Volunteer Kellie gives us a peek into her world.

I just had to continue Lara’s Crazy Dog Lady blog as I find this topic terribly interesting and often wonder…how did I go from never having a pet of my own (well besides a Brazilian Rainbow Boa), to BAM! crazy dog lady?!?!

I just might be a crazy dog lady, but not by the number of dogs I have had at one time (a mere 4) rather by the amount of time I devote to dog related causes, training, and activities. I think this definition is also defined by the thoughts of my boyfriend, friends, and family as well. For example, when your mother states, “Have these dogs taken the place of any possibility of me getting grandchildren?” Or the boyfriend sternly retorts, “Can we have a conversation without dogs?” I guess this might be evidence that I am in fact a crazy dog person!

It really isn’t my fault! I never woke up one morning thinking…I am going to devote all of my free time to dogs. Actually B.D. (or before dogs) I tried to watch the movie “Best In Show,” but couldn’t stomach it. I simply couldn’t stand watching these crazy people prune, prod, and dote their entire lives on a silly animal. Back in 2005 the boyfriend and I thought about getting a dog. Neither one of us had ever had our own dog, but we both grew up with family dogs. These family dogs were not the ideals of obedience and came from the Humane Society or what I know now as a backyard breeder. As soon as the boyfriend’s mother heard about our interest she spent her free time perusing Petfinder.com. Suddenly she told us about this beautiful litter of puppies that a rescue had posted. We filled out an application, and set a time to see the pups. We happened to visit the litter only a day before their 8 week birthday when they would be allowed to go home to their new adoptive homes. At that time 3 of the 6 puppies were claimed, which was fine by me because I had my eye on a spunky little girl who seemed independent, yet fearless, and was relentlessly tormenting her mother by chewing on her back leg. We passed all of the tests the rescue dealt out to us and we took our little Marri home the next day.

Bring on the crazy dog lady. Having read about a pit bull’s tendency to become dog selective or dog aggressive I made sure to do everything in my power to get this little pup around other dogs…all of the time. Soon I connected with other dog owners from the rescue asking lots of questions and just hanging out to let Marri play with their dogs. The founder of the rescue was also just starting her own dog training, so Marri was quickly enrolled into puppy kindergarten. I soon found my work days filled with the anticipation of going home to play with the little pup and the weekends filled with doggy playdates and training. Suddenly the change was taking place. Marri was hyper and we lived in a townhouse without a yard, so we began fostering. Marri’s first foster sister was named Tilly. Tilly was a little girl who was so malnourished that she could not straighten her back legs. It looked as though she had lived the first few months of her life in a small little box not able to stand, stretch, or exercise. During the month that we had little Tilly I began to learn what it often means to be a pit bull- misunderstood, misjudged, neglected, abused, and thrown away. My enthusiasm for my new little dog turned into a social plight wanting to help change minds, educate, and advocate for pit bulls in general.

Now it is official- I am a crazy dog lady. Fast forward to today, I play on a softball team made up of fellow ARLP volunteers; I have made livelong friendships; I have fostered dogs; I wear rescue t-shirts and other clothing as part of my weekend attire; I fill my weekend with training, doggy playdates, and rescue education or fundraising events; I coordinate the rescue’s Dog Safety program; and I have plans to incorporate my schooling and career into one that involves both children and dogs. Oh and the boyfriend is rethinking his ability to maintain a relationship with a crazy dog lady! J

Crazy? Naw! I prefer Dedicated Dog Lover!

What about you? Are you a crazy dog person too? Let us know! Email Lara at lara@madelineandi.com how you became a crazy dog person and what your definition of a crazy dog person is!

Filed under: Observations & Reflection