Blog

Mia - 2/6/21

Name/Age: Mia - 6 y/o

Family Members: Morgan & whatever foster dog is in our home.

How long has Mia been in the family? I adopted her January of 2017

Profession: Application Analyst

Location: Dallas, GA.

Nicknames: Momma Mia

5 words/phrases that best describe Mia?

Loves all humans and greets them with wiggle butt partnered with a big smile
Matches her energy with whatever it is you like to do as she can do long hikes, 5ks or snuggle with you on the couch
She is a great ambassador for the breed as she is gentle with babies, kids and the elderly.
Smart, Intuitive, Soft & Snuggly
Never meets a stranger, happy, confident, pretty girl

What makes Mia unique? She is motherly and nurturing to all the foster dogs that come through as she teaches them the way of dog.

It’s always important to make time for a good bone chewing session.

Rescue Story: I was wanting to adopt a dog but I had not visited any shelters or rescues yet. I came across Mia’s picture on pet finder and I knew she was the dog for me. I discovered she was with Mostly Mutts Rescue so I found their next adoption event at Petsmart. When I first met Mia, she was just excited to be out of her crate exploring the parking lot and store. She did not pay me a lot of attention. All of her puppies had been adopted out by Mostly Mutts and she was left. She was picked up as a pregnant stray by Cobb County Animal Control. I got Mia in the backseat of my car and she obviously knew what a car ride was. After a few days in my home, she started settling in and overcame her separation anxiety by attending doggy daycare once a week. Once we got through the separation anxiety, she started to shine as a stellar girl. She was easily taught sit, lay, shake and roll over. She was up for running, hiking or walking with me wherever and however long. She liked to sit with me and cuddle on the couch. After a few months, I knew I was going to be a rescue advocate for life as dogs like Mia deserve a chance to have a forever family and a life of happiness. In the spring of 2018, we began fostering through Friends to the Forlorn Rescue and Mia welcomes the temporary foster sibling with loving paws. We mostly foster adult dogs and gender doesn’t matter to Mia. We have had many foster dogs come through who are now with their forever families which are: Leroy, Dixie, Henry, Calvin, Iris, Rex, Diesel, Mavis, Spec, Abel and many more that came through while their foster was out of town etc. Having a temporary sibling brings Mia so much joy as she has a bestie to play chase, wrestle with, bitey face sessions and she cleans their faces. She teaches the way of dog by teaching how to snuggle, play, go on walks, car rides, how to interact with people and other dogs etc.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Hiking-Mia and I explore new trails together. She has her nose down trying to take in all the new smells. She smiles the whole time and will happily wear a hiking pack carrying waters, her water bowl and poop bags. She takes a nap in the backseat on the way home. She doesn’t mind sitting on rocks etc to get her picture taken. She tries to greet different people we pass on the trail.

What is life like since you rescued Mia? Mia opened my eyes to how dogs are often overlooked because of their look or what stories are in the news. She is my first pittie. I DNA tested her and she came back 50% Staffordshire terrier with 25% breed group, 12.5 % Rottweiler, 12.5% Pomeranian which I was surprised as I thought she was going to be Staffordshire terrier and Shepherd. For Mia, even though her puppies are with her forever families she has never stopped being a mom as she will take on the role with other dogs, babies and children. I am thankful for Cobb Animal Control and Mostly Mutts for stepping up and saving her life. Many dogs like her do not make it out of shelters. I will always have a rescue dog from here on out. It is highly likely that they will have some Staffordshire terrier in them. She greets me when I come home with her big smile and wiggle butt no matter if it has been an hour or several hours. We do as much as we can together so she is always by my side.

Social Media: Morgan’s Foster Page on Facebook is called Finding Forver (@findingforeverfttf)

Photographers Note: This girl was just as sweet as could be and a very gracious hostess. Now Morgan mentions above she is soft, that is no joke. It was a chilly day and I just wanted to bury my cold hands in her warm soft rabbit like fur, so soft. What I love so much about Mia’s story is her role in getting so many pups their forever homes. I mean that is a pretty extensive list. (fingers crossed we can get some of them to volunteer for SALA) The fact that she carries over that motherly instinct to so many other dogs in need really just warms your heart.

Morgan & Mia are currently fostering a very handsome boy named Camo and he will be shared on all of our social media channels to help find him get a home. This boy is pretty incredible and did I mention handsome? :)

The Handsome Camo: https://www.adoptapet.com/pet/23416874-dallas-georgia-american-staffordshire-terrier

Samwise - 1/30/21

Name/Age: Samwise - 5-7 y/o??

Family Members: Angeline & Graham

How long has Samwise been in the family? 3.5 years

Professions: Family Doctor & Editorial Director

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Sam Sam & Buddy Bear

5 words/phrases that best describe Samwise?

Sweet (unless you are a dog or a UPS truck
Cuddly
Needy
Chill
Hungry

What makes Samwise unique? He is reactive to UPS trucks and will notice their engine sound from blocks and blocks away. He somehow can distinguish between UPS, FedEx, and other delivery trucks, and just has a special place in his heart for UPS!

He also will eat anything, but loves fresh fruits and vegetables. He will sit and drool while we are peeling oranges, and loves to chomp on kale stems.

Rescue Story: We adopted him from the Fulton County Animal Shelter through Lifeline in September 2017. The weekend that we went to look at dogs, a hurricane (Irma?) had made landfall somewhere in Texas and was heading to Atlanta, so the dogs were evacuated to a warehouse north of the city. His shelter name was Mellow Yellow, because he was so chill and scared of other dogs. Even though Angeline was hoping to get a small dog as her first ever dog, we loved him right away because he was so cute and sweet, and had such unique coloring. He also sat right when Graham asked him to, but that turned out to be a coincidence because it took us months to get him to sit on command again.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love to go on walks and go hiking

What is life like since you rescued Samwise? Samwise is part of the family! He loves getting dental treats and yogurt mixed into his kibble, as well as hanging out on the couch or in front of the fire with his mom and dad. He encourages us to spend more time outside and go on walks regularly. We were all very happy to move out of an apartment and into a house with a yard where he can chase tennis balls and patrol for squirrels.

Photographers Note: First of all I have to admit I needed to look up the name. Someone commented on his name under his turn in the light post and I knew it must be in reference to something. Sure enough he is named after a Lord of the Rings character. (loss of one pop culture point for me)

This boy got to show off his ball skills for me in their backyard. His combo of pouncing/leaping when he chases the ball is adorable, almost like when you see a deer running through a field. He was just a riot and as illustrated in the photo above all 4 paws were off the ground quite often during this play session. I will also add this boy is a model in the making. Our photo shoot was so quick because he holds a pose like nobodies business. I really took the most photos of him just playing because he was so darn cute so it could have taken even less time! :)

Booker - 1/24/21

Name/Age: Booker - Roughly 2 y/o

Family Members: Rusty & Heather

How long has Booker been in the family ? 10 months

Professions: High School Teachers

Location: Dahlonega, GA.

Nicknames: Bookie Baby or Bookie Monster, depending on his mood.

5 words/phrases that best describe Booker?

