Name: Miya (2 y/o) & Layla (4-ish y/o)
Family Members: Kirsti & Colton
How long have Miya & Layla been in the family? Miya since January 7th, 2017 and Layla since September 2017.
Professions: Kirsti - Kindergarten Teacher & Colton - Chemical Engineer
Location: Atlanta, GA. (Buckhead)
Nicknames: Miya: Me-Mi, Bug
Layla: Lay-Lay, Chubs
5 words/phrases that best describe Miya & Layla?
Miya:
Hyper
Sensitive
Loving
Playful
Friendly
Layla:
Stoic
Loves Attention
People Dog
Playful
Cuddly
What makes Miya & Layla unique? When Miya sees us, she gets super-excited and runs at us. She like curls up in the air as she is jumping on us so that her whole body hits us. It’s kinda crazy but absolutely adorable at the same time!
Layla loves to communicate with her paws. When she is hungry, wants to go outside, wants attention, etc. she always lets us know by putting her paws on us and if we ignore her, she will keep it up until we give her some attention.
Miya taking a short play break!
Layla loves a good soccer ball!
Rescue Story: I (Kirsti) had a black lab. I had her since I was about 8 years old and she was my side-kick. When Colton and I became a couple, he wanted a dog too. So, we went to the Atlanta Humane Society, she was the first dog we saw and we loved her instantly! We got her out, played with her and adopted her the same day! She turned exactly 1 year old that same day! The only thing we know about her past is that she was born at AHS, so we have her exact birthday. She was also returned to AHS because the family she was living with had a new baby and they didn’t have time to manage Miya’s needs at the same time.
When our black lab passed away, we went in to the Atlanta Humane Society to find a companion for Miya. Layla was an underdog (which meant she had been at the pound longer than most of the others) and the workers said they were having hard time finding her a home because she was big (85 lbs) and she was a pit bull. We got her out, played with her, introduced her to Miya and we loved her! She had trouble at first adjusting to Miya because at her old home they kept her in a small cage for over 12 hours a day. She had never been around other animals and she was overweight and covered in fat deposits (which had to be removed) Her old family kept her so stagnant and implied that she never went on walks.. Once she and Miya got along, we brought her home and they have been best friends ever since! We still have some behavioral issues because of her previous isolation and she has a lot of anxiety from never being around animals, but we are working through it and she has come such a long way!! :)
I can drive us to my new forever home!
Time to go to my new home?
What is your favorite pastime as a family? Miya loves to play! We wrestle with her almost everyday and she has so much fun! She loves to be pushed around and will always come back for more. She lwill play fetch for hours. She never slows down and she loves water!! We love taking her to the river and playing fetch; the bigger the stick, the happier she gets. Her favorite toys are sticks and water bottles.
Layla can be so funny. She is the size of a small pony and when she gets tired, no matter where she is, she will lay down and will not move. It doesn’t matter if we are crossing the street, on the sidewalk, on a hike or in the grass, it’s like her way of telling us no and that she’s in charge. We’ve even tried picking her up and she just rolls over to avoid you getting your hands under her.
What is life like since you rescued Miya & Layla? Miya has brought so much joy and excitement into our lives! All of our friends know and love her; she goes absolutely everywhere with us. We love coming through the door everyday and she is so excited to see us! For her, we are able to give her the love and attention she deserves! We are constantly going on hikes, to the dog parks or keeping her social and she loves it!!
Layla has definitely come with trials because of her past, but she is worth every minute. We love seeing her and Miya play and get along so well together. She is such a people dog and loves to cuddle! We are definitely happier with her in our lives and we think she is too! ;)
Photographers Note: This photo shoot was the last one for the summer months and it was an amazing one. Kirsti thought it might be fun to meet over at their Crossfit gym (CrossFit 404 -have to give them a shout out because they are very dog friendly) where the dogs spend a lot of time with their parents. It was after hours, we had the place to ourselves and the dogs had a blast. They raced around inside and then we went outside behind the gym which had so many great options for photos. Miya was a hoot, I had a camera full of blurry photos of that one….even when she was supposedly sitting still her nose would be slightly blurred or just part of her face…had to be very quick to capture her before she moved again. Which was why Colton & Kirsti spent a good deal of time throwing the ball for her to tire her out. (which resulted in the sploot pose above, but only for a minute or two). Meanwhile Layla was happy to watch us through the large door while she worked on her soccer ball, which I think was fully destroyed by the time we left.
It’s so great when you hear of dogs ending up in the right homes after being returned or turned in from previous ones. It’s clear that Kirsti & Colton are the perfect pair for these two. They are active, loving and engaged with their pups…boy does it show on these two happy dogs.