My name is Stephanie Joannides-McPeak

My husband Richard and I lost 3 of our senior dogs within a few months of each other and our other 2 dogs are seniors with issues so we decided to a adopt a young adult. We found out about Pickles after Christa Carter tagged me in a photo of one of her puppies. 

 

The history on Pickles. We're assuming her age is somewhere between 3 and 5 years old. She's either a pit bull or pit mix. She was seized by animal control in Baltimore in December of 2015 for abuse and neglect. She was emaciated, wounded and nursing a litter of 7 puppies who were guessed to be 1 to 2 weeks old. Animal control took her to Barcs who immediately put out a plea to local rescue groups to pull her and the pups since they were worried the pups would end up sick and dying in a shelter situation. Grass Roots rescue pulled them, Christa tagged me in a photo of one of the pups because she looked identical to one of the dogs I had recently lost. Not wanting a puppy that would torment my 2 senior dogs I inquired about the mama. We arranged a meet and greet with Pickles and my boys, all went well so we agreed to foster with the intention of adopting once she weaned the pups. It was the first time in the rescue's history that a mama dog was spoken for before any of the puppies. 

 

A few days before we were scheduled to pick up Pickles and bring her home the rescue contacted me. One of the pups was failing to thrive. They were worried that she would die if removed from her mother since she would nurse but not eat any solid food or take formula. She was so weak she would exhaust herself before she took in enough milk to sustain herself. Since I'm a vet tech, the rescue asked me to foster the pup until she either was well enough to be adopted or until she passed away, since she was in bad enough condition that losing her was a good possibility. We agreed to take the puppy too. 

 

On the day we went to pick the dogs up we learned that the sick pup was the one that looked identical to the dog I had lost. The other 6 in the litter looked like Pickles. Fate was working in its own special way. 

 

We immediately had to begin milking Pickles like a cow, catching the milk in a jar, and syringing it into the puppy, now named Relish. After a few days we were able to mix formula into the milk, then ground venison, then canned dog food. Within 2 weeks Relish was eating well on her own, gaining weight and acting like a puppy should. After watching her carry her food bowl around the way my old dog did I knew without a doubt she was staying. It was like Heaven was reincarnated and had come back to me in the form of the demon child Relish. We officially adopted both dogs by mid-January. 

 

It became immediately evident that Pickles was obsessed with toys, so Christa and I decided to see if she would enjoy dock diving. Her first event was the 2016 NRA expo in Harrisburg. Talk about nerve racking! It was my first dock dive as well so that venue was a bit overwhelming. Pickles half jumped, half fell into the pool and she's loved it ever since. She recently earned her novice title with dock dogs worldwide. Her best jump to date is 8'10".

 

Relish had her first official jump at Tuckerton last fall. She jumped about 6'. She hasn't been back on the dock since but I'm hoping to get her back into it this summer. 

 

Both dogs are also getting started in Frisbee and agility.