher for Midtown International School

Location: Doraville, GA

Nicknames: Fathead, Big Kid, Brat, Mutticus, Bubala, Fossersisser, Bigtissy, & (of course) Beautiful.

5 words/phrases that best describe Midna?

Brat & Blanket Thief
Lazy Fetcher
She’s the boss, I just work there
Clingy Snuggler
She does the best Chewbacca impression when she wants something.

What makes Midna unique? She's so incredibly smart and incredibly intuitive. She loves to solve the puzzle, whatever that puzzle may be, including how do I undo the crate door. She's such a soft mouth I like to joke she doesn't want you to know she has teefers. She is a whiz with dogs who are so shut down and terrified you can't touch them. She has coaxed dogs in full pancake terror into play and then introduced them to me to show how kind humans can be. Without her I wouldn't be an effective foster mom. She's the one who is saving lives, I'm just feeding them until they're ready to find their people.

How many pibbles do you know that can hold their own peanut butter spoon?

Rescue Story: I was at the Atlanta Humane Society just to play with dogs, not take one home. But when I saw Midna (then Laura) I could tell she was super stressed so I decided to take her out and play with her a bit. She was so focused on me she didn't care a bit about the toys. She just wanted to cuddle and was looking me dead in the eye with an unmistakable 'Get me out of here' look. She had been at AHS for a little over 4 months, probably because she's the double whammy of pit-type and black dog. Her intake form said she was stray intake at the Macon Bibb County shelter which is ironic because I have family in Macon. I can't imagine how this potty trained well behaved angel dog ended up a stray, much less ended up overlooked for months. Before I knew it, I was filling out forms. I had to buy a leash from them because I had no way of getting her home. This was not supposed to happen. I had to stop at Petsmart on the way home because I had no food, no toys, no beds, NOTHING! I'd do it again without hesitation. Best impulse buy ever.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? She is a big snuggler, but I love watching her get the crazy zoomies. She'll run slower to let Chickadee or a foster catch her, but I know her top speed is so fast my eyes can't track her. When she's done running she always has the biggest smile that just lights up my heart.

What is life like since you rescued Midna? Midna was a gateway drug into the world of fostering. She was under socialized as a puppy, so a lot of her training was just exposing her to other dogs. Her trainer recommended we foster a variety of dogs to help with her ongoing training. I was skeptical but it was the best decision I ever made. Not only is my life more full because of it, but we've been able to save lives and complete families across the Atlanta area. I have a whole network of rescue friends and adoptive families now that make my life whole in a way that I didn't know was missing before she was there. And Midna has gone from rural stray to spoiled princess. A role she fully embraces.

Social Media: Instagram: midnas_mighty_mutts (which is really a site to highlight current fosters)

Photographers Note: I met up with Emily & the pups at a friend of hers house, whose backyard was a jungle of beautiful ivy. This gave us some great background for photos but also gave Midna & Chickadee an enormous racetrack and playground to romp & run in. Emily is correct, most of the photos I tried to take of Midna while she was running I was just capturing her butt as it went out of screen, she is speedy. At the end of all that play, there was a yummy peanut butter reward and I can honestly say I have never seen a pup hold a spoon, with one paw mind you, as skillfully as Midna can. These two pups were so much fun to photograph and watch play, very rough and tumble without a care in the world. The best of friends.

Moxy- 3/1/20

Name/Age - Moxy - 5-8 yrs old.

Family Members: Heather, Pup:Atticus Finch – Silly Quietly Loving Greyhound (5 YO), Cat: Stella – Tuxedo Studious (14 YO). Cat:Batgirl – Black Femme Feral (6 YO), Cat:Ptah – Genius Loving Lynx Point (1.5 YO)

How long has Moxy been in the family? Moxy has been in our lives since July 3rd, 2017

Profession: I am Self Employed Antique/Artist

Location: I am from Decatur, but have lived in Atlanta Westside/GA 15 years

Nicknames: Mox, Moxy Loxy, Honey Bunny, Mox-Mox

5 words/phrases that best describe Moxy?