Expressive
Lover
Athletic
Cuddler
Thick

What makes Booker unique? He’s fast friends with any and everyone

Rescue Story: After being a family of 4 (2 humans and 2 basset hounds) for 14 years, we spent 2 years as a family of two (after saying goodbye to both fur babies). We were waiting to heal and for the perfect moment to adopt again. We are both teachers, so we agreed that summer would be the perfect time to adopt and give him/her time to adjust with us home 100% of the time. Little did we know the country was about to go into a lockdown! A good friend had been tagging me in adoption agencies, and I spent one night scrolling through over 800 photos of available dogs, narrowing it down to maybe 20 who I thought would be a good fit for us. My husband told me that if our school system made the call to go virtual, we would leave the next morning to adopt. Within hours, the county sent out the official email, and my husband looked at me and said, “Let’s go get a baby.” I legitimately washed my hair, did my makeup and put on an outfit, and we drove to Fulton County Animal Shelter. Separately, we made laps looking at every dog. As soon as I saw “Rocco,” my heart melted. I started and ended at him, and met my husband there to compare notes. He asked me which dog I wanted to visit with first, and I was speechless. I knew I wanted “Rocco,” but I truly thought my husband would think he was way too large for us and our home. His chart said he weighed 70 pounds already! Since I couldn’t really speak, he told me that he wanted to start with “Rocco.” Already, it was meant to be. Once the volunteer brought him into the meet and greet area and closed the gate, “Rocco” promptly crawled into our laps wagging his tail and licking our faces. He never left. We got that baby and are now a family of three: Heather, Rusty and Booker.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Booker is the first dog we have ever had who genuinely loves to be by our side at all times. This means we open the front door, and he runs to the side door of the truck to go for a ride. This has allowed us to take him to stores, vacations, breweries, dog parks and family gatherings. If these don’t count as past times, I will say our favorite moment of every day is when we ask Booker if he is ready to go get into the “big bed,” he runs to the bedroom, jumps on the bed and waits for us to get in and turn the lights off. He lays down in the middle of us with his head on the pillow and drifts off to dream with his family.

What is life like since you rescued Booker? We are so happy!! We now have zero storage on our phones due to pictures and videos. We stalk the doggie camera to basically confirm that he is peacefully sleeping in all different crazy positions on both the couch and the loveseat. We make decisions about where to go and what to do around who approves of us showing up with (what is now) our 85 pound pit bull. And we buy all of the bandanas we can find to add to his collection and change them out every few days.

Social Media: Instagram @bookers_adventure

Photographers Notes: I met up with Rusty, Heather & Booker at one of the High Schools where they teach. It was a beautiful brisk sunny day and Booker had the run of a soccer field. Booker is a big handsome boy, that is the first thing I thought when I got out of my car and saw him. Then you give him about a minute and his sweet goofy personality is on full display. The fact that he has only been with his family for 10 months was surprising to me. He is so well behaved and wants to be right with his people at all times. I just loved when he would need to take a little break from chasing the ball and try to get on my lap for some kisses. Heather tried to stop him and I believe my response was “Are you kidding? This is my payment” LOL My dogs may not appreciate it when I get home but I LOVE it!

Cena - 1/17/21

Name/Age: Cena (like John Cena) - 2 y/o

Family Members: Christina

How long has Cena been in the family? Since April 2020

Profession: Office & Business Manager

Location: Atlanta, GA (Chamblee/Brookhaven area)

Nicknames: Bubba, Bubbas, Cena Bubbas

5 words/phrases that best describe Cena?

Quirky
Energetic
Dopey
Curious
Side-eye master (you should see some of the judgmental faces he gives me!!)

What makes Cena unique? There are quite a few of his quirky behaviors that make him special. One that cracks me up is when he just sits on me, anywhere, anytime. I’ve been laying on my bed, and he’ll come and just plop down on my chest. He’s also sat on my knees. It’s so weird but so funny. Another is the “side eye” looks mentioned above. He is the king of looks!!

Rescue Story: My co-worker is a volunteer with the Atlanta Humane Society, and back in February, I had mentioned to her that I was thinking about fostering. Fast forward and COVID was causing shelters to close. Cena was one of the last dogs at a specific shelter. My co-worker sent me a picture of him and asked if I was serious about fostering. I immediately said yes. I didn’t ask how old he was, if he was house trained, etc. I saw a dog in need and knew I had to help. I was going through a break-up and he was the light I needed. The day I met him, he hugged me!!! I have pictures of this special moment. I had him about a week and a half and then brought him to a family for a meeting because they were interested in adopting him. They filed the paperwork and came to get him a few days later. I cried 10 times the day he left but knew they could provide a yard and more attention for him than I could. Unfortunately, about 5 days later, I get a text from the family saying it wasn’t going to work out. His mouthiness was scaring their two children. He gets returned to the Humane Society while I was pet sitting another foster for a weekend then he came back to my apartment. Another week passes and another person inquires about him. I introduce them and something just felt off. After that, I made a pro/con list to adopting him—there never really was a question at this point though. I decided to adopt Cena and we made it official on 4/27/20. We rescued each other and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? I love taking Cena in the car, no matter where we’re going. He gets so excited to stick his head out of the window and go on adventures with me. I’ve taken him to Miami (twice), Charleston, Orlando, Gainesville, FL, and many places in Georgia for hiking adventures.

What is life like since you rescued Cena? My life is better with him in it. The looks he gives me throughout the day make me laugh and smile. I bought a townhouse because I adopted him!! My 1/1 apartment just was not cutting it. I am more active outside on a daily basis because I am taking him on walks. I frequently take him to dog parks to socialize him. I became really good friends with a neighbor from the apartment because we both had dogs. I can’t remember life before adopting him.

Photographers Note: I met up with these two on a blustery day in a great park that is tucked between several office buildings. The first thing I noticed about Cena was her gorgeous eyes and beautiful marking; this guy is handsome! Then comes the goofiness and you are far less intimidated by his good looks! LOL

Cena is our first “Covid Pup” volunteer and I know there will be many more. I love how so many dogs in need benefited from this pandemic and so many people in need did as well. What can lift your spirits more then a goofy dog that wants to play with you and get you out of your head? Then that same buddy wants to go for a walk to drain some energy…great excuse for fresh air and exercise! Finally you get to end your day with a cuddle session and the stress of the day just melts away. I know these dogs that were adopted over the last year have done wonders for their owners mental well being and in return they are in loving forever homes. The bond & love between Cena & Christina is a perfect example!

Sidney - 1/9/21

Name/Age: Sidney - 12.5 ish y/o

Family Members: Phil, Angie, Cayden (7)

How long has Sidney been in the family? Oct 2008 as a foster

Professions: Phil is retired; Angie is a registered dietitian

Location: Watkinsville, GA

Nicknames: Sid Sid, Sid poop, Siddy girl, Sidney with one “i” (and one eye) ;)

5 words/phrases that best describe Sidney?

Sweeeeet!!!
Lover of all people, especially kids
Couch Potato
Snuggle Muffin
Drooler for Food

What makes Sidney unique? Sidney literally falls all over herself when she sees kids, which does not make it easy for kids to pet her. She just gets so excited and can’t control herself, even at her advanced age. We often joke and say that while most folks get a dog for their kids, we had a kid for our dog. :)

Rescue Story: I fostered for Athens Canine Rescue at the time (2008) when I was at the Athens pound and met this black mangey ~6 month old pup with a mangled eye. She looked hideous, but she just loved to be loved. She was so itchy from her mange and secondary yeast infection that any human touch sent her into pure bliss. Knowing the stats for “Georgia black dogs” and their unlikelihood of making it out of a shelter alive, I just knew I had to rescue her and give her a chance. We already had three dogs who regularly welcomed fosters, but we all knew (including our other dogs) there was something special about this one. So we decided to officially foster fail a couple months later, in December 2008, and provided Sidney with her forever family. She is now the last remaining member of our original canine four pack.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We’ve always enjoyed traveling with our dogs and this past year (fall 2020) we took an RV trip out west and Sidney of course was there for the whole trip. While she couldn’t do any hikes with us due to her arthritis, she was there to greet us “home” when we did venture out to see sights. And she enjoyed sniffing all the new campsites we stayed at along the way.

What is life like since you rescued Sidney? We honestly can’t imagine our lives without a dog and are so grateful that sweet Sid has been an integral part of our family for over twelve years. She was our third foster fail and I’m sure when the timing is right and we can foster again, she won’t be our last foster fail. Fostering is a great way to make sure a furry friend is a good fit for the whole family.

Social Media: I often use the hashtag #sidandherkid when posting pics of Sidney and Cayden.

