Blog

Nala - 6/12/21

Name/Age: Nala - 7.5 y/o

Family Member: Bailey

How long has Bailey been in the family? 3.5 years

Profession: Engineer for Graco Children’s Products

Location: West Midtown, Atlanta, GA. (at time of shoot, they have since moved out of state)

Nicknames: Piggy, Piggy Poo, Stinky, Sue

5 words/phrases that best describe Nala?

Lazy
Gentle
Snuggly
Calm
The perfect house guest

What makes Nala unique? She is the absolute perfect house dog. She spends 99% of her time asleep, I usually must wake her up to go potty. She also has a weird ability to never wrap her leash around anything. She perfectly navigates every tree, branch, and light pole without getting us in a tangle.

Rescue Story: My boyfriend asked me for a dog every day for close to a year by sending me dogs on Instagram. I had just graduated from college in May of 2017 and started my first job June 19th of 2017. I made it exactly 3 weeks into adulting before I decided I also needed a dog. Thursday July 6th I started looking and browsed the Atlanta Humane Society website and made a short list of dogs to meet that night. I got off of work; my boyfriend and roommate at the time loaded up and went to AHS to meet our suitors. Nala was the first dog we met and we all knew immediately she was the one. She was so calm and gentle. We had arrived past the hour when they were beginning adoption paperwork, so we left and went to Petsmart to buy everything needed for a new pup. Friday July 7th was the longest day of work of my life. I called AHS every hour to make sure no one had adopted her. I left early and we rushed to get her early afternoon. We brought her home that night and it was immediately a perfect fit. She slept for multiple weeks straight it seems. After having her for a few months, I started investigating to see if I could figure out some more details about her past. She came to AHS from Gwinnett County Animal Services, so I called with her intake number to see how she ended up at the shelter, which is when I found her intake pictures. She showed up on a woman’s porch and just didn’t leave for multiple weeks. Every one of her nipples were multiple inches long and she was most definitely used for lots of puppies.

What is your favorite pastime as a family?Our favorite thing to do is nap, take walks in the nearby neighborhood to our apartment, and wrestle.

What is life like since you rescued Nala? She has truly been a best friend to me. She is perfectly squishy and clingy and is always there for emotional support, in her own way. Her calm demeanor is the perfect thing to come home to everyday, it’s almost as if when you’re around her your blood pressure immediately drops.

Photographers Note: I met up with Bailey & Nala in a beautiful little park near their home. Ms. Nala showed up with wardrobe changes. According to her Mom, she likes to dress up. Sure enough no matter what you put on her, she was all good with it. Didn’t try to remove it, just went with the flow of things. Let’s talk about that lion mane….first of all it perfectly matches her coat and then she would just sit there in these perfect poses while the mane blew gently in the breeze, it was pretty great! I am really glad we were able to get Bailey & Nala to volunteer before their next adventure together. Now they have some photos to remind them of their first home together.

Milton - 6/6/21

Name/Age: Milton - 4-5 y/o

Family Members: Kat & CJ

How long has Milton been in the family? Since November of 2019

Professions: Kat - Market Research; CJ - Cybersecurity

Location: Atlanta, GA

Nicknames: Baby, Best Boy, Milty

5 words/phrases that best describe Milton?

Affectionate
Happy
Stubborn
Velcro Dog
Super Cute

What makes Milton unique? He loves getting affection and attention from people. He’s learned a unique tactic to garner this attention: He’ll roll on his back in the weirdest of places and at the most inopportune times, knowing that it’ll make onlookers laugh.

Rescue Story: Milton was picked up by Fulton County Animal Services when someone called in about a couple of “scary” looking dogs on their porch. After a month or so in the shelter, he was chosen by Canine CellMates to be part of their program and was moved to Fulton County Jail. I’m a volunteer with Canine CellMates and although I’ve seen dogs come and go through the program, something about Milton just stole my heart. I volunteered at as many events as possible that cycle just to spend more time with him. With each interaction I grew more confident that he belonged in my family. After convincing my husband, we welcomed Milton home after his graduation from Canine CellMates November 1st 2019.

From the jail program to his forever couch!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Milton is a chill dude. He likes long walks and even longer naps.

What is life like since you rescued Milton? Milton has been loving life since joining our family! He has a bed in every room (including the balcony), but he’d still prefer to be in our laps. We enjoy long morning walks in Piedmont Park where he has been working on befriending the ducks. We’ve also taken him to Hilton Head and it turns out he’s a total beach dog! He loves playing with other dogs and is kind and gentle with kids.

At first, he did have to get used to condo living (elevators can be stressful!), and unfortunately we also learned that prejudice towards bully-type dogs was closer to home than we anticipated. But it’s been such a joy to see Milton’s confidence and comfort grow. His ability to love is inspiring and he’s taught me to care less about what others think. Everyone who spends time with him loves his demeanor and agrees he is the best boy!

Social Media: Instagram @milton.the.best.boy

Photographers Note: Full disclosure I may have been an Instagram stalker of Milton’s. I messaged Kat and asked/begged her to volunteer with him so I could meet him. Yes I am changing perceptions with this project but I also want to meet ALL the dogs! This adorable boy lived up to all of my expectations. He is just as cute, silly and sweet as I thought he would be.

I also love that Milton has really done his part in changing perceptions in his families building. They had some challenges when they got him, with people judging him for how he looked & making a stink about it. He has won over many folks and showed people that every dog is an individual no matter how they look.

Side note, if you are not familiar with Canine Cellmates, it’s an amazing program and also a wonderful place to adopt an already trained up! Check them out!

Ansley - 6/5/21

Name/Age: Ansley - 5 y/o

Family Members: Myself (Melanie) & 2 doting granddog parents Mary Ann & Rusty. We joke that there is a custody battle, but Ansley is Melanie’s Pup

How long has Ansley been in the family? 4.5 years

Profession: Nurse Practitioner

Location: Atlanta, GA

Nicknames: “The Baby”. “Wiggles”, “A Person”, “Little Bit” (even though she is 70 lbs of pure love and muscle)

5 words/phrases that best describe Ansley?

Person - Like
Loving
Loyal
Intelligent
Ball Crazy
Scare of her own Shadow

What makes Ansley unique? Ansley is really smart and obedient. We often catch her understanding what we are saying. She may hear me talking about leaving, and she will run to her crate and sit in it until I get up. She recognizes my parents on the phone and will run to the door if she hears that they are coming over. It is pretty bizarre. She also puts herself to bed at 9pm... like will jump off the sofa and walk up to my room and get in my bed (stealing my pillow of course)! She is also a velcro pup, never leaving her person’s side.

Rescue Story: I adopted her from Atlanta Humane Society. I had been through a rough year of losing an elderly horse and a dog. My older remaining pup was pretty lonely so I decided it was time for another. I took my family with me to see Olivia (her AHS name) after seeing her picture and her sister’s pic on the web site. Her sister had already been adopted and she was just sitting there all calm but confused. She fell asleep in my arms. I set her back down and was looking to talk to an employee. Little did I know, my dad had fallen in love too. He saw someone walking towards her and he snatched her up. The rest was history. Ansley turned out to be very patient with my very senile 15yo old 5lb dog for another year and has been loving the only dog life since then!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Taking Walks & playing fetch.