Athleticism – Amazing power and skill set for ball catching body twisting athletics
Ambassador: She’s a great example of, with hard work, things will get so much better
Keen Sensed & a Curious Detecive
Thoughful, Grateful, joyful & heart full
People Pleaser

What makes Moxy unique? Moxy is a special girl. She is wise. All my life I’ve always known animals were gifts and we need to treat them with care, love and respect. But, out of all the animals that joined my life, Moxy has this intense depth to her. She shows her soul, bearing inner stuff so loud and it seems to catch me off guard every day. I find myself just looking into her eyes with a smile on my face. I feel blessed she is in my presence and I take pictures of her all the time.

Rescue Story: On July 3rd, 2017 Atticus and I were walking into the abyss of the beginnings of July 4th crazy town since the year before I noted my neighborhood was like being in a firework’s battle. I was very concerned since this would be Atticus’s first civilian July 4th.

It was after 10:30 PM & distant fireworks were popping, as well as a few gun shots so I thought a good time to just get out in it. Atticus was apprehensive of the new night noise but hoped it would calm him for the finale within 24 hours. After making a big loop around the hood, we were on our way home when I saw, what I knew to be, the silhouette of a Pit bull and there was no human in sight. We cautiously continued up the street toward our house. I kept an eye on the dark dog shadow and watched Atticus’s behavior as well. When we were 10’-12’ away, I noted the pup appeared to be sniffing and paying no interest to us. Thus far it was not a threat. I tested the situation & called the pup over. Immediately, the stray looked up and came bouncing over, butt wagging wide, tail happy, and met us well. Atticus and the pup smelled politely. The pup had no collar. There was a large grotesque growth on one of her hips. She was not emaciated. Her flesh seemed loose under the dark dull fur. Her jowls drooped. Her teats were apparent. I would not let her wonder into the night alone, so we walked toward the gate into the backyard. She cautiously, but willing, on her own, followed. I would look for her family the next day. But I also wanted to check her out and she was scratching a lot. She had two ticks and literally 1000’s of fleas were caught in the teeth of the comb. I dipped them to their death in soapy water. The stocky dog threw herself onto the deck rubbing, side to side, her backside. I was not sure it felt good or she was more of an itchy mess from the fleas’ panic state. I changed the red water bowl 3 times that night.

I left her outside on the deck with one of Atticus’ dog beds and hoped for a good night sleep. I did not hear a peep all night. When I woke the next morning, I pushed back the curtain in my bedroom. She was sitting calmly in a chair, looking curiously from left to right at her new surroundings taking it all in. I will never forget that look. I thought we would go to Animal Control the next day when they would be open on July 5th and go through the routine for strays and would probably adopt her if no one claimed her as theirs. In the meantime, she needed a bath. That morning we drove to Petco on Collier Rd. She certainly had been in a car before. She got in my seat, but I told her to get in the passenger seat and she immediately crossed the console to settle in. She did whine a bit. I looked for any signs of familiarity from her as we drove by all the houses hoping she would lead me to her home. But that morning she whined the entire time and looked keenly at all the activity surrounding her. I kept a hand on her letting her know she would be OK. When we arrived at Petco, I picked up supplies and a Petco employee set up the bath. For a whole hour this red stocky Pit bull stood still while I lathered and massaged. She grunted and I knew it felt so good. Dead black fleas were all over my hands and arms while dirty bubbled water swirled down the drain. It was very satisfying for us both. I felt her body relax during the bath. I will never forget. Many dirty towels later she was a flea-free clean pup. The guy at Petco checked us out and chipped in to buy the shampoo. The rest of the day I drove all over the area where I lived while families had BBQ’s. I posted info on Next door and other websites for lost animals. No one recognized the pup in the back seat. I looked for “Dog Lost” signs. Nada. On the 5th I took her to my Vet to get tested for heartworm. There was no chip & no heartworm, but the growth on her hip they said was a concern. The next day I took her to Animal Control and the manager there said regardless if I dropped her off that day or the next day, I would not be able to pick her up, until the following Wednesday. The least amount of time she had to stay there, I knew, what was best for her well-being. We went home. The next day I could not take her to Animal Control. It broke my heart to think she would be caged up at A.C. where they do what they do since I’ve worked with them before with found pups. They do great work, but it’s a hard environment for the animals. Instead, I decided to put up a flyer of her at their facility. No one claimed her. A week later I named her Moxy. Within the month she went in to get spayed as well as to biopsy the hip growth. Later that day they called and said they could not locate her lady parts. It was either she had an odd anatomy, or she had already been spayed. Poor pup. I got a call a few days later and the growth was cancer. They had gotten good margins. She is still cancer free. Although, we certainly went through a serious rough patch about 10 weeks later. I came home on my birthday mid-September after going to a show and wanted to play with the pups. I got their favorite chicken toy to play tug of war, which we had never done. The next thing I knew Atticus and Moxy were going at it. Atticus was screaming. I was shocked. They had never ever had issues nor had Moxy acted odd with any other dog and we were around a lot of dogs at our park.

