Once upon a time, Effie the pit bull terrier was found wandering the streets of East St. Louis, pregnant. Gateway Pet Guardians took her in, and she gave birth to 10 puppies, all of whom were named after characters in The Hunger Games. Effie weaned her puppies, and they all went to forever families – while she waited at Gateway Pet Guardians for her forever home.
Jason Delaney and his daughters, 16 and 19 years old, had to put their dog down, and it had been about six months without a dog in their lives. Delaney knew it was time to get another pup.
“I had several friends who had gone through Gateway to do adoptions,” Delaney said. “I got online and found Effie and wanted to go meet her.”
Delaney took Effie outside to play and went for a walk. By t
he time they got back, about 15 minutes later, “it was a done deal.”
“I wanted to take her home right then, but I had to wait until that night,” Delaney says. “She snuggled up on the couch and knew this was where she was supposed to be.”
Delaney said that while all Effie’s puppies quickly went to forever families, Effie just wasn’t being adopted. He was told that Effie had a lot of anxiety and could be destructive, but he didn’t care. Delaney wanted to give Effie the best life he could.
“I’ve always had dogs. They’re not just dogs – they’re part of your family,” he says.
A week after Delaney adopted Effie, Gateway Pet Guardians called to see how everything was going.
“I told them my biggest concern was that while I have a king-size bed, I only get about six inches of it, and Effie gets the rest,” Delaney says with a laugh. “She also makes sure I’m safe from all the squirrels in the backyard.”
They’ve had Effie for about six months, and Delaney says she really “completes the family.”
“Everyone who meets her absolutely loves her,” he says. “She’s beautiful, smart, regal, a total princess and a great protector.”
Delaney was a little worried about Effie meeting his parents, since they were used to small terriers and didn’t have much experience with bigger dogs; however, Effie won them over right away with kisses.
“I’m so fortunate to have gotten her,” Delaney says. “There’s nothing better than coming home after a long day at work and hearing her tail thumping just inside the door.”
This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.
Robyn Elizabeth Dexter 