Name: Penelope/ 7 months at time of shoot
Family Members: Gabriella & Mike, Cats - Samson (11), Dagney (6) & Scout (5)
How long has Penelope been in the family? 4 months
Professions: Gabi - Day-School Teacher/Administrator, Mike - Engineer/Man of Mystery
Location: Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta
Nicknames: P, Bear, Princess P & Muffin Head
5 words/phrases that best describe Penelope:
- Silly
- Compassionate
- Smart
- Facetious
- Cuddly
What makes Penelope unique? I think Penelope may actually be a bunny, a bear and a dog trapped in a puppy body. She loves to hop and jump and has even climbed trees in our yard.
Rescue Story: I've wanted a dog for a long time but our life had not been conducive to providing the kind of life we wanted for a furry baby. Last year before Christmas my husband and I decided it was time. I began scouring every rescue and shelter in Atlanta looking for a pit bull. I've always wanted to be a Pit Mom. One night I saw a photo of this little pip-squeak Nattie. Apparently she had been bought off a lady at a gas station to save her life. Friends to the Forlorn met the woman who saved her and was able to take her in with her first foster at 5 weeks. They told us she fit in a sock when they got her. That didn't stop her from aggressively trying to play and snuggle her foster brothers, 2 giant 50+ pound dogs who were often scared of HER. She had worms and a lot of digestive issues but with some help from her awesome fosters she was in great health in no time.
I emailed FTTF assuming she had already been adopted and to my surprise we were first on the list to take her home. We met her in January and I nearly died of love from the moment I met her. She was the friendliest, bravest little girl I'd ever met. On February 1st, Penelope came to live with us and I spent her first day in our home glued to her side. At one point she fell asleep in her crate in her new little bed and I fell asleep on the floor next to her. We've been inseparable ever since. On Valentine's Day 2015 we officially adopted "P" as our own. I can't thank FTTF enough for being so helpful, friendly and wonderful through the whole process. They truly are such an amazing group of people.
Penelope's first day with Gabi & Mike.
What is your favorite pastime as a family? Penelope loves to hike and so do we. We took her on her first hike at 4 months and she was so excited. We've been to Sweetwater, Cascade Springs, Lullwater and urban hiking along the Beltline and Freedom Trail. She looks so at home exploring nature. Her eyes light up and she looks at us with such excitement and gratitude, it's pretty much the best thing ever. She's great in any terrain and loves to climb. Her favorite thing is if we are able to let her off leash in a creek. She will tire herself out splashing and climbing on everything. Our next adventure will be camping on Jekyll Island where Mike and I got married 2 years ago!
What is life like since you rescued Penelope? I say this all the time and I know it sounds cheesy, but I can't imagine my life without P. I often find it hard to express the way I feel about her. She is such a special little girl. She's fierce, smart as a whip and so incredibly compassionate. I've been going through some health issues and P will lick the tears off my face to cheer me up. Even now at 40+ lbs she demands to be snuggled like a baby in my arms nuzzled in my neck. She learns tricks so fast and we have about a million puzzle toys for her because she gets bored so quickly and loves a challenge. She has done her fair share of destruction (my personal favorite is creating a hole in our wood floor) but how can you be mad at puppy for being a puppy. P has brought a center to our lives and so much fun and joy. We never make it through a walk without someone stopping her to say Hi. She looks everyone she meets in the eye. She loves every dog she meets and even plays with our cats! The best part about her is she is so great with animals and children. She somehow knows she could hurt them so she plays very gently with small dogs or children. She is also fiercely protective. The other day I found her guarding a baby bird that had fallen from it's nest in our yard. At first I thought she was harassing it, but she barked at me as soon as I got close and kept an eye on it while it made its way back to its nest.
P has shown us the boundless love we can have for other lives and she continues to prove we don't know anything about anything every day! I knew rescuing a Pit Bull would change my life but what I didn't realize was how complete our little family would feel once she was a part of it.
Photographers Note: Just before I left my house to head over to see Mike, Gabi and Penelope I reread their story. Then I realized, "Hey, I know this dog"....after she was rescued, FTTF had posted her getting a bath in a kitchen sink (supporting the comment above about her size)on their Facebook site. Her original name, which was Nattie led me to share her with one of my friends who's name is Natalie. I said she needed to adopt her because she was her namesake! Obviously they did not adopt her (they already have 3 dogs) but it was so great to see her end up in a wonderful home and be so loved. She has a HUGE backyard to run and play in, not to mention plenty of sticks that are bigger then her to drag around. This beautiful pup with her shiny black coat just exudes joy!