What is life like since you rescued Ansley? Ansley has become a rags to riches story and is doted on by the entire family. She did tear her ACL and bonded with my parents who cared for her while I worked. She now stays at their house for one on one doggy daycare while I am working. Ansley has also been a great source of joy during the time I’ve been working on the frontlines during the COVID pandemic. Nothing relieves stress quite like a pittie’s huge smiling face greeting you at the door!

Photographers Note: Over the last year we have featured many pups who have been adopted into their forever homes during the pandemic (yeah!), but Ansley is our first who really helped her Mom through being on the front lines in the medical field during that time. I love that she provided such wonderful support to her Mom and allowed her to let work go when she got home.

Ansley is definitely a little shy initially with strangers but once we walked around behind her townhome with the ball, she was a completely different pup; full of confidence (after she got use to the cameral being pointed at her) and joy playing fetch. After many rounds of fetch she was up for whatever else we needed to do and happily led the way to the next location.

Finn - 5/23/21

Name/Age: Finn - 3 y/o

Family Members: Avery & Durazi, sometimes a foster dog brother or sister

How long has Finn been in the family? 2 years

Professions: Durazi - consultant, Avery - analyst

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Finny, Finnyson, Boi, Fanny

5 words/phrases that best describe Finn?

Goofy
Needy
Empathetic
Welcoming
Loyal

What makes Finn unique? Underbite and jumping to be held like a baby

Rescue Story: We met Finn (then Vulcan) while taking him to an adoption event at PetSmart for Fulton County Animal Services. We immediately bonded as he melted in our arms on the drive over. Once there, a few different parties showed interest in him. However, while trying to get him to interact with those people, he only showed interest in interacting with us. Less than an hour into the event, we adopted him. We were not planning on adopting a dog until at least a couple months later, but the bond we had with Finn was too great to ignore. We do not know about his life before Fulton, other than that he was a stray. He had been adopted a couple weeks earlier, but was returned due to kennel cough (their loss!).

After adopting him, we had to contend with breed restrictions at our apartment. The apartment management office was skeptical at first of allowing a pit bull mix dog into the community, but Finn quickly showed them how loving and friendly pit bull dogs can be, and he became a favorite visitor. In addition, family members have changed their perceptions of pit bull type dogs after meeting the loving Finny boy and seeing how sweet and caring he is.

We sometimes foster other dogs from FCAS, and Finn is nice about sharing his home and toys with other dogs. While he might be a little grumpy at first, he is quick to open his home and share his parents' affections. We look forward to all future adventures with Finn and the joy he brings to our and others’ lives.

At the adoption event were Finn bonded with his family.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Walks, sleeping in (he’s in no rush to go to the bathroom in the morning, he loves sleeping in like we do) & trying new human foods

What is life like since you rescued Finn? Amazing! We have made a lot of new friends through his social media presence. He motivates us to get outside, even just so he can run around in the backyard for a couple of minutes. He adds so much love and fun to our lives.

Social Media: Instagram @FinnyFinnFinnerson

Photographers Note: This boy is just pure Joy. I think I discovered Finn on Instagram and asked his family to volunteer. His adventures are so sweet and he is great with all of his fosters siblings. What I really love about Finn’s story is how he has changed peoples minds (including family members) about these dogs just by being his goofy self, with the adorable underbite smile.

While I was there, I got to witness two of his “moves” shall we say. One being him leaping into the air into his Dad’s arms, pretty much at a stand still to be held like a baby (see below) & also the zoomie track between Avery & Durazi. Basically just running full speed between the two of them across the yard with encouragement from each parent. (photo above) So much fun to meet this adorable boy in person and see his amazing personality in person.

Bodhi - 5/22/21

Name/Age: Bodhi - 1 y/o

Family Members: Kirsten & David

How long has Bodhi been in the family? Adopted November 2020

Profession: David is in residency & Kirsten is a physician assistant.

Location: Grant Park

Nicknames: Bods & Bodhi Bear

5 words/phrases that best describe Bodhi?

Goofball
Napper
Bodhi Beso Giver
Snuggle Bug
Curious

What makes Bodhi unique? His golden eyes. They are what initially won me over when we went to the shelter.

Rescue Story: We went to the shelter one Sunday early in November after months of talking about getting a dog. We walked through the entire facility making a mental list of the dogs we wanted to meet. Bodhi was particularly high on our list as his eyes were so captivating. After our initial walk through, we went back to pull the sheets of our favorites. When we got to Bodhi’s kennel, neither of his two sheets were there. I thought someone else had already picked him but as we happened to be walking away a lady put his sheets on to his kennel. We quickly grabbed one and headed to the front. We met a handful of wonderful pups but Bodhi and another were our top loves. They both were snuggly, playful, and full of love. Tito, David’s sister’s dog, came to meet both dogs; he and Bodhi instantly bonded like the cousins they would soon come to be. With Tito’s approval, we officially applied to adopt Bodhi. However, we had to wait a few days for it to become official as he had literally just come into the shelter 30 mins before we met him. Hence, why he had no sheets when we first walked by his kennel. So the wait began to see if anyone claimed Mr. Golden Eyes but the few days passed and Bodhi came bounding into our home.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love going on walks in the neighborhood and in the park. We love seeing what peeks Bodhi’s curiosity. He loves the playground and the coffee shop; probably because of all the people he gets to see.

What is life like since you rescued Bodhi? Bodhi loves living in Grant Park and getting to meet all the neighbors and dogs on their walks. It’s a very social neighborhood. He particularly loves our next door neighbors and always gets so excited when they walk by or when we walk by their house. He loves running around in the backyard especially when his pup friends come over to play. He also loves sunbathing in the sunroom where he gets to plop down on the ottoman and snooze or gets to people watch from the large windows. We love having Bodhi as he brings us so much joy and happiness. Our day jobs can be stressful so coming home to his sweet snuggles is quite the treat.

Photographers Note: So this session will go down as a first and honestly the fact this hasn’t happened before in the 6+ years of doing this project is pretty amazing! :) I showed up to Kirsten, David & Bodhi’s house, did our greetings, got Bodhi setup for his bowtie shot and realized I had a camera with no battery in it! Thankfully they lived close and were very understanding! Now back to Mr. Golden Eyes; this sweet friendly boy was such a good boy during his shoot. You would never guess he has only been in his home for less then a year and is also only a year old. He would play or pose as we needed him to and then take a quick break to greet whomever may be walking by his yard. So happy this boy only had to spend a short period of time in the shelter and then landed in the most amazing forever home!

Sampson - 5/16/21

Name/Age: Sampson - 3-4 y/o

Family Members: Jessie Katz, Matthew King, Paige Hayduk

How long has Sampson been in the family? December 2020

Profession: Medical Professional

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Puppachino

5 words/phrases that best describe Sampson?

Good Temperament
Calm
Muscular
Very Sweet
Happy

What makes Sampson unique? He smiles when he goes for runs and he gets along with other dogs very well.

