Friday, April 15, 2016

The Great Pit Bull Search of 2016 (Update!)

Happy Friday Everyone!

Most of you guys are aware by now that my husband and have been looking for a sibling for our pit bull Gracie for a while now, trying and failing a number of times to find the right fit for our girl. It's been a disappointing and frustrating few months, with no shortage of tears and guilt at having to tell hardworking rescues that the dog we met with just wasn't a good match for our family.

We got so far as a trial adoption with one particular sweet boy back in February, but while the initial meet and greet seemed really promising and he and Gracie hit it off, once he was actually in our home his play style with her became increasingly rough, to the point where she was covered in welts and limping after just 2 days. While he was in no way aggressive, the situation continued to deteriorate despite our attempts at correcting the behavior, and I had to call the rescue to put an end to the trial. I felt like the worst sort of person because he was a wonderful dog overall, but Gracie is my first priority and I couldn't have her getting hurt just because I wanted a second dog in the home. The rescue took him back, albeit not without an impressive guilt trip that made me feel akin to someone who takes their dying dog to the shelter because they don't want to pay the medical bills, and he's since been adopted which makes me happy.

Fast forward two months and we're giving the search another go. I promised my husband I would give us a little break after the trial adoption and at least wait until after I got back from BEA next month to look again, but I failed that promise in spectacular fashion when I came across Mya. Once I saw her adorable face, I knew I had to at least write the rescue and get more information to see if she was of a temperament that would suit Gracie, and if it would even make sense for us to try a meet and greet. The rescue responded right away, but unfortunately the news was disappointing because we'd just missed her. She'd gone home with a family the day before I got in touch, and though I was thrilled she'd found a home of her own, I was surprisingly devastated because I had the same instant reaction to her that I did to Gracie when I saw her picture online the first time. I had hoped she might finally be the dog we'd been trying to find. *sobs*

A week later, however, the rescue called to say Mya was coming back because she needs to have another dog in the home, and while the family she was with was fantastic, they had no other pets and Mya just wasn't happy without a friend. MEANT TO BE YOU GUYS!!! To wrap up this exceedingly long story, we're off to meet Miss Mya today with Gracie in tow, and I'm so hoping they're as perfect a fit in reality as they seem to be on paper. *fingers crossed* I'll keep you guys posted!

Isn't she adorable? Look at that pittie smile!


UPDATE:

The meeting with Mya was fantastic! She's going to be joining our family next month when I get back from BEA. WOO HOO!

When we first arrived, the woman who's been fostering Mya for the better part of a year met us and told us to be prepared for her to be a bit wary of us, and that it would take her some time to warm up, especially to my husband. Mya had the great misfortune (as so many do) of being purchased by a dog fighter as a puppy, and when she wouldn't fight she was soundly beaten. As a result, she's very cautious around new people, and men in particular.

We walked in the yard with Gracie ready to let Mya run the meet and greet and come see us when she was ready, but to our great delight and the surprise of the foster mom, Mya bounded right over to me, gave me her paw to shake, and smothered me in kisses. It only took her a few minutes to do the same to Kevin, and for the next two hours she stayed largely by our sides.

Miss Gracie decided to turn into Dora the Explorer and was so fascinated by the foster mom's giant yard and all the new doggie smells that she couldn't concentrate on anything else. Mya was great with her though, and when Gracie showed little interest in playing in favor of smelling ALL THE THINGS, she backed right off and didn't push her the way the dogs we'd met with previously had. Gracie is an independent sort, but she's super playful too, and I know once Mya is here and Gracie isn't enamored of a new place, they'll be a great fit.

I'll be sure and do another post next month when we bring her home! A huge thank you to all of you for the encouraging comments, they meant the world:)


A pair of blue pitties!

32 comments:

  1. It's a realy complicated thing to find a dog but I hope that this time will be the right one, I'm curious about that!

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    1. It is complicated Melliane, especially since rescue dogs tend to come with a little extra baggage, so we've wanted to make sure it was the right fit for everyone!

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  2. please keeps up updated i would love to see if Gracie and Mya become fast friends

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    1. The meeting today went really well! They weren't insta-friends but they got along and I think when they spend more time together they'll be peas in a pod:)

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  3. JENNY! She's so adorable!

    I totally understand the difficulty of finding the right dog. My boyfriend and I had a meet and greet with a dog we were really excited about, but she's dog reactive (which isn't good living in the middle of an active city). Saying no to that was sooooo hard, though. But we did. (And ended up with the right dog anyway. Speaking of which, I should probably blog about her...)

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    1. ISN'T SHE?!!! And she was so, so sweet. The rescue had warned us that she would be very shy and hesitant at first because she was abused, and she likely wouldn't come near my husband initially because it was a man who beat her, but she took to us from the beginning which made me really happy. Gracie was so distracted by the enormous yard and all the new smells that she didn't pay much attention to Mya, but Mya wasn't pushy or in her face when Gracie didn't want to play so I took that as a really good sign. I know once they're both here Gracie will be much more playful.

