Name: Olive - just over 1.5 y/o
How long has Olive been in the family? Since Jan. 25th, 2017
Family Members: Eva
Profession: Financial Analyst by day. Dance instructor by weekends. Haha!
Location: Dunwoody, GA.
Nicknames: Mayhem, Olive Branch, Olive Tree, Olive Oil, Bands, Big Head
5 of the best words/phrases to describe Olive?
- Sweet
- Extremely Social
- Intelligent
- Full of Surprises
- Resilient
What makes Olive unique? She’s disabled and wears a brace but that doesn’t stop her from exploring and interacting with the world! And the world loves her back. She has an energy that calms down fearful/reactive dogs (at least the ones whose owners are comfortable of letting them meet each other).
Love those ears!
Rescue Story: Olive was at a north Georgia shelter days away from being euthanized when Angels Among Us rescued her. She was about a year old and had a broken leg. They think it’s a combination of her having a genetic disorder plus her leg being tangled in something for an extended period of time. Her body dissolved and reabsorbed her metatarsals back into her body causing her to walk on her ankle. Cris, an Angels foster mom gave her loving care and helped her gain some healthy weight for six months until I found her.
I had fostered dogs for another organization for about six months prior and had looked at adoption sites for the past several years but never made the jump. When I came across Olive’s profile through Angels, it was love at first sight! I felt that I had to have her in my life!
The adoption experience was an emotional roller coaster ride. At first, my adoption request was denied because Olive’s a pit mix and my complex doesn’t allow pit bulls. Then out of nowhere, Cris the foster mom called me to gauge my interest in Olive. Next thing I know, I got approval from my complex to have Olive. Cris brought her to my place for a home visit and she has been with me ever since. That was back in January 25, 2017.
We had two good weeks together and then started experiencing behavioral issues, which were rectified soon afterwards, and medical issues because of her leg. But, she’s been a ray of loving sunshine through it all! This girl is the epitome of resilience and happiness!
First photo as a family!
What is your favorite pastime as a family? I love training with Olive, taking her to dog parks, and cuddle time!
We do tricks, obedience, and physical therapy training at home. She’s also enrolled in Intermediate (Rally) Obedience class. I think she really enjoys doing something and then being rewarded for it, plus she gets to be around other dogs.
Olive’s an extremely social pup so I love seeing the joy she has when we’re at dog parks. Unfortunately, that’s being put on hold as we work out the kinks with a new brace that she just got. Of course, cuddling is one of the many perks of having a pet! I love it when she plops herself on me to cuddle – whether I’m ready to or not! Haha.
What is life like since you rescued Olive? Life has been full of surprises and challenges since Olive and I became a family. Since the relationship is relatively new, we’re still learning about each other and learning to understand and trust a little more each day. We don’t know much about her early life except for being in a shelter at a very young age, to living among a handful of other dogs at her foster mom’s, to being the only fur child ; hopefully, she’s feeling comfortable, protected, and loved.
Photographers Note: I met up with Olive and Eva in the morning during the week at Piedmont Park. It was so quiet at that time and it was just starting to warm up. Ms. Olive came out ready to model, she was so well trained and poised I didn't get a single outtake photo of her. All of the pictures were pretty much perfect. I just needed to make decisions on ear position for the most part. Not to mention the way the sun just shimmered off her beautiful coat, she may be missing her calling as a dog model!
Just like Stew, the previous story, Olive has a disability but you would never know. Nothing slows this girl down, in fact Eva says she has to limit her a bit because she can end up with some soreness and pain from her brace after a particularly active day. It was really heart warming and completely by chance that I was able to meet both of these pups and their Mom's the same week. Just knowing that to many people these two adorable and sweet dogs would have two strikes against them; 1: they are pit mixes 2: they have a disability. Yet these two women didn't even give it a second thought and just fell in love with their dogs and are providing them the best homes, as it should be!