Name/Age: Coco - 5 or 6 y/o (we think)
Family Members: Josh (Dad), Allison (Mom), Camm (11), and Lynn (6). Sister dog is Lula, 10 year old miniature poodle who we’ve had since she was a puppy.
How long has Coco been in the family? Three years, almost exactly. We brought her home on Wednesday, August 24, 2016.
Professions: Josh – real-estate investment, Allison – fundraiser for the arts
Location: Atlanta, GA.
Nicknames: Her name is Coco, but we often call her Cokie and Pretty Girl.
5 words/phrases that best describe Coco?
Gentle
Couch Potato
She can’t get close enough
Snuggle Bug
Master Snorer
What makes Coco unique? Coco smiles. She has HUGE smiles and when she’s happy she does a little dance and shakes her bootie. She’s laser focused on the humans in her family—she patrols the house to make sure she knows where everyone is and she follows me around like a shadow. She allows our daughters to literally lay all over her—it’s as if she loves it! Unlike any other dog I’ve ever had, Coco will stare into your eyes for as long as you will let her. It’s almost like she’s looking into your soul. She’s the sweetest dog I’ve even known. We often say that we are luckier to have her than she is to have us.
The sun shines down on her beautiful smile!
Rescue Story: We moved to Atlanta three and a half years ago. We’ve always been a family with two dogs (we think dogs are happier with a furry partner). Shortly before our move from Washington, DC we lost one of our dogs to cancer. We knew we wanted to get another dog but thought it would be best to wait for the dust to settle from the move, house hunt, etc. In August on 2016 we were settled and ready to adopt. I immediately started looking at the Fulton County Animal Shelter website for available dogs. All of the pictures gave me such heartache, so we decided to just go the shelter as a family.
We walked the corridors around all of the animal cages and saw literally hundreds of dogs. So many that it was overwhelming. There were lots of volunteers there that day…I guess they were walking the dogs, feeding the dogs, and helping to facilitate adoptions. After trying to “meet” several dogs (they organize the meetings in outdoor enclosures) I had a volunteer approach me and tell me that she has a dog in mind for us. We waited as a family out in the enclosure and she brought out our Coco. My husband was sitting in a chair and Coco gently approached him with her head down and ears flat, she put her head in his lap and we knew she was the dog for our family. Coco was terrified, but so very sweet and it was love at first sight. How could we have walked by all those cages and not seen her?? Too many dogs, I guess.
We were told that Coco was picked up by animal control after someone called to report an injured dog in the back yard. She was terribly underweight (almost starved), she clearly had delivered at least a couple litters of puppies, and she had what looked like a cigarette burn on the bottom of her back foot. Her coat had mange and she had patches of fur missing from malnourishment. She was at the Fulton County Animal shelter for about six weeks before we brought her home. After bringing her home we had a few bumps in the road bringing her back to 100% healthy, Coco spent a week in the Vet’s ICU with pneumonia. She survived.
She weighed 40 pounds when we brought her home—she now weighs 73 pounds. Her fur is a gorgeous glistening brown color, all but a little spot on her tail has returned.
In addition to her health problems, Coco was terrified of fire, cars, storm drains, grates in the road, and walking on a leash. We immediately brought a fabulous dog trainer to the house and after consistent work, those fears died. She is a completely normal dog, now.
Coco is a cherished member of our family. We couldn’t imagine life without her! Everyone who meets her loves her.
Coco’s intake photo, what a different a loving family makes!
What is your favorite pastime as a family? We are a very active family and Coco is always in the mix. Coco loves long walks in the neighborhood (our regular walk is about four miles). Just last weekend we went to Tennessee to visit family. The dogs always travel with us and it was particularly fun for Coco because I took the dogs on a seven mile hike. She had never walked that far before and the terrain was challenging. She did very well—I was proud of her.
Candidly, I think Coco’s favorite thing is snuggling on the couch with her humans. She simply cannot get close enough. She will sit on top of you if you’ll let her.
What is life like since you rescued Penny? We’ve rescued many dogs. I’ve never known life without a dog. I tell people that we are luckier to have Coco than she is to have us (even though that isn’t entirely true we couldn’t love her any more than we already do). All rescue dogs are special. All they need is love. Their love for us is unconditional. I never thought I would own a pit bull, but I now know that I will probably always have one living in my home. They are a remarkable breed.
Photographers Note: I agree Coco is a beautiful dog with that shiny coat and those bright amber eyes; you would never even recognize she is the dog from the picture above. She greeted me at the door and was eager to show me around her home. The girls led the way to the backyard and although she was happy to show me her backyard, she was really not so into getting her picture taken. She would have much rather just sat in my lap, given kisses and have me snuggle and pet her. (which truth be told, that is always my preference as well) She even spit out both flavors of dog treats I had in my bag, tough room! :)
What I love about this story is this amazing family looked beyond what they saw on the outside at the shelter; a sick, malnourished pup who was frightened of everything and instead with that one action of her putting her head in Josh’s lap; they saw the dog she would become with love and a family that adores her. As I left their home, with Coco standing in the doorway, her expression saying where is my new friend going? I have to think if more people thought this way, our shelters would be far less full.