Name: Lola - 3 y/o
Family Members: Kelsey, her boyfriend & her Grandfather. Also, two old men - a 9 year old Nova Scotian Duck Toller named Harley and an 11 year old Cocker Spaniel named DJ.
How long has Lola been in the family? Since she was 5 weeks old
Profession: Kelsey - Genius at BMW, a mixture of product specialist/event coordinator/social media manager/managers assistant
Location: Acworth, GA.
Nicknames: Loli, Lil' Cannoli, Boobie
5 words/phrases that best describe Lola? (or 6)
- Velcro Dog - I can't walk anywhere without her nose in the back of my knee.
- Stubborn
- Cuddler - preferably under at least once soft blanket
- Curious
- Happy
- She is loving with her people & her dogs (DJ our deaf cocker is her best friend). She is also very protective and if there is a fishy noise outside she won't leave my side.
What makes Lola unique? She likes fruits and vegetables almost more then she likes meat. I don't always have to give her commands, I can point to her bed and she'll lay down or got to her spot just outside the kitchen while I am cooking. She'll whisper for treats all day and she tucks herself into her cave bed every night at 10:30 sharp! She loves to swim and will drag anyone over to ANY puddle/stream/river to take a dip but she hates the rain and the sprinklers.
Demonstrating her love for a refreshing dip! (post dip)
Rescue Story: I got Lola when she was very tiny - only 5 weeks old and just barely done with bottle feeding. She was part of a litter of puppies born to dogs owned by a friend of my former boss. She had the parents and for whatever reason never got them fixed. Instead choosing to crate them separately and monitor them when outside together. When her family went on vacation, the dog sitter didn't watch them closely enough and her female dog ended up getting pregnant. About three weeks after the puppies where born, somehow both parent dogs got a hold of a rabid skunk. She said the vet told her she could quarantine the dogs separately for 6 months or have them euthanized. Having lupus so bad she could barely use her fingers, a baby with hip displaysia and some serious heart problems and now six tiny puppies to bottle feed; she decided she wouldn't be able to handle quarantining the parents on top of all that and decided to have them euthanized. She told my boss that if the puppies weren't adopted by 8 weeks she would take them all to the pound. Puppies always have better chances of getting adopted but pit bulls in upstate New York don't fair well in the shelters. My ex-boyfriends family already had a 120lb very outspoken Blue Tick Coonhound, but I had to do something. We went to their house thinking we would adopt a different puppy. They were in the middle of bottle feeding and Lola (Athena at the time), belly full, waddled over to me and fell asleep in my lap. From that moment on she was part of the family.
Baby Lola!
What is your favorite pastime as a family? She loves a good nap or a shallow swim so we take her swimming and hiking as much as possible. I work with cars and I take her to car shows as often as possible. She doesn't care about the cars she's just happy to be there. We have a .6 acre backyard and a doggie door, so she sprints laps around the yard and through the house a few times a day. 2-3 times a week we walk about three miles. She likes the walks until about a mile in, after that she is not interested. Otherwise we practice old tricks, work on new ones (she's trying heard not to learn drop it right now) and chase her around the house.
What is life like since you rescued Lola? She's definitely spoiled. I work a lot and try to make up for my time at work on my time off. She's taught me to be more consistent and aware of how much time I spend traveling, balancing her needs with my own.
Photographers Note: Lola was such a trooper on this very warm day in July. She was so excited to be at the park and check out all the wonderful smells. She showed off her whisper trick, which I am still kicking myself I didn't get it on video. Then as we were moving to a different location she pulled Kelsey towards a puddle and before we knew it, she dropped her shoulder and went for it. (see outtakes posted on FB and Instagram) A Shine a Light first and I loved every second of it...both Kelsey and Grant both just shook their heads and said, " Yep, this is pretty much her". So to be able to capture her post dip, just made my day. Then of course there is the challenge of her getting in the car to go home. So we walked her over to the lake and again before Kelsey knew it, she jumped in...leash/collar and all. Kelsey pulled her out quickly and she just looked so happy. For a dog that doesn't like rain, she sure does love the water!