Rescue Story: Sampson was at Lifeline Animal Adoption Center. He was fostered by a family and later adopted by an older couple. One of his parents passed away and the other had dementia, and could no longer care for him. Their family members then reached back out to the foster family. The foster family that he was previously living with, had another dog and they couldn’t take care of another dog. One family member posted online about Sampson and described that Sampson would be perfect for someone who is looking for a dog who looks really scary but is really sweet.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Running

What is life like since you rescued Sampson? Sampson goes running and to daycare and the dog trainer. He goes to the Beltline and to the Brewery. He spends time with his girlfriend, Sansa (a pit mix)

Photographers Note: Let’s start with how handsome this boy is, talk about a hunky fat head! However he is not all good looks. This boy is a sweetheart and you can tell he loves big, not to mention he has a smile that is infectious. I can also attest to his strength and musculature from having been run over by him.. He went on a little adventure back in those trees behind where we were taking photos. Just two calls of his name and he came racing back to us; very excited and he saw me sitting on the ground, so of course he headed right towards me in happy glee. Well, let’s say there were no brakes used in this greeting and he just ran right over top of me! LOL Left a path of Georgia clay footprints across me and my bags! :)

Moose - 5/9/21

Name/Age: Moose - 4 y/o

Family Members: Kristin, Mason, Sir Oliver Pickles - boxer/English bulldog mix, Lily - great pyrenees/lab mix, Senorita - chihuahua/terrier mix

How long has Moose been in the family? We’ve had Moose since he was around 3 months old.

Professions: Kristin - Groomer at the Village Vets Mason - Elevator Mechanic

Location: Loganville, GA.

Nicknames: Moosghetti, Moo Moo, Moostopher, Mr. Sensitive

5 words/phrases that best describe Moose?

Big Baby
Intense Cuddling
Bull in a China Shop
Ball Fetching Obsessed
Very emotional & thoughtful

What makes Moose unique? He has a prosocial and empathetic nature towards humans and other dogs that makes you think he can read your thoughts.

Rescue Story: I was working for the Village Vets when I saw a young girl carrying a pittie puppy into our lobby. For some reason I was very drawn to her; met her at the door and took the puppy from her. She said she found him in her friend's yard and he was non weight bearing on one of his back legs. The owner of the house didn't want him, so she brought him to us for help. She knew she couldn't keep the puppy, so I agreed to foster him for her. After I brought him home and before the day was over my husband and I and our other dogs fell absolutely in love with his playful and loving spirit. We knew we had to help him through his injury and give him the nurturing home he deserved. After 8 weeks of casts on his leg and physical therapy he was as good as new and an essential new member of our family.

All casted up & ready to heal in his forever home.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Running on the beach, chasing birds and playing fetch followed by extreme snuggle sessions and naps.

What is life like since you rescued Moose? Mootastic! He definitely enhances our lives and shows us a kind of love that is so unique and unwavering.

Photographers Notes: When I met Moose the first thing I thought was big handsome goof ball! This dog just exudes happiness and joy. He had so much fun showing off his ball skills, while taking many breaks under trees and bushes to get a little shade; it was a pretty warm day after all. Then to see him with all of his fur siblings getting along so great, just warms my heart. This sweet boy had no idea when he was carried in to that vet office what a great life it would lead to, which is really all we want for all rescue dogs right? A second chance at happiness & forever love!

Martin - 5/2/21

Name/Age: Martin- 3.5 y/o

Family Member: Mele

How long has Martin been in the family? Since April 2019

Profession: Firefighter

Location: Atlanta, GA (Cabbagetown)

Nicknames: Marty McFly

5 words/phrases that best describe Martin?

Wild & Crazy Guy
Athletic yet spastic
Extremely Sensitive
Friendly
Very kind soul

What makes Martin unique? Martin is extremely smart, he can take lessons learned and apply them to different situations to problem solve. He is the only dog I have ever met that you only have to say NO once. He is incredibly sensitive. He can learn new things by watching others do them.

Rescue Story: I lost my soulmate in Feb 2019 and had decided I would wait until the following Sept when I retired to adopt. After 2 months I couldn’t stand not having a dog another day. On a whim I went to Fulton County Animal Services and adopted a dog I saw online. She unfortunately was aggressive and wasn’t going to be able to do what I needed her to do. My dog travels with me on my part-time business trimming horses. With an extremely heavy heart I took her back to FCAS. After conversations with the intake specialist I agreed to look at some other dogs that were struggling at the shelter. While waiting in the kennels a worker walked up and said “I hear your looking for a dog, I have one you might like”. We went outside and talked… Martin FKA Aster had been at FCAS for over a year. He was picked up as a stray puppy.

The stress of shelter life takes its toll on all the dogs eventually and Martin had started nipping the kennel workers when they turn to leave the kennel. He was tagged as a biter and put on the kill list. I understand he was a favorite of the kennel staff and one of them decided that he would take him home to see if he was just stressed. He had only been with that person for 2 days when I came in. He sounded great and the helper called his partner and asked him to bring Martin to the shelter. The minute he walked out of the shelter I was in love. He brought him in and turned him loose… Martin looked at me… walked over to my chair… climbed up in the chair behind me and heavily rested his head on my shoulder with a big sigh. I said “I’LL TAKE HIM!!!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Martin travels everywhere with me but we looooove to hike together. I will retire Sept of this year and we will hit the road hiking as many states as we can!! He has also turned out to be an awesome agility dog and will compete in his first trial the end of May.

What is life like since you rescued Martin? As I said above he is a wild and crazy guy! It was a challenge when he came home, not because he is bad but he is busy, nosey, smart, silly and gets bored easily. My previous dog was just the opposite. Martin has taught me so much about just relaxing and letting things flow. Everything is fun to him and I am finding that for myself as well.

Photographers Note: Martin is a smart guy and very well trained. We met up at this small park, which had a lot of boulders spread around. When I asked if Martin would get up on a boulder, Mele said, no problem. Sure enough, up he went! He posed on several different boulders for me but since this boy is not a fan of the heat (can you blame him), the money shot ended up being by chance as he went under the decorative grasses looking for a bit of shade. Not posed, just lucky and turned out to be one of my favorites!

Tully - 5/1/21

Name/Age: Tully - 9mths old

Family Members: Holly, Brooke - 16 y/o & James - 13 y/o

How long has Tully been in the family? 5 months

Profession: Stay at home Mom/accountant

Location: Sandy Springs, GA

Nicknames: N/A

5 words/phrases that best describe Tully?

Loving
Playful
Happy
Goofy
Smart

What makes Tully unique? Tully LOVES shoes….. A lot. Although he is still a puppy, he has never torn them up. He simply carries them around and sleeps with them when we are gone. We often come home to a trail of 4 or 5 pairs of shoes leading to his bed.

Rescue Story: We lost our beloved Chocolate Lab last year and my teenage daughter had begun the search to rescue another dog for us to love. She saw pictures of “The Addams Family” litter, as there were 7 puppies all named after characters in the tv show at The Humane Society of Blue Ridge. We don’t know much about what happened to them from birth to 12 weeks. Animal Control ended up taking the entire litter and their mother. The Humane Society then took them in to find them homes. We originally had an application for Tully’s brother, Pugsley. There were just 2 left. Their amazing trainer at the shelter brought them both out and we knew we couldn’t leave without Tully. He is very timid around men and young children, so we were the perfect family for him. He has been such a blessing. He is the biggest cuddler and so smart. The saying is true, we didn’t rescue him, he rescued us.

