Our newest shelter crush caught us by surprise, literally.  Her name is Rhonda, and this is her adorable mug:

Rhonda is literally like a cannon right off the bat….you unleash her and boom off she goes! She sprints around the play yard, and then, suddenly she remembers you are with her and that she is being rude.  SO, she makes a tight turn and comes sprinting back at you (full speed ahead), thankfully she slams on the brakes right before ramming into you. So far, she has avoided head on collisions. Then, Rhonda feels badly that she ignored you for a brief moment, so she immediately jumps up to kiss your face and apologize…which sometimes translates into a muzzle punch, because, let’s be honest, it really is pretty difficult to gauge how much strength to put behind any particular jump.

I am not going to lie, at first, the jumping concerned me (and then I felt like a total dill hole)…thankfully, Emily saw right past it and knew that Rhonda just needed a little lesson in manners.  We took her inside and immediately, we were in love. Rhonda really is a low-key lady.  Once she gets the initial meetings out of the way, she literally lays right down and just wants relax. When we had her out on Wednesday, she was pretty lazy. She’d get up, come over to us and request some head pets, or climb up on our laps (which is hard to resist, but we are trying to encourage her to keep all four on the floor!).

Rhonda has a bit of an under bite, which is honestly so endearing…look:

This lady came into the shelter with a buddy, Berton, and was kenneled with him.  Berton was adopted, so now she’s flyin’ solo! The shelter staff estimates her age to be pretty young, at just over a year old.

Let me just say that I spent a ton of time with Rhonda on both Saturday and Sunday. She participated in our style series blog photos on Saturday, and was honestly such a dream in the photo room. On Sunday, she sat with us in the volunteer room….for HOURS. Volunteers came and went, she greeted them all nicely and as friendly as ever.

Since Rhonda is still working on her manners, she would probably do best in a home where there are no kiddos, only because she is a big lady and might knock a little kid over.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Unrelated, but both of my dogs have horrible manners, one head butts every single person she meets as soon as the opportunity presents itself. And the other totally tackles you like the kid in this video….so suddenly Rhonda’s jumping is looking way more acceptable. haha.

If you are interested in adopting Rhonda, she is at MCAC West and her ID is A3947778. Also, she let us dress her up in a flower crown and looked magical.

Alright, alright, alright… this week we have a special PAL for you readers! Meet Charlotte Wigglebottom!!!

Now, I know you want to adopt her based on her name alone, but we will tell you more about her anyways just to seal the deal ;).

First off, Charlotte is a 3-year old Staffordshire Terrier mix. And she is a HAPPY Staffordshire Terrier mix at that! Miss Wigglebottom LOVES people. She is always happy, always wiggly, and always wants to snuggle. Oh, I almost forgot… Charlotte is a snorter when she is excited. CAN YOU SAY SWOON?! Seriously… a wiggly snorter? #GOALS

She LOVES to play fetch and she even brings it back to you so you could say she is a genius! She also loves to play with toys in the pool (The verdict is still out on whether or not she will play Mermaids with you in the pool but we will keep you posted!) so she obviously makes the perfect pool pal.

Charlotte loves to play with her kennel mate and gets along well with other dogs. A doggy intro is always recommended, of course as this girl can be pretty enthusiastic. She knows “Sit” as long as you have a treat (priorities people). Charlotte is spayed and up to date on her shots. Charlotte has a condition called ectropion that requires surgery. But, thanks to the Two Pups Fund, her surgery is covered. However, she needs to be in a home before the surgery can move forward. You can email hhalt13@cox.net for more questions regarding this condition.

If you are interested in Charlotte Wigglebottom (and who wouldn’t be?!) you can meet her at MCACC West (2500 S. 27th Avenue, Phoenix,  AZ 85009. Her ID is A3940492. Charlotte has a zest for life and her energy and joy are simply contagious :). We just heart her so much!!