Unfortunately, Atticus needed stiches. Greyhounds have very thin skin. From that point forward Moxy began to resource guard. She became obsessed with everything she held dear. Such as her beds, her food, me, the carpet, the sofa, the cat… It was awful. I could not keep her. I committed to her a week after the 4th of July, but this behavior was making my house unsafe. I did a bit of research quickly and decided to take her to boot camp for two weeks to train and teach her the electrical collar. I never thought I would do this, it is not me, but I was desperate. I kept saying, “cake or death.” I thought, at least, when she goes to her new home, she’ll be more adoptable, since she will be well trained, and I would throw in the collar. While she was gone, I reached out to many Pit bull rescue groups in Atlanta and it was depressing. Pit bull’s are hard to place. My heart was broken and made up. Moxy had to go; somehow. Two weeks later I went to pick up Mox. My home had gotten back to normal. I went to the facility to get trained; it was a raining mess. We did a lot of work inside, but also needed to go outside, it was miserable. I would not open my heart up to Mox, but I did notice that she was like a puppet on a string and listened and performed very well. Her trainer said that all the trainers agreed Moxy is not a leader, put wants to please. She hoped I would have 2nd thoughts about giving up on her. A few days later, after tons of work, from all of us, my mind began to switch gears. It was slow, on a day by day basis. Not until February did I decide to keep her forever. I have never looked back. We worked our tails off. I have not used the shock collar in over a year and I so rarely had to take it off vibrate. My house is peaceful except for Ptah, the male kitten, but that’s another story. Anyhow, I’ve taken the pups to family & friend events and spend the night parties. Everyone tells me we are welcome anytime. They are just good dogs. This whole experience taught me so much; we continue to grow as a family and me as a leader. We hike almost every day and it brings me pure joy to see Moxy smile ear to ear and give me this look of pure love while she runs the trails. What is also super cool is Atticus and Moxy watch out for one another. We are a solid, well placed pack.

Getting comfortable quickly in her forever home.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? The pups and I love to hike together.

What is life like since you rescued Moxy? Added joy as well as feeling super safe since she is an amazing watch dog. Everyone thinks she is a boy and my Greyhound is a girl. Greyhounds are not considered to be a good watch dogs, but these two are good partners against crime. I want all my animals to be happy and relaxed as well as silly. We are all in that space now.

Photographers Note: This is another one of those stories where someone made the choice to not give up on a dog. Honestly, these are some of my favorites. This has nothing to do with Moxy being a pit bull (although as Heather mentioned it can be hard to find them homes), but more about us as humans doing right by our dogs. Every dog is different, they all have their own insecurities, issues, likes & quirks, just like human beings. This is true of rescue dogs or dogs that came from an expensive breeder. Sometimes you get lucky and have an “easy” dog, other times you don’t. The key is the humans that don’t give up on them! I think every one of us would go through the same struggle around what to do, especially when it involves another one of your beloved family members. One of the many great things about dogs, is they tend to live in the now and get over stuff usually a lot faster then humans do. Now to see these three, it’s like three peas in a pod. Such a balanced pack, with Moxy & Atticus as best buddies. Watching them run around together and smelling all the smells, was just too cute. Atticus was over smelling a tree and Moxy had to run over and see what news her brother had discovered. These two have definitely moved ahead!

Violet - 2/29/20

Name/Age: Violet - 1.5 to 2 y/o

Family Members: Jaklyn

How long has Violet been in the family? since July 2019

Profession: Working at Ultimate Software in the Operations Strategy dept.

Location: Smyrna, GA

Nicknames: Vi, Puppy, Short Stack, Pumpkin, Little Butt, Doodle

5 words/phrases that best describe Violet?

