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 Fiona Wigglesworth the Peanut Butter Puppy!

By Isabel Merriman

Fiona Wigglesworth is a one-year-old Boston Terrier from the Rescue Inn in North Olmsted, Ohio. She was adopted by Crissy and Neal Stelmaschuk and their two kids, Tyler and Brady. Along with their two other rescues Yogi a six-year-old lab mix from One at a Time K9 Rescue, and Karma, a four-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback mix from Friendship APL.

Crissy and Neal were not actively looking for a third dog, but they always had the mentality, "Three dogs is too many…Unless the third is a Boston," said Crissy. Crissy and Neal love Boston Terriers, and their first rescue was a Boston Terrier, "we've missed her tremendously since she passed. We always wanted another, but they are extremely hard to come by as a rescue. Then a friend messaged me one day to me show me a foster dog she just picked up, and it was Fiona! It was love at first sight, and we knew immediately that we wanted to make her a part of our family," said Crissy. Fiona was the Stelmaschuk's fourth rescue. "There are many, so many wonderful dogs out there sitting in shelters or bouncing around different foster homes; it doesn't make sense to buy from a breeder. While I know there are lots of reputable breeds out there, there are just as many, if not more, that treat their dogs horribly, and I just can't support that," says Crissy.

Fiona had some health issues that almost took her life. "She came from a puppy mill, and they were going to kill her because they thought she was sick and would infect all the other dogs. The rescue convinced them to surrender Fiona to them, and it turned out she just had Demodex! A couple of months of flea prevention medication, and she was perfect," said Crissy. Fiona is known to be a diva and loves to be the center of attention, and if she is not the center of attention, she will make it known. "When we go for walks in the neighborhood, she will stop and stare at people, waiting for them to come and pet her. She is highly offended when they don't," says Crissy. Fiona tends to gravitate towards Yogi and loves to play with him.

Crissy saw a "model call" on Facebook for 'Peanut Butter Puppies,' and she thought Fiona would be perfect for the book. She had never met Greg in person before, and she said they "felt like old pals." Fiona quickly warmed up to Greg and "was a total ham for the entire photoshoot"! Fiona loves meeting every human and animal she encounters. She makes the family laugh daily.

Peanut Butter Puppies is available for pre-order on Amazon now

Signed/Personalized pre-orders are available on our website.