This week’s style blog has been on my mind for almost two weeks now…well, actually longer. Basically since the moment I found out that our amazingly dedicated Project PAL blog photog, Monica, had scheduled Justin (who shall now be referred to as Jay from here on out) and his accessory/love of his life/soul pup, Braylon Dawn, for a Style Series Photo Shoot. This is Jay +Bray (new proposed celeb name = Jaylon, lemme know your thoughts on the suggested name):

The first time I met Jay, it was at a Hope Whispers walk at MCAC East. He and his fiance, Emily, were manning the bath station and, of course, the dog I was walking was def going to get a bath. We walked right up and literally the next thing I knew, the dog was in Jay’s lap and they were having a serious moment. Instantly, I felt envious. Here I had just walked and smothered this dog with love for like 30 minutes, and after one split second the dog had forgotten I existed, because, well, Jay (and well, story of my freaking life). At the time, I knew nothing about Jay other than he is tall, “my” dog totally abandoned me for him, and he seemed pretty brave (dude removed a tick like a PRO from the dog I was responsible for, I hadn’t even noticed the effing tick….so ya, I suck).

Fast forward to approximately one year later, and Jay (and Emily) have become two of my very favorite people. They even let me watch one of their dogs for a weekend (if you haven’t met Mercy…I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but not meeting Mercy ain’t one). Nowadays, I wait for Emily and Jay to announce when they will be at the shelter, and then I schedule my life around that….just so I can follow them around and pretend to be a contributing part of finding the most amazing shelter dogs EVER.

By day, Jay works as a Community Support Agent for a kick a** company that values him so much they let him work from home. Originally from Saint Cloud, Minnesota, Jay moved to Phoenix about 8 years ago. He and Emily have three dogs of their own, Braylon, Mercy, and Vita — all pit bull type dogs adopted from local shelters/rescues. A beer connoisseur, and an unofficial local restaurant critic, Jay always knows the best spots for happy hour, dinner, or a night out! Also, it seems the GMs at all of his favorite spots know him by name, so we feel like we totally get preferential treatment when he’s around.

Jay volunteers at MCAC and One Love Pit Bull Foundation, and spends much of his free time enriching the lives of dogs that are waiting at the Shelter for their future families to find them! Jay has the biggest heart of anyone I know, and this guy LOVES the mama dogs. No, it’s not the dangling boobies that he finds endearing, it’s that these ladies melt for him. Literally, we once witnessed a dog (Meg) jump a wall at Puppy Mansion to chase after him and keep him from leaving…(don’t worry Meg was fine, they moved her kennel, and she has since been adopted). Also, I lied, I didn’t witness it, but I heard about it from first-hand sources.

Anyways, now that I’ve gone on and on about Jay, here’s what he has to say about WHY he wears his Pup tees the way he does!

FROM JAY (Actually Emily):
Jay literally wears his Toms shoes everywhere. He will go to the warehouse sale and buy enough shoes for the entire year.  He considers them to be multi-purpose.  Whether we are walking around a farmers market with Mercy, out for drinks with our friends, or volunteering at the Shelter, Jay’s Toms are his go-to for footwear.

The shorts he is wearing are by Billabong, and are some of his favorites. Never underestimate a pair of shorts with the perfect fit. This hat is Jay’s second favorite hat (Mutt Life for the win….)JK he/Emily didn’t say any of this, we are totally putting words in his/her mouth right now. The Hat is by Fisticuffs and is clearly Jay’s life motto #GRAVEBEFORESHAVE.

Shorts, Mutt Life Shirt, Shoes, Hat

Wearing the message:
Below, Jay is wearing one of the shirts he always gets compliments on, his Original Bully Tee. When people ask him if his dogs are mean, he always tells them that he sleeps face-to-face with his dogs every single night :). Jay is always down for cuddles with our three mama dogs! He has his shirt paired with his Mutt Life hat, because (as stated above) it is probably his favorite hat, even though he/Emily never said that and we are just hoping it’s true again!