Photographers Note: They always say you only get one chance to make a first impression. When I arrived at Sidney’s lovely home and made my way to their backyard, Angie said she would go get Sidney. Well, she came out a minute or two later and said Sidney wouldn’t get off the couch! I thought this old gal has her priorities straight & Queen Couch Potato she will always be to me! :) Once she heard my voice though, she was very excited to see who was visiting and to come and check things out. I absolutely love photographing a frosty faced pup…especially a black dog. There is just so much wisdom in a senior dogs eyes and you pair that with the beautiful soft white fur on their face and it’s just magic. Now I will say don’t let this girls white face fool you, she was a ton of pep in her step and all kinds of attitude. Pretty sure she wasn’t super thrilled having to sit for photos after the “newness” of my presence wore off. It was a chilly day and she knew her favorite spot on the couch was open with her blanket to rest that sweet face on. You see….. priorities.

Ellie - 12/12/20

Name/Age: Ellie - 3 y/o (we think)

Family Members: Morgan & Alex

Professions: Nanny & PCT

Location: Alpharetta, GA.

Nicknames: Champagne Mami, Lil Pib

5 words/phrases that best describe Ellie?

Shy & Sweet
Amusing & Entertaining
Friends with every dog she meets
Drama Queen
Obsessed with Benebones

What makes Ellie unique? Ellie is unique & special because of her petite muscular build and her silky velvety fur. People always think she’s a puppy!

Rescue Story: Alex and I stepped up to foster Ellie when her previous foster parents were unable to keep her (even though they adored her, they had cats and Ellie has a high prey drive). I knew within the first week that she would be ours forever. Ellie was seen running around Atlanta for almost six months and she was so fast and timid that no one was able to lure her in until an amazing woman named Carolyn, owner of Two Tailz Rescue, finally caught her and rescued her from the streets. We do not know the trauma that Ellie has endured, but we think she may have had a few litters of puppies and was then dumped to fend for herself.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Ellie LOVES to go on long hikes and play fetch with her squeaky ball. She also loves going to my parents house and run around the yard with her four furry best friends.

What is life like since you rescued Ellie? Since we got Ellie, every day is happier and more fulfilling. She is such a sweet, loving soul and her energy is contagious. She truly brightened up our life and continues to make us laugh and smile every single day! We are so incredibly thankful for her.

Photographers Note: Ellie is related to Jeff our volunteer from October. So we actually did the photo shoot at Jeff’s house! She got to run around with her 4-legged relatives and just had a blast. Turns out she is quite a good poser as well. Ellie is such a beautiful pup and boy is she a muscular gal, all packed into that petite frame. This girl has the most beautiful eyes and the best pibble smile. This family definitely seems to have the market on cute short pibbles! : )

Mortimer, Brody & Rory - 12/6/20

Name/Age: Mortimer-8 yrs, Brody-6 yrs, Rory-5 yrs

Family Members: Jennifer, David (boyfriend), and two kitties Maggie-9 yrs & Kaley 8 yrs

How long have Mortimer, Brody & Rory been in the family? Mortimer-1 yr, Brody-5 yrs, Rory-3 yrs

Professions: David- landscape/construction Jennifer – Product management specialist

Location: Marietta, GA.

Nicknames: Mortimer: Morti, Potato, Cheeseburger

Brody: Bro, Buddy

Rory: Princess

5 words/phrases that best describe Mortimer, Brody & Rory?

Mortimer:

Chill
Cuddlebug
Stubborn
Sassy
Sweet

Brody:

Daddy’s Boy
Sweet
Cuddlebug
Goofy
Handsome

Rory:

Excitable
Sweet
Cuddlebug
Bossy
Funny

What makes each dog unique?

Morti is most chill dog I have ever met! Brody is the biggest Daddy’s boy & Rory is princess with attitude.

Rescue Stories: Mortimer: I was looking for a new foster and saw Mortimer’s (then known as Cheeseburger) picture and details on FB. I went in to meet him, brought him home, and was in love immediately. He had rescue commitment so the shelter had to get permission from them for me to foster fail/adopt him.

Brody: June 2015 I was single and had just finished a work project that had me travelling for months. I knew once I was done that I wanted to get a dog. I contacted the shelter and Brody was their office dog at the time. I fell in love with his picture, I met him a few days later and it was a match!

Rory: We had another pittie who sadly passed away after only 3 months of being with us, it left a hole in our hearts. I saw a video a few weeks later on Halloween night in 2017 of Rory trick or treating at the shelter and fell in love! I went to meet her the next morning and took her home that day.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love dressing them all up in their pj’s and having pittie pj parties!

What is life like since you rescued these three? Amazing! Rowdy! Priceless!

Social Media: Mortimer has his own Instagram account: @the_grumpy_potato

Photographers Note: I always love a multi-dog photo shoot and this one was no exception. It’s always a little chaotic and you get to see how the dogs interact with each and the different personalities. Of course my challenge and holy grail is to successful get all the pibbles into one bowtie shot. We werent sure if it was going to work this time but then all of the sudden all three dogs just fell into place. Not the best option to have the largest dog in the front, but you take what you can get when the stars align.

A little side note on this family, they are good friends with the foster of our latest addition Clementine. Clem has spent time with them and even participated in a pittie pajama party or two. There is even some talk that Morti and Clementine may be an item! ;)

Sasha - 11/22/20

Name/Age: Sasha - Approx. 6 y/o (probably turning 7-ish in January 2021)

Family Members: Just mom (Heather), but has an uncle (Phil) and grandparents (Marilyn and Anthony) who also love spoiling her.

How long has Sasha been in the family? Since September 11, 2014

Profession: Attorney/Compliance Officer

Location: Inman Park, Atlanta, GA

Nicknames: Sasha Bear, Meatball, Baby Girl, Sash Posh, Sashimi, Sashmo, Hippopotato, Low Rider, Wiggle Butt … I am sure there are others!

5 words/phrases that best describe Sasha?

Clever
Cuddly
Outgoing (has never met a stranger)
Playful
Sooo Stubborn

What makes Sasha unique? She really has sooo many! Sasha is extremely expressive. While she very rarely barks, she makes a lot of other sounds throughout the day, including letting out these perfectly timed long sighs when she feels like she is not getting enough attention. If you are petting her and stop too soon, she will paw at you to let you know to keep going. Sasha gives the best greetings when you get home; she does excited “spin jumps” up and down the hallway. It is impossible for me not to laugh when she gets a case of the pit bull zoomies. A Sasha smile will just melt your heart. However, you do not want to be on the receiving end of a “Sasha side eye” … if looks could kill! Hahaha. She is also a very active dreamer which scared the heck out of me the first time I heard it. Sasha is a little pittie with a BIG personality!

Rescue Story: I got Sasha when I lived in Chicago; her vet at the time guesstimated she was about nine months old. A police officer friend posted about her on Facebook; he was trying to find someone to foster her. Within minutes, I was on the way to go get her. After spending a couple of weeks with Sasha, it was clear that she needed to be a permanent part of my life … foster fail!!! She moved back to Georgia with me about five years ago and has been loving life down south ever since.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love exploring Atlanta and checking out dog-friendly intown spots. Living right off the BeltLine means a lot of walks for us. Sometimes we walk to Piedmont Park and other days we head over to Oakland Cemetery. Sasha is a big fan of patios and can frequently be spotted outside along Highland Avenue. She is also a well-known regular at VinoTeca for wine tastings and loves going to Voga for doggie gelato.

We do like to get out of the city, either for a hike or to go swimming. Some of our favorite spots include Kennesaw Mountain, the Palisades section of the Chattahoochee River, and Sweetwater Creek State Park. She loves car rides and has gotten to travel with me a bit. In addition to Illinois and Georgia, she has been to Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and to the beach in Florida. I hope to add a lot more states to that list for her!

What is life like since you rescued Sasha? I like to stay busy, so my day-to-day life requires significantly more planning with her in it, but it is also a lot more fun too. I am definitely that person who is always asking if my dog can come places too. I recently started going back into an office which Sasha has let me know she is none too pleased about, but I have some awesome friends who have really helped me out with caring for her lately. I also get a lot less room on my bed with her in the picture … she is such a bed hog!

Since she has such a sweet disposition, I intend to get Sasha trained as a therapy dog. I started looking into it back in March of this year, but then COVID! Sasha also tried lure coursing and really seemed to enjoy that, so I hope to take her to do a lot more of that in 2021.

