In Memory of Mercedez aka Bubba
August 16, 2002 – October 26, 2015
Mommy and Daddy went to a local Animal League to look for another pup after losing Mercy to a bacterial pneumonia. They adopted Mercy 8 months before and did everything they could to treat the pneumonia but in the end, at the hands of obviously inept vets (she was over anesthetized while only there for a simple test to find the strain of bacteria, no anesthesia even necessary), Mercy died at the young age of 10 months old. When they returned to the same place that they adopted Mercy from they found Mercedez…….a straggly black lab looking puppy. Unfortunately Mercedez was breathing the same way that Mercy was in the end. Mommy and Daddy knew that they had to take her out of there and get her to their vet right away. It turned out that she had the same strain of pneumonia that Mercy died from. Fortunately our vet had the medication to treat it as he had ordered it for Mercy but never had the chance to give it to her. With a 50/50 chance of surviving and one of the best vets in the world, she beat it! Before the age of 3 Mercedez needed 3 hip replacement surgeries. This big black baby was put through so much in her life but was always smiling…..literally. Yes, she would smile on command. She taught so many so much about life and coping with what life throws at you. Bubba loved playing ball, swimming, car rides, the beach, lounging outside, chasing squirrels, treats and playing with her siblings. She was just a huge puppy for her whole life. She was vocal when she wanted something but she made the cutest sounds that you just had to give in. She used to love waiting out on front stoop for Mommy to come home from work. She would bother Daddy till he let her out to wait. She absolutely loved life! She will live on forever in our hearts and the hearts of everyone she ever met.
Click here for Mercedez Smiles!
Austin aka PuppyHead
December 25, 2002 – February 3, 2019
Austin is Mommy and Daddy’s souvenier from their 2003 Florida vacation. They drove down with Mercedez and Ashley (Mommy’s first dog) shortly after Ashley was diagnosed with cancer and given months to live. During their stay one of the people they were staying with came home with a puppy thinking they would want her. A guy was walking around with a box of puppies giving them away and she was the only red merle…..all the others were black and grey. After falling asleep on Daddy’s head that night he knew that he had to take her home with them. Austin is an Australian Shepherd/Pit Bull x. At 16 years old and having lost every dog that she grew up with she is staying strong and healthy. She does have some joint, hip and neurological problems but we are keeping her comfy with natural supplements. Earlier in her life she survived drinking anti freeze (she was at the vet on iv’s for days) and getting hit by a car, no damage other than a huge scrape where she got hit by the bumper. She has like 9 lives! She lives for treats but otherwise spends most of her day sleeping now. In her younger days she loved car rides, going to the beach, basically going everywhere with Daddy because she was always the first one at the door waiting. She loved wrestling around with Mercedez, (they were best friends), tearing apart toys, burying her bones in the yard and bringing them back in the house full of dirt, chasing squirrels. Austin was never much of a sociable dog, pretty much kept to herself, did not get along with any other female dogs other than the ones she grew up with, not much of a player except for with Mercedez. In the past few years she has been lots more social and loving with everyone. She definintely is a strong girl and as far as Mommy and Daddy are concerned, she is going to live forever! I hope so. She joined all of our other Angels at the Rainbow Bridge after no longer being able to use her back legs. We found out in the end that she had DM (Degenerative Myelopathy). She probably had it for the last 2 years of her life and there would have been nothing that could be done to help her. She never felt any pain with it and at 16 years old we can say that she lived the best life possible. We miss you so much PuppyHead!
Watch Austin bury a bone by clicking here!