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    2. Oh, and I want to see your pup!!! You definitely need to blog about her:)

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  4. Aww! She is so cute. I hope it works out. Let us know! *fingers crossed*

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    1. Thanks Christina! We're bringing her home in a few weeks:) She was just the cutest!

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  5. Oh my goodness, she's such a cutie! And she seems like she'd have a calm & loving temperament! I do hope she'll be the right fit for Gracie and you guys!! *does the pretzel*
    Keep us updated!!

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    1. She had the perfect temperament Pili! And she was a cuddlebug which I loved because Gracie isn't a huge fan of cuddling. She endures my hugs and kisses, but doesn't seek them out. Mya wanted all the loving though, so they'll be a nice complement for one another:)

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    2. I'M SO VERY HAPPY TO HEAR JENNY!! I cannot wait to hear all about Mya and Gracie's adventures once they're home together!

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  6. Oh Jenny! I got emotional just reading this post *sniff* YES I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS MEANT TO BE!! I hope everything works out for you guys this time around! GOOD LUCK ♥ I'm sending lots of positive vibes your way :D Keep us up to date please! xx

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    1. It's been a hard few months Micheline! I've been feeling so defeated because Gracie's rescue was just so seamless - we saw her, we loved her, she came to live with us, end of story. But we just haven't been able to find that same fit since we lost Griffin. Today was fantastic though, so I'm excited to bring Mya home in a few weeks!

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  7. So gorgeous, I hope this all works out wonderfully with Mya - fingers crossed :)

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    1. THANK YOU! Today went really well, so we're excited!!!

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  8. She is beautiful. You are making me want to get another dog now. I have my fingers crossed for you guys.

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    1. GET ALL THE DOGS HEIDI!!!! Gracie's been great on her own, and I know if we never found another dog she'd be fine, but I think she'll be happiest with a friend. And Mya took to her even if Gracie was more interested in exploring than playing, but I think they'll be a great pair.

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  9. Jenny, I can understand that you are trying to find a perfect fit for Gracie, and that she is your priority. So don’t feel guilty. I hope you would find a wonderful friend for Gracie in Mya. Good luck!

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    1. Thanks so much Ksenia! I've been drowning in guilt for months because all the dogs we've met have deserved great homes, but I want to find not just a great dog, but the right dog for us and for Gracie.

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  10. No one should ever make you feel bad. That was so wrong of them on so many levels. You are trying to do right by both dogs so total kudos to both of you. I do hope this one works out for you! I would love to get another dog for my boy (he is so much more active than my girl) but the way things are and the fact that my girl isn't so dog friendly... looks like my boy will need to just have a play date. Can the girls come over to play? My boy would be in girly heaven. :D

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    1. It was bad Melissa. They told me they would hire a dog behaviorist to work with us on his behavior toward Gracie, but if we weren't willing to "put in the effort" he wouldn't be going back to his foster home (because it turns out they didn't want him back) but to boarding. I nearly died on the spot from guilt. I know they want to move dogs into homes, but it wasn't fair to us or to him for him to stay here.

      And please move to Ohio so my girls can come play with your boy:)

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    2. I'm so sorry they did that to you. It would have killed me too. :(

      You could always move to CO! ;) Just sayin'... LOL My boy is totally on board with that.

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  11. She is beautiful and I'm so excited for you guys!! I really hope it goes wonderfully!! Keep us updated Jenny!!

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    1. Thank you so much Ali! I was really pleased with how today went, Mya was everything we'd hoped for:)

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  12. She is gorgeous! Good luck!
    It is so difficult to add in another dog when you already have one (or more)! No one should make you feel bad. Your duty is to your current dog, always and forever.
    I've been trying to add a third dog to my two for months now. I had a promising one in January, but she wound up attacking my male and needles to say, she didn't work out. I'm currently on a trial run with an adorable 6 month old schnauzer x cattle dog mix, and so far, so good. Fingers crossed for the both of us!

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  13. Hope it went well!!! She would be a lovely addition to your family.

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  14. ADORABLE! I'm so excited for you, Jenny! :)

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  15. Mya is GORGEOUS! I love, love, love her coloring. I hope she and Gracie become sisters.

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  16. Aww so happy to hear this story has a good ending! Mya seems like an absolute sweetheart and such a perfect addition to your family :) Will you rename her with a "G" name?

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  17. There is not another dog in the world as wonderful as a pittie. My Andy is the sweetest, cuddliest, friendliest girl in the world. She has been a huge blessing to our family. She came to us because I saw her running down the middle of the road when she was a baby, and almost get hit, so I stopped and grabbed her. I had no intention (at least, so my hubby thinks!) of keeping her. But 6 years later, she is a huge part of our family. So happy for you and your hubby, Gracie and especially Mya! Thank you for loving pits they way they deserve to be loved!

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