The first Vicktory dog is being adopted! Woohoo! Sound the bells, toss the confetti! Halle the Vicktory dog proves once and for all that not only does every dog deserve a second chance, but she can take that chance and run with it to a happy ending of epic proportions. Her life now is totally backwards and opposite in every possible way from her days before as part of Michael Vick’s dogfighting ring. Good for her.
You may remember that six months ago Halle went into foster care with her new mom Traci. Part of the intricate legal hoops with adopting any Vicktory dog is that the dog must first live in a potential new home for six months before being considered for adoption. There are a whole host of other things that have to happen during those six months as well (such as working with a trainer toward Canine Good Citizen certification) but in the end it all came down to waiting out the time. Traci and Halle sailed through the other stuff perfectly.
In fact, Traci’s application, paperwork and so forth are already filled out and approved. At this point, it’s just a matter of waiting for the calendar to flip over to the date when everybody can sign on the dotted line and Halle will be adopted once and for all.
So, when exactly does that happen? This week, as it turns out! The six-month date falls this Saturday, July 18. Traci has big plans, including an even bigger party, for Halle and pals on her big day. But here’s the best side of the whole thing. To Halle, the festivities will be nothing more than business as usual. To her, every day is a party now!
Backing up a bit, several months before Halle went into foster care, Traci had adopted another pit bull from Best Friends. Anybody remember Tacoma? He came to Best Friends from the local animal control. Almost immediately, Tacoma proved his invaluable skills as an office assistant in Dogtown. Nobody could knock over furniture and swoosh files off the counters like Tacoma. But his true genius, his ace in the hole, as it were, was that Tacoma could bring a smile to any face that walked in the door.
If you had a chance to meet him during his brief stay at the sanctuary, you won’t have to wonder how Traci fell head over heels in love with him. She decided to adopt and Tacoma was everything Traci hoped he would be. Soon, however, she was thinking about finding him a friend.
She thought it may be a long shot, but Traci applied to adopt one of the Vicktory dogs. Traci wanted to help one of those dogs have a better life. In her application, she asked the staff members to pick whichever dog they felt would best get along with Tacoma (since they knew Tacoma).
Put simply, the adoption staffers hit one out of the park with Halle. She was the picture-perfect match for Tacoma, and he for her. She has always been a little shy, but Tacoma has enough confidence for three dogs. They hit it off the very first day, snuggling together on a sleepover and everything. Traci knew Halle was the right fit.
The last six months have been magical indeed for Halle, Tacoma, and Traci. Traci is able to bring the two dogs to work, where they soak up loads of attention and treats from coworkers. The dogs go on hikes with Traci all the time, they have play dates with other canine pals, and the two are inseparable day and night. They play constantly in the house and yard. Swimming pools in the summer, snow wrestling in the winter, Tacoma and Halle are stuck like glue. In fact, Traci says that even though she bought them double beds, they’re never in more than one at a time. They double up in the dog beds, on the couch, Traci’s bed—anywhere!
Halle has come a long way with her confidence, too. Here’s one example. Back when she first went into foster care, the video folks at Best Friends wanted to get some footage of the big day. That didn’t work out, though, because Halle got really nervous around the cameras. A couple weeks ago, however, Traci attended a nearby news conference to talk about pit bulls. This time around, Halle had no problems with the cameras. She let the reporters pet her and everything.
Sometimes that confidence isn’t always a good thing, though. Halle has developed a mischievous streak! Traci says that one of Halle’s new favorite pastimes is to sneak up on her while she’s applying makeup for the day. Halle watches, waits, and then quick as can be, she grabs one of the cosmetics and dashes out the room! (Hey, she’s gotta’ look good for Tacoma, right?)
Safe to say, this is one happy family. Congratulations, you guys. Some happy endings take a bit longer to pull off than others, but this one was worth the wait.
Story by David Dickson
Photos provided courtesy of Traci
Halle and Tacoma are helping to dispel the negative stereotypes surrounding pit bulls. For more information about breed discriminatory legislation, dogfighting, and other challenges pit bulls face, see the “Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog” campaign.