In Memory of Kiah
November 1st 2004 – October 16, 2017
Kiah was the most silliest, smartest, playful, goofiest dog I have ever met. She was Mommy’s shadow, her baby, she followed her everywhere. Mommy found Kiah on Petfinder, listed as an Australian Shepherd. They were looking for another dog like Austin because she was so different but when they got Kiah home and watched her grow like a gazelle, they knew she was some other mix. Catahoula Leopard Dogs were not that popular back then but Mommy read up on them and realized that Kiah was almost 100% Catahoula! Unfortunately when Kiah came into the house she was kind of treated like an outsider by the other girls. Mercedez and Austin never really took to her like they did each other but she found her way into the pack and was fine with the way it was. Her and Austin had their little issues, both being working dogs kind of caused some friction but nothing that could not be kept under control. She just spent lots of time with Mommy! Kiah absolutely loved swimming! She was that dog that would take one last dip in the pool before bedtime and be wet all the time in the summer. She loved it so much that she found a way to hang out in the pool without tiring herself out……stand on her hind legs and walk around! She would stay in the pool all day if you didn’t make her get out. her one obsession…….little men! Little rubber squeaky toys with feet! Mommy would have to buy them by the case for her. If you threw 20 in the pool she would not stop “saving” them till every last one was out! She was smart…..learned everything that Mommy taught her within minutes! As much as I called her a show-off, she was one of the smarter dogs that I have ever met. Kiah was definitely a high energy dog and would chase the ball till she could not breath anymore. She so enjoyed life and loved barking, she was a loud mouth but we did not need a doorbell with her around. She heard every little noise and responded every time, always aware of everything. She was my choir practice buddy and would usually initiate it! Kiah was a 100% healthy dog up until her last couple of months. She was that dog that literally never had to go to the vet. Actually, she broke a nail once! While Mommy was dealing with Hailey’s cancer she noticed Kiah starting to look a little uncomfortable but nothing major, we were thinking arthritis at first. Mommy took her to the vet to find out what was going on only to find out that she had fluid in her lungs, more than likely cancer and a small mass on her spleen. Unfortunately, tests came back cancer. Mommy started treating her with most of the stuff that she had used for Hailey but unfortunately it was growing and spreading way too fast. Mid October she was having trouble peeing and would not come inside because she couldn’t get herself to go. Mommy rushed her to the vet only to find out that the mass on her spleen had grown 10 times larger. It was obvious at that point that she was no longer comfortable and surgery was never an option, not that Mommy and Daddy would put her threw that at almost 13 years old anyway. Kiah earned her wings on what would have been Hailey’s 10th Birthday. It was hard enough that Hailey was not here on her day but to lose Kiah that same day was so hard…….Hailey got the best Birthday present ever. Kiah, I miss you something terrible but I am happy that I had the chance to call you my sister!
Watch our swimming fool by clicking here!
In Loving Memory of Hailey, My Love
October 16, 2007 – August 23, 2017
Hailey, My Love, my best friend, my partner in crime, my better half, my whole world, Hoover! Mommy and Daddy found Hailey on Petfinder after thinking that they wanted to take a chance on a Pit Bull. They had heard so many bad things about them but never understood all the negativity about the breed. It is after all, how the dog is raised, right? They had a hard time adopting Hails as the rescue was leery about adopting a female pittie into a family with 3 other female dogs. Mommy, with a little patience, was able to persuade them into understanding that all the girls were great with puppies and would welcome her into the house with no issues! They took Austin along for the ride to Virginia to pick up their little pittie puppy! Austin took to Hailey right away during the ride home and as soon as they got home, Mercedez and Kiah were so happy to have a new little sister! After hearing all the bad stories about pitties, Mommy and Daddy made sure that she was going to prove the stereotype wrong! They honestly did not have to do much, Hailey was and always remained one of the sweetest dogs to walk this earth. She was so sweet that she literally could do no wrong. She would steal her sisters food right out of their dish, while they were still eating…….no other dog would ever get away with that, it would have been a fight. I can not say that she was the best puppy ever………she did eat moldings, shoes, walls, furniture