Name: Lela - 5-ish y/o (we think)
Family Members: Chris, Caroline & Audrey (12 y/o)
How long has Lela been in the family? 4 years
Profession: Caroline - Nanny & Circus teacher, Chris- Shop Owner
Location: East Atlanta, GA.
Nicknames: Wewa , Rerun, Goat, Piggie, Goof Ball, Truffle Pig
5 words/phrases that best describe Lela?
- Loyal
- Bed Hog
- Clumsy
- Gentle
- Loving
What makes Lela unique? She digs up worms and grubs deep out of the ground hence her nickname Truffle Pig.
Pibble Smile!
Rescue Story: We were coming down a dark road at night on a back road in East
Atlanta. There were no lights and suddenly we see glowing eyes that are far too tall to be a kitty cat or any other kind of roadside animal. We stopped the car and there I found my beautiful Lela. I was a little bit afraid when I got out of the car because she is a pit bull but as soon as I went and put my hand on her head she immediately rolled over and showed me her belly ! She hopped in the car with my daughter and started licking her! She came home with us and we took tons of pictures to find her another home. Eventually I realized that with the number of pit bulls there are in Atlanta, trying to give away another one was futile. So we decided to keep her in our family. It appeared that she had been dumped after being grossly over bred. Her poor teats hung to the ground making her less than attractive. She had been eating trash and sleeping outside for days maybe weeks. We joked that we would have to get her a bra and some glamour shots just to get her adopted. I was a cat owner, never personally owned a dog outside of my grandmother's large Pomeranian that was "mine" when I visited.
We have three cats so at first we crated her when we left home for fear she would hurt the cats. Now she roams freely. She is scared of the kitties but they coexist peacefully. My gentle giant is the MOST scared of my one eyed , 15 year old kitty who barely weighs 6 lbs. The senior kitty has been known to hiss and scratch occasionally because she is an old badass. I like to tell people my pittie is about as scary as Scooby-Doo and just as graceful. She is a total house dog, obsessed with sleeping on the couch and bed. She even goes as far as to steal my pillow and put her head on it like a person. She also loves to be under the covers. I have always been an animal lover and never actually gave into the negative pit bull hype however my Lela has changed my entire perspective about pit bulls and bully breeds forever. I feel the driving desire to fight for them and help change the negative ways some people perceive them. I love pitties even more now because they are the underdog, misunderstood and exploited. I believe all my future dogs will be rescue pit bulls .
What is your favorite pastime as a family? She is the biggest baby and snuggler ever. She loves nature walks and adores my kid. She loves going for rides in Dad's old beat up noisy van. Her new hang out spot in the back yard is a van seat Dad took out temporarily but now she thinks it's her outside bed. She sits on it and pretends she is on a car ride. She loves all children.
What is life like since you rescued Lela? I am more passionate about pit bulls being portrayed as vicious. My dog is definitely a family dog and I think the stigma causes so many adoptable pits to be overlooked, put down, neglected or abused. The stigma is false, with love and understanding they are amazing pets. My only complaint is she is a snack stealer; we have to keep anything edible out of the dog zone. She's like a bloodhound sniffing out empty snack wrappers! That is really my ONLY complaint about my goofball. I joke she's trying to save me from calories and carbs because she loves me! I don't think my dog remembers her past life or her puppies. I think she is perfectly content being my big baby. I cannot believe I ever tried to adopt her out!
Photographers Note: First thing to note about this beautiful dog is that you would have never guessed her previous condition when rescued by this wonderful family. She looks amazing, which is just a testament to what a loving home can do for any dog. She really did crack me up during the photo shoot, because she wasn't so thrilled about getting her photo taken but things got better when she could sit on some of the outdoor seating. So I guess the description of a couch potato was spot on for this pampered girl!
I have to comment on this pups eyes. Doing this project I see a lot of beautiful eyes on these dogs. I can say I have never seen eyes like Lela's....they were just amazing. They basically matched her fur color, complete with variation to the gray. I told Caroline they reminded me of Marbles. So of course, close ups of her face would need to be mandatory so those of you reading her story can get lost in those unique eyes as well!