When 5-year-old pit bull Leia went to her forever home in 2016, she was afraid of everything: the clack of her nails on the hardwood floors, the sound the A/C makes when it kicks on. Leia was found in a dumpster as a puppy and had lived her whole life at Sunny Meadows Safe Haven for Pets, a no-kill shelter in Memphis.
But the da Ponte family, Alex and Karen, came to her rescue, and Leia finally found the comfort of a loving home. “She was and is perfect,” Alex says.
After fostering three dogs awaiting their forever families, the da Pontes were ready to adopt a dog of their own and corresponded with Sunny Meadows to find the perfect fit. They had a fenced backyard, three cats, and were not incredibly active. Most importantly, Karen was pregnant with their first child, Oz Lorenzo (shown above with Leia).
“People thought we were crazy to adopt a dog while expecting our first child,” says Alex. “Not only that, but a pit bull. Too many people have the wrong idea about the breed.” A former petsitter told them she would not watch a pit bull. Others would warn them to be careful with a pit bull around the baby.
“What they really mean, or should mean, is you have to be careful with any animal around your baby or older child,” Alex says. And the bigger the animal, the more careful you have to be. It is not animals that make mistakes, it’s people. If a child is bitten by an animal, it is because the adult did not put the animal in a situation it was ready for or suited for. Leia has been wonderful with our son.”
Recently, the da Pontes have also helped find homes for five other dogs in need, pulled from Memphis Animal Services. Four of them were pit bull mixes. “The rate of euthanasia for them is much higher than any other breed due to the misconceptions,” says Alex. “One in particular was already listed as ‘urgent,’ meaning his time was almost up.” Another was a 14-year-old beagle mix whose owner had been transferred to a nursing home and could not take her.
Helping home shelter dogs is something the da Pontes are passionate about. “We wanted to adopt because it absolutely breaks our hearts knowing how many animals need homes and how many are euthanized because of it,” Alex says. “When you adopt you also save a life.”
Save a Life
October is National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month! There are several local rescue shelters from which you can adopt. Please do your research and consider a new furry friend for your family.
“We have such an overpopulation issue in the Mid-South,” says Katie Pemberton, community engagement specialist for Memphis Animal Services (MAS). “There are thousands of pets in need.”
MAS brings in about 8,500 animals a year (an average of more than 23 animals each day). “With the community’s help, we’re saving more than ever,” Pemberton says. “On average, for the past year we have saved about 88 percent of the pets we’ve taken in.”
MAS has not euthanized a small dog, puppy, or cat for space in more than a year. The category they consistently struggle with is large adult dogs, and that’s where they need the most help from the public. “In order to achieve our ultimate goal of never euthanizing for space, we need the people of Memphis to put adoption first,” says Pemberton. “Please consider adopting from a shelter or rescue before purchasing a pet.”