Prelude..

I, Buddy's Mom, have LOVED animals since I can remember.  Always opting for stuffed toy's instead of the dolls my friends all enjoyed.  My parents fostered this love and allowed me a dog of my own, first Nugget, a shelter pup who taught me how to run so he wouldn't bite my heels and who could LITERALLY bend it like Beckham!  Then my biggest heart break as a child, my first puppy who died shortly after of Parvo, Shelby.  To this day it brings tears to my eyes.  My last dog, and who shaped me into the pack leader I am today was Jasmine.  Part Australian Shepherd, part Coyote, Jasmine stole my heart the moment I met her.  We were inseperable, after taking her to shows ranging from novice to advanced, in both Showmanship and Obedience I finally said, "I'll see you soon" to Jasmine at just shy of 19 years old(her not me). 

After, being married, graduating college, buying a home and getting our first 2 pup's.  My husband and I made the decision to begin fostering for a WONDERFUL rescue called, Barks of Love.  Our first fosters, were 2 adorable little border collie mixes.  Next came little Mattie, a Schnauzer, who my parents ended up adopting(YAY!)  Then my first "view" changer.  I got the option to foster a "Pit Bull" named Dodger.  Up
and until this point I had only heard terrible things about Pit's in the media and I believed the media.  It was at the urging of my husband who thought Dodger was Gorgeous that I said, "yes" we will foster a Pit Bull.  Dodger scared me a bit, I had 2 bouncy lab's and there was this calm, sweet mannered dog that I was sure would bite my face off or there's.  It took only about 3-4 hours for my whole mindset to change.  I laid down on my sofa at the end of the day and immediately he jumped up and curled up.  When my husband went to bed with my 2 girls, this pit bull didn't leave my side.  Point #1 for Dodger!  I went up to bed and he calmly followed me, laid on the floor even though he wanted in the bed, and in the middle of the night when we were sleeping he snuck into our big bed..squeezed inbetween us and fell asleep.  I rolled over in the morning only to see a snoring pit bull beside me and he opened his eyes, wagged his tail and snuggled in.  Over the next few days(Dodger was adopted in a week) I realized what many already knew, it is not the breed it's what the person who trains them tells them to do.

At the end of June, beginning of July 2012 I was fosterless when I got an e-mail from my friend Erin, also our foster co-ordinator that she had an underage pup from Pasadena Humane Society if I wanted to foster him.  I looked at this pup and immediatley thought there is no way he's the 7 weeks they say, he looks so tiny!  I said, YES, of course and we arranged pulling him etc.  I had the days before 4th of July off to work in my backyard.  So in a complete sweaty mess, I get a call from Phil our Ops manager at Barks of Love that he's on his way with little, NoHawk. 

And so the Story truly begins..