The photo that led to this cutie’s forever home

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We take Tully everywhere. At first, it was to try to socialize him and show him that the world wasn’t so scary. Now, it’s just what we do. We love taking him to play with other dogs. He loves dogs! We can’t wait to travel with him. I think he’s going to love the beach.

What is life like since you rescued Tully? Tully has helped us heal. We were devastated over losing our Lab. I can’t explain the sadness that we all felt every single day. While we still mourn for him, Tully has brought happiness back to our lives. I think his big brother, Roscoe, is looking down from Heaven and is so proud of Tully.

Photographers Note: My first 15 minutes with Tully started with me sitting on the floor in Holly’s foyer and plying him with treats. He was a little shy, so we took intro’s slow. Which is super important to me, because I want the dogs to be ok with my presence and feel comfortable to be themselves. I can tell you after that 15m I was getting kisses on the nose and the distance between us shrank considerably. Doesn’t take much to win over this sweet boy! Tully had a blast running around his backyard with every size and color of ball in his collection. This boy is so handsome and did really well with having a camera pointed at him, taking new experiences in stride.

Diesel - 4/25/21

Name/Age: Diesel - 6 y/o

Family Members: Rob, Sara, Ivy (13 months) , & Mocha (dog- lab mix, also a rescue)

How long has Diesel been in the family? 5 years

Professions: Rob is a Physical Therapist & Sara is a stay at home mom to Ivy

Location: Kennesaw, GA.

Nicknames: Bubba Dog, Diesel Bear, Tank

5 words/phrases that best describe Diesel?

Cuddly
Big
Goofy (he grumbles at us when it’s too late and we aren’t in bed yet)
Relaxed
Loving

What makes Diesel unique? As a show of affection, Diesel will sometimes nibble on your ears if he can reach them.

Rescue Story: We rescued Diesel from a previous co-worker of mine. She and her husband are in their 70’s and live in South Georgia. One day, during the wintertime, she went out to get her mail, and saw something white tied to her mail box. When she got closer, she realized it was a puppy and it was almost dead (malnourished and freezing). He had been abandoned. She carried him back to her house and nursed him back to health (unaware of how big he was going to get). When she realized how large he was (85lbs of muscle) and what breed he was, she called me. She knew I loved pit bulls and she told me she couldn’t lift him to get him to the vet or walk him and needed him to go to a new home where she knew he would be spoiled rotten.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Diesel LOVES taking walks, napping, sunning himself in the backyard, and going on rides in the car.

What is life like since you rescued Diesel? Diesel has been the PERFECT family dog. Nothing really bothers him and he is so easy going. We joke and say that he has ruined all future dogs for us because of how easy going and relaxed he is. He’s the perfect cuddle buddy, and goofy as all get out.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Photographers Note: This big polar bear of a dog has to be one of the most relaxed dogs we have had as a volunteer. He is so cute & sweet, but even a new person at his house doesn’t get him too excited. Just looks at me, maybe a quick sniff and almost gives a nod, nice to meet ya…then goes on with the task at hand which was sunbathing. There was no running around to play ball, it took a lot of coaxing to just get him to move from spot to spot. Meanwhile his sister was making so much racket inside the house because she knew she was missing out on something. So happy this big boy found such a wonderful family after a very hard start to his young life.

Katie & Kane - 4/23/21

Name/Age: Katie - 11 y/o & Kane - 6 y/o

Family Members: Kristin & Will

How long have Katie & Kane been in the family? Katie has been with us 10 yrs & Kane has been with us almost 2 yrs.

Profession: Kristin - Data/Analytics Consultant., Will - Recruiter

Location: Atlanta, GA

Nicknames: Katie - The Bug

Kane - The Brain

5 words/phrases that best describe Katie & Kane?

Katie:

Sleepy
Lazy
Tolerant
Patient
Independent

Kane:

Expressive
Loyal
Alert
Goofy
Sweet

What makes Katie & Kane unique? Katie’s commitment to luxury. She loves pillows and beds. Kane’s facial expressions. We never have any trouble figuring out how he feels.

Katie very pleased with her self after her roll on the pitchers mound.

Kane enjoying the freedom a baseball filed can provide!

Rescue Stories: Katie wandered up to Will in a parking lot 10 years ago when he was living in Lubbock, TX. ; slightly mangy and slightly underweight but overall healthy. She has stuck with him ever since. Kane was our foster fail from W-Underdogs. I wanted to get a second pup, but Will wanted to test how Katie would do with a second pup around so we decided to be a foster. Kane was our foster for about 2 months. He got along wonderfully with Katie and we couldn't possibly give him up, so we adopted him.

Kane thinking so far this new “foster” home is pretty good.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Dog & human parties. During Covid, this has been a little tough but our two pit mixes get along with all our friend's dogs! Since Covid started, Kane enjoys 2 miles runs with me 2-4 times a week. It was tougher to do when the weather got colder and the daylight shorter.

Will and Katie enjoy lazy Sundays on the couch together, watching sports and other TV. Kane sometimes joins in.

What is life like since you rescued Katie & Kane? For the pups, lots of naps and treats. Our life is much richer for having them in it. We never considered the breed before one wandered up, but now we couldn't recommend pit bulls enough. They are delightful, friendly, loyal and lazy.

Photographers Note: Due to a previous rain out we were able to reschedule & meet up on a Friday late afternoon in a nearby park; which happened to have a completely fenced in baseball field. We got the dogs ready for their bowtie shots and Kristin & Will thought they would be fine off leash. Well….. once Kane was taken off the leash he was gone. Just running laps around the outfield, chasing birds, having the best time, huge smile on his and all while dressed in his Shine A Light bowtie. As we were trying to coax Kane to come back, Katie was behind us on the pitchers mound. She plopped down and proceeded to conduct an epic back scratch and roll in the red Georgia clay, also while wearing her bowtie. You have to give these two credit they like to enjoy their pastimes in style. It was such a beautiful evening and just had a great time with these folks & their adorable (& very stylish) pups!

Sir - 4/17/21

Name/Age: Sir - 6 mths old

Family Members: Ellie & Michael

How long has Sir been in the family? 4 months

Professions: Ellie, - student at Georgia State University

Michael - bartender

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Sweet Baby Sir, Baby Sir, Boba, Sweet Boy

5 words/phrases that best describe Sir?

Empathetic
Stubborn
Cuddlebug
Smart
Curious

What makes Sir unique? Sir is the most expressive and empathetic dog we have owned. You can read his emotions and he is very in tune with how his parents feel. He kisses away your tears and makes you laugh uncontrollably with his zoomie antics.

That feeling when you meet a new racing partner in the small dog run!

Rescue Story: We rescued Sir through W-Underdogs, an organization in South Atlanta that promotes community advocacy and connects at risk youth with dogs. Sir was born in foster in a litter of 12. His mother was used for breeding until she was rescued by W-Underdogs. Sir was the last of the litter and we are so grateful that he found his way to us. All of his littermates and mom have forever homes.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Sir loves to go to Piedmont Park and play frisbee with mom and dad and South Bend Dog Park when it’s not too busy. Sir’s favorite time is when he gets to visit his best friend, Larry and play all day. He also loves to visit his human cousin Ashton, he loves kids. Puppachinos are a staple! The after bath zoomies have also become a time honored tradition!

