WHERE ARE THEY NOW DDR Dog Alum Spotlight : DOZER

Dozer (Formerly Known As Mikey):
An Adoption Story
By Tammy and Kevin Weaver

West Hollywood, circa 2008.

Newly engaged couple with lively exuberant red-nosed pocket pit were happily planning their wedding when they received tragic news — their beloved pit bull was diagnosed with a rare smooth-muscle cancer.

Compton, circa 2008.

A big white pup — part American bulldog and part pit — refuses to be a fighter and is tossed in a pallet yard with a broken leg. He is rescued by Downtown Dog Rescue, where he is known as Mikey.

This is Mikey (before he became Dozer), photographed by Douglas Hill
for the Downtown Dogs book and the Downtown Dog Rescue 2009 Calendar

*****

We lost our pit bull Deuce to cancer a few months before our wedding in June 2009, and we were devastated. We thought that it would be a long, long time before we were ready to adopt another dog, but our downtown loft started to feel awfully empty without a tail-wagging occupant. So, we began the search for our new pup. We both knew we wanted another pit bull — any stereotypes, preconceptions, or fears we previously had regarding pits had been entirely dispelled by Deuce’s fierce loyalty, playfulness, and affection. Tammy, however, adamantly wanted another pocket pit (Deuce had only been 40 lbs), one that she would have no problem walking on a leash and that could sit in her lap like Deuce had.

We found a listing for Bradley, a three year-old medium-sized red-nosed pit, at Downtown Dog Rescue, contacted Lori, and set up a meeting, only one week before our wedding. Bradley was friendly enough, and at about 40 to 50 lbs, just the right size. “Bradley’s great with other dogs,” Lori told us, “Let me bring his buddy Mikey out to show you!” Out comes Big Mike, bounding up to us with puppy enthusiasm, and Mikey promptly attempts to lay his 75-pound self upside down onto Kevin’s lap. Done.

At the park and the beach shortly after being adopted

Posing for Kevin

Now, 8 months later, Dozer is happily settled into his new home. He sleeps like no other dog we’ve ever seen (on his back with his four paws in the air), hangs out with Kevin every day (Kevin is a photographer who works out of the loft), loves car rides, trips to the dog beach, dog parks, and hikes at Runyon Canyon, and snuggling on the couch with us, getting pets and scratches behind the ears.