and basically anything that she shouldn’t have. At 10 months old, she was in front of the house with Daddy and saw the neighbor dog across the street. She, unfortunately ran past Daddy to go say hello, before he could grab her and was hit by a drunk driver! The guy had just left he bar up the block and even with Daddy right behind her in the street, he just kept coming. Hailey was rushed to the emergency vet where it was found out that she had shattered her femur and had internal bleeding. They could not do surgery until the bleeding stopped which took a few days and when they went to do the surgery, Mommy and Daddy got a phone call that they will never forget……her bone was more shattered than they thought and the only 2 options were amputation or an external fixator, a steel rod that sits on the outside of the leg, screwed into the bone for 3 months! They had to give her a chance at the most normal life possible so they took the fixator option. Mommy set up cot in the downstairs apartment, no steps for a couple of months, and slept downstairs on an air mattress with her for 3 months. She made it through the recovery period with flying colors and was back to her normal self, less the house eating, in no time! She got 9 great years with that leg but unfortunately it came with a price, story to follow. Mommy saw Hailey’s potential right away and with her loving and sweet disposition figured she would take her to Therapy Dog Classes. Not only did she pass the class and every test given to her but Mommy was told that she was the first ever Pit Bull to join their class and they were so impressed with how perfect she was. Time for her final test and badge photo day……Passed the test, was getting her picture taken, the flash went off and the guy was wearing a funny looking hat and Hailey started barking at him. Unfortunately when Hailey started barking at something, it was not easy to get her to stop and for that they did not pass her. They told her to come back in a few weeks and try again but then Delta Society made a new rule stating that any dog on a Raw Diet would not be allowed to work under them. Mommy was fine with that…..Hailey did not need another test…..we already knew that she was perfect. In the years to follow, Hailey inspired Mommy to start working with rescue. With that, came me, Foster Titus. 2 months later, new family member, Titus. I fell head in heals in love with Hails, the only dog in the house to take to me from day one. From there Mommy started her own rescue and Hailey and I became the Mascots. Our facebook page grew like a weed and we began fundraising, inspiring others to adopt, spay and neuter, chip your pets, if you see something say something when it comes to animal cruelty and abuse, foster, rescue, volunteer. We share videos and pictures to show the loving nature of the pit bull breed and changed many peoples perception of the breed. I was lucky enough to be able to Marry my only true love and show her, for the next 4 years, how much she meant to me. Hailey and I were inseperable, she was my rock and I could never imagine life without her. She was a Daddy’s girl, our perimeter checker in the yard, a creature stalker, a lover, a cuddler, a kisser, a Hoover with food, an inspirer and just one of the sweetest dogs that we have ever had the pleasure of loving.
Due to the accident at 10 months old, breaking her femur bone and having some hardware still in there, Hailey was prone to bone cancer. She had started limping on that leg in October 2016 but x-rays showed nothing so we started her on a few supplements for arthritis and pain but come January she seemed to be getting worse. Daddy noticed a huge lump on the inside of her leg. She was taken to the vet for further tests where it was revealed that she did have Osteosarcoma, bone cancer. Only option at that point was to amputate and hope that it had not spread yet, or just let her live out the next couple of months comfortably. Of coarse, being the strong girl that we all knew she was, we knew that she would do well with just 3 legs! She came through the surgery just fine and walked right out of the vets office a few days later. Mommy did all she could to stop the progression of the cancer and did well for the following 8 months but in the end, Hailey just could not do it anymore. Her body could not fight that horrible disease and she was too weak to stand. She fought a good fight and remained #HaileyStrong throughout the whole ordeal. I was with her when she took her last breath and became an Angel. When I married her I promised that I would always be by her side and as hard as it was, I kept my promise. I just hope she knows just how much I really loved her. It has taken a year but I am starting to come around a little more. I still have to continue what we started and the fact that I see her in my dreams every night makes it easier to keep going. I love you Hailey and can not wait to kiss you again.