What is life like since you rescued Sir? No one tells you how much work a puppy can be. They truly are like a human baby. We would not trade Sir for the world. He is the kindest spirit and loves us unconditionally. Sir has forced us to get out of our comfort zones and into the world more. He loves to go on long walks and has opened our eyes to see the world around us differently. We love to watch the world through his eyes! We also can no longer do anything by ourselves, as he loves to be a part of everything we do. They don’t call bully breeds Velcro dogs for nothing! Sir has brought a special kind of joy into our lives. Perhaps one, that we did not know we needed. He can warm our hearts with the smallest action. He has made us more grateful and given us a sense of responsibility and purpose.

Social Media: Instagram @sweetbabysir

Photographers Note: I met up with Sir and his pawrents at one of his favorite spots the South Bend Dog Park. When we got there we had the place to ourselves. It’s a pretty spot to take some photos and let your pup burn off some energy. After a little while a pit mix showed up and she could have been a relative of Sir. They had a great time running around for a bit. Then when Ellie & Michael took him to the back of the park he actually stayed with us. This is a 6 month old puppy folks. He is so well behaved and well trained for his age. There are not many puppies that I have been around that wouldn’t have just taken off to play with the other pup. He really is the sweetest boy and just so handsome. His eyes are the lightest green (see photo below), then those cute brown cow markings….stop it. As we were finishing up and walking back to the entrance, Sir discovered a new friend in the small dog area of the park. Those two had a blast racing back and forth on the fence line and much to Sir’s dismay that little dog (a Lhasa Apso I believe) was speedy. He/She left Sir in the dust a few times. He didn’t mind, he just had a blast …back & forth, back & forth. Allowed me to sit at the end of the run and get some action shots as well.

It really makes me so happy to meet folks who have taken the responsibility of a puppy very seriously; even better that they are setting up this pittie puppy for success and to be an amazing ambassador. I wouldn’t be surprised if this handsome boy doesn’t end up being a Canine Good Citizen and using all that empathy to help others.

Penny Lane - 4/3/21

Name/Age: Penny Lane - 5 y/o

Family Members: Christopher, Erin, Haleigh -14 y/o & Caleb - 10 y/o

Lady (dog) - 9 y/o & 3 Guinea Pigs

How long has Penny Lane been in the family? Adopted 12/2018

Professions: I (Chris) work as a Voice/Collaboration engineer for Piedmont Healthcare

Erin works at Firehouse Subs as a Manager

Location: Canton, GA.

Nicknames: NA

5 words/phrases that best describe Penny Lane?

Giant baby in a pibble body
Constantly needing love & attention
Thinks she is a lap dog
Super sweet & wonderful with kids & guinea pigs
Very energetic and talkative. Knows a lot of tricks and loves to show them off

What makes Penny Lane unique? She makes everyone laugh with her larger than life personality. She is super positive and can get everyone in a good mood.

Rescue Story: Penny fka Olivia was found tied to a tree very pregnant and heart worm positive. She was originally taken to a kill shelter and was down to her last day. A rescue group called Refuge Rescue first rescued her and she gave birth to a litter of puppies. She remained at Refuge and hadn’t been adopted in some time. She began treatment for heartworms and had been to several events to be adopted but never was. She was known to the facility as the mama to all the other dogs there.

We saw her at an event not long after our other dog passed away and had no intention of adopting a dog. We pet her and walked her around and even though she was sweet we weren’t sure. While putting her away we noticed her birthday and it all set forward new plans. Her birthday was the same day my wife’s father passed away. It was as if he was telling us to adopt her. So we did. We named her Penny Lane because Erin’s Dad was a huge Beatles fan. In December 2018 right before Christmas she came to visit the house and the kids had no idea. Everything went perfect so we finalized all the paperwork and she came home. We had to keep her from being active for about 2 months as she was in the final stages of her heartworm treatment. We went for the final test and she was Negative! Since then she has been trying to get out all that stored energy all of these years later! She has been the best addition to our family.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? We love taking her to public places. She changes peoples opinions frequently with her sweet addictive personality and ability to ignore other dogs that are yapping at her.

What is life like since you rescued Penny? It has been amazing! She is an absolute blast! She has brought a lot of joy to the family and has been a best friend to our other dog. It’s sad sometimes though seeing people scared of her when she is profiled for her breed, but that is always redeemed when I get to let a child pet her and other people see her calmly sit down and kiss the child and the child giggles.

Photographers Note: Met up with this adorable family on a beautiful day in downtown Woodstock. The place was hopping with everyone out and about enjoying the weather. Penny Lane was an absolute pro and all the hustle and bustle didn’t phase her one bit.

I love how this family helps to change perceptions about their dog and all dogs like her. They give her the opportunity to shine and show people what a sweet kind girl she is. If I have said it once, I’ve said it 1000x, it only takes one. One positive interaction with a pit bull type dog and peoples minds can be changed. Thank you Penny Lane for being the wonderful ambassador you are!

Arya - 3/21/21

Name/Age: Arya (after the Games of Thrones character), 5 y/o (best guess by shelter when she rescued me but we think she is younger than that )

Family Members: Roy & his mother (who joined the household shortly after she adopted me)

How long has Arya been in the family? 2.5 years

Profession: College Professor

Location: Lawrenceville, GA

Nicknames: HRM (Her Royal Majesty), Dyson (like the vacuum), Arrr (what her aunties call her)

5 words/phrases that best describe Arya?

Snuggly
Peaceful
People Loving
Happy
Loves Food

What makes Arya unique? She is gentle, particularly with older humans. She has bonded well since my mom became part of the household

Rescue Story: I wanted a pet but did not want to encourage puppy mill practices. I went with a coworker to the Gwinnett Animal shelter but she was not the dog I wanted. The dog I wanted had already been claimed about 20 minutes prior to my turn. I was feeling a bit discouraged and uncertain if I wanted to really go through with this. My coworker (now her auntie) asked me to wait in the front while she went and looked at the dogs and she found Arya. Her eyes and that look was everything. We went into a room and the rest is history – Arya adopted me!

Arya at the shelter using those eyes to win over her Auntie!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Until the pandemic, we loved going in to the dog park every week for a playdate with her “cousins”, Mylo and Keany. But on a regular basis, dinner time as a family is the best time. We do have a vacuum but rarely use it as this girl does her duty in making sure the kitchen has no crumbs anywhere! 

What is life like since you rescued Arya? Arya has been so kind and has taught me patience. She has also been my stress release after a hard day of work. There is nothing more moving than coming home and seeing her tail go a million miles an hour from being happy to see you! She also guards my mom (who is recovering from an injury) and follows her everywhere.

Social Media: Instagram: @aryatheboxerdog

Photographers Note: I met up with Roy & Arya at their favorite dog park which was completely empty. Which meant Arya had the whole place to herself and she didn’t waste any time. She started racing around looking for left balls, sticks, whatever to chase…..she was having a blast and most of my photos were a blur as she sped by me. I honestly don’t know how this pup is 5 years old, she is about as pupified as I have ever seen. Granted when asked to pose, she did calm right down & did as she was asked…such a sweet girl. Our photo shoot was only phase one, her cousins were coming for a play date and arrived just as we were finishing up. It was a good day for Arya!