Sweet
Playful
Goofy
Silly
Cuddlebug

What makes Violet unique? The brown marking on her head – looks like she wiggled and the machine messed up the straight line and it created a round spot & her little pink nose. She’s the perfect combination of playful and cuddly.

Rescue Story: I saw her little mugshot on the Cobb County Animal Control facebook page on a Saturday night and I instantly fell in love. She was brought in as a stray and had puppies at some point. I told myself I didn’t need another dog, but if she was there on Tuesday when they opened, I would at least go meet her (famous last words). Of course she was there and I went to see her right after work. She came bouncing into the room, ran right to me and sat on my lap. She was running and playing, but always coming back to me to say hi. 10 minutes later I was signing her adoption papers and bringing her home.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We go to Silver Comet Trail all the time. I love taking her on long walks and hikes when it’s nice outside. She’s small and it’s easy to bring her with me to dog friendly places… she’s like a tiny best friend. LOL

What is life like since you rescued Violet? She is such a positive energy and always full of love. I’d say she brings more happiness into the home and she’s obviously as spoiled as can be.

Photographers Note: Jaklyn was a past volunteer with Shine A Light. with her dog Nala back in July of 2017.(http://www.shineliteatl.com/new-blog-1/2017/7/23/nala-71517). When she first adopted Violet she still had Nala as well as her other dog Blue. Sadly Jaklyn had to say goodbye to both Nala & Blue within a very short time period. So after we finished our photo shoot I suggested we go out and get a drink to toast Nala & Blue, so that’s what we did.

Now as for that sassy little girl Violet, I was so close to hiding her in my camera bag and bringing her home. She is just an adorable compact muscly bundle of love. She was so excited to be out on this new adventure with all the people and dogs; all while taking to the model life pretty well! I am so happy that Jaklyn has this sweet girl to ease the pain of losing her two other babies. I mean how can you not smile when you see that face!

Homie - 2/23/20

Name/Age: Homie - 1.5 y/o

Family Members: Traci

How long has Homie been in the family? March 31, 2019

Profession: Graphic designer/business owner

Location: East Atlanta Village, GA.

Nicknames: Handsome Homie, Homeslice, Homes, Shnuggs

5 words/phrases that best describe Homie?

Playful
Intelligent
Curious
Stubborn
Sweet & loves to snuggle

What makes Homie unique? He has no aggression towards people or dogs. None. He just wants to play with any dog he sees – it’s magical. He also likes to put his head on my shoulder when we are relaxing on the sofa. It’s so cute!

They don’t call him Handsome Homie for nothin !

Rescue Story: I lost Copper, my 15 year old pit bull (a former Shine A Light ATL dog!) on January 23rd, 2019 and I was devastated. After a couple of months I finally started to look at adoptables – not doing anything, just looking. One day in March, a friend of mine sent me a message on Facebook with a post about a couple giving away their young blue nose pit bull due to housing issues. I had told my friends and family that I wanted a blue, around 1 or 2 years old, and thought I’d like a boy when the time was right to adopt again. It felt like it was meant to be so I drove to Stockbridge with my folks to meet him. His name was Homie and he was 11 months old and quite a handful! He was most definitely a puppy and jumped on everyone but was sweet and sat when told. The family was desperate to get rid of him and because he was young and not neutered, I felt like I needed to rescue him from a potentially bad situation of him landing in the wrong hands so I took him home right then and there. Little did I remember how much energy a young dog has after living with my geriatric dog for so long - but, after some training and getting my mind right, we are like two peas in a pod! Homie came from a breeder, a friend of the couple and they had him since he was an 8 week old puppy. His birthday is May 2nd. I know from their pictures that he LOVES the snow so I hope he gets to play in the snow with me one day!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love going to a small dog park near EAV to play. We take walks around the neighborhood, play fetch with sticks and tennis balls in the backyard (though I am still trying to get him to DROP!), snuggling in bed or on the sofa, visiting his favorite people at Park Pet Supply (they give him treats if he doesn’t jump!), and playing with his squeaky toys. I took him on his first trip to Blue Ridge and he LOVED the woods and creek at my friend’s house – I’d like to take him on a hike or some nature trails soon.