Social Media: Instagram: @sashabearintheatl

Photographers Note: I met up with Heather & Sasha at the Carter Center, which surprisingly was my first time to do a shoot there (definitely won’t be my last). Such a beautiful setting on a lovely fall day. Sweet little Sasha was very excited to be there and greeted me quickly before going on a full exploratory sniff mission. Boy do those leaves on the ground capture some good scents! After we were done with the shoot, Heather was telling me about how her family spoils her and her parents are all about their granddog. Listening to her reminded me so much of my own parents, who are also all about their granddogs. As we said goodbye, I watched this short little spark plug leap up into a Jeep with larger then average tires. I did not think she would make that jump, but she did and then sat in the back seat with a glance out to me, as if to say…didn’t Mom mention it, I’m a Jeep Girl! :)

Buzz- 11/21/20

Name/Age: Buzz - 3 y/o (06/22/2017)

Family Members: Ashlee & Synjyn

How long has Buzz been in the family? 2 months on Nov 23rd.

Professions: Ashlee: Accountant Synjyn: Financial Advisor

Location: Dunwoody, GA.

Nicknames: Just Buzz

5 words/phrases that best describe Buzz?

Sweet
Playful
Caring
Energetic
Cuddly

What makes Buzz unique? He has this sense of when you need some loving; he will walk up and bury his head in your lap to that you know he is there. He just cherishes the ground you walk on and wants to be a part of anything you have going on.

Rescue Story: We came across Buzz (fka Deets) at Dekalb County Animal Services and instantly fell in love with his ears. The minute he stepped outside for a meet and greet, he was just READY to play with a little tennis ball. We were told he was a stray and we didn’t believe he was alone for long because he is so well mannered. It didn’t take us long to come to a conclusion that we needed to take the sweet boy home and spoil him.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love to cuddle and lay around. Buzz loves to climb on top of you and sleep as if he doesn’t weigh 56 pounds. He gets a monthly Bark Box so his favorite toys are whatever the new toys are. He will occasionally want a little challenge and bring his ropes out.

What is life like since you rescued Buzz? Buzz has definitely made this crazy year a little more interesting. He helps us forget about everything wrong in the world and reminds us that greater things are to come. Rescuing him and giving him a comfortable /safe home has made us better people. Our little guy has been a great addition to our family and we are excited to watch him evolve even more.

Photographers Notes: When your volunteers are decked out in Georgia Tech gear and want Buzz to have his photos with his favorite GT football, the light bulb goes off on where he got his name. For those who don’t know, Buzz (the yellow jacket, not the dog :)) is the official mascot of the Georgia Institute of Technology. On top of that, Synjyn played football for Tech as well. So it’s all coming together….Ha!

We had a beautiful day for the shoot and Buzz even got to have an audience from one of the workers in the office building behind our shooting location. Clearly you can see this sweet boy loves to ham it up for the camera & yes let’s not forget those fantastic ears!

Nash - 11/13/20

Name/Age: Nash - 5 y/o (birthday in May)

Family Members: Carissa & Chris, Old Man Ben (dog)- 13 y/o, Miles (cat) ? 2 in May, Miso (cat)8 months & Rotating Fosters

How long has Nash been in the family? Since he was 8 weeks old.

Professions: Carissa - Realtor & Chris - Chef

Location: Southwest Atlanta - Oakland City

Nicknames: Officer Nash, Big Boi, Nashy

5 words/phrases that best describe Nash?

Energetic
Affectionate
Expressive
Fun Police
Intelligent

What makes Nash unique? He loves to make a giant pillow nest on the couch and/or bed after a big day of playing outside, it’s the best!

Rescue Story: A friend of a friend took in a pregnant pibble that was living at their neighbors house and was not being taken care of! Nash was one of 4 puppies left about to head to the shelter and he was the cutest brindle baby and I could not resist! I know what happens to pibble puppies and I sprung into action.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love to take Nash to the park to chase the BALL!! He is obsessed!! He runs himself silly and you have to make him take breaks. He is very agile and also loves to catch the frisbee!!

What is life like since you rescued Nash? Non-stop and crazy!! I would not change it for anything! When we go out of town I miss all the animals like crazy!!

Social Media: Instagram @officer_nash

Photographers Note: I met up with Carissa & Chris over on the West End area of Atlanta. It was a beautiful fall day and true to what it says in his story, Nash played ball for me and could have kept going I am sure for hours. He was having a blast. Course I had to get him to slow down for a few close up here and there. I have such a soft spot for beautiful brindle pibbles and their gorgeous markings.

Carissa & Chris mentioned they have a rotating cast of fosters coming through their home. Well if the foster is a pit bull type dog I always offer to take some additional shots of that dog to help them get adopted. They brought their current foster with them, her name was Heidi. I took some photos of her but also fell in love with her little potato body and round fat head. So those photos never saw the light of day because my partner Dan & I adopted her two days later! More to come, as she will get her own story eventually but here is a sneak peak of the newest member of our family who now goes by Clementine! We are so thankful that Carissa & Chris approved us to be her forever family!

Theia - 10/31/20

Name/Age: Theia - 5 y/o

Family Members: Carol & Stephanie

How long has Theia been in the family? 3 years

Professions: Carol: Th Design/Owner Stephanie: Healthcare Consulting

Location: Atlanta, GA. (Inman Park)

Nicknames: Baby Girl, Goofball, No Mam!

5 words/phrases to best describe Theia?

Stubborn
Sweet
Space Invader
Bed/Sofa Hog
Loves to be loved

What makes Theia unique? She demands a fire when the temperature below 60 degrees! She will sit and stare into the fireplace and occasionally look over at us, as if to say, “Hey, it’s cold, please make this fire work.” She loves hanging out in front of the fire.

Rescue Story: A friend ( also Stephanie & one of the Mom’s to Willa Dean & Mr. Magoo - 7/18/20) had another friend who was fostering Theia (a.k.a. Tiffany at Lifeline). Her family had some circumstances which were going to force them to return Tiffany to Fulton County. Stephanie couldn’t bear to see that happen and contacted me (Stephanie) to see if we could foster her. Carol was out of town (!) and I said, “Sure, bring her on over.” That was in early September. She never left. We became an official foster fail with Lifeline. We adopted her, officially, on October 2nd, 2017.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Being together on a cold day where Theia is in front of the fire and we are just hanging out watching TV. We are all together and just being a little family.

What is life like since you rescued Theia? She makes us laugh a lot and she has changed our minds about having a dog sleeping in bed with us or being allowed on the furniture. We never let previous rescue dogs do those behaviors (they were much larger – GSDs over 100lbs). But she is just so sweet and loves to be with us. She loves to go to bed – I think her favorite past time is sleeping!

Photographers Note: First of all I always love volunteers that come through referrals from other volunteers. It means they are as passionate about changing perceptions as I am and most importantly they have determined I am normal enough that they feel comfortable to refer me and the project to their friends. :) LOL

I met up with this lovely family on a brisk Halloween day. Their house was completely decked out for the holiday and even had some neighborhood cats out front to welcome me. Little Ms. Theia was just too cute, she greeted me and then led me in the direction of their beautiful backyard. She did some racing around but wasn’t all that interested in showing off…..just wanted to be close by. Which is fine by me, cause with those ears, any pose she opts for is going to be perfect. Since the temp was just at or below 60 degrees she did end the shoot by the fire, as she requires!

Georgia - 10/25/20

Name/Age: Georgia - about 6 y/o

Family Members: Just me (Laura) and Georgia! 😊

How long has Georgia been in the family? 2.5 years officially

Profession: Marketing Manager

Location: Atlanta, GA. (Vinings)

Nicknames: She doesn’t really have any, actually!

5 words/phrases to best describe Georgia?

Goofy
Loving
Snuggly
Endearingly clumsy
Always hungry

What makes Georgia unique? Georgia absolutely loves little kids. She’s so gentle with them, and when we’re on walks and she sees one, she whines until they notice us and stop to say hi!