See just why I fell in love with Hailey by clicking here!
https://www.thepitbullpress.com/memory-haileytitus-girl-hailey-heaven-needing-hero-jo-dee-messina/
Lexus aka Nitwit
February 22, 2016
Daddy always wanted a blue and white Pit Bull……Mommy found one, kinda! Mommy was scrolling through facebook about 6 months after losing Mercedez and saw “Blossom’s” picture, she was looking for a home! She was about 8 weeks old, had been found on the streets of Philly with a prolapsed rectum and takin into rescue where she had surgery to fix her problem. Mommy filled out an application and posted on our Facebook page that she was going to adopt this little cutie. Unfortunately our application was not accepted because we were 40 miles out of their adoption range. Mommy was upset, let everyone know that we were not able to adopt her and was ready to move on but our Facebook Aunts and Uncles had other plans. Obviously many of them contacted the rescue and talked them into believing that she could have no better home. One thing led to another and we got a call from the rescue telling us to come pick up our new family member. Mommy was told by her foster that she was a little strange and odd but little did we know just how serious she was till we had to opportunity to live with this freak for a few days. OMD…….she is a lunatic! Even our vet said she was a “little off” but he could not pin point why. It did not matter, she was happy and healthy. She did have over a year with Hailey and thank dog because lots of Hailey’s sweetness rubbed off on her. She is one of the sweetest but weirdest dogs I have ever met. She barks at everything, every door that is opened she runs to like a crazy lady barking the whole time, then does not go out! She has an indentation where her brain bump should be, she runs with her legs straight out in front of her and hops like a bunny. She plays with every single new treat she gets, sometimes eats them. She sits on Daddy’s head on the couch, constantly licks Daddy’s head, steps and climbs all over everyone that sits down, counter surfs (like literally jumps up onto the counter) reacts to every little noise even from towns away and has managed to catch and kill 2 possums and a bunny since moving in. We have noticed that she has more Bull Terrier in her which we believe is the reason for her oddness but……..she helped us smile again after losing Mercedez and helped me through the loss of My Wife so as much as I complain about her, she can not go anywhere. That is a good thing because I am not sure how many people would be able to deal with her craziness! Love you Lex!
Click here to see Lexus in action!
Shelby aka Trouble
February 27, 2018
In April of 2018 our Aunt Rochelle, Mac the Pitbull’s mom, contacted Mommy with a picture of a puppy that she had just rescued. She knew that we were heartbroken over the recent losses of Hailey and Kiah and in some way knew that this would cheer us up. Mommy had mentioned to her to keep her eye out for a Hailey type pup, not looking to replace her because that would not be possible, but just because they loved her coloring. Aunt Rochelle saved “Flo” and her litter mates from a horrible situation and and sent Mommy the pic of her that very day. Unfortunately a week later she was diagnosed with Parvo, a horrible disease that claims the life of way too many puppies. Mommy did not get her hopes up as she knows the survival rate of pups with Parvo. Luckily, all the pups pulled through and beat it! As soon as Mommy found out she contacted Aunt Rochelle and made arrangements to adopt Shelby! We let our Facebook fans know that we had a surprise but needed to raise funds to make it happen. We never let anyone know what was going on and even with not knowing anything we were able to raise over $2700 for our surprise. Mommy paid (not using any funds raised) to have Aunt Rochelle and Shelby flown in from Missouri, picked them up at the airport and then shared the surprise on Facebook. Neither Mac’s nor our Aunts and Uncles put 2 and 2 together and were beyond excited when they found out what was going on. We were able to hand Aunt Rochelle and Mac’s Mission a $2700 check to help with the expense of saving these babies and put smiles on peoples faces with one of the cutest little puppies ever. I do believe that Hailey had everything to do with this little girl being rescued, Aunt Rochelle thinking of us right away and her surviving the Parvo. We were not expecting her to be anything like Hailey, just wanted to give another pup the best life ever but OMD……she is Hailey re-incarnated! She is the sweetest, kissiest, most loving pup. She is an absolute “Hooverette!” There is nothing that