Meeting Sweet Pea

Yesterday, our dog walk group had a terrific walk on the No. 9 Trolley Trail from Ellicott City to the Benjamin Banneker park in Oella. The weather was gorgeous and a great group of people and dogs showed up.

All of the dogs were memorable, but there was one little gal, Sweet Pea, that I found I kept thinking about later. Sweet Pea is a pit bull terrier who once belonged to Michael Vick, and is now in a loving foster care home. She was certainly deserving of her name and seemed to really enjoy the company of everyone. She continued with some of us on a stroll through Ellicott City’s Main Street and into some of the dog-friendly shops. As I watched her gingerly picking her way through a narrow aisle of glass ornaments with the other dogs, I couldn’t help but think of the contrast with the life she had a year ago, and the fate she might have met had she not been rescued. How wonderful that she now has an opportunity to enjoy the caring environment that every dog deserves.

Sweet Pea’s foster mom, Stacy, says that The Washington Post will be featuring her story at some point, so we’ll keep an eye out for it. In the meantime, here is an article I found on the “Best Friends Network” about Sweet Pea and some of the other rescued Vick dogs. At least one--I was interested to learn--has even become a therapy dog, making weekly trips to an area hospital.