Overcoming Fear and Finding Love

When I met my husband, Johnny, seven years ago, he had two cats that had been abandoned near his place. As the years passed, both cats - who were now over 18 years old, and much loved - reached the end of their lives. When they were gone, the house felt terribly empty. As Johnny put it, “the house doesn’t feel right without animals, does it?” We began to consider adopting a dog.

Unlike my husband, I had grown up with dogs; he hadn’t grown up with any pets. He was curious and excited by the prospect, but with one condition: AS LONG AS WE DO NOT ADOPT A PIT BULL. “Why not a pit bull?” I asked. “No WAY, never, never, never,” he replied.

One day, I encountered a gorgeous “pin-up” pit bull named Mary - who was then being fostered by Angel City Pit Bulls. And yes, “there was something about Mary.” Even though my husband had insisted on NO pit bulls, I insisted he meet her. What harm could a quick meeting do? Amazingly, he agreed.

As we arrived at his foster's backyard gate, Mary greeted us. We were with her for about thirty seconds before Johnny said, “Yes. That is our dog. When can we take her home?”

We were a little nervous at first, because we had not yet had a dog together. Angel City Pit Bulls led us through the steps to introduce Mary into our home, and were very patient with our phone calls and questions.

It has now been almost six months since we adopted Mary, we are constantly amazed and grateful to have her in our lives. SHE IS AWESOME! And we are incredibly appreciative of Angel City Pit Bulls' astute description of Mary - that she is a low energy dog, very people-oriented, extremely good-natured and well behaved. She is friendly with cats and most other dogs, and is so happy to be the center of our home.

She adores sunrise walks, but would really prefer to sleep in until after noon. She adores chewies, roasted beets (her favorite), peanut butter, shredded chicken and cheese. She sleeps deeply, snoring loudly, often dreaming intensely, even howling in her sleep. She is the biggest cuddler, snuggling herself between us at night. We discovered she is a big fan of “The Godfather” – when Vito Corleone was shot and escorted to the hospital with wailing sirens, she emitted her first bark. Clearly, she has excellent taste in films!

Mary’s new best friend is a tiny 4-pound dog that lives two houses over. Mary will lay down and allow the pup to jump all over her, even tolerating him nipping at her ears. When our friends brought their four-month-old son over, Mary calmly let him sit on her and pull on her ears and paws. She was gently affectionate and patient.

Johnny’s original severe apprehension of pit bulls has turned into full-fledged adoration. We would be hard-pressed to consider adopting any other breed. Johnny and I thrill at her incredible intelligence; her fascinating agility and speed; and her immense capacity for affection.

Mary has broadened our horizons in many ways - namely, by engaging us more in our own neighborhood. On our daily walks, we encounter our neighbors; pass the same people in the park, catalogue where the best “poop spots” are. Mary is always a gracious ambassador of her breed, and for dogs in general. Countless times, we have overheard people in the park whisper about the pit bull, the big “scary” dog. We often ask if they would like to pet her and give an introduction. She is so loving to friends and new acquaintances alike!

We will forever be grateful that Angel City Pit Bulls facilitated this new member of our family – a life without her is rather inconceivable.

Julia
Mary's Forever Mom