Name: Gerrie - 6 years old???
How long has Gerrie been in the family? 1 year, 3 months
Family Members: Alicia & Dustin (parents), Katrina & Elijah (kids)
Professions: Dustin - Market Director for TrueBlue Inc., Alicia - former educator, presently a Fitness Instructor and stay at home Mom!
Location: Acworth, GA.
Nicknames: GerBear, Goog, Googie, JeepersCreepers, Nuggie, GERALDINE!
5 of the best words/phrases that describe Gerrie?
- Loyal
- Loving
- Intelligent
- Intuitive
- Bonded/Attached
What makes Gerrie unique? Gerrie, like many family pets, is most happy when exploring and adventuring with us! She loves car rides as she knows she is on her way to accompany the kids & us on adventures. She smiles so big and just lets go of her "serious work" role. She has had us laughing hysterically as we watch her try new things and learn new things outside of her comfort zone Wherever we go, she has to find a place to dig a hole and build a "nest".
Gerrie is one of those dogs that gets super proud of herself when she does stuff, she recently showed it when she earned her Canine Good Citizen Reward!
Never far from her kids!
Rescue Story: Prior to relocating here to Georgia last April, we lost both of our elderly rescue dogs to different forms of cancer within 2 months of each other. It was rough going through all of the changes and transitions happening in our lives. We tried to go without a fur family member until we were fully settled, but those darn PetSmart adoptions seem to be there every weekend during our errands and of course stopping by just to say Hello to the furbabies seemed harmless. We always let Kat and Eli "look", which never goes over well with any of us!
We received a business card from a gentlemen telling us about Friends of the Forlorn , we kept it. Before we knew it, we were on the website reading up on this rescue and staying up late reading the adoptabulls bios. We filled out an open application for FTTF and another rescue in the area. Shortly after, we received a phone call from a FTTF representative. She shared all of the information, explained the adoption process and presented some options. Normally, potential adopters may have a dog in mind, but for us, we learned that there are many hidden gems among the rescues and shelters. We'd be honored to have any of them join our family! We preferred that the staff and volunteers share with us their recommendations of dogs that would fit our family best. We requested an older dog, medium size but certainly were open to many options. Among the group of dogs listed was Gerrie. Gerrie had spent 3 1/2 years, I believe, with the rescue and never once got an application. We visited adoptions several times viewing each of the dogs, but in the end, we were so excited to begin the foster to adopt process with Ger to see if we were the right match. Gerrie fit in immediately, quickly taking a liking to the kids! Working Ger into our routine was seamless. She came crate trained, potty trained, a huge bag of expensive food, all up to date on shots, heartworm, etc. How wonderful is that?? She is SO eager to please and easy going. She was the perfect mix of playful, calm, loyaly and easily learns!
When she was first rescued by FTTF.
Gotcha day!
What is your favorite pastime as a family? We LOVE taking Gerrie out in the boat on Lake Allatoona! Although she is able to swim, she loves to dig holes in the sand and lay in them! She's the old lady beach bum who simply likes to enjoy the fun from afar just watching her family.
What is life like since you rescued Gerrie? For us, having a dog(s) is something we could not go without. There is something that they add to your life that is so valuable. The dog we needed at this point in our lives found us. We have always chosen rescue when adding to our family for many reasons. People always comment on how lucky the dogs are, but it's a ridiculous comment, as we always feel WE are the winners a million times over. This time, we won BIG!! FTTF has become our family, away from family. So many of the volunteers have supported us in so many ways. We have made such great friendships with those that have been part of Gerrie's life. Such a great experience and so blessed.
Photographers Note: After several reschedules with this family due to weather or illness, we finally got to do the shoot and it was on just about the most perfect winter day you can get in Atlanta. We met up at Pigeon Hill Trail in Marietta and did a short hike to get to some great spots for photos. Alicia had mentioned that Gerrie can be slow to warm up to strangers, so I took my que's from her and really focused on the job at hand. Well before you know it, this sweet girl was coming right over to me while I was sitting on the ground and giving me kisses and love. Alicia sent me a note afterwards with the following: "Gerrie certainly made fast friends w/you & sensed you were a doggie lover! She doesn't warm up so quickly to many, so it was so wonderful for us to see her share those kisses so quickly w/you--even if they are a bit smelly, her kisses are the best! Hahaaa! " This made my day! There is something about knowing you have won over a pup that takes a little more time!
As we were finishing up the shoot, Alicia and I were chatting about a post written by Justice for Bullies I had shared on the Shine A Light Facebook page, related to the tendency that many pit bull advocates/owners over compensate the negative narrative with comments about how special pit bulls are and how different they are, when in reality they are just dogs. Yes, everyone's family pet is special to that family and they all have their own personalities but they are dogs regardless of what they look like. Alicia's comment to me that they have had pit bulls in the past, and to them it was just a family member...it never was a thought in their mind that they were adopting a pit bull. They were adopting a member of their family. We need more people out there like this family who think that way!