Name: Stewart (Stew) - 7.5 y/o
How long has Stewart been in the family? 5 years
Family Members: Artis - Mom, Extended Family: We have a roommate Brittany K and my next door neighbor/best friend Brittney T., her cat Puppy who Stew also spends a lot of time with when I’m at work.
Profession: GIS Analyst/Manager for an environmental firm
Location: Midtown Atlanta, GA
Nicknames: Stew, Stew-stew, Buddy, Bighead, Goober
5 of the best words/phrases to describe Stew?
- Belly-rubs
- Extrovert
- Loves everyone he meets
- Goofy
- Walk-aholic
What makes Stew unique? Stew is missing his back left foot but he has never let that stop him from doing everything that other dogs do. Most of the time when people meet him, if they aren’t on his left side, they don’t realize he’s missing a foot initially. He’s such a happy dog despite his handicap and he brings that energy to everyone he meets.
Loves a walk even if it's around the yard!
Rescue Story: I lived in Candler Park when I was in graduate school 5 years ago. I was walking in the neighborhood when I passed a home with dogs in the yard and immediately saw a white and grey pit bull in the front yard. I went up to the side of the fence and he just rolled over for belly-rubs immediately. I couldn’t even reach him through the fence but he was so excited that someone was stopping to say hello to him. I fell in love the second I saw his big head and silly demeanor that was so trusting of me.
I ended up talking to the owner who told me she frequently rescued dogs from the humane society that were about to be put down. She had a relationship with them so they would call her if they had a great dog that nobody was adopting. She got a call a couple weeks prior to me seeing him that there was a great pit bull that everybody kept passing up but all the workers loved him. They nicknamed him “Stumpy” because of his missing foot. I agreed to foster him for a few weeks because I didn’t really have a lot of time or money for a pet at that time. That plan quickly flew out the window though, I brought him home, renamed him Stewart, and the rest is history.
Stewart is home!
What is your favorite pastime as a family? Stew’s most favorite thing in the world is going on walks. If you ask him if he wants to go for a walk, he spins in circles until I get the leash and then he tap dances in place (as i call it) until the leash is on him, then we exit the door. We’ve gone on at least one walk a day (rain or shine) since the day I got him.
What is life like since you rescued Stew? I love that dog to pieces. He is so happy and friendly and everyone who meets him instantly falls in love with him. I’d say his life, and everyone around him has a better life because he’s in it.
Photographers Note: I met up with Artis and Stew, at a past volunteers house. (Penelope - 6/20/15) Penelope's Mom Gabi, mentioned that Stew was the reason she wanted to get a pit bull. He has such an infectious personality, so happy and up for anything. As Artis mentioned above he is missing his back left foot, which you would never know. In fact, Gabi had to keep Penelope inside because Stew has some serious play endurance and she is recovering from a knee injury, apparently they have a tendency to play pretty hard! So when you put his personality, his adorable looks and the fact that a disability means nothing to him, you have a pretty special dog. The best part is that Stew has quite a fan club...all of Artis's friends adore him. I took a photo of Artis, Gabi and Brittany at the end of the photo shoot, which I jokingly called Stew's harem....frankly after meeting Stew, I may be the newest member!