Name/Age: Midna, exact age unknown, best guess 5 years
Family Members: Emily, my boyfriend Henry, his 3 cats, and my other dog who is a super mutt named Chickadee (2). She was a foster fail that was born in my living room so she's less Midna's sister and more Midna's daughter from another dogter. Kitty frens are a tabby cat named Dino (9), a calico cat named Lucia (6), and a giant floof of a long haired dust bunny cat named Queso (1).
How long has Midna been in the family? 3 years
Professions: Front Office Assistant for the Northside Hospital Cardiovascular Institute and English/Japanese/Board Game Design/ teacher for Midtown International School
Location: Doraville, GA
Nicknames: Fathead, Big Kid, Brat, Mutticus, Bubala, Fossersisser, Bigtissy, & (of course) Beautiful.
5 words/phrases that best describe Midna?
Brat & Blanket Thief
Lazy Fetcher
She’s the boss, I just work there
Clingy Snuggler
She does the best Chewbacca impression when she wants something.
What makes Midna unique? She's so incredibly smart and incredibly intuitive. She loves to solve the puzzle, whatever that puzzle may be, including how do I undo the crate door. She's such a soft mouth I like to joke she doesn't want you to know she has teefers. She is a whiz with dogs who are so shut down and terrified you can't touch them. She has coaxed dogs in full pancake terror into play and then introduced them to me to show how kind humans can be. Without her I wouldn't be an effective foster mom. She's the one who is saving lives, I'm just feeding them until they're ready to find their people.
How many pibbles do you know that can hold their own peanut butter spoon?
Rescue Story: I was at the Atlanta Humane Society just to play with dogs, not take one home. But when I saw Midna (then Laura) I could tell she was super stressed so I decided to take her out and play with her a bit. She was so focused on me she didn't care a bit about the toys. She just wanted to cuddle and was looking me dead in the eye with an unmistakable 'Get me out of here' look. She had been at AHS for a little over 4 months, probably because she's the double whammy of pit-type and black dog. Her intake form said she was stray intake at the Macon Bibb County shelter which is ironic because I have family in Macon. I can't imagine how this potty trained well behaved angel dog ended up a stray, much less ended up overlooked for months. Before I knew it, I was filling out forms. I had to buy a leash from them because I had no way of getting her home. This was not supposed to happen. I had to stop at Petsmart on the way home because I had no food, no toys, no beds, NOTHING! I'd do it again without hesitation. Best impulse buy ever.
Ready to go to my forever home now!
What is your favorite pastime as a family? She is a big snuggler, but I love watching her get the crazy zoomies. She'll run slower to let Chickadee or a foster catch her, but I know her top speed is so fast my eyes can't track her. When she's done running she always has the biggest smile that just lights up my heart.
What is life like since you rescued Midna? Midna was a gateway drug into the world of fostering. She was under socialized as a puppy, so a lot of her training was just exposing her to other dogs. Her trainer recommended we foster a variety of dogs to help with her ongoing training. I was skeptical but it was the best decision I ever made. Not only is my life more full because of it, but we've been able to save lives and complete families across the Atlanta area. I have a whole network of rescue friends and adoptive families now that make my life whole in a way that I didn't know was missing before she was there. And Midna has gone from rural stray to spoiled princess. A role she fully embraces.
Social Media: Instagram: midnas_mighty_mutts (which is really a site to highlight current fosters)
Photographers Note: I met up with Emily & the pups at a friend of hers house, whose backyard was a jungle of beautiful ivy. This gave us some great background for photos but also gave Midna & Chickadee an enormous racetrack and playground to romp & run in. Emily is correct, most of the photos I tried to take of Midna while she was running I was just capturing her butt as it went out of screen, she is speedy. At the end of all that play, there was a yummy peanut butter reward and I can honestly say I have never seen a pup hold a spoon, with one paw mind you, as skillfully as Midna can. These two pups were so much fun to photograph and watch play, very rough and tumble without a care in the world. The best of friends.
Sisters!