What a Year!

December 24, 2014

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When I first started volunteering with Priceless Pets, all I wanted to do was walk dogs. I did not want to make new friends. I actually wanted to get away from people in general. It was a weird time in my life and all I wanted to do was spend time with these dogs, maybe help find a couple of them a home. However, the more I got involved with the dogs, I found myself getting more involved with the rescue itself. I found myself joining the Pittie Crew. I remember the first meeting I went to, I didn’t know a single person. But I kept telling myself that I wasn’t there to make friends, this was all for the dogs. The more time I spent with the dogs, the more time I spent with the people volunteering and the more I started talking to the people coming in to adopt dogs. It was almost with every new dog I worked with, I met at least one new person. Over the course of the past 12 months I have met some pretty awesome people because of the dogs. I made new friends…I found a family within the rescue. Not to replace any of my old friends or my family but they, like the dogs, made my heart a little bigger. In a time when I was really starting to doubt people, these homeless dogs made me trust people again. Slowly but surely, I was starting to feel like myself again. And after 7 concussions, I can honestly say that I actually feel good for the first time in years. Maybe not physically all the time but mentally I’m in a great spot.

This past year, I’ve had 33 fosters (16 of them puppies) come through my house and I’ve had the most amazing team helping me through this. I’ve had mange, cancer, staph infection, E.coli and behavior cases come through here. I’ve had a few of these pups die in my arms and take their last breath on my watch but I’ve also seen dogs bounce back to full health on that same watch. I’ve rescued dogs from euthanasia and a life in the pound and I have Priceless Pets to thank for the opportunity. Through all of this, I’ve had the best support system with the Pittie Crew and the other volunteers at, Priceless Pets. I’ve been blessed with an amazing pack in Penny, Elvis and Wally who work just as hard as anyone else in rehabbing and rehoming these homeless dogs.

It’s taken me 38 years but I’ve finally found my passion. I know what I’m supposed to be doing and the best part is I’m doing it. After a rough few years, I’m realizing that having multiple concussions may be the best thing to happen to me. As the year winds down and we head into 2015, I’ve found myself in a position to take iPittytheBull to a place I never thought imaginable. I’ve found a way to continue rescuing dogs, finding ways to donate back and educate people all at the same time. When I started this blog, I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea the reach this was going to have and I’m still having a hard time trying to grasp what has happened this past year.

I don’t know that I will ever have the words to thank Priceless Pets enough for what they’ve done for me and I don’t know how I will ever show the people I’ve met there just how much they mean to me. Some of the friendships I’ve made have gone beyond the rescue and into life, itself. Penny Lane brought me to Priceless Pets and in turn, Priceless Pets, has given me an Elvis and a Wally. Everything seems to be falling into place but at the same time these past 12 months have also reminded me that nothing was really “out of place”. I just needed a reminder to start counting my blessings instead of tracking my losses.

Since I started animal rescue, I’ve cried more than I have in my whole life but I’ve smiled bigger than I ever have at the same time. My life has not been perfect and lord knows I’ve done my share of wrong but yet here I am…this is officially my last blog of 2014. I cannot wait to share what’s in store for iPittytheBull in 2015, but until then, I’m going to enjoy the rest of this year. I’m going to be thankful for my old friends and family who have been with me through thick and thin. But at the same time, I’m going to toast my new friends and the family I’ve found in Priceless Pets.

See you next year!