What is life like since you rescued Homie? At first Homie was too much for me – physically and mentally. I was grieving my loss of Copper and I’m also injured from an accident many years ago so I have some limitations. He was strong. Untrained. Super energetic. I was in way over my head and for a short time I was looking to rehome Homie. I was so sad. I realized that I felt a lot of guilt for putting him back in a system that was overrun with pit bulls that needed homes. So I woke up one day and decided to change my mindset and get into training mode and make Homie the dog I needed and that he should be. So, I started doing just that – had help from a trainer for the day, remembered my skills when I trained Copper, and though Homie is still a handful, he is SO much better. He is mine and I love him and will continue to train him and keep him happy.

Social Media: Instagram: @HandsomeHomieEAV

Photographers Note: I was so happy to hear from Traci again and happy that she had decided to rescue another pibble in her sweet Copper’s memory. We met up at Oakland Cemetery and Homie was so distracted at first. Then again who wouldn’t be, so many new smells and because the weather was finally decent there were a lot of people walking their dogs…SO MUCH TO SEE & SMELL. After a few minutes, he relaxed and just turned on the full doggy model mode. I mean this boy can pose and he is definitely 100% handsome as his nickname indicates. What I love about this story is Traci’s honesty about how things were really tough in the beginning. I am sure so many people feel this but often their response is to put the dog back in the shelter or in more severe cases just dump them. I love that Traci said “decided to change my mindset” and she hunkered down to ensure that Homie got the structure he needed to be a happy balanced boy. He is still a puppy in many ways but he is really smart and picks up things quickly, so they are both on the road to Forever Happiness for sure, not to mention I think he has a future in advertising….just sayin!

Audrey Mae - 2/22/20

Name/Age: Audrey Mae - Almost 2 y/o

Family Members: Tim, Mary & doggy brother Weezy who is 11 ½ yrs.

How long has Audrey been in the family? Since April 23, 2019

Professions: Tim – National Sales Manager (Palfinger) / Mary: Distribution Operations & Product Design Manager (Emery Park Carpet Co.)

Location: Adairsville, GA

Nicknames: Esther (her kennel name), Ree-Ree, Crazy Girl (her doggie daycare name), Unicorn Princess & Princess Precious

5 words/phrases that best describe Audrey?

Goofy
Loving
Playful
Energetic
Precious

What makes Audrey unique? Audrey has the biggest smile and her zest for life is infectious. When she runs to greet you with her big smile and waggly tail, it suddenly makes everything better.

Rescue Story: We lost our beloved pittie, Maci Mae (thus Audrey’s middle name; her first name is Tim’s mother’s name) to a brutal battle with cancer in March 2018. A very important part of our family, a large hole was created with her loss. We were in the process of selling our house and building a new one so decided to wait to add another doggy. In January of 2019 my daughter forwarded to me a video that was posted by Victoria Hopkins at Royal Animal Refuge about “long-timer” at the refuge named “Esther”. Surrendered to the shelter in May of 2017 with three litter mates, suffering from mange and emaciated, she was the only one left of her litter that had not been adopted. She was so beautiful and sweet and looked a lot like our sweet Maci. I told my daughter there was no way she would not be adopted by someone and since we were living in a small apartment temporarily we couldn’t do anything right then. Well, in March of 2019 Victoria posted another video of Esther when she was surrendered, a photo of this poor girl still at the shelter and a video of her. My heart broke for her. I showed it to my husband (we were still in our apartment for one more month before our house was completed) and he said, “call them and see if they will hold her for us”. I went and met Esther that weekend and to our excitement they told us they would hold her until we moved in our house. We moved in on April 22, 2019 and April 23, 2019 we drove to Royal Animal Refuge to finalize her adoption and bring her home. Audrey fit in from the moment she arrived. Her big brother Weezy greeted her with a smile, happy to have a little sister to look over. They have been best buddies ever since.

Esther, now Audrey Mae heading to her forever home!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We have a lake on our property and both Weezy and Audrey love to go down to the lake and swim. Audrey had never seen or swam in a lake before, scared at first, a gentle tap in to the water by Tim and her desire to be like her big brother, she got in the water. Once she stepped in there was no turning back. All we have to do now is say “do you want to go to the lake” and she goes crazy with excitement and ready to swim.