Rescue Story: In late 2017, there was a fire at the home of a person who had been hoarding dogs (https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/number-of-dogs-found-in-animal-hoarding-case-rises-to-91). Fulton County Animal Services/Lifeline had to make room for this huge influx of dogs (I believe there were over 80) and was seeking fosters for dogs that were already in their care. I have always loved dogs but felt like my lifestyle couldn’t support one (I traveled a fair amount for work and live by myself). However, when I saw this serious need, I convinced myself that it would “just be for a little while.” When I showed up, basically all they had at the time were pit bull-type dogs. I still believed the stereotype that pit bulls were scary, so when they gave me a pocket pittie to foster, I did so with a bit of trepidation. However, Georgia (fka Candy Cane) totally opened my eyes! She was the perfect dog for me, but I still felt convinced that it wasn’t the right time. I took her back to Lifeline after about 6 weeks because I was heading home to Michigan for a month, and sobbed the whole way home. I checked Lifeline’s website probably about every hour of every day hoping to see that she had been adopted, but she was seemingly “just another” black pit bull that was overlooked. When I came back from Michigan and saw that she was still in the shelter, I knew that I had to adopt her. I’m so happy that I did.

Sweet Georgia settling in to her forever home!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Georgia loves car rides, so I take her as many places as I can. Usually (ok, always) this involves food.

What is life like since you rescued Georgia? I feel so lucky to have found Georgia. I’d recommend fostering to anyone, because it gave me the chance to discover that we were a perfect fit for each other. Many times, when people meet Georgia, they say things like “wow, I can’t believe how friendly she is!” so it’s been really neat to see her change peoples’ minds about pit bull-type dogs. She’s an adorable ambassador!

Photographers Note: I have a confession, I don’t always read the submissions when they first come in because there can be a lot at one time. So after I have selected & edited the photos, I don’t often see my volunteers stories until I am publishing them on the website. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I have met Georgia before. When that hoarding case came into Fulton County, they were looking for volunteers to help cat test the existing dogs at the shelter to increase their chances of being adopted. Georgia, then Candy Cane was one of the pups that I cat tested. I remember her so well because of her name. (my mother’s name is Candy) and I also checked the website after meeting her to see if she had gotten adopted several times. She was so sweet and had the most soulful eyes. At the time I was working my partner for a third dog, which was not successful. So to find out she found such a wonderful home with Laura makes me so happy. Seeing her again, she was just as sweet as I remember , the big difference this time is those eyes held a different story. One of happiness and love now that she was in her forever home.

Stella & JoJo - 10/17/20

Name/Age: Stella - 3 y/o & JoJo - 2 y/o

Family Members: Kristi & Betsey - we are their Mommies!

How long have Stella & JoJo been in the family? Stella since January 2019 and JoJo since July 2019

Professions: Kristi - firefighter & Betsy - GLOCK

Location: Smyrna, GA

Nicknames: Stella- Tropi, Chumpi, PLo, Theo

JoJo- Joey, Jo, Donuts, Brobie, Brobik

5 words/phrase that best describe Stella & JoJo?

Stella:

Laid Back
Loving
Smoochie Head
Cuddle Bug
Stubborn

JoJo:

Nut Job
Sweet
Reserved
Protector
Crazy Baby

What makes Stella & JoJo unique? The way Stella loves is amazing. She is a cuddle bug and will do anything to get your attention for pets and her specialty, HEAD BUTT SUGARS.

Jo is a protector through and through. Always on high alert, nothing gets past her. She’s so funny on how she will alert and bark yet come up to be pet. Like she has to let her mommy’s know someone is near but she also has to get attention too.

JoJo sprinting through yard with her rope!

Rescue Stories: Stella was rescued when her owner died of a heart attack and the family was going to take her to a high kill shelter in North Georgia. Betsy and I at the time were in no position for a dog so we decided to foster her for the night until we could find her a home. Needless to say, we foster failed.

Joey showed up on our ring camera at 2am jumping on our front door. We didn’t notice the footage until the next day. She was obviously dumped in our neighborhood and very confused. Our neighbors also spotted her that night floating in their pool and had to go get her out! The next day, we found her still roaming the neighborhood and decided to try and catch her and have her scanned for a chip. She was very scared and confused with no home and no chip. After her 7 day stray hold, we decided that she was meant to be ours and here we are a year later.

JoJo safe & sound with her forever family

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Having the dogs help in our engagement on the beach! We got them little bandanas that say “our humans are getting married” and “she said yes!” It was only appropriate that they were there, they complete our little family!

What is life like since you rescued Stella & JoJo? Amazing! Since being rescued, both have become emotional support animals. Life as a firefighter can be taxing and stressful. PTSD is a leading cause of suicide in firefighters after what we witness daily at our jobs. Having the unconditional love and support of a dog is beyond anything a human is capable of. After a bad day, it’s so easy to come home and feel the stress melt away with the girls! For the dogs, its lots of love, vacations, walks, treats, snuggly blankets, toys, and cuddling. They’ll never not feel loved ever again.

Photographers Note: We had a beautiful fall day in Georgia for our shoot. So watching these two race around in their backyard was just a riot and not a bad way to spend some time on a pretty day. Although as I was warned sitting on the ground was pretty risky business but the girls did a great job of avoiding me during all the wrestling and sprinting. The funniest part was that Stella would just drop mid- stride and do a barrel role as an evasive maneuver. She would quickly jump up and then switch directions getting the upper hand on her sister. At first I thought she was being knocked to the ground but no…it was all intentional & pretty genius. After spending a just a short time with these two, I can definitely see how they would be a huge support to their Mom’s and make the stress fade away.

Lana & Jovi - 10/4/20

Name/Age: Lana - 3 y/o & Jovi - 1.5 y/o

Family Members: Stacy & Chris Children: Christian - 26 y/o, Hannah- 20 y/o & Reed - 15 y/o

Pets: Wallace (Puggle rescue brother) - 1.5 y/o, Brownie (Cat)- 12 y/o , & Lizzy (Bearded Dragon) - 7 y/o.

How long have Lana & Jovi been in the family? Lana has been with our family for 2.5 years and Jovi recently joined our family two months ago.

Location: Roswell, GA

Nicknames:

Lana: Lala, Lulu, Lularoo, Princess, Stinky Butt to list a few.

Jovi: Bubba, Tank, Big Boi

5 words/phrases that best describe Lana & Jovi?

Lana:

Loyal
Loving
Empathetic
Gentle
Extremely Elegant

Jovi:

Boisterous
Jovial
Goofy
Sweet
Very Cuddly

What makes Lana & Jovi unique? Lana is balanced and empathetic. She's extremely confident and sensitive, making her a great dog to help her foster brothers and sisters work on their self confidence and comfort. She's so friendly and loving which makes her a great ambassador for staffies.

Jovi loves life, despite everything, he lives in the moment. He doesn't let his past abuse hold him back, he always has a smile on his face. He embraces the goodness of the moment and is the happiest boy you'll ever meet.

Jovi taking a short breather before the next round of play!

Rescue Stories: I had an amazing border collie rescue named Lady for 16 years and tragically lost her to cancer. I wanted to honor my best friend in the best way possible and wanted to recuse another life. I saw Lana on a rescue’s Facebook page and knew she had to be ours.

Our latest foster Jovi has had a couple adoption applications but his big personality has been hard for some of his potential adopters. Our dogs are extremely loving and tolerant and want to help Jovi learn how to be a dog. Because of this we are starting to realize his home might be here with our pack.

Jovi making himself at home at his foster now forever home!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love taking daily pack walks and playing in the backyard. We love to travel to Saint George Island and play on the beach. We also enjoy frequent trips to visit our sister Hannah in college at USC.

What is life like since you rescued Lana & Jovi? I can't imagine a life without them, being able to bring them joy is what I live for. They help remind me to be in the moment and be happy. In return we try our absolute hardest to give them the happiest, healthiest home.

