Love is a Pittie

I can't pin point exactly when I first became enamored with pitties, but it was probably around the time I first entered that Pet Smart's joint EHR adoption center (see: How It All Began...). Once I saw all the pit bull and pit bull-mix doggies that day, and then started volunteering there and saw how those dogs were always left in their cages while others got adopted, I began to realize the injustice. I don't think I really had an opinion on pits before. I knew the media gave them a bad rap, but I didn't believe any of it. I, like most people with a brain, knew it was prejudice at work, and that as with any person, any dog's personality or temperament will depend upon the individual and not the breed (or race or religious background or whatever else it may be). 

Photo from thefirstchurchofpitbullscd.blogspot.com/

A friend of a friend saw that I began volunteering and let me know that her sister Michelle worked there. I got in touch with Michelle via Facebook, which opened up my eyes to the horrible world that pit bulls live in. That's when I began wanting to help them as much as I could, and especially to have my next rescue be a pitbull or pittie-mix (although I had thought that Madison was a lab-pit mix... but I later found out she was not... more on that later). 

I do not use Twitter or Tumblr and really just use Facebook to keep up to date with people (and now to share hundreds of posts about dogs, rescues, pit bulls, etc), but I am obsessed with Instagram. (Feel free to follow me @boots_and_rico). 

It was one day, who knows how long ago, that I happened to accidentally click on the "Explore" tab when trying to post a picture. Of course, the adorable doggy picture caught my eye, so naturally I clicked on it. The username, @loveisapittie, intrigued me so I looked at the rest of her pictures. I was hooked. 

It's a Trudy butt (former foster of and photo from @loveisapittie)

I quickly learned that @loveisapittie, aka Emily, had two dogs of her own and fostered doggies from a shelter she works with. Through my immense stalking, It seemed she fostered quite a bunch already, and when they would get adopted, she'd take in another needy pittie and welcome it into her heart and into her home. She. Was. Awesome. I instantly loved her. She has gauged ears (ow), and many, many tattoos (side note: I've always hated tattoos -- too permanent for me, it's scary!) -- very different from my rather preppy style. But much like the "look" of a pit bull, did that matter? Absolutely not. It was her obvious huge heart that caught my attention (okay, the adorable pitties helped too). Since stalking her page on a daily basis, we began to chat more and more, and eventually became friends on Facebook (I know, MORE pictures of her/her dogs to stalk! Could it get any better?!). 

Emily and Hades (photo from @loveisapittie)

Emily and her (now three) dogs, Hades, Braylon, and Mercy Pi, live in Arizona. Living in New Jersey myself, it's not very likely we'll meet anytime soon. That doesn't stop my huge girl-crush on her though, my obsession with her dogs, my love for her mom's online shop (DeeGee Marie Gifts, omg love), or my daily Instagram "liking"'s of her posts. If anything, it only spurs me to think "hmmm... I could totally use a road trip out to Arizona..." 

Hades, Braylon, and Mercy Pi - how adorable are these mugs?! (photo from @loveisapittie)

Through Emily, I have learned of more awesome people. I started following what is my favorite blog, Our Waldo Bungie (you HAVE to read about their foster Moby, who just got adopted and now lives with these awesome people). I started following more dog-crazy, dog-obsessive, pit bull advocate, and just plain amazing people who love their dogs (and who posts a million pictures of their dogs) as much as I do! 

If you are looking to learn more about pit bulls and the true sweet hearts that they are (seriously, they're the most loyal dogs ever), and wish to see some ador-a-bull pictures of them in the meantime, please follow the lovely Emily. I promise you'll love her as much as I do (No I don't! I love her too much! And not only because my incessant begging of Jordan to adopt her former foster Jada led to our adopting Jaxson!)

Can you tell why I wanted Jada so badly? (photo from @loveisapittie)

I have a soft spot for handsome Hades (photo from @loveisapittie)

I love this pretty girl, oh, and Mercy Pi too (photo from @loveisapittie)