What is life like since you rescued Audrey? Fortunately for Audrey she was in a wonderful rescue, Royal Animal Refuge, however, shelter life is very stressful and her ability to relax at first was very difficult. She has no problems with that now. (She has three different doggie beds to nap on and she uses all of them, preferrably while snuggling with Weezy.) For Tim and I, there is never a dull moment in our house, her silly antics and energy keep us laughing.

Photographers Note: I met up with Mary, Tim & the pups at a historical park called Coopers Furnace. Such a great spot & it was a finally a pretty day which have been few and far between over the last couple months of Georgia. Audrey is still a young and energetic girl, so there was a lot to see & smell, plus plenty of excitement just being out on an adventure with her whole family. Even with all that, she did really well. Such a beautiful girl, with those amazing light green eyes. Her brother Weezy was not featured because he is technically not a rescue but was so happy this handsome hunk was able to come along for the family shot. He was pretty happy about it too!

Luna Lovegood - 2/2/20

Name/Age: Luna Lovegood - 3-ish y/o

Family Members: Amber, John, Nightliss (cat) and Aria (cat)

How long has Luna been in the family? 1 year

Professions: IT Director and Accountant

Location: Decatur, Ga

Nicknames: Lunsies, Lulu/Lulubell, Princess

5 words/phrases that best describe Luna?

Curious
Friendly
Energetic
Hugger
Weird

What makes Luna unique? She’s very sympathetic. She responds to crying, knows to apologize…but not always when to settle down. =P Once you tell her no to something, she just about never does it again. She tore a stuffed animal up once, when I cried, she came over and tried to comfort me. I told her not to touch them and to this day, she doesn’t touch a single stuffed animal, regardless of where they are.

Rescue Story: Last Thanksgiving, my hubs gave in and finally agreed to adding a dog to the mix. Without hesitation, that day, we went to the nearest Lifeline to look at pooches. Luna, then named Eliza, had just come to them within the month. Her story – she was a rescue from a puppy mill as a breeding dog. They put her at just around 2 years and believed she had birthed 2, possibly 3 litters. She was rambunctious, a tad unruly, jumped a lot and didn’t walk terrible well on a leash, but she was such a lover already. We did a few cat tests, I put an application in and took her home the next day once I had dog gear/food at home. After a few days of getting to know her, I gave her her forever name of Luna Lovegood. She was a bit awkward, very curious, very loving and tender natured.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Either playing fetch with her favorite UFO ball or snuggling on the couch. With playing fetch, no other dog/animal or human exists. She’s very single minded and she will go FOREVER. With snuggles, she gets a bit jealous of the cats when they get on my lap, so now, she tries to curl up on my lap. It’s really just the cutest. If I’m petting a cat, I have to be petting her. If she’s on my lap and the cat sits next to me and I pet her there, Luna wants that spot. It’s a bit comical.

What is life like since you rescued Luna? Hubs finally realizes that he does, in fact, like having a dog. He plays outdoors with her regularly. For me, she’s my baby…probably more than my cats.. I live for being greeted by her every day when I come home from work. I live for our cuddles and watching her do her zoomies after pets (she just goes wild after being pet)

Photographers Notes: Met up with Amber & Luna at great nature preserve area with a stream. Luna was having a blast chasing her ball in the water and splashing around. Amber was correct above about how she is very focused on that ball, if the ball is out nothing else exists. This gave us lots of action shot opportunities and also stills when she was just waiting for Amber to throw the ball. Win -Win for photographer and pup! Luna is such a happy and exuberant girl, she has clearly hit the jackpot of forever families as they know exactly what she needs to be fulfilled, another win-win!

Woodson - 1/19/20

Name/Age: Woodson - 6 y/o

Family Members: Raj & Sarah, (tiny human pending)

How long has Woodson been in the family? Since January 2015, 5 years.

Professions: Raj is Executive Director of Georgia for Aledade, a healthcare startup that works with independent primary care physicians. Sarah is Director of Corporate Governance for Warner Media.

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Woody, Beta, Baba, Ninja, Babalouie, Wiggly

5 words/phrases that best describe Woodson?

Loves people, especially kids
Independent
Loves exploring the outdoors especially chasing various backyard furry critters
Excellent Swimmer
Happy

What makes Woodson unique? Woodson has innate sense of knowing when people may be upset, emotional, or sad and immediately tries to comfort even though he’s not necessarily always the most outwardly affectionate pup on a day to day basis.

