Names: Brennan (3-ish y/o) & Walter (1.5-ish y/o)
Family Members: Jessica & Jones
How long have Brennan & Walter been in the family? Brennan for 6 months and Walter for a year.
Professions: HR Consultant (Jessica) & Plastics Technician (Jones)
Location: Marietta, GA
Nicknames: Brennan: Bren-Bren
Walter just goes by Walter
Brennan
Walter
5 of the best words/phrases that describe Brennan & Walter:
Brennan:
- Cuddle bug - As soon as you sit, Brennan's right there ready to cuddle.
- Chill - This pup lives to sprawl out and relax.
- Fun-Loving - He loves chilling on the couch but also can't resist an invitation to play with his brother.
- Soulful Eyes - We are pretty sure if he could talk, he'd sound like Muddy Waters.
- Couch Hog - Brennan feels no guilt taking up an entire 3 person couch for himself
Walter:
- Super friendly - He's determined to become best friends with anything with a heartbeat. He makes friends where ever he goes.
- Playful - This pup lives to play. He loves sharing his toys and playing tug of war. He can even get the most ornery dog to play with him.
- Affectionate - He will smother you in kisses.
- Protective - He's such a scaredy-cat, but tries to act tough. He is really good at growling at all those big mean motorcycles that drive by.
- Curious - We can't do anything or go anywhere without Walter tagging along to investigate.
What makes Brennan & Walter unique? Brennan tends to think he is a cat. His former foster and I agree he had to have been a cat in a previous life because when you are sitting, he will walk all over you just like a cat - but not nearly as graceful since he is 70lbs.
Walter is incredibly affectionate and actually loves to be held like a baby. He knows the command "baby time" and frantically jumps onto the couch to assume the position. When you hold him like a baby, he completely melts in your arms and just stares dreamily into your eyes.
Brennan loves his ball that is bigger then him!
Walter and that beautiful pittie smile!
Brotherly love!
Rescue Story: Walter: We had just bought a house and were debating getting a dog. I'm embarrassed to admit we were considering buying a dog from a breeder because it seemed like the shelters had nothing but pit bulls (and everyone knows that pit bulls are vicious monsters unsuitable to be family pets). I found out about a dog, a beautiful weimeraner/lab mix, with the Homeless Pets Foundation who needed a home. He had the most heartbreaking story; his family moved away and left all the pets locked in the house. He was the only one to survive. We went straight to their adoption event to get him , but when we arrived, we found out he had been adopted just 30 minutes earlier! Determined to still get a dog, we looked around for another choice. The dogs were all going crazy, but a quiet, sweet looking brindle caught our attention. He had just arrived and didn't have any signs or information. No one knew anything about him just that he was an owner surrender. It all happened so fast. Papers were signed and we had him home before I knew he was a pit bull! He's so small, lithe and sweet that I couldn't believe he could be the same breed as the aggressive, muscular brutes that are demonized on the news. For the first few weeks I was walking on eggshells, convinced he was going to pounce and maul my face at any moment. Looking back, my fear was so irrational that it's laughable! I've never met a dog who's more loving or affectionate then Walter.
Brennan: One of my neighbors - Kera, is a champion for homeless and mistreated pets (she and her friend recently started their own non-profit , The Bear Project) and I met her when she rescued a stray dog in our neighborhood. Shortly after, she told us about Brennan. They had rescued Brennan from a bad situation in Lawrenceville and after Two Tailz Rescue had treated him and found him a temporary foster, he was in need of a new foster. Kera told us about him and the rest is history!
I'm heading to my new forever home!!
First day with my new family and my new brother!
What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love our nightly walks with our pups. It's a great way for us to decompress after the work day and easy exercise. Our dogs absolutely lose their minds as soon as we reach for the leashes. They love strutting all around the neighborhood.
What is life like since you rescued Brennan & Walter? We use to dread when vacations came to an end, but now it's less sad because we love coming home to their smiling faces, tails wagging 90 mph and excited butt wiggles. Our family is more complete with them and and they make our home feel so much happier. Despite all the extra work (especially cleaning), we can't imagine our lives without them! They have completely changed our perspective on pit bulls and rescue dogs.
Photographers Note: One of the best parts of doing this project is when you hear about people who have changed their perceptions about these wonderful dogs by bringing one into their home. I so appreciate Jessica's honest commentary about what her previous mind set was in relation to pit bulls, mostly due to what the media has put out for the public to digest. Then realizing how it was laughable after spending time with sweet Walter. Frankly, I think there was a little destiny at play here. The other dog being adopted just before they got there and Walter just arriving in time...it was Walter's job to bring these wonderful people into the pit bull fold!
I had such a great time with these two sweet boys. Walking in the door I was greeted with a lot of excitement, tail wags and butt wiggles. Then as we went to the back yard, Walter was a little shy with the camera. Not with me, just when I would lift the camera to take a photo. Brennan turned out to be quite the show off; which Jessica and Jones thought it would have been the opposite. Watching Brennan run around the back yard with that enormous ball, bumping it with his head...was just a riot. Because I know people will want one of those for their dogs....it's a horse ball and Jessica found it on Amazon!
One other side note, the friend that Jessica mentions who brought Brennan into their lives is the same Kera who owns Queen and was featured on Shine A Light back in April. Kera has done a wonderful job of recruiting volunteers for this project, Jessica and Jones included. I so appreciate her support and her help spreading the word, because the more people we can touch with these wonderful stories, then hopefully the more minds we can change!