Shirt, Mutt Life Hat

And of course, Miss Braylon Dawn’s outfit details….
Braylon is wearing a fan-favorite by Tooth & Honey….the Hippo Sprinkles Collection (Harness and Collar).  There is literally nothing cuter than Tooth & Honey gear, so if you have a dog you love, you need to buy him/her something from Tooth & Honey immediately. Cutest design, and the most generous company.  A portion of every purchase is donated to One Love Pit Bull Foundation. Braylon spiced up her look with a collar flower from DeegeeMarieGifts — the perfect accessory for her accessories! So effing cute.

Hippo Harness, Hippo Collar, Dog Collar Flower Bow

From Us:
Braylon is an incredibly special dog, she is the apple of Jay’s eye, the original mama, and probably the reason that he gives so generously of his time and resources to help shelter dogs. This little mama had surgery last week to remove a tumor. The good news is that they got clear margins when removing it, and Braylon has returned to her normal self. We are grateful that Jay and Braylon made themselves available to participate in our Pup Tees Style Blog, and also…we hope that these photos that Monica Adalsteinsson took of them together will serve as a reminder to them that their community loves them BOTH and is rooting for them at every single turn! So, here’s to Jay & Bray (Jaylon) and many more years of loving companionship. ❤

So maybe when you read the title of this blog, you thought we were going to be writing about an adulterous woman, sporting an A on her dress…well, sorry to disappoint. This blog is all about a 40 lb shy little lady who makes our hearts burst with love, Scarlet ❤

Scarlet is a bit of a scaredy cat dog. But, given just a moment and a little reassurance, she opens right up! Scarlet is super gentle, and walks so well on a leash.  She went out on a day foster outing last weekend with One Love volunteer, Erin, and Erin’s kiddos….and well, just look at this picture:

Scarlett sat right in her assigned spot, just another casual member of the family…this picture just makes our hearts happy as can be. She fits in so well, right? (Unrelated, but….my parents totally had a minivan when I was growing up, and my two older brothers got to sit in the bucket seats, and I had to sit in the very back. I always felt deprived of the opportunity to sit in the bucket seats. So, they would tell me I was lucky to have the back so I could stretch out, sleep, or play.  Turns out, I never shut up, so they put me in the far back so they couldn’t hear me.) ANYWAYS, Scarlet is a great little car rider! Apparently she showed no interest in cats or critters at Petsmart, and was really excited to see other pups.

What we love most about Scarlet is that she wasn’t TRYING to get noticed by our friends at One Love….in fact, she was trying to go unnoticed. She’s like the SUPER hot girl that doesn’t know she’s pretty. The family that lands Scarlet is going to be so effing lucky!!!! Got to snag her before she knows she’s a 10!

Scarlet is at MCAC West and her ID is A3833005.  She is good with other dogs, good with kiddos, and sponsored by our friends at One Love — which means she comes with FREE post-adoption training, and a FREE microchip. ❤

This week’s Style Series features Dana. Dana is the definition of FIT and she kind of makes us regret all of the hot dogs we ate on the 4th of July LOL, but that isn’t the point here! Dana is a shelter dog advocate and is dedicated to so much. She has a kick butt family life, an awesome career, she travels, volunteers, works out and pretty much lives the dream!!!

One thing we love about Dana is that this girl ROCKS her Pup Tees. I mean, Dana could wear a paper sack and make it look good, but wait until you see her in her Pup Tee apparel.  ALSO, these photos are AMAZING.  Her husband, Michael, is a kick A** photog and we are swooning over all of these pictures.  We are so grateful to Dana for supporting not only Pup Tees, but many rescue organizations throughout the Valley <3.

FROM DANA:
Hi! I’m Dana, originally from New Mexico, living in Arizona since 2000. While I miss the roasted Hatch green chilies, Arizona is home. I am married (almost 7 years!) and a mom to an almost 14-year old boy, and 2 amazing pit bulls…I would have more if my husband would let me lol!  I currently work in the mortgage industry but am still trying to figure out a way to be able to “retire” and spend my time working with animals in need, and hitting the gym! If you can make that happen let me know! :).

