Names: Nala (6 y/o female) & Dylan (2-3 y/o female)
Family Members: Keri & Mike
Location: Atlanta, GA. (Kirkwood neighborhood)
Nicknames: Nala - Nala Masala, Nani, Noodle
Dylan - Dylpants, Dylpickle, Boog, Gremlin
5 of the best words/phrases that describe Nala and Dylan:
Nala:
- Loving
- Loyal
- Snuggly
- Intelligent
- Striking
Dylan:
- Clownish
- Sweet
- Silly
- Kissy
- Clumsy
What makes Nala & Dylan unique? Nala is an incredibly unique-looking dog, so she turns heads wherever we go. She absolutely loves people, especially those who we invite into our home. For that reason, all of our family, friends, pet sitters and neighbors have a special love for Nala. She's a fantastic breed ambassador because she is friendly with people, dogs and cats. Nala is special because she allows people to see how beautiful and sweet rescue dogs (especially pit bull type dogs) can be.
Little Miss Dylan is the most talkative dog I have ever met. She almost never barks, but she sure does communicate with us. When she is ready to come out of her crate, she sings us a song in her best falsetto. When she is excited about going to do something new, she lets us know with a gurgling, growly howl or a high pitched yawn ending in a squeal. She also grunts when she reluctantly does her tricks on walks when she'd rather check out another pup.
Nala - Look at those beautiful eyes and markings.
Dylan the Circus Bear!
Rescue Story:
Nala was our first dog as a couple and the second pit bull type dog we had ever met. She was found when she was almost a year old and rescued from the pound by Animal Action Rescue. Her foster dad did an amazing job training and socializing her with other dogs, cats and children. When we met her, she was so sweet and small; we knew that she would be a perfect addition to our family. She fit right into our family, and we took her everywhere - she loves car rides and new people. Having Nala in our lives showed us how loving and loyal this type of dog is and we realized we wanted to rescue another one.
When we first rescued Dylan, she was about a year old and a mess. She was found by a good Samaritan who couldn't keep her, but worked with Shelter Angels Pit Bill Rescue to get the word out about her. We went to pull her from DeKalb County Animal Services after I saw her photo and fell in love with those wonky ears. We took Nala to meet her, and despite the fact that they are both female, initial greetings went great. Dylan had recently had puppies, and it turned out that she was heartworm positive, had every other type of worm and had kennel cough. She was terrified and did not know how to live inside a house, so she and Nala had a couple of battles in those first few months. We worked so hard with both of these dogs that first year. Heartworm treatment with a young and energetic dog was not easy, and we crated and rotated the dogs for a full year while the girls got use to each other. I'm happy to report that our hard work paid off. Dylan is heartworm negative and she and Nala are happy companions. They love to snuggle together when it's cold out, and Dylan kisses Nala right on the mouth when she is feeling sweet.
Nala's first day with her new family at Piedmont Park.
Dylan snuggled under the blanket with her sister, not feeling so great when she first came home.
What is your favorite pastime as a family?: Nala is an adventure dog - she loves to hike. Arabia and Stone Mountains are her favorite because we see a lot of animals there and she sometimes gets to play in the water. As a family, we love to spend sunny mornings hiking together because it's a great way to exercise and socialize the pups.
Dylan is our little athlete! She loves the beach because she can swim and chase bubbles and waves. She also loves our family jogs in our neighborhood because our walking pace is a bit slow for her taste.
Overall, we are a very active family; taking long walks daily to keep the dogs healthy and happy. Our family walks allowed the dogs to get to know each other and become happy together in our home. They also allowed us to get to know our neighbors when we first moved in. We get plenty of compliments on our pretty dogs when we walk around the neighborhood, and people are always surprised to hear that they are rescues.
What is your life like since you rescued Nala & Dylan?: Life for everyone is warm, safe and full of love. Having two dogs means that there's always at least one dog near each of us all the time, but it also means that we have to keep up with double training (each pup has something different she is working on). Having two rescue pups means that we do our best to make up for their rough beginnings. While they sleep in their own beds at night, on weekend mornings, they love to come up in the bed with us and curl up under the covers. When I get ready for work in the morning, the dogs curl up together in our bed. We love having the dogs as a reason to get outside and be active, and as animal lovers, we feel fortunate to have these sweet girls in our lives.
Photographers note: When I first met these two cuties, I was surprised at how short they are. They are the definition of pocket pitties! Then what struck me was their coats are the exact reverse of each other. As Keri said, "We definitely have a type". These two girls were so good and boy do they love their cheese. What I love most about this family is their dedication to their dogs. As you read in the story, they had to work through some challenges with these two and they did. They didn't opt to give up on Dylan and send her back....it took a lot of time and patience and they stuck with it. Today you could never tell there was ever an issue, they are buddies and happy pups. Patience pays off!!