Name/Age: Evanna - 6 y/o
Family Members: Gary (Dad), Ali (Mom), Vikki (doggie sister) and Tori (doggie sister)
How long has Evanna been in the family? More then 3 years
Professions: Ali: Administrative Engineer, Gary: Parkour Gym Program Director
Location: Sharpsburg, GA
Nicknames: Ev or Vonnie
5 words/phrases that best describe Evanna?
Grateful
Gentle
People Lover
Cuddly
Motivated
What makes Evanna unique? She pretends to be asleep when we want to move her. If she’s lying on the bed and we ask her to move (P.S. she responds to the phrase “excuse me”) so we can sit down, she’ll look at you, then close her eyes really hard and pretend like she’s asleep. She absolutely will not move and goes completely limp.
Evanna in the grass!
Rescue Story: Ali volunteered for the rescue organization, Angels Among Us, which found her roaming the streets in November 2017 after what seemed to be a terrible dog fight. She was completely emaciated and missing half of her face. Her wounds even had maggots growing out of them. You could see straight to her skull, which had a large hole in it (possibly a puncture from another dog’s tooth or someone attempting to shoot her in the head). Her injuries were so severe that we didn’t know if she would live. We didn’t think she had her right eye at the time either. After gaining attention from a local news story calling her “The Wonder Dog”, the donations were able to save her life. Her face was reconstructed and stitched up. The vets also noticed that her eyeball was still intact and functioning. She was then fostered by an amazing volunteer, Cristiana, who played a massive role in her recovery. The following February, she was the guest of honor at the Angels Among Us Gala and had a custom-made, hand-sewn gown just for the occasion. Ali worked with Cristiana at their day job and would see Evanna daily. In January 2018, we took over fostering Evanna, and the rest was history. She came into our lives and changed them forever. We don’t know exactly where she came from, but we knew she was finally home.
Graphic Photo: When Evanna came into rescue.
What is your favorite pastime as a family? Evanna wants to be anywhere people are, so we enjoy taking her places with us. She loves meeting new people, especially at a drive-thru that gives out treats. She gets so excited to go on an adventure and possibly make a new friend. Evanna lights up whenever we pull up to the gym Gary works at because she knows the place is full of kids willing to give out endless belly rubs (and drop a crumb or two). She also loves to play and learn something new. For example, she had no idea what a tennis ball was when we met her. It took a while for her to learn to catch one, but now she’s a borderline pro.
What is life like since you rescued Evanna? Whole would be a good word to describe it. The best part of every day is coming home to the love and affection of our dogs. No matter what mood you’re in, seeing your dog’s excitement and eagerness to greet you just melts away any worries. Evanna’s personality has grown tremendously since being adopted. At first, she was so shy and timid, afraid to make a mistake or anger us, I think. Now, she’s an “actual dog”, as we call it. She’s so vibrant and happy and sweet. Watching her grow into this incredible, patient, and loving dog makes us so grateful to be a part of her journey. And I think she’s grateful to have us too.
Photographers Note: Just look at this beautiful girl! What a difference love, support and a great care can make. I thought it was important to show how Evanna came into rescue because there are so many dogs out there with similar stories that come to rescues or shelters with horrible injuries. Then there are just as many angels who want to rehabilitate these dogs and give them loving forever homes. To meet this girl, with her quiet sweet demeaner is just heart warming. If you didn’t know her past and didn’t notice the small scar on her head, she is any other loved family member. Chasing her tennis ball while sporting the latest in pibble fashion, even showing off some of her climbing skills and her love to be held by her Dad. I love that this family focus’s on the present and the future, not knowing her past is probably hard but all they care about is that she is loved, happy and clearly has an amazing wardrobe! Such a true pleasure to meet this “Wonder Dog”.
Hugs for Dad!