Rescue Story: I (Raj) had just moved from Austin to Houston and did not really know too many people. Since I had been thinking of getting a dog for a while, it seemed to be the right time and I was looking at available pups with Friends for Life, a local rescue. I was looking for a black, medium sized dog that was young but not a puppy. Woodson was found as a stray in the parking lot of a NE Houston school. A teacher was going home and he just came up to her and hopped in the car. He was obviously malnourished She and her husband fostered him for about 10 days when I came across his profile and went to meet him at the shelter. He came into the room and the first thing he did was leap into my lap like he had known me for years.

Woodson ready to head to his forever home!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? One of our favorite pastimes is to go to walk the Beltline on a sunny day. Woodson loves meeting other dogs along the way and seeing all the "wildlife" when we end up at Piedmont Park. His favorite part of the walk is of course stopping by King of Pips for a Pupsicle.

What is life like since you rescued Woodson? Woodson has been an amazing dog. From Day 1 he has fit our family like a glove. I adopted him when I was a single and had just moved to Houston in 2015. He had front row seat to everything that's happened since: 5 moves, meeting my wife and getting married, helping us cope w the loss of my dad, moving to a new house and now welcoming a little brother into the world. Through it all he has always been by our side wagging his tail and eagerly awaiting the next adventure.

Social Media: Instagram @woodson_the_pup

Photographers Note: When I met up with Raj, Sarah & Woodson the sun was finally shining after several rainy days. First thing I noticed was his shiny black coat just gleaming in the sunshine. Then we got to the business of photo taking and Woodson was a pro. Posed perfectly when asked, gave up the adorable head tilt when needed and had a blast playing with sticks his Dad would locate for him for some action shots. Woodson is the definition of a family member going through all of the life events with his family and now taking on the role of big brother. I can already see all the things he will teach his brother…how to pick the perfect stick, the use of sad puppy eyes when you want to get your way and the value of a good nap. Can’t wait to see what kinds of adventures Woodson and his baby brother get into!

Nala & Jezzie - 1/12/20

Name/Age: Nala - 8 y/o & Jezzie- 5 y/o

Family Members: Katherine, Christopher - son (35) Silver, a German Sheppard (8), Kitty, a tuxedo cat,(14), Zoe, a tuxedo cat (15) Winkie, a foster kitten(2 mths)

How long have Nala & Jezzie been in the family? Nala has been in the family 7 yrs & Jezzie for 4 yrs.

Profession: Retired teacher

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Nala: Ninja Nala

Jezzie: Jezz

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Nala & Jezzie?

Nala:

Weird
Loving
Snuggly
Crazy
Fun

Jezzie:

Fast
Independent
Cuddly
Tough
Obsessive

What makes Nala & Jezzie unique? Nala likes to run on a long lead and take a rolling dive on the grass. While Jezzie, I don’t think I’ve ever heard her wimper, even when she gashes herself running through bushes, etc. She is obsessed with people, dogs, (especially small dogs), and is prejudiced against light colored dogs.

Rescue Story: We picked Nala out in a pen of about five puppies at Fulton County Animal Services immediately, had to wait a week to get her.

Jezzie was dumped at the Lenora Church dog park, and people noticed and started networking to find her a home. Gwinnett Animal Control picked her up, and my friends convinced me to foster her. I was a bit nervous about bringing another female dog into the house, as I already had two. She was terrible about running off, and encouraged my other two dogs to terrorize the neighborhood whenever we weren’t carefully watching the door. I went on a short trip, and when I came back, I noticed her shyly standing in the background to greet me, and I knew I had to keep her.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Walking in the woods and snuggling.

What is life like since you rescued Nala & Jezzie? We love Nala so much, she is unique. Jezzie likes to sleep under the covers with me, doesn’t get out of bed until 10 or so. She’s a fence jumper and a handful, but so sweet. She looks depressed sometimes, but I think we share a happy life.

Photographers Note: I loved meeting this great family. Silver wanted to be involved in everything we did and all three of these dogs are so sweet. They welcomed me into their yard and escorted me back. Always curious as to what I was doing. Katherine shared stories of Jezzie’s escape escapades & she brought out the flirt pole for them to show off their skills. These two are great examples of every dog is an individual. They each have their own funny quirks and their family loves them unconditionally.

