Name: Frankie - 12 y/o
How long has Frankie been in your family? Almost 6 months
Family Members: Angela
Profession: US Peace Corps & The Table Church
Location: Washington, DC (Capital Hill)
Nicknames: Franklin & Polar Bear
5 words/phrases that best describe Frankie:
- Giant Marshmallow
- The Sweetest Old Man
- My Shadow
- Strong
- Loyal
What makes Frankie unique? I think it's unique that the moment Frankie arrived it was like he was supposed to be here all along. No adjustment period what so ever. He came right in and took over the house! Also, his life up till now, was not awesome. So to have him be so loving and so kind despite any type of rough experiences speaks so strongly to bully breeds in general. They have so much more grace then any human I have ever met.
Hello there....
Rescue Story: I lost my sweet Reese in October of last year. Reese was my 15 year old pit bull that I had almost all of her life and mine. I loved all of Reese's years, but there was something so special about her senior years. I knew when I was ready to adopt again it would definitely be a senior dog. I was looking for about 2 months when I saw that a 12 year old who looked like he could be Reese's brother was surrendered to Washington Humane Society. The day that I went to look at him, we found out he was at an adoption event near the White House, so we went straight over to meet him. At the time, his name was Buck and as soon as I met him he fell right into my side and I instantly knew he was to be mine. And then, two weeks later he was home.
We know very little about Frankie's past. I know he was surrendered to the shelter by an elderly man who asked him to be euthanized because he was heading into assisted living and sadly could not take him. I know it sounds strange, but his request to have him put down illustrated to me that Frankie was loved by this man and he didn't want him to suffer as an old dog in a shelter. Although he was loved, I don't think they had a lot of money so Frankie wasn't in the best physical condition when he came to me. But don't worry, it didn't take him too long to become nice and plump.
What is your favorite pastime as a family? It's only been 6 months, but feels like much longer. My favorite thing thing to do with Frankie is cuddle. I've never met such a squishy cuddly dog before him.
What is life like since you adopted Frankie? Life is pretty great. I know Reese would've loved to have Frankie as a brother and it brings me a lot of comfort in knowing I made the best decision for myself and for him. When I tell friends he hasn't even been here for 6 months they can't believe it. He quickly became a significant part of many lives, not just mine.
Photographers Note: After I had made the decision to do a segment for Shine A Light with volunteers from the DC area, I knew that meant I was going to actually have to find volunteers. I happen to be looking at a post from a group I follow on Facebook called Susie's Senior Dogs, which helps senior pups find homes. This post was a re-post from Angela's Instagram account and it showed a sleepy Frankie in a bag in the back of a car. Stating something to the effect, when your Uber driver says the only way you can take your dog with you, is if he is in a bag. So you put your sleepy pit bull into a bag. I thought this was just the cutest thing, so I started following Angela on Instagram and seeing all of Frankie's adventures. I decided to send her a private message on Instagram and the rest is history.
Frankie is such a beautiful gentle boy, all snow white with just a few small black flecks on his ears. He is also quite the kisser and happy to give them out to those who are willing to accept, which I happily was! He is a little arthritic and slow moving, has had some health issues but as Angela says, she is going to keep him happy and he will be loved for however long their adventure may be together. Boy is he happy! I chose the photo above of the two of them because you can just see how much he adores Angela and she him, with just one look. To have met them both was a privilege, Angela because she saved this wonderful dog from having to live out his life in a shelter or worse, where many would have passed him by. Frankie, because there is just something about a senior dog. They seem to be all knowing and yet still loving the little things in life, like a walk through the park or head scratch from a stranger. There is wisdom and sweetness in those eyes and I am so happy I got to spend just a small amount of time with this adorable senior gentlemen!