Jackie & Hippo Holly - 3/20/21

Name/Ages - Jackie - 10 y/o (boxer/pit mix) & Hippo Holly -5 y/o (pitbull/american bully)

Family Members: Courtney & Dustin, Savannah - age 7, Hazel - age 4, August - 10 months

2 goats - Buck & Sweetie

How long have Jackie & Holly been in the family? Jackie - 10 yrs. & Holly - 2 yrs

Profession: Stay at home mom and baker

Location: Jefferson, GA.

Nicknames: Jack & Holly

5 words/phrases that best describe Jackie & Holly?

Jackie:

Loves people
Loves playtime
Loves earning snacks
Laid Back
Considerate & respectful

Holly:

CUDDLE BUG
Loves attention & affection
Lives for treats
Velcro Dog
Eager to please

What makes Jackie & Holly unique? Jackie and I just have a connection where we understand each other’s needs and wants. We are able to read each other very well

Holly has this deep desire to please her person and to be close to them at all times. All she wants is food and love!

Jackie earning snacks with the perfect Hi-Five!

More of a lazy Hi-Five from Hippo Holly!

Rescue Stories: I was in college and I went to a local shelter when I lived in Florida to adopt my first puppy. I didn’t have a specific breed in mind, I was just looking for some kind of connection. When I saw Jackie and her litter mates, she didn’t stand out to me because she was more of a reserved puppy. She was kind of quiet and not very interested in me. My mom was drawn to her and convinced me to give her a chance. As I held her, she was very calm and pretty unsure of what was going on...but I started to fall in love with her. She was beautiful. It took about 3 days for her to break out of her little shell and we have been buddies since! She went with me almost everywhere and has been with me through good times and bad. She was the one who kick started my love for the pit bull breed! She is just such a good dog and I took pride in owning a pit bull type dog. I looked for every excuse to be able to take her out in public so they could see how great she was.

I had been fostering dogs and adopting them out when I came across Holly’s (then named Polly’s) picture on Lifeline’s website. I immediately knew that I had to meet her and consider her as a new foster dog. The shelter workers told me that she was found alone in a field with a collar on but no tags. She also had a broken toenail and seemed pretty sad and stand-offish. I met her at the shelter with Jackie and my daughter; she just seemed to fit in comfortably. When we brought her home she seemed unsure and timid. My dog, Jackie, really helped her understand that she could trust her and our family. It was obvious that Holly had been bred on multiple occasions and didn’t know what it was like to live in a home. If I had to guess, she was probably used as a backyard breeder and she didn’t get to have much experience with socializing with other people and dogs. She still wanted so badly to be close to us and had some issues with separation anxiety. She became a total love bug and I quickly became attached to her. I realized that I didn’t want to let her go so I officially adopted her on Valentine’s day! She adds so much joy and love into our lives with her loving and affectionate personality. I have also loved seeing Jackie and Holly’s friendship grow.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? I have lots of great memories with Jackie. She has been in my life for a long time and has been my most “bomb proof” dog. I have loved seeing her socialize properly with all kinds of animals: rabbit, chicks, goats, other dogs, cats, guinea pigs, etc. She is the dog that has been with me through college, getting married, and having kids. She has been with us for each of my kids being born and I love to look at the pictures of her with my kids in their baby pictures. She is, and was, always there.

There is one specific memory with Holly that I absolutely love. I took her and Jackie to the dog park one day and I noticed 2 dogs playing rough. One of the dogs was obviously getting irritated and uncomfortable with the other dog’s behavior. I would watch as Holly would calmly insert herself between the 2 dogs to separate them. I watched as she would attempt to block the dog from the misbehaving dog on multiple occasions. She was always calm in her approach as if she had everything under control. I watched her in amazement realizing that she is protecting this dog that she doesn’t even know. She was attempting to be a peacemaker at the dog park and it made me love and appreciate her even more!

What is life like since you rescued Jackie & Holly? I can’t imagine life without Jackie and Holly. Without them, there would be an emptiness in the home for me. They help me teach my kids how to socialize with dogs properly and how we are supposed to care for animals. I feel that my friends have begun to see what great dogs pit bulls can be and they have come to adore my dogs.

I have noticed Holly’s love for people and other dogs grow. I have noticed Jackie happier and more active now that Holly is around. I feel like our family is whole and complete with the two of them here and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Photographers Note: I met up with Courtney & the pups in a lovely park in Jefferson, GA. It was a busy morning for the family, so Courtney opted to come solo. We had the park to ourselves so could move around easily for various shots. The trees were starting to flower which added some nice color. Jackie & Holly were great sports. Each waiting their turn patiently when they weren’t being photographed together; showing off their tricks and happily taking all the treats we would give them. I can absolutely see how these two would be great ambassadors, both so calm and happy. I love that these two have such a big family to love them and in turn they are teaching so many wonderful lessons to their kids. Keep up the great work Jackie & Hippo Holly.

Bridget & Chief - 3/14/21

Name/Age: Bridget - 5 y/o & Chief - 2.5 y/o

Family Members: Frank & Kids: Alek -16 y/o & Nikolas - 12 y/o

How long have Bridget & Chief been in the family? Bridget has been in the family for 5 years & Chief has been in the family for 10 months.

Profession: Manager

Location: Dunwoody, GA

Nicknames: N/A

5 words/phrases that best describe Bridget & Chief?

Bridget:

A Pleaser
Submissive
Super Excited for Visitors
Loves to “play fight” with brother Chief
A runner (I’ve gone 10 miles with her)

Chief:

Exuberant
Loves People
Loves Laps
Loves Food
Can’t stand to be alone

What makes Bridget & Chief unique? After 4 years of being an ‘only child,’ Bridget welcomed Chief into our home with grace and happiness, Other than handsomeness, Chief is the best dog I know at playing with other dogs .He intuits how the other dog wants to play and adjusts to their level (not without some cajoling and teasing, though; he tries to pull them out of their shell)

Rescue Stories: Bridget came from Angel Rescue, and we got her shortly after looking for a boxer mix. She was only 7 weeks old, so fortunately she did not have much of a life outside of a loving home. I had not had a pet since I was a child, and when we went to look at her and her litter mates, she was the most affectionate pup with my sons, and that sealed the deal for us.

My girlfriend was fostering him out of Lifeline Dekalb; she was VERY particular about who she’d allow to adopt, doing lots of screenings etc. I asked her if she thought I would pass the test… she considered (longer than I thought was absolutely necessary, to be honest) and then decided I (probably barely) passed her strict requirements (plus if I have him she still gets to see him almost daily).

Chief while he was still at the shelter.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Morning Runs!!