Max - 1/5/20

Name/Age: Max - 2.5 y/o

Family Members: Jacob & Lauren

How long has Max been in the family? 2 years

Professions: Jacob: Finance Lauren: Account Manager in Corporate Travel

Location: North Decatur, GA

Nicknames: Maxy, Massy, Massy Puppers, Gargoyle, Snoofer, Snoof King, Baby, Baby Puppers, Little Shark

5 words/phrases that best describe Max?

Smart
Sweet
Loyal
Dramatic
Quirky

What makes Max unique? He is a big goofball. He hops in the air like a deer every third stride when running, loves to point at squirrels & acts like a baby every time he gets a little scratch. He lays on the ground until you are willing to pick him up and then he runs off fine. He is terrified of headphones and plastic bags, but not afraid of things that should actually be scary (LOL). He loves to settle down on the couch with a good antler to chew on next to you.

Rescue Story: We got him from the Atlanta Humane Society at 5 months old. We had been married for 6 months and were ready to add a fur baby to the family. We looked at a couple of other dogs and puppies before we met Max. He was so quiet in the shelter (and still rarely barks, he is very polite!), probably intimidated by the older louder dogs adjacent to him, but he walked right up to his kennel door wagging his tail when we walked up. We took him into a room to meet him and he kept just leaning on us (and peeing on the floor, but don’t worry he grew out of that unfortunate excitement habit) and just being so thankful that we were there. We knew we had to take him with us. He was brought back twice two weeks and four weeks before we got him. His life before that is unknown to us. One claimed “landlord issues” and the other didn’t give a reason. Our poor baby had pretty bad skin/fur and needed to know the third time was going to be the charm; we weren’t going to give up on him. He had some allergy and gastro challenges that made some early phases tough, but we are past or have managed most of that by now. He’s grown, thrived and has turned into such a happy fun-loving gentleman. He has a variety of very human facial expressions and has learned to communicate with us to get exactly what he wants. It has been a journey since we adopted Max, but we are so grateful and lucky to have found him as he has made our lives so much more eventful with his personality and love!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Catch! He never has to get the ball, because he’s not great at bringing it back, but he has the most fun running back and forth while two humans play catch, which is a win-win! Going on walks and runs. Max loves his walks, and we go on a walk every day. When it gets close to walk time he sits by the door and stares at you until you notice him, very politely and quietly but with 100% dedication to the walk he knows he is asking for right on time. If he had fingers, I think he’d be tapping his watch. He also loves to run and when the weather is nice, we take him on runs through our neighborhood as well.

What is life like since you rescued Max? When we first brought Max home it was a huge learning curve for us. We were stressed with the new responsibility and with our busy work schedules. Max was adapting to yet another new home and all the changes. He’s very adaptable though and smart. He started to feel at home and trust us. He quickly started to curl up on the couch next to us to relax (he is very fancy about where he lays and you will never catch him laying on the floor; couches, beds, and chairs only for this high class pup!) and would bring his toy over and drop it on our lap to play. On weekends, you will usually find us walking Max, scheduling play dates with other dogs, or bringing him to a park or brewery. He loves to be the greeter of new people and dogs that arrive at an event. Max loves when we have people and other dogs over because there are more people to give him attention and play with him. He likes his whole wolf pack and gets sad if even one personal or dog leaves the group. Our days and weekends look much different now than before we had Max, but they are so much more fun and fulfilling now that we have another member of our family to share it with.

Photographers Note: It was such a joy to meet Max. He really is a gentlemen, so gentle and polite. On this brisk morning he definitely wanted to show off his leaping skills (which is a sight to see) in his big backyard and even returned the tennis ball a couple times during a game of fetch. He is the best poser and I do love how our SALA bow ties really pop on the black pups! Our photo shoot was quick and easy, but plenty of time to hear all the great Max stories and see how much his parents love & adore him. As I was getting ready to leave I heard a dog barking on the other side of the privacy fence. I said, is that a friend of Max’s? Jacob said that is Jambo, I think he was one of your other volunteers. He was, from Feb. ‘19 !! His Mom had posted on their Nextdoor app to help find volunteers for SALA! I love when our past volunteers help me recruit!