Name: Lexi - 1 y/o
How long has Lexi been in the family? 4 months
Family Members: Susan & Stephen
Professions: Susan is a Physical Therapist and Stephen is a Lawyer
Location: Atlanta, GA.
Nicknames: Leximoo (she looks like a cow), Lex & Croissant (she likes to lay curled up like a croissant)
5 of the best words/phrases that describe Lexi?
- Playful
- Perceptive
- Intelligent
- Adventurous
- Cuddly
What makes Lexi unique? Lexi is a comfort princess and thinks she's human-like when getting ready for bed. She spends sometimes up to 30 seconds making her "nest" of covers and pillows, which she often doesn't approve of until the 3rd or 4th attempt. She'll spin around and pull covers or blankets together using her nose and mouth until she is satisfied that it'll be comfortable enough to lay her head on. No matter what she decides, when we wake up in the morning she has snuck in between the two of us with her head on the pillow or in one of our arms, laying 3 across.
Lexi holding her ball.
Rescue Story: Susan was helping Atlanta Lab Rescue at their adoption day at the end of June 2016. She was handling a dog that was being kept in a kennel because it didn't have a foster home. That dog ended up being Alexis, now Lexi. She had a reputation from all of the ALR volunteers that knew her of having an energetic attitude and being very sweet. Her history was a little fuzzy but she was found as a stray and had difficulty staying with fosters which they believe was due to her high energy level; this is why she was back in a kennel. Lexi received a lot of attention at the adoption day and Susan thought she would be adopted by the end of the week, no doubts, and therefore decided to bring her home to foster the next day instead of taking her back to the kennel. Nothing worked out with those interested in Alexis at the adoption day, and within a month Susan and Stephen decided one night that they could not let her go. That evening they emailed ALR and asked to adopt her, which they were fortunate enough to do! Lexi has become an essential part of the family!
Alexis (Lexi), at the kennel
What is your favorite pastime as a family? One of our favorite things as a family to do is to go to the dog park and play fetch. Lexi loves tennis balls and running, so giving her the space to do so makes everyone happy and she's able to run and play with some other neighborhood pup friends at the same time.
What is life like since you rescued Lexi? Lexi has been a wonderful addition to the family, and even a favorite pup of the extended family when she spends the occasional weekend with "the cousins" if we have to go out of town. She is loved by all of our family and friends that have met or played with her; she loves people! She shows us how grateful she is daily by giving us her love through kisses and wags. She is a quick learner and took no time in being house trained and catching on to commands and tricks. Even when she is trying to be sneaky, like picking up an acorn on a walk, she is very well-behaved. She no longer has to be boarded and gets to sleep on a comfy bed snuggled up next to Stephen or Susan whenever possible. She has given us a bigger reason to get out and enjoy Atlanta, whether hiking or finding new trails or neighborhood loops to walk. She gives us something to look forward to with her excitement as soon as we walk through the door, especially after long days at work. Life wouldn't be the same without her!
Photographers Note: We had to reschedule our initial date for the photo shoot due to rain and a good thing we did because we ended up with a brisk sunny day, which made photographing this beautiful pup a dream and required very little editing on my part! (yeah) We met in a nice park that is between new condos/apartments still being built or still being filled with people. So there was no one there. Plenty of space for Lexi to play ball and race around. When she saw me approaching she immediately took a break from the ball playing and came over to greet me in her adorable red puffer coat. (I do love a pup in a puffer coat) A few pats from me and some sniffs from her and she was back at it! Occasionally she would come back and check on me in between ball tosses and get some more love.
It was so clear how bonded she is to Susan and Stephen. When Stephen went to the car to get a towel for me to sit on (so nice), she trotted right along after him. When another dog walked by she showed some interest in saying Hello, but immediately came back to her family when called. I couldn't believe she is only a year old and had only been with them for 4 months, so well behaved.
Here is the best part, Susan learned about Shine A Light through Finnley's story who was also rescued from Atlanta Lab Rescue. First of all, I love that the sharing of one story led to another and second who knew I was going to get all these volunteers from a lab rescue!! (I do love that this group does not discriminate on who they rescue, they currently have another pittie on their site named Carli) Just goes to show the power of sharing these stories!