What is life like since you rescued Bridget & Chief? Since Chief is my second rescue, the biggest thing for him/us has been the adjustment for both dogs. Bridget realizing that she is no longer an only child, but also realizing that she now has someone to play with whenever she wants! Pandemic life has also allowed us to be together much more often, which I believe has been good for Chief as he got used to having a real house and family :)

Photographers Note: When I arrived to Chief & Bridget’s spacious backyard, both were very happy to have a visitor. Bridget’s greeting was a little more gentle and subdued, while Chief’s had all that puppy bowling ball kind of energy. During each of their individual sessions, Bridget was interested in saying Hello to the neighbors & rolling in the grass, but not so much chasing a ball; while Chief really showed off and played fetch for a while. Frank even mentioned this was the longest he had gone while still bringing it back to Frank. It was great to see their dynamic being that their personalities are so different. Bridget is the lady, sweet and gentle but clearly the boss; while Chief is the lovable goof ball who doesn’t always have full control of his body!

Originally Frank had just volunteered with Chief but he had mentioned their other dog had 25% pit bull terrier in her DNA. I asked him to fill out a questionnaire for Bridget as well. I felt this was really a great example of how incorrect visual identification can be. So many places still ban based on breed and will often list pit bull or pit bull mixes as a breed. (not a breed) Pretty sure Bridget’s adorable dainty features would not prevent Frank and his family from moving to a certain city or prevent him from purchasing a home within an HOA that bans breeds, etc. Visual identification used for the purpose of Breed Specific Legislation does not work , you need to assess every dog as an individual no matter what they look like. Thankfully it seems this fact is sinking in and a lot of cities/towns are reversing old legislation. Thank you Bridget for illustrating this point so well!

Oreo - 3/13/21

Name/Age: Oreo - 8 y/o

Family Members: Yahya, Vanessa & Tinker-bell (Rottweiler/pit mix, 13yrs old)

How long has Oreo been in the family? Since Oct 2014

Professions: Yahya - Realtor Vanessa- Veterinary Technician

Location: Conley, GA.

Nicknames: Or, Ori, Buddy, Bud

5 words/phrases that best describe Oreo?

Loving
Stoic
Fun
Cuddle Bug
Smart

What makes Oreo unique? Oreo can hear/sense an animal outside when no one else hears anything. I'll follow him to the window and it'll be a bunny or sometimes a cat, and I can never figure out how he knew it was there, very intuitive. He also looks up at the TV or my cellphone when he hears animal videos.

Rescue Story: In Aug 2014 we had 4 dogs and I lost my 1st pit bull, Puppy(my favorite), to prostate cancer. I was heartbroken but thought ok, 3 dogs is a little less work'; so we definitely weren't looking. In Oct 2014 a friend said her brother couldn't keep Oreo anymore and asked if my husband & I would go meet him. I thought having 4 dogs again might be too much, but we went and it was love at 1st site. We went home, talked about it and about a week later we brought Oreo home. He couldn't replace Puppy but he's done a darn good job filling those shoes.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? My husband & Oreo enjoy long walks around our neighborhood. Oreo can go for miles and still won't be ready to come inside. I enjoy cuddling and napping on the couch with Oreo on my days off. Oreo is the first dog I allowed on the couch, (5th dog, what rules right?). As soon as I would pull my couch blanket out he would come snuggle, so we bought him the same one for his bed. He loves to bury his face in the blankets.

What is life like since you rescued Oreo? Since rescuing Oreo life has been enjoyable, he brings so much joy and laughter into our home. He loves going to work with mom & on walks with dad. Oreo is one of the most affectionate dogs I've ever known. He is also one of the most handsome, we are always taking awesome pics of him.

Photographers Note: Oreo really is a handsome boy and he has that perfect pibble smile. He was so funny, when Vanessa or Yahya would throw his Kong, he would happily just race around the yard with it for a bit. Leaping and running, just having the best time out of just one throw. Eventually he would bring it back and the process would start all over again. The word I would use for him is joyous. I have one of those at home, he makes the smallest activity seem like the best thing ever. One of the many lessons we can learn from our dogs; find joy in the little things!

Melly - 3/6/21

Name/Age: Shelter named her Melonie, we call her Melly ~ 3 y/o

Family Members: Kenny, Liz, & Stinky (Melly’s floof-mix brother, approx. 8 years old)

How long has Melly been in the family? 1 year (1/31/20 gotcha day!)

Professions: Kenny is an account manager and Liz is a SPED Preschool teacher

Location: Winder, GA

Nicknames: Melly Belly, Smelly Melly, Melonie Belonie, Goobenheimer, Baby, Muscles, Sweet Girl

5 words/phrases that best describe Melly?

Goober
Affectionate/Loving
Excited
Friendly
Fast

What makes Melly unique? Melly has beautiful markings. She is muscular and fit, and an all-around gorgeous animal. Melly is intensely passionate about showing love to the people who love her.

Rescue Story: Kenny and I had been talking for a while about expanding our family. I came into our relationship with a rescue floof named Stinky, and Kenny had to put his beloved lab Bo down the year before we met. We started looking at shelters around the metro Atlanta area and sending each other pupper pics and bios. I’ve always had smaller dogs (15-20lbs) and Kenny was used to big dogs. I told him I wanted to keep our search criteria at around 35 pounds. I saw Melonie’s picture on the Lifeline website and sent it to Kenny. She was 62 pounds of pure muscle! We drove down Friday after work with Stinky for a meet and greet. When we got to Lifeline, we found out that Melonie had been at the DeKalb Shelter for over a year, and at Lifeline for a few months. They had no history of her before being at the Dekalb shelter. We spent some time in the yard with her, then slowly introduced her to Stinky. Lifeline has a 2 week foster to adopt program, so we took her home to see how she fit in with our family.

I rode home in the backseat with her, and she immediately snuggled into my lap. We got her home and took her out to the back yard where she ran and ran and ran. No accidents, well behaved, good listener. All around a good, sweet dog. For the life of us, we can’t figure how she was left in the shelter as long as she was, except that she was waiting for us. We decided the next morning that at the end of the 2 weeks, we would adopt her. Her listed birthday was her intake day, so we changed her birthday to her gotcha day. She is the perfect addition to our family. It took Stinky a while to warm up to her, but now they are thick as thieves….bacon thieves.

12 hours in her forever home and fitting right in!

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Walks in the neighborhood, and hikes at state parks, but Melly’s FAVORITE pastime is running. During the early days of the pandemic, we would take both dogs to the ballfields and let them run and chase balls. Melly will run until she runs out of gas.

What is life like since you rescued Melly? She loves to tear up her stuffies and destroy “indestructible” ropes. She loves to chew on bones and nylon toys. She’ll chase a ball until she can’t run anymore. Ever watch a 60 pound dog run zoomies through the house? She has taken over our guest room. It’s now known as “Melly’s Room” and she spends a lot of time laying on the bed with her toys and Stinky, and looking out the front window to perform her neighborhood watch duties. She has wormed her way into the heart of everyone who has met her. She can be a little much sometimes when new people and dogs come around, but we’ve learned that it is because she is just so excited to meet a new friend. Melly is a damn good dawg and we couldn’t imagine life without her in it. She keeps us laughing, she keeps us warm, she has brought so much love into a family that had a lot of love to begin with!