Photographers Note: I was greeted at the gate by Lana & Jovi. As I made my way down the stairs Jovi discovered there were treats in my bag, so he started to push against me a little to sniff the bag. Well, a little was all it took before I knew it, he was pushing me into the bushes! LOL I should add this was not a rambunctious act, he just has such a low center of gravity and is very solid, it didn’t take much! :)

These pups have an amazing yard to play in, a ton of space to run around and even the occasional golfer to bark at. Watching these two race around was just a hoot and I really had to keep an eye out because they really didn’t care if something or someone was in their way. One of the cutest things to witness was the bond between Jovi & Reed. Stacy shared this was one of the deciding factors on why they adopted Jovi; a perfect pair!

Jeff - 10/3/20

Name/Age: Jeff - around 4 y/o

Family Members: John & Sheri , Morgan (23 yr old daughter) Other Dogs: Hulk-12 y/o, Chelsea-11 y/o, Mac-6 y/o

How long has Jeff been in the family? Since October 9, 2017

Professions: John is a Consultant & Sheri is a Kindergarten Teacher

Location: Roswell, GA.

Nicknames: Baby J, Captain Snuggles, Honeybear, Jeffrey

5 words/phrases that best describe Jeff?

Aggressive Snuggler
Peanut Butter Lover
Avid Napper
Clown
Loyal Friend

What makes Jeff unique? Jeff will walk on his hind legs for a treat. Jeff can hardly contain his excitement for peanut butter, or any food for that matter. Jeff loves every person he meets. Jeff makes time for mandatory snuggles each day from his humans.

Rescue Story: We started fostering and volunteering for Fulton County Animal Services in 2015 and have since fostered several dogs from Barkville Dog Rescue. In October of 2017, Fulton posted a sweet pit bull on Facebook who was urgently in need of a foster or a forever home. Jeff was found on the streets of Atlanta in late September, covered in mange and on his way to starving to death. He had been suffering for who knows how long in the sweltering heat with no food, no water, and no shelter. On October 9, 2017, I picked Jeff up to foster him and nurse him back to health. Jeff was pink with a little fur, heartworm positive, and suffering from one of the worst kennel coughs we had ever seen. He had stopped eating in the shelter and had seemed to give up. Jeff could barely keep his breakfast down for the first few days of being here. Going out for potty breaks was completely exhausting, so he spent most of his first week cuddled up next to me sleeping. In a few weeks, Jeff started to feel and look better and his true personality began to shine. He wanted to be next to his people all the time. Jeff got along great with our other dogs and would cuddle with them too. We soon began to realize that there was no way Jeff was leaving. We were in love and we wanted to be his forever family.

Jeff’s freedom ride to his foster & forever home!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Snuggling is definitely one of Jeff’s favorite things to do. Jeff is a homebody and will never turn down a nap. Jeff loves to give hugs and often has a big smile on his face. Jeff will get the zoomies and spin circles in the yard. That is the extent of his exercise! He will go on a short walk with you but is probably thinking about snuggling on the couch the whole time!

What is life like since you rescued Jeff? Jeff has brought so much joy into our lives. He makes us smile and laugh every day. His enthusiasm is contagious. Jeff’s insistence on snuggling has made us take time to stop and relax and enjoy life a little more. We look forward to his hugs and kisses each day.

Social Media Account: Instagram: @Cbearandmac_pitbullpals - Cute pictures of our dogs and advertising for rescues, fosters, and adoptable dogs

Photographers Note: The first thing that I want to point out is that Jeff does not even remotely look like the same dog from his freedom ride picture. He has a beautiful reddish brown shiny coat, he is all filled out and the only thing you see in his eyes is love. When he welcomed me to their home, he sat in front of me with just earnest and excitement in his eyes, while he tried to control his wiggling joy. This boy is a total Love Bug, in fact by the end of our photo shoot he ended up laying across my lap and torso giving me kisses. He is the ideal advocate for these dogs. He gets along with all of his doggie family members, welcomes fosters into the home frequently and really can think of nothing better then snuggling up with a human. Then you top it off with his name being Jeff….COME ON!

A little side note to the family photo above…their dog Mac (brindle sitting up straight and tall in front of Sheri) had his eyes closed in every picture I took. ( I took about 50) It sure looks like he is posing but it turns out he is like that one family member who can never keep their eyes open in a photo. This just cracked me up and was a first for me!

Omni - 9/27/20

Name/Age: Omni - 6mths old

Family Members: Stephanie

How long has Omni been in the family? 3 months

Profession: Manager of Omni Fight Club- Johns Creek

Location: Sandy Springs, GA

Nickname: Om, Omni girl, Baby girl

5 words/phrases that best describe Omni?

Cuddle Bug
Sweet
Curious
Loving
Energetic

Rescue Story: Omni’s mother was brought to the Pup & Cat Co in Winder, GA and was pregnant. There were 6 puppies born and she was the last to be adopted. My friend was fostering her in Dacula and would post photos of her almost daily on her Facebook. As she posted photos I just kept falling more and more in love with her. After about 2 weeks of posts, I finally gave in and applied to adopt her. I was contacted right away and kept messaging with my friend daily to check in on Omni and to get inside info if they had contacted her about me! Haha. I was told that there is a possibility of Omni having hip dysplasia and that they were waiting to hear from the vet if she could be adopted out yet. I immediately started saving for the surgery just in case she needs it. I did not even know if I was going to be Omni’s mama yet, but I knew that if she became mine and needed the surgery I needed to save up.

Finally, I was able to set up a date to meet her and I could not wait. I was told the night before meeting her that if all went well I would get to take her home!!!!! Oh no! I didn’t have a leash/collar/harness anything! I stopped at the pet store on my way to meet her and grabbed what I needed. When I got to the house my friend told Omni that her mommy was there and she ran directly into my arms! We both got emotional and Omni just smiled! I am so thankful for everyone at Pup & Cat Co for trusting that I would be a good mama for my Omni girl!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Every Sunday we go on a long walk and listen to church together!

What is life like since you rescued Bailey? Life has been amazing since adopting Omni! I finally have that companion that gets so excited when I come home, even if it’s been 5 minutes! She truly is the sweetest pup!

Social Media Account: Instagram: @omnitheminipittie

Photographers Note: First of all who doesn’t love spending time with a puppy! However photographing one can be an adventure. When I see a volunteer who has a puppy, I always think in the back of my mind this one could take a little longer then normal sessions. Not with Omni, she was so well behaved and posed so well. Sure she would get distracted but she would hold her poses long enough for me to fire off several shots and the poses were perfect. After we were done and we walked back to the parking lot, there were a lot of people that wanted to say hello. Stephanie did a great job of encouraging people to come pet her to show what a sweet girl she is and Omni was the perfect ambassador. Of course the whole time Omni was basically stretched out in a full sploot on the hot asphalt accepting the attention. Guess modeling is tiring work for a pup!

Bailey - 9/26/20

Name/Age: Bailey - 1.5+ y/o

Family Members: Humans: Jessica & Doug, Kaitlyn (22), Riley(19) two cats Maxx(8) & Bruja (10)

How long has Bailey been in the family? Since April 15th, 2019

Professions: Doug works for General Motors & Jessica is a Vendor for Boars Head.

Location: Cumming, GA

Nicknames: Bailey Baby, Stinky, Boobie

5 words/phrases that best describe Bailey?

Friendly
Loving
Hyper
Loyal
Snuggler

What makes Bailey unique? Even though we have no young children, Bailey adores children and other dogs! She loves babies of any kind! She is scared of our oldest cat, however, and will whine until someone stands between her and the mistress of the house. Bailey is a lover, not a fighter and would rather spend her time making new friends and going on walks around the park or lake. She also has one ear that stands straight up when she's curious and one ear that flops, we joke she's half listening!

An interesting side note: our family has a variety or depression and anxiety disorders and Bailey is one of the most empathic, intuitive dogs I've ever come across. She instinctively knows when someone needs extra attention and is persistently patient with her love and affection.