she will not eat, including sticks and bugs. Yes, she is trouble but in a harmless way. She digs up Mommy’s plants, steals her dog statues, tears apart every toy that lands in her mouth, tortures me by barking and making silly noises in my face…..then runs for the hills when I move an inch. She loves to torture Lexus too but I actually believe that Lexus loves it. They have become best friends and play non stop, just hoping that not too much of the Nitwit rubs off on her. She is still a puppy, you know, like a sponge! She also snorts a lot, kind of like a pig so Mommy calls her a Pig Bull…..she also snores! Not good for my “hansum” sleep. She is growing so fast. When she got here 4 months ago she was only 5 lbs. Mommy stayed close to her whenever she was outside afraid that a hawk would come down and get her because she was so small. She has to be at least 30 lbs by now and already taller than Lexus. Make sure you follow us on Facebook to watch her continue to grow into a beautiful young lady! I hear that she is going to be helping me in my Kissing Booths next year…….she does have a crazy kisser. November 1st, 2018 Shelby started throwing up in the yard. The next morning she was due to go to the City with Mommy and Daddy to be crowned Gothamist’s NYC Cutest Pet! Instead of taking her to the city Mommy rushed her to the emergency vet believing she may have a blockage. Unfortunately all tests came back positive for Leptospirosis, another deadly disease contracted by coming in contact with raccoon or wild animal urine. Not sure how she got this but we were going to get her through it. After being admitted for what should have been a week on antibiotics her liver and kidneys started shutting down. Apparently the disease had progressed further than we originally thought. She had to be rushed into Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners in Forest Hills for dialysis. Nothing was guaranteed but it was the best chance she had. Fortunately she is such a strong pup and has such a strong will to live that after 2 rounds of dialysis and 2 weeks in the hospital, our little miracle puppy came home. We have to thank all of our supporters for the love, prayers and donations that got as you all made a horrible situation lots easier to deal with. A week after being home she started developing a horrible, infected rash on the inside of all of her legs and belly. We took her to a dermatologist specialist to find that she had Calcinosis, a calcium buildup on the skin that is not only very itchy but painful. Mommy brought her home, did some research and started treating her with all natural supplements to help her with the itch and to help the rash clear. We were told that it could take up to a year for the rash to clear up but only after a month, her skin is 80% back to normal. Hopefully she can just live life as a normal pup from now on forward as she has been through way too much in the short time that she has been here. Shelby is most definitely Pit Bull Strong! She did eventually get to the city to be crowned and was also able to give Mac the Pitbull a $250 Amazon gift card!
Click here to see a lil bit of trouble!
Tesla
April 16, 2020
In June 2020 Mommy was tagged in a photo of dis adogabull lil pup on facebook. She showed the picture to Daddy and to her suprise, he said let’s get her. Mommy filled out the application with Heavenly Angels Animal Rescue and was approved! The day before Mommy and Daddy picked her up she went to the vet to get her vaccinations and unfortunately that caused her immune system to weaken and she came down with Demodex Mange. it is not contagious but still…..ewe….cooties! It is now October and we are still dealing with it. She is not letting it affect her happiness though and probably does not even know she has anything as she is not itchy or uncomfortable. She gets medicated baths every other night and she is taking Credelio, as much as Mommy does not like the meds but nothing else seems to be working. She really is one of the sweetest lil girls and proving to be very smart. She is growing like a weed, eating like a horse and driving my sisters crazy but I do have to say….I took to her lots quicker than any other pup that has been brought into this house. Mommy truly believes that Kiah has come back to her, this pup is ball obsessed, follows Mommy everywhere and is a barkaholic! We will update as she gets older and we learn more about her. BTW…..she does not kiss Mommy or Daddy, only strangers and all other dogs! Shelby has taken her on as her own lil puppy although at this point she is no longer puppy sized. They took to each other from day one and have been inseperable ever since.