Photographers Note: Melly was a lot of fun to photograph. She is truly ball obsessed and just wanted to go and go and go. Trying to get her to sit still for their family photo was a challenge but I give Liz & Kenny a ton of credit. They turned on those bright smiles for the camera when they would see her look to me, perfectly timed! The one thing I want to comment on related to this wonderful family, is the relationship between Melly and Stinky. So many people think these strong big dogs are too rough or will hurt a small dog. These two are the most adorable pair & get a long great. Liz shared with me a story when Melly locked them out of the house during breakfast and the two of them ate their breakfast bacon. The mental image of how that transpired makes me laugh. Stinky is a little guy, so you know Melly had to knock some of that bacon to the floor for him. Such a good sister sharing with her older but tiny brother! Also Stinky made a wonderful photography assistant. I was sitting on the ground and he would come up next to me, put his two front legs on my leg, as if he was trying to look at the photos I had taken on the screen of my camera. He is definitely an honorary pit bull.

Manzur - 2/21/21

Name/Age: Manzur - approx. 7 y/o

Family Members: Human mom Angelena, human dad Josh, & a 5-lb malti-poo (Sophie) that is the alpha of the house

How long has Manzur been in the family? 4 years

Profession: Mom/Angelena – medical practice administrator. Dad/Josh – clinical field engineer

Location: Avondale Estates, GA

Nicknames: Manzie

5 words/phrases that best describe Manzur?

Loving Love Muffin
Loyal
Hungry
Sleepy
The Best

What makes Manzur unique? He is so naturally well behaved. He is a gentle giant. He is calm and non-reactive to everything. He just wants to please.

Rescue Story: Manzur rescued his human mom and dad on March 24, 2017. Not much is known about his early life. He was rescued by animal control as a stray dog and was living at LifeLine Animal Project in DeKalb County, Georgia for over a year. For reasons unknown, or simply due to overcrowding, Manzur received the dreaded “red dot” on his kennel, indicating that he was set for euthanasia. Manzur did not know it at the time, but a volunteer would be his guardian angel and would save him twice from euthanasia. This volunteer took him for a walk during his appointed time. She then went home and wrote a heart-wrenching post on the neighborhood app, NextDoor. Manzur’s future human dad, Josh, saw this post and immediately knew that Manzur belonged with him and Angelena. To give a bit of background, Angelena has always had small dogs, including currently having a 17 year old 5 pound malti-poo and absolutely no experience with big dogs. In fact, she had never met any of the infamous “pit bull” type dogs that one hears about all the time in the media. To say that Angelena was a bit apprehensive was an understatement. She agreed to a “meet and greet” at LifeLine on a Friday afternoon. She was informed that if she wasn’t there by Friday at 5:00 pm, it would be too late AND if it didn’t work out over the weekend, Manzur would have no more chances. We often wonder what Manzur’s history entailed and if he knew that we were his last chance, because he has been absolutely perfect since that day. It took Angelena all of 3 days to realize what a big-headed baby Manzur really is. Manzur currently travels all over the country with his parents for his dads job. He goes to work with his mom and is a “therapy dog” at her office. Manzur will not let Angelena leave a room without him and loves sleeping in Josh’s arms. Manzur was the name given to him by his guardian angel’s daughter when he was at LifeLine. At first, his parents didn’t know whether or not to keep the name. Further research into the origins of the “Manzur” indicated it was in fact the most perfect name for him. “Manzur” is the Arabic word for “approved” or “accepted.” Manzur is certainly more than approved and accepted into his family. He completed his human parents.

What is your favorite pastime as a family? Manzur loves to travel! He has several outfits, clothes, hats, etc.

What is life like since you rescued Manzur? Complete. I consider Manzur to be my animal soul-mate. I have never had a dog so sweet and loving. He rescued both of us.

Social Media: @ManzurLB on Facebook and Instagram

Photographers Note: I have to say this is our first volunteer that showed up with a tuxedo to change into for his day in the light! There really is nothing cuter then a pibble playing fetch in formal wear! Manzur has such an amazing story, starting with that volunteer that saved his life and then Josh seeing her post and making the decision to bring him home. Ending with Angelena giving him the chance he needed to win her over in just 3 short days. I think I have lost count how many of our volunteers stories involve them starting with apprehension/ fear/ nerves of meeting or adopting a pit bull type dog. Then all of those dogs show their individual personalities and win their families over. I just hope more and more people will see these stories and go out and meet a pit bull so we can continue to dismiss the myths that are still out there about these great dogs.

Boris & Natasha - 2/20/21

Name/Age: Boris – 7 y/o & Natasha - 3 y/o

Family Members: Jin - single Dog Dad!

How long have Boris & Natasha been in the family? Boris for 3.5 years & Natasha for 2.5 years

Profession: Data Scientist

Location: Atlanta, GA.

Nicknames: Boris – Bubba, Big Smush, Snuggle puppy

Natasha – Tashy, Pup Tart (shelter name)

5 words/phrases that best describe Boris & Natasha?

Boris:

Smushy
Affectionate
Snuggly
A little short
Really big head

Natasha:

Bouncy
Playful
Energetic
Kind of a tiny pony
Super Sweet

What makes Boris & Natasha unique? Boris doesn’t really ever bark, but makes all kinds of strange noises. Natasha likes to sit on things, like your feet, lap, and Boris’s head.

Rescue Stories: One day I saw a story about an Egyptian dog that was flown to PAWS Atlanta, and is now known as Haboob. I visited the website to learn more about the organization and while looking through adoptable dogs I saw Boris, and my immediate thought was “I have to go meet this dog”. They called him a ‘Mastiff Mix’, but he seemed like a big goof ball and stepped in his poo when I visited, I adopted him. His shelter name was Boris, and he looks like a Boris, so we kept it.

Boris adjusting to his new home forever home!

Natasha came a year later when I saw a call for fosters for Dekalb Animal Shelter during the summer. Boris can be really picky about his friends, so they were prepared to potentially go through a bunch of potential candidates. They brought out this lanky, brindle dog named Pup Tart. Boris seemed to at least not mind her, so I took her home. After a couple days it was pretty clear I wasn’t going to give her up. Then she doubled in weight and size, and started winning their wrestling matches, and now they love each other. She became Natasha because I’m a dork and like themed names.

Natasha, making her self at home in her forever home!

What is your forever pastime as a family? Sleeping in on a cold day with both of them snuggled into the bed.

What is life like since you rescued Boris & Natasha? A little hectic! They’re a lot of dog to deal with, and they’re enablers for each other so things get really crazy sometimes. I spoil them with just about everything, so I’m probably not helping. But I wouldn’t have it any other way, and I definitely get my steps in every day. Hopefully they’re having a good time, or at least have plenty of warm soft places to sleep. It was fun watching their personalities develop as they became more comfortable, and they’re really a dynamic, mischievous, duo.

Social Media Account: Instagram - @beauty_and_the_burrito

Photographers Note: I met up with this threesome on a beautiful day at a near by park. I have been following these two on Instagram for awhile now so I thought I knew what I was getting. Well Boris was a lot shorter in real life then I was expecting, not something a man wants to hear I am sure. Natasha was just as stunning as I knew she would be, with those amber eyes and gorgeous markings. While we had the dog park area to ourselves, Tasha was all about her ball while Boris was all about the treats and would check in with me often to see if more were coming. These two were a riot and you can see what a great relationship they have together. Equally happy with doing their own thing or playing with each other, with a little sibling rivalry mixed in. It’s what every great brother sister duo should have!