Ellie, Asbury, NJ

Hi, my name is Ellie. I have a patch of white down the front of my chest in a “Y” shape, so Mommy says that “Ellie’s chest says Y but Ellie says ‘Y not?’ Live in the possibilities!” So that’s what I do.

Mommy says I have changed her life — and how she views pitties and bully breeds forever — and that I should tell folks my story so here goes.

I don’t remember much of my puppy days. My brother and I were about two months old when we were found as unwanted strays in Georgia. We were taken to a veterinary hospital or rescue group (my memory’s foggy on this). Mommy has a photo of me being hugged by a nice man in scrubs. But I developed mange and lost most of my fur. 🙁

Eventually, they sent me up north to the nice people at Eleventh Hour Rescue in New Jersey, where my short-term mom June took good care of me for two months til I was about a year old and something called “a handful”. (I thought I was bigger than that!)

June took me to get my picture taken on Santa Claw’s lap; that was the picture they put on the computer to help my new parents find me. I was kind of pink-brown without my fur and looked scared in that picture. Mommy tells me that’s what made her love me. 🙂

One winter evening, two women came to June’s home. One was short, the other tall. The short one was clearly smitten with me, her eyes did that melty thing and she was smiling. She is the one I now call Mommy. (The tall one I call Daddy; they call each other “Sweetie” and “Honey” a lot, but I think their names are Bryna and Lynn.) They took me back to their home, made me a cozy kennel with fluffy, warm blankets and fed me. But for the first months, it was hard. I was soooo excited but frightened too.

I’d never been on a leash or in a harness, those balloons outside shops and flags terrified me at first when we walked in town. I was so happy to spend time with Mommy that I “counter-surfed” to get things of hers to keep her close. Prescription sunglasses, her phone with the good “ear smell”…she soon called me “Chewy” because that’s what I did when I was nervous. But she persisted. We went on looong walks. She taught me to walk next to her on a leash, to sit, “leave it,” lie down and — her favorite and mine, “high five” when our front paws tap each other. Mommy massages people and got trained to massage doggies too. I’m always first in line for my “massagey”!

Soon, my fur was all glossy black and I developed what Mommy calls my “track star” muscles. People stopped to ask what I was—was I a “pit bull”? Sometimes, I could hear the fear in their voices. Mommy explained that she thinks I’m part-Pharaoh hound, part pit bull, all love. (Now, two years later, people are not afraid when they ask about the pit bull part.)

I love just about all dogs (except pugs, nothing personal, not sure why), kitties and people. People can take toys and bones from me and I just let them. It’s nice to share!

Mommy and Daddy say I am “majestic”…and a clown. 🙂 When I need to get Mommy’s attention away from poking the computer, I show my “Ellie Belly” and woof. She always laughs, stops annoying the computer and rushes over to give me snuggles and kisses. We love to go for rides; I have a special harness so I’m buckled up like Mommy and Daddy and have my own seat.

Life is good. A year ago, we moved into our own home with a big fenced-in yard for playing. Daddy bought me a “kitty” pool because I love to sit in water on hot days. (Hmm, the kitties don’t use the pool. But I love it!) And last year, I got a sister, Jamie June. She’s also from Georgia. We got her from Eleventh Hour and June was her short-term mommy too. When we got her June said, “She’ll be good for Ellie and Ellie will be good for her.” Very true!

Jamie was obese and shy. I taught her how to play, how we take walks, kennel up at night. We wrestle, cuddle and she washes my feet if they’re wet from outside. Now Jamie looks like what Daddy calls “a real dog.” Mommy says I mentored Jamie, and that made Mommy love me even more. Mommy thinks when I am four (in about a year), I could be a therapy dog. I think so too. She already says I am her “ADD therapy dog” because she has to stay organized to take care of us.

Mommy always tucks us in our kennels at night, saying “I love you. More adventures tomorrow!” And there always are.

I hope you have more adventures too and “live in the possibilities”. Thank you for reading my story.

Love,
Ellie

Parents: Bryna & Lynn