Rescue Story: I was raised with animals and had spent 15 years working in animal rescue, but my husband wasn't as familiar or comfortable with dogs as myself, and had believed many of the myths surrounding pit bulls. However, after 10 years of begging on every birthday, anniversary and valentine's day, he relented! At the same time a friend forwarded me a picture of her friend who works exclusively in pit bull rescue of an unwanted litter of 8 puppies. The former owner had intended to raise the puppies for less than kind futures, most likely in dog fighting rings, which would have been a horrible fate for these puppies. This wonderful woman had rescued them, and was screening for possible adoptive homes. I couldn't get to her house fast enough! I had originally came to look at a different puppy, but one look at Bailey's ridiculous one up and one down ears, and her extremely affectionate nature and I knew she was the one! My husband was not thrilled with owning a pit bull, or a pit bull mix, but Bailey won him over with her puppy love, and as she's grown, they've developed a strong bond.

Puppy Bailey - her head tilt started at a young age.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Walks by the lake are always a favorite, Bailey loves walks anywhere, anytime! One of my son's favorite playtime with Bailey is a game of pull, he will pick her up and carry her around the house like a giant baby, something she loves, but she's to big for anyone else to do it with her! Anything that we're doing Bailey likes to be involved in, from hiking to Netflix binges, as long as we're together, she's happy.

What is life like since you rescued Bailey? Although I have worked with dogs for years, it had been 13 years since I've had a dog and never a puppy or a pittie. With my kids grown and mostly flown, I wanted a companion for the family and a buddy to myself, who I've gotten, but I don't think everyone else in the house expected to become so attached, especially my husband. I don't think he expected to find a best friend!

Photographers Note: Meeting Bailey the first thing you noticed is of course her ears, they almost seem to have a mind of their own. There is her signature one up and one down look but they also both flop to the side, or back or half up….you really just don’t know where those crazy ears may end up. As we started to get into the photos I noticed that Bailey has an extraordinary head tilt when she hears something she is not familiar with. (evidence below) It’s so pronounced that you think she may almost tip over. All these things add to an already adorable sweet girl who is just happy to be around people and experience life.

Liza & Leo - 9/20/20

Name/Age: Liza - 7 y/o & Leo - 4 y/o

Family Members: Mommies: Kelly & Cathy & Kitty Sibling: Henry

How long have Liza & Leo been in the family? Liza has been in the family for 4 years & Leo has been in the family for 2.5 years.

Professions: Kelly- Assistant Principal, Cathy- Director of Quality

Location: East Atlanta, GA

Nicknames: Liza: Liza Bean, Bean, Beannie

Leo: Leo Bug, Bugaboo

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Liza & Leo?

Liza:

Pleaser
Loving
Cuddle Bug
Lazy
Loyal

Leo:

Playful
Curious
Affectionate (velcro level)
Calm
Adventurous

What makes Liza & Leo unique? When it is feeding time, Liza tap dances, wiggles her body, and howls. She is such a talker! Leo LOVES stuffed animals. He always needs to have one nearby to cuddle or play with. We have a supply of at least 5 on hand so we have extras when the others need to be washed or get lost or destroyed. He brings them everywhere with him and at least 50% of the pictures we have of Leo include one of his “stuffies”. Leo also has an affinity for curling up behind us on the chair when we work or weaseling his way behind our backs on the couch. It’s so odd but completely endearing & hilarious!

Rescue Stories: Liza was found on the streets in East Point. She was hungry and small. I was volunteering for Laskey’s Lucky Ones and Volunteers working with a dog at training class one evening. The dog was horribly stubborn and I was really struggling with getting him to do anything (it was quite embarrassing!). One of Laskey’s volunteers pointed to a dog at the other end of the room. She told me her name was Liza and she was the best behaved, well trained dog in the room and asked me to go work with her. I glanced over and saw a brindle pit bull. I did not have any experience with pit bulls and had honestly never even been around one. I wasn’t scared, but I was a tad apprehensive and intimidated; she looked scared and was so muscular! When I went over to Liza, she was sitting down. She looked up at me for a second and then bowed her head and her ears went back. She seemed pretty scared but her eyes were SO soft and soulful. I knelt down to pet her and she placed her head on my shoulder and then just nestled her head into my neck. I completely melted. She then went on to completely impress me throughout training class. She already knew sit, lay down, stay, and place. Liza wasn’t only sweet, she was smart and very obedient. My partner, Cathy, was traveling for work at the time and I called her as soon as I got home. I told her about Liza and how perfect she was. Cathy wasn’t on board right away- she was a fan of small dogs and we currently already had two senior dogs. After a week of begging and pleading, I talked her into going to adoption day one Saturday. Sweet Liza was terrified and was trembling in her crate. One of the volunteers took her out and brought her inside the store for us. I sat on the floor and Liza immediately sat between my legs and laid her head on my shoulder. The rest is history!

Liza and Kelly at an adoption event……the rest is history!

Leo was found on the streets completely emaciated. The pictures we saw of him when he was brought to the shelter are just heartbreaking. He was in the shelter for 6 months before Laskey’s Lucky Ones and Volunteers were contacted directly by a worker from the shelter. They told them they had the sweetest dog that constantly got overlooked by potential adopters. LLOV went to meet Leo and fell in love with him. They were able to find a foster so they could pull him from the shelter. We were at a brewery one weekend with our dog Liza and ran into a couple who volunteered for LLOV and had worked with training Liza. They told us about another dog they were training for LLOV named Leo and how he was so sweet and relaxed. We looked at some pictures and asked more questions about Leo before saying goodbye. Cathy and I discussed possibly fostering Leo on our way home that evening. We already had Liza and a senior dog who was very fragile and probably didn’t have too many months left. We thought Leo would be a good companion for Liza and would help her with the loss of her older companion. We fostered Leo for 3 months and officially adopted him after saying goodbye to our beloved senior dog. Leo and Liza had bonded immediately and watching them play and cuddle together sealed the deal for us. Leo didn’t seem to have much personality at first and he really didn’t know how to cuddle or be affectionate. It took about 6 months for his personality to really come out and now he is the happiest, goofiest, velcro dog you’ll ever meet. We love him to pieces!

Adoption day for Leo and the family is complete!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Lounging on patios, leisurely walks and hikes, sunbathing in the backyard, and their favorite: cuddling and sleeping!

What is life like since you rescued Liza & Leo? Leo and Liza are living their best lives! They have a big fenced in yard to play and lounge in the sun. Both have the run of the house and although they have dog beds throughout, they always prefer the human furniture so they can receive endless cuddles and love. They sleep with their mommies in bed each night, have an abundance of toys and treats, and get spoiled rotten by every adult and child who come to visit. They love our annual road trip to upstate New York each summer because they have nieces and nephews who dote on them constantly. We are excited to take them to the beach for the first time next month!

Liza and Leo have been such a blessing to our life. They bring us so much happiness and love! Even though they are 50 pounds, that doesn’t stop them from being a lap dog. Their sweet, loveable, and gentle disposition have made us pit bull owners for life. Unfortunately, there is a stigma associated with pit bulls; however, Leo and Liza have helped to change the opinions of many of our friends and family members. They’ve witnessed first-hand how wonderful they are with children and how their main goal in life is simply to please and just be loved. We are grateful every day that these two loveable goofballs came into our lives and look forward to many happy years of spoiling the rotten!

Photographers Note: What a fantastic family to kick things off after our short summer break. These two pups are a bit like a tale of two pibbles. You have Liza who is a little more reserved and shy, but also a huge love bug after you give her a minute. Then there is Leo who has never met a stranger and to be honest should probably have a professional modeling contract because this boy can pose! He also likes to show off a little with his toys and happily bound around. They have different personalities but their dynamic is perfect. You can see their bond immediately with each other and how much they adore their Mom’s. Now sweet Liza is not a fan of the camera, in fact she was quite happy to come sit with me on my blanket and roll over for some belly rubs, per my comment about his modeling contract you can probably guess what I am going to say about Leo the poser. I mean I took a lot of shots for his bow tie picture and about 75% were exactly the same! These two had me cracking me the whole time.

I often ask people who express concern about pit bulls, “Have you met one?” Then I say,” it only takes one to change your mind.” Liza was that dog for Kelly & Cathy! Now they are pit bull lovers for life!