Titus (me) aka Lil Man
December 16, 2010
What I love: Hailey, Red Velvet anythings, getting dressed, treats, country music, doing zoomies, sandbox digging, the beach, the boat, the car, cuddling with anyone, kissing, my dinners, Mommy and Daddy’s food.
What I do not love: CATS, crazy, hissin, karate, ninja cats. They scare the bejesus out of me.
Wow…..where do I start…maybe the beginning! I was found at 8 weeks old wandering the streets of the Bronx with mange and a broken leg. I was picked up by animal control and brought to the local shelter. There I sat in a cage, in pain, waiting for someone to come save me. I was an hour away from being killed when someone took me out of my cage and handed me over to a rescue. I was immediately brought to an emergency vet where they fixed my leg and started treating my mange. The rescue started posting me on facebook and that is where Mommy first saw my sad lil face. She offered to foster me and help me recover from my surgery while I waited for my forever home. April 9, 2011: I arrived at my foster house and was greeted by 4 other dogs, all girls! The only one that took to me right away was Hailey but the others slowly warmed up to me over the next few days. Mommy started training me and teaching me how to be a perfect dog so I would be all ready for my new home. Over the next 2 months not one application came in for me. Mommy’s hairstylist offered to adopt me and when that day finally came for her to come and get me, everything fell through…..her husband had brought home another puppy. At that point I was pretty much settled in here and already head over heals in love with Hailey. Mommy and Daddy not only did a pawsome job at raising me but I wound up being the best trained dog that they had. It was at that point that they realized that I was already home. May 29th, 2011: They filled out my adoption application and I was officially HOME, in puppy paradise. Mommy decided, since I already proved to be the best kisser, to set up a kissing booth for me to help raise money for rescue. We set up at a dog walk and could not believe how much money we were able to raise from my kisses. Not only that but Mommy was so impressed with how I stayed in that booth, with the exception of pee breaks, for 8 hours! I was loving it! I love meeting new people and sharing my kisses with them. From that point on we have been setting up at as many events as we can and raising money for all different rescues, including ours and proving to the world that Pit Bulls are lovers. Mommy just wanted to share my huge personality with as many people as she could so she started a Facebook page for me and Hailey. From there we began to, raise money for rescue, spread the word about rescuing, fostering, adopting, spaying and neutering and how sweet Pit Bulls really are. I Proposed to My Girl on Feb. 14th, 2012 and she said yes! For the next year and a half we spent lots of time on preparing for the big day. We picked July 14th, 2013 to Wed. What a day it was……we held the ceremony in our backyard with over 100 guests attending. Watching Hailey walk down the aisle towards me took my breath away. She was the most beautiful bride I had ever seen. If I could, I would repeat that day, every day, for the rest of my life…..I had never been happier to finally be able to call Hailey My Wife! Over the next 4 years we continued our mission and shared our lives with all of our Facebook family. I started doing daily local weather reports and sharing all of the holidays and observances for each day. Through that I have become a balancing pro, balancing something on my head each morning. I love getting dressed……when I see Mommy taking my clothes out of the closet, I get so excited…..I never said I was normal. We have been through some very trying and difficult times, losing our siblings and My Grandpa, Mommy losing her job after 25 years and so much more but it has all helped us stay strong and carry on. Since losing My Wife I have been very sad and not the same, happy boy that I once was and I am starting to come around a little more lately, but when you lose the one thing that you loved more than yourself, it is gut wrenching and so heartbreaking. I feel I am a stronger pup because of everything I have been through and will proudly continue our mission knowing that I have My Angel Hails watching over me. This year I was nominated for Bethpage’s Best of Long Island in the Mascot Category, you can find the link at the top of our “About Us” page. (We are in the Arts & Entertainment section under Mascot) Please be sure to follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TitusandHisGirlHailey/. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/titusandhailey/.
Check out these articles about me:
https://www.facebook.com/TitusandHisGirlHailey/videos/1289492711118334/
Check me out on News 12 Long Island with my Aunts Nancy and Dana