"WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'D DO WITHOUT HER!"

What an AMAZING story! Thank you Shana! <3

Urgent Death Row Dogs recently shared our story and encouraged us to share it on this page, as well. You may recall the horrific dogfighting operation that was busted in Brooklyn last June 2013, from which nearly a dozen severely abused pitbulls were taken and brought to the NYCACC, only to be placed on the dreaded "To Be Destroyed" list without being given even the slightest chance to know what i...t felt like to be loved. As a reminder, please find the link to the news story here: http://brooklyn.news12.com/news/police-bust-alleged-dog-fighting-ring-in-brownsville-1.5517124

After only a month at the shelter, my Lilou (formerly "Love" in SAFE 85 folder) was repeatedly placed on the kill list in the latter weeks of July and early August 2013. As an avid supporter of Urgent Part 2 and its mission, I would see "Love" on the kill list every night and pray that someone would come for her, but they never did. I wanted to bring her home, but I already have an extremely high-maintenance shih-tzu who was rescued from an abusive home in the South and didn't think my boyfriend and I could handle another "needy" dog. But I couldn't get her out of my mind. I decided to follow my heart and went through Second Chance Rescue to bring "Love" to Rhode Island. Two days before she arrived at our house, my boyfriend proposed to me! We like to think that "Love," now Lilou, came into our lives at the most exciting time.

Fast forward to almost a year later. I'd be lying if I said it's been easy to integrate two extremely high-maintenance, needy and physically/emotionally scarred rescue dogs into our home. It's been one of the most challenging things we've ever done; but the love and joy they bring to us each and every day is worth every minute of frustration, lost patience and time & money spent. There is nothing on earth that would come between us and our dogs - not allergies, a new baby, a new home, financial troubles or the oft-cited "no time" - and believe me, Lilou and Oscar put us through absolute hell in the beginning, so we make this declaration with the scars and vet bills to prove it. In conclusion, I'm reaching out now with Lilou's "New Beginning" because we've come full circle, in a way, as she and Oscar recently stole the show during our engagement photo shoot.

Below, please find photos of Lilou (formerly "Love," adopted in August 2013), whom I thank God every day was spared from any further torture after three long years of being abused and forced to fight against her will. She joins her canine brother Oscar, me and her daddy, Dino, in the photos from our engagement shoot this month. She is the sweetest, most lovable girl in the world and is the perfect addition to our motley crew. We don't know what we'd do without her.

Thank you for allowing me to share Lilou's "New Beginning" with you.