I styled the Show Me The Shelter Puppies tank top with my work out gear, because, well, Pup Tees are a staple in my exercise attire! Here I am wearing lululemon speed shorts (if you haven’t tried them, you need to ASAP). They are great for running, lifting, hiking, etc. I am also wearing my favorite tennies– my Reebok CrossFit Nanos. One of my favorite accessories is my QALO silicone wedding rings, which were designed for flexibility and style, they are perfect to wear when you are sweating, volunteering, or just getting dirty in general. Of course, I have my hydroflask because, well, we live in Arizona and staying hydrated is essential. My apple watch is a staple in my every day life — this thing is a lifeline…preview messages, answer calls, track steps, workouts etc. And, wireless headphones =game changer, a necessity for any and all workouts!

Outfit 1 – “Show Me The Shelter Puppies” –
Shelter Puppies Tank, Shorts, Shoes, Rings, Water Bottle, Watch, Headphones

If you were to ask me 7 years ago if I could see myself working with dog rescues and falling head over heels in love with Pit Bulls, I would have laughed at you. But as they say, it starts with one and that is true for me as well. Just over 6 years ago our family wanted a dog. I wanted a pug and my husband wanted a Pit Bull. Our friend Natalia kept sending my husband pictures of Pit Bulls that were looking for their forever homes. One day, she sent some pictures of a mom that just had puppies, and that’s when my boy Jaxon came into our life.

When we adopted him, everything changed. I connected with the people at the rescue, and my heart broke seeing all of these innocent dogs just wanting a family. I knew I needed to help. I started volunteering my time helping at events, and then becoming part of Pittie Me Rescue. A few years ago, we saw that Jaxon was ready for a playmate. That’s when Chloe came in to our life. She is the sweetest girl that just loves affection.

I have learned so much from both Jaxon and Chloe… I could not imagine my life any other way. I currently volunteer at Pittie Me Rescue, Maricopa County Animal Care, and One Love Pit Bull Foundation.  If you can’t find me at one of these places, or events, I am either at the gym, or on my favorite spot on the couch, with Jaxon and Chloe catching up on my favorite shows.

I styled my second outfit to showcase how I wear my OG Pup Tee and the Mutt Life hat when we are out exploring Arizona.  In this case, Michael and I had just dropped our son off at camp.  The OG Pup Tee is perfect for road trips, and since it is light weight, it is great for all things active! My white shorts are simple, but paired with the OG Pup Tee they make the words on the shirt really pop!  My sunglasses are by Spy and sandals are by UGG! The goal of this look was for it to be simple and something you can toss together easily while out traveling.

Outfit 2 – “You Had Me At Puppies” –
OG Pup Tee, Shorts, Sandals, Sunglasses, Hat

❤ ❤ ❤
HEY DANA, thank you so much for all you do for our community.  You are wonderful!!!
❤
Also…. follow Dana’s husband’s photography page on instagram at @michaelklosephotography

This week’s mission is to get Apollo adopted!! Apollo is probably one of the most handsome pups we have ever seen! He is an American Pit Bull / Terrier Mix and is about 3 years old.

One of our friends has taken Apollo out for a few outings and could not say enough nice things about him. One thing he said in particular was that Apollo is easy (in a good way HA). He does not make your life difficult. He always jumps right into the car, walks great on a leash (has very little pulling!!), and is chill and mellow wherever they go.

Apollo sure sounds like a dream dog and we just love him so much. Another great thing about him is that he is very “go with the flow.” Need to run errands? Apollo is down for a trip to Home Depot. Wanting to cool off with some froyo? Apollo is MORE THAN HAPPY to accompany you on your froyo date… as long as you share a little, of course.

Apollo is a star. He knows basic commands, is easy and fun to be around, and is super handsome. He is part of the Shelter Dog Program with One Love Arizona so you know you and him will be taken care of! Apollo is at MCACC East (2630 W Rio Salado Pkwy, Mesa, AZ 85201) and his ID is A3916742. Let’s find this fella his forever home!!