Tiger, Los Angeles, CA

Hi! I’m Tiger!

I’m a Shar Pei-Bully mix that ended up at a kill shelter in Los Angeles, CA. Nobody really knows my story prior to my life at the shelter but despite my background, the shelter kept me alive for a very long time — 6 months! I guess I wasn’t supposed to end my story there.

The shelter wanted to find a forever home for me so they took me to an adoption event at Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills. I didn’t know that this was the moment that would change the rest of my life.

There was this nice family at the event. They were looking to adopt a dog because the daughter’s therapist said she would benefit from having a canine “sibling.” The daughter, a special needs child, has worked with therapy dogs at her school with much success.

But they have a certain idea of the kind of dog they wanted. They wanted a Mastiff. They’ve done much soul-searching and investigating various dog breeds and started applying at several Mastiff Rescue organizations. 

I guess it wasn’t meant to be because they searched for 4-5 months — going on various rescue and adoption websites almost every day looking for that perfect dog’s profile to jump out at them — and met a few dogs; however none seemed to be the right fit.

Finally, at the adoption event, they spotted me — a dog’s whose profile they had passed up a few times. Since I’m a Shar Pei-Bully mix, I’m only half the size of a Mastiff and definitely the wrong breed they thought they wanted. But this family watched me and interacted with me for over an hour that day. They thought I seemed like a great dog. Unfortunately, because they still had their mind set on a Mastiff, they again passed me by.

So, that day I went back to the shelter while the family continued to search for just the “right” Mastiff. Over the next week, however, they couldn’t get me off our minds. There was just something about me that tugged at their hearts. Then the mother randomly received a forwarded email from a friend urging someone to “pull” this amazing dog from the shelter before his “time” was up. She couldn’t believe it! It was my picture she was looking at! She knew then it had to be fate for me to be part of the family.

She promptly called to make sure I was still available. A very nice person at the shelter said that I’d already been at the shelter for 6 months and was literally working for my life. I was so docile yet strong the shelter would put me into a room with the new arrivals to test their temperament. I didn’t even bark! I could, I just chose not to! If that doesn’t say much about me, I don’t know what else could!

They knew right then I was the right dog for them, but they had to wait an additional two weeks before they could adopt me. They probably called everyday to check on me because they were so worried my “time would be up” or someone would adopt me before they could. She couldn’t understand why I wasn’t adopted the second I arrived at the shelter. She didn’t know that I was waiting for them.

 So, 3 weeks to the day we first met, I was adopted! The family is now MY family!

It’s been a year and a half now and my family tells me they are so blessed to have me. When people hear my story they always say, “He’s so lucky” but really, my mom says my humans are the lucky ones!

My parents kept my name, because honestly, people see me and think I look like a tiger with my brindle stripes. I’m a wonderful “sibling” for my human sister. I’m now CGC certified and just finished training to be a therapy dog — we’re just waiting to take the test.

Our goal is to work with Autistic and Special Needs kids as well as Veterans. It will be my parents’ way of “giving back” since my human sister has been helped by so many therapy dogs. 

I may be half the size of the dog my parents were originally looking for, but I’m double the love!

My mom still can’t believe they passed me up multiple times because they had “other” ideas of their “perfect” pet. Thank goodness they came to their senses!!! It just proves that everyone should be open-minded when searching for a pet because your initial idea may just be wrong.

Thanks for reading my story!
Tiger – The Gentle Pei-Bull

Parent: Julie