Meet Bugg, the Peanut Butter Puppy!

By Isabel Merriman

Bugg is a ten-month-old shepherd/retriever mix. He was delivered by Friendship APL in Elyria to Scott Smith, Kate Riley, and their dogs Bam Bam a shepherd/retriever mix rescue, and Lady, a border collie mix. 

During the pandemic, the couple decided they wanted to rescue another dog. "We had submitted an application to Friendship APL and joined the puppy deliver adoption page," says Kate. The couple did not have a specific breed in mind when searching for a new addition to their family. However, when they came across Bugg's litter on Facebook, they were on board since they already had a great experience with the breed. Scott was the one who picked out Bugg from his litter. "Scott was supposedly taking a nap and then yelled downstairs that he got us a black puppy named Tucker (now Bugg), and he was very excited," says Kate. Since the couple adopted through a delivery page, Bugg was delivered to their home. 

Bugg is energetic and loving. He loves playing. Bugg rarely stops playing except for the occasional power nap. Bugg is not one to play fetch. Instead, he prefers to chase Lady "while she plays fetch and jumps over her when she's running back with the ball," says Kate. Bugg loves to pounce and snuggle on the couch. Additionally, he has started to enjoy laying and rolling around in the leaves outside. Bugg has helped Bam Bam, their three-year-old shepherd/retriever mix, break out of his shell. 

Greg contacted Kate after she posted a picture of Bugg on Facebook. Kate was shocked when Greg reached out to her about the book. "Greg asked me to fill out a survey. When I got home, I immediately called my husband and told him I made a huge mistake." She was worried about how Bugg would behave during the shoot. "When we showed up, I was convinced we were going to waste Greg's time, and Bugg wasn't going to be cooperative." She soon realized that was not the case! It took a little bit for Bugg to warm up to Greg. However, he loved peanut butter. Kate says, "Greg was super nice and calm and didn't rush trying to get Bugg to warm up to the whole situation. He calmed me down by saying Bugg was doing great, and by the end of the shoot, Bugg was sitting between Greg's feet and didn't want to leave!" Although Kate had her concerns before the shoot, Bugg was one of four dogs who made the book's cover!

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Meet Echo, the Peanut Butter Puppy!

By Isabel Merriman

Echo is an eight-month-old Boxer mix. He was adopted from Pinealope Animal Rescue in Ravenna, Ohio, by the Navratil family—Megan, Ron, and their two daughters Ella (14) and Leah (11). The Navratil family decided to adopt during the pandemic, which has become popular. The increase in puppy adoptions has made it difficult for families to find the right pup. "I had been searching since early April...Petfinder, breeders, you name it. Application after application, near and far...and no luck," says Megan. The family knew they wanted to get a Boxer mix, and after three months of searching, they came across Echo's litter on the Pinealope Petfinder Facebook page. They fell in love with the white markings on his body.  

Echo was the perfect fit for the family. He has a playful personality, and his favorite trick is to give high-fives. Echo loves car rides and will often hang his head out the window and enjoy the wind in his face. He enjoys walks in the Cleveland Metroparks and loves to greet other dogs during his walks. 

Echo was asked to be in Peanut Butter Puppies following a Model Call posted by Greg. Megan received an application for the shoot, and Echo was accepted. Before the photoshoot, Echo only had peanut butter once. Since then, it has become one of his favorite treats. During the shoot, "Echo was a bit afraid of the camera and flash, but Greg was so calm and patient...and as a result, captured such adorable images of Echo!" says Megan. She was happy that Greg could capture Echo's expressive ears. "Our favorite is the one (ear) up, one out to the side look, which Greg captured perfectly in a photo!"

Echo has brought much happiness to the Navratil family since he was adopted at the beginning of July 2020. He has also been a lot easier than the family anticipated, and they would not change a thing!

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Meet Rufus the Peanut Butter Puppy!

By Isabel Merriman

Rufus is a rescue from Portage County APL when Rufus was adopted into his forever home with the Crandall family. The Crandall family has two daughters, Maia, age eight, and Paige, age five, and two older dogs than Rufus. He is known for being hyper. He is very active and described as a "bull in a China shop." Maia and Paige said, "Something funny is he got his big head stuck in a baby gate." At times "Rufus thinks he is a human and will lay in beds, head on a pillow and cover himself up with a sheet," says Michelle Crandall.

One of the family's central values is rescuing animals and impacting Maia and Paige despite their age. "My oldest daughter took part in her first puppy mill protest earlier this year," says Michelle. When Maia and Paige were asked why rescuing is important, they said, "Because it's the right thing and nice thing to do. It's better for our world." Rufus is not the Crandall's first rescue, "Every pet we have ever owned has been a rescue. Currently two older dogs and Rufus. We recently lost two rescued cats (ages 20 and 17), and we have lost two other rescued dogs due to age and illness" said Michelle.

Rufus is believed to be part pit bull, which is one of the reasons the family decided to adopt him. The family knows the breed is misunderstood due to a negative association developed by society. The Maia and Paige said, "His big nugget head is why we picked him, and he was cute." The family was picked to have Rufus in the book through Facebook. Maia and Paige came along to the photoshoot and were included in some photos. Michelle says, "Greg's love for animals was so evident during the shoot." The family believes Rufus was a perfect addition to their family.

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