Name: Daisy (4+ y/o) & Charlie (2 1/4 y/o)
Family Members: Sani, Howard, Isabel (26), Jackson (23)
How long have Daisy & Charlie been in the family? Daisy for 4 years and Charlie for 2 1/8 years
Professions: Technology (Sani) & AAG for Maryland (Howard)
Location: Baltimore, MD
Nicknames: Daisy: Missus. Charlie: Carlos
Charlie on the left, Daisy on the right.
5 of the best words/phrases that best describe Daisy & Charlie:
Daisy:
- Lover
- Hates the rain
- Couch Potato
- Bed pillow hugger
Charlie:
- Enthusiastic
- Toy Obsession
- Thinks he is a 2 lb Chihuahua
- Food Lover
- Wiggle Butt Extraordinaire
What makes Daisy & Charlie unique? Daisy is a people lover and Charlie's wiggle butt showing his excitement to see you.
Daisy lounging on the bed pillows!
Charlie's play bow!
Rescue Story: Our son, Jackson, was responsible for the rescue of both Daisy and Charlie. Daisy was found on the side of Interstate 270 by a friend of his co-worker at a lab where Jackson was working for the summer. The friend and co-worker tried to find her owner. When they could not, Jackson called and asked if we could take her to keep her from going to the pound and, ostensibly, as a way station to a foster home and a forever home. That was four years ago. We guess that she was about four months old when we took her in. She had no tags, collar or chip but was in good health. We have no information about her history but suspect she was turned out by someone who could no longer keep her.
Fast forward two summers and Jackson was working at the same lab. Somehow, he found out about a puppy at a garage. He drove out to the place and, this time unbeknownst to us, took Charlie in. Charlie was approximately 8 weeks old at the time. He had a bad case of worms and kennel cough, weighed in at 2.47 lbs. He was tiny and could be held in the palm of your hand. Jackson nursed him back to health and he's now a robust 85+ pounds.
Daisy's gotcha day!
Look how tiny Charlie is....
What is your favorite pastime as a family? Long walks and cuddling on the couch. Charlie also likes to play fetch.
What is life like since you rescued Daisy & Charlie? Life is better with a dog! Given the circumstances in which they were found, i.e., the side of a busy highway and sick with no medical attention, we think both are lucky to be alive and certainly happy to be in a house with people who love and take care of them.
Photographers Note: During my weekend in DC, I took a short road trip to Baltimore on the Saturday to meet this wonderful family. Sani had asked if it was ok for them to meet me outside with Charlie, as he is a big boy and gets very excited meeting new people in the house. When I arrived, Sani met me outside and said Howard and Charlie were around the corner. As we turned the corner, the first thing I see is this massive head and then the most beautiful brindle coat. As mentioned above, he is a big boy so from a distance you could see how he might be intimidating but as soon as you get close, you just see this very goofy puppy who has no idea of his size and just wants to love on you. So we all walked back to the house together and Charlie was so good. When we entered the house, I was greeted by Daisy. Talk about night and day. You have this big lumbering, not in full control of his body playful boy, then you have Daisy who is quiet and gentle. She came right over to greet me and jumped up, but she was the most soft footed dog I have ever met. I barely felt her paws on my side, it was just a slight pressure to let me know she was there and wouldn't mind a head scratch. She is very serious and reserved compared to her younger brother, but while Charlie was all about his Kong, Daisy was all about me and soaking in some additional attention for the new person in the house. When we sat on the couch to chat about the pups and talk about logistics, Daisy jumped up and tucked herself in right next to me. Then proceeded to drape herself across my lap (photo evidence below). My heart just melted.
With all the dogs I meet doing this project and all of their individual personalities, the one constant is the trust and affection they show me. Some may take a little longer to get there, others like Daisy act like we have known each other forever, but there is always that constant. Then I think to myself, the people that fight against these dogs have never really met these dogs. The dogs that have loving homes and people that take care of them. These dogs are individuals just like you and me, the only thing they all have in common with each other is their inherent goodness.