Meet Crowler, the Peanut Butter Puppy!
By Isabel Merriman
Crowler is a one-year-old tripod pit bull mix. He was adopted by Pauline Kossakowksi as a foster fail from Cleveland APL. Crowler arrived at the shelter with four legs. However, one of his legs got infected and could not be saved through rehabilitation. The infection got to a point where he was rushed to an emergency clinic to amputate his leg. Pauline works for Cleveland APL, and she decided to foster him until he could find his forever home. However, plans changed "he enchanted not only my other dog (Tea Cup); but my family immediately fell in love," said Pauline. Pauline and her family had fostered in the past, this time was different, "I'd fostered other dogs before – but this one was different. She (Tea Cup) made it clear to me that not even she could bear the thought of losing her best friend to another family."
Although Crowler has three legs, he is still like any other puppy his age. You can hardly tell he has three legs, "he's proven that he could compete against track athletes without growing tired." He also likes to show off how smart he is to everyone he meets.
Pauline commented a photo of Crowler and his foster sister Roxy (formerly Maddie) on Facebook. Both Crowler and Roxy were chosen to be in 'Peanut Butter Puppies'! When Pauline arrived at Greg's studio for Crowler and Roxy's photoshoot, "You could immediately see the love in his eyes for two dogs he had just met for the first time," says Pauline.
Crowler has a big soft heart and has been through a lot at a young age. He is the missing piece his family did not know they needed. Make sure to check out Crowler and his foster sister Roxy in 'Peanut Butter Puppies'!
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Meet Bullet the Peanut Butter Puppy!
By Isabel Merriman
Bullet is a nine-month-old German Shepherd rescue adopted from Impawsible Mutts Dog Rescue. Bullet has come a long way since Tristin, the President of Impawsible Mutts Dog Rescue, brought him home. When Bullet was adopted, he had behavior issues and weighed 13 pounds when he should have been 25 pounds. Bullet was not Tristin's first rescue, "I have a large pack of 12 dogs. Everyone is a rescue." Tristin was not actively searching for another dog when she came across Bullet. He was a foster dog Tristin could not let go of.
Bullet is currently training to complete the Barnhunt. The "Barnhunt is a dog sport where dogs use their noses to search a ring for a rat in a tube that is hidden in bails of hay," explained Tristin. Bullet has a long nose because he has a two-inch overbite causing eating and drinking to look silly. He is a silly, goofy, clumsy, and vocal baby. Tristin said, "A puppy I previously fostered was photographed for the book as well, and she (the owner) suggested I reach out and gave me his information!" She said working with Greg was a great experience. "He was extremely patient, and you could really tell his direct care for dogs!"
Peanut Butter Puppies is available for pre-order on Amazon now
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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!
Peanut Butter Puppies is available for pre-order on Amazon now
Signed/Personalized pre-orders are available on our website.
Meet Bullet the Peanut Butter Puppy!
By Isabel Merriman
Bullet is a nine-month-old German Shepherd rescue adopted from Impawsible Mutts Dog Rescue. Bullet has come a long way since he was brought home by Tristin, the President of Impawsible Mutts Dog Rescue. When Bullet was adopted, he had behavior issues and weighed 13 pounds when he should have been 25 pounds. Bullet was not Tristin's first rescue, "I have a large pack of 12 dogs. Everyone is a rescue." Tristin was not actively searching for another dog when she came across Bullet. He was a foster dog Tristin could not let go of.
Bullet is currently training to complete the Barnhunt. The "Barnhunt is a dog sport where dogs use their noses to search a ring for a rat in a tube that is hidden in bails of hay," explained Tristin. Bullet has a long nose because he has a two-inch overbite causing eating and drinking to look silly. He is known for being a silly, goofy, clumsy, and vocal baby. Tristin said, "A puppy I previously fostered was photographed for the book as well, and she (the owner suggested) suggested I reach out and gave me his information!" She said working with Greg was a great experience. "He was extremely patient, and you could really tell his direct care for dogs!"
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.
Peanut Butter Puppies is available for pre-order on Amazon now
Signed/Personalized pre-orders are available on our website.
Meet Cali the Peanut Butter Puppy!
Peanut Butter Puppies is available for pre-order on Amazon now
By Isabel Merriman
Cali is a nine-month-old pit bull rescue from Muttley Crue in Cleveland, Ohio. She was rescued by Jill and Adam Anrikanich and their two sons, Mason and Cameron. The Anrikanich family began looking to adopt a puppy for their sons to play with since their fourteen-year-old lab passed. Jill said, "My mom, cousin, and aunt all have rescued, and I felt like it was time to do the right thing." The family heard wonderful things about pit bulls from coworkers, family, and friends.
When the family began searching online for their rescue puppy, they decided to start with Muttley Crue. Adam's former coworker used to volunteer there, and the family wanted to give it a shot. When they came across Cali, they fell in love with her instantly. Jill said, "I loved her eyes and her white stripe down her face." Cali has brought joy to the family from the moment they adopted her, and there is never a dull moment. "She is extremely loving, loves to cuddle, has the zoomies at least twice a day, loves visitors, other dogs, and has the softest fur," said Jill. Cali has a very energetic personality, "When she jumps, she appears to float. She jumps straight up and always lands where she intends. It's amazing!" said Jill.
Cali does not like to sit still, "she loves running at the dog park, playing with our boys (Mason and Cameron), chewing toys/blankets/couch cushions, loves eating ice cubes, and playing on the trampoline." Cali is known to be very vocal, "If she's chewing her toy and drops it, she whines to have you pick it up."
The Anrikanich family heard about Greg through Jill's high school friend, a volunteer at City Dogs Cleveland. He follows Greg on social media. Her friend told her about his photoshoot, Jill decided to post a picture of Cali on Greg's Facebook page. Greg saw Cali's photo and reached out to Jill about photographing Cali for "Peanut Butter Puppies." The family had a blast during the photo shoot. "Greg was amazing! Very easy going, and Cali loved him and his peanut butter! We brought along our youngest son (Cameron), and Greg was great to him, too," said Jill.
The family is thankful to have rescued Cali. She has brought much joy and energy into their life. "She saved us so many times since we had to put our first dog to sleep." Cali shows how wonderful pit bulls can be.