Leo & Joey - 8/9/20

Name/Age: Leo - 9 y/o & Joey - 4 y/o

Family Members: Heather-Mom; McKenzie-8; Peanut (cat)-6; Merlin (cat)- 7

How long have Leo & Joey been with the family? Leo for 1.5 years & Joey for 1 year

Profession: Sonographer

Location: Acworth, GA.

Nicknames: Leo: Grump dog, Grumpy, Grumpmiester, Lei Lei, Leonardo

Joey: Blind Joey, Joe Joe, Joseph

5 words/phrases that best describe Leo & Joey:

Leo:

Grumpy
Pouty
Brat
Kind of the RBF
Stage 5 Clinger

Joey:

Loving
Chill
Silly
Goofy
Resilient

What makes Leo & Joey unique? Leo has 3 legs. missing the back left but he does not let that slow him down. He really does have the grumpiest face but deep down he loves me. Even though Joey is blind and used to be skittish, he has become very confident and does not let anything stop him

Rescue Stories: In February of 2019 Fulton County Animal Services was under construction. Leo had recently been found hit by a car (they assumed) and had his leg amputated. He was healing in the offices but they were having to move to trailers where dogs were not allowed. They made a desperate plea on the Friends to the Forlorn foster page for someone to let him crash somewhere for 6 weeks. I had space so I went to get him. Elle said to me don’t worry he always looks that grumpy. I thought he hated me for weeks, he will grow on you. For weeks I thought he was miserable...then one day I saw a little smile. I love his personality but not many people would. Plus he is black, older, 3 legged and looks like a junkyard dog. I knew he would never get adopted with his RBF so I decided to keep him; he is my grumpy spirit animal. I DNA tested him he is 37.5% American Staffordshire terrier.

Few days in his new home & he already calls Shotgun!

Joey was turned into Fulton County as a stray with a chain and padlock around his neck in February 2017. He was blind and heartworm positive…and he was a black Pit bull. The Rivera family with Friends to the Forlorn stepped up to foster him. He was seen by Dr. King the ophthalmologist who diagnosed him with Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), which means he was born with sight, but his retinas have deteriorated over time. It is very rare in Pit bulls. He stayed with the Rivera family and even though he recovered from heartworm treatment he was picky about his dog friends and never passed a meet and greet. In July of 2019, The Rivera’s went on a needed vacation. As a foster I offered to watch Morty and Joey (their two fosters). They warned me that Joey was aloof and did his own thing and not to be offended. From the first night Joey was in my lap loving on me. He was my bestie for a week, everyone was shocked. He chose me to be his mom. Due to him being selective with his dog friends, I had a trainer come in and introduce Leo and Joey to ensure they could live together. Since then Joey has welcomed Andy to our pact and several foster dogs. (Side note: Andy passed away just before our photo shoot with the family)

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Leo loves car rides; he will trip you to get to go on a car ride. He also likes to sleep in the bed with you. Joey loves to curl up on the couch or bed with you and snuggle. He is a snuggle bug!

What is life like since you rescued Leo & Joey? Leo is living the life, he has gained a ‘little’ bit of weight and is treated like a king. His only complaint is he wishes he was an only dog. For me, he is my velcro dog that always makes me laugh no matter how tough life is. Joey is a joy and brings so much happiness to our lives. He greets you with pure happiness every time you come home. Joey spends his days chewing bones, guarding the front door and ‘hunting’ cats.

Social Media: Instagram: 3leggedgrumpdog (Leo)

Photographers Note: When you pull up to a volunteers home that has a 3-legged dog & a blind dog, you know this is a special family. So many of these special needs dogs get over looked in shelters/rescue because people see them as “broken” or they are too much work. I think this family is a fantastic example that these dogs are just like any other dog and if a little more work is needed its all worth it.

Leo’s description is spot on , he does have the grumpiest expression and when you pair him with Joey who is just pure happiness and joy, they make quite the odd couple. Joey is just the silliest boy and he makes a very good dog model. He was all about the posing and almost seemed to know when I had the camera on him and would hold his pose. One could say he was showing off a little…… He may be blind but all of his other senses work just fine, as he quickly figured out I was on the ground and belly crawled his way for my lap at one point. It’s interesting how special needs dogs have to face stigma’s just like pit bulls and can prevent them from finding forever homes. So next time you are looking to add to your family , take a chance on a dog that may have a few more needs because they love just as fiercely and are just as loyal as any other dog out there

Gracie & Prince - 8/8/20

Name/Age - Gracie - 6 y/o & Prince - 5 y/o

Family Members: Dad (Mike) & Mom (Libby)

How long have Gracie & Prince been in the family? Gracie for 4 yrs & Prince for 2 yrs (3 yrs if you include his time with us as a foster).

Professions: Mike – Business Development, Libby – Solutions Engineer

Location: Roswell, GA.

Nicknames: Gracie: Occasionally we will call her “G” or “GiGi”, but mostly just goes by Gracie

Prince:Mr. Prince (said in a very drawn out annoying dog mom voice)

5 of the best words/phrases that describe Gracie & Prince?

Gracie:

Life of the party
Daddy’s Girl – she loves “her Mike”
Velcro dog – she always wants to be cuddled up to somebody or her brother (or her foster babies)
Large and In Charge – her signature move is to box out the others when greeting visitors
Resilient

Prince:

Big Scaredy Cat
Best Kisser
Happy Feet
Ladies Man
Stubborn

What makes Gracie & Prince unique? For Gracie, her tongue hangs out and although it’s due to her sad past, it makes for the cutest faces and pictures.Her real special trait is how she takes our fosters under her care, most of which come to us terrified of life and/or without a clue how to be a loved family pet. She helps them gain confidence and learn how to play and enjoy being a dog.

Prince can predict the weather! No really, it can be sunny and 0% chance of rain according to the weather app, but if Prince assumes his “storm position” (a.k.a hiding in the corner of the couch) we know there will be rain within the hour.

Rescue Stories: Gracie was adopted from Dekalb County Animal Services in 2016. She had very recently had a litter of puppies when animal control picked her up, old wounds that clearly indicated she'd been used as a bait dog and a broken jaw that never healed correctly.

Gracie’s shelter pic along side her “After” shot

Prince came to us as a foster in 2017 from a Fulton County Animal Services, and was said to have been living tethered outside for 2 years prior to his arrival. Once we got him home we discovered he was terrified of EVERYTHING. Outside he’d look for the closest bush to hide in, inside he took up residence under our dining room table for 6 months. It took him over a year to come in the same room as Mike, and we knew once we hit that milestone there was no way we could let him go, so he became a permanent member of the family in 2018.

Prince’s shelter picture and his “After” shot!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We’re pretty boring…Gracie loves playing with soccer balls, and lounging on the deck, they’re always up for a walk, but also perfectly content lounging on the couch.

What is life like since you rescued Gracie & Prince? Gracie makes us want to save them all (which is one of the reasons we started fostering)! We will always be a muti-dog household – when it’s just our 2 resident dogs the house seems SO quiet! Gracie has showed us the resilience that rescue dogs have, and the gratitude they have for their new life. Watching her transform from a terrified, abused dog into a happy, go lucky girl was very rewarding.

Prince has been a perfect addition to the family. He and Gracie were fast friends and he’s always the dog the fosters want to play with even though he’d prefer to be left napping in peace.

Photographers Note: When Libby first reached out she only signed up Gracie to be featured because she mentioned Prince was very shy with strangers (see above). She did say he tends to like women more then men (also see above, Ladies Man). So I said, let’s see how he reacts to me when I get there and if it’s all good we can take some shots of him. Grace & Prince were so excited to greet me. You would never really have guessed Prince was shy, he picked up on que’s from his sister and went with it. Every now and then during the session, he needed a little break from the action but would always come back out and join the fun. I even got a couple kisses out of him!

Libby mentioned that once she brought out the soccer ball we would lose Gracie for any sort of focused posing activity and boy was she right. These two playing with the soccer ball was an absolute riot and they were having the best time. I could have sat there all day taking photos and video of them.