Pulled off death row in California and flown to her new family in Colorado!
By Carole Raphaelle Davis Photos by Heather Green
"I'm so beyond excited!" said Erica Noel Slaughenhoup, about picking up her new Bulldog, Flower, at the airport. "My family can't stop talking about her! I'm shopping for harnesses, we have a new baby bed"¦her face; she's so precious, she smiles!" Flower didn't have much to smile about until now. Just before Christmas, Flower, the smash-faced and sweet-natured English Bulldog, was brought in by her owners and abandoned on death row at the Lancaster, California shelter.
While searching the animals who are "red listed" on the L.A. shelter's website, Carly Lyn, a filmmaker and founder of SmallDogsonDeathRow.com, saw Flower. She immediately sent out an alert on the rescue network of Facebook. Flower lucked out. Auspiciously, her personality registered in a thumbnail photo among thousands of other dogs needing rescue that day. Rachel LeGros, president of Abby Animal Sanctuary, agreed to "pull" the dog, meaning that her organization would sponsor the dog out of the shelter. "She's the sweetest, most loving, dearest creature I've laid eyes on. I feel blessed to have met this dog, explained Rachel LeGros. "A man and a woman surrendered her and they said "˜she's of no use to us anymore.'
"I saw Flower, called the shelter and they said she was going to be killed in forty-eight hours," said Carly Lyn, who drove seventy miles to pick her up. "I went to Lancaster shelter to see her, which, by the way, is a hell hole, and there were fifteen people there dumping dogs while I was in line. I could tell that Flower was a really nice dog. The happiest moment was on the ride out of the shelter. She had the biggest smile on her face. She was so happy."
Rachel LeGros asked Carly to bring Flower to the hospital for a check up. "The vet said she was a breeder dog," said Carly Lyn, "because she had been bred so many times. The vet said Flower (A.K.A. Mama Dog) pictured left front, today with her new family: Mom Erica, Dad Chris and siblings Kismit, Cinnamon, and Lacee she had been lying on a hard concrete floor for a long time and that's why she had a sore on her leg."
Flower's journey to freedom wasn't over yet. Stephanie Levy, of Animal Advocates Alliance, fostered Flower for a few days following her release from the pound. "A very sweet kid," said Ms. Levy, about her new houseguest. "She had a bad cold and she's an elderly dog who deserves a nice retirement. She's a nuzzling, sweetheart, couch potato."
For those who believe in fate, what happened next belongs in a fairytale about destiny. Erica Slaughenhoup was at my house in the Hollywood Hills, accompanying her friend Heather Green, on a photo shoot for The American Dog Magazine. We started talking about my favorite subject"”dogs. "I have an English Bulldog," said Erica. "You should see the gorgeous Bulldog that just got out of the shelter and desperately needs a home," I told her. "Here. Let me show you her picture on my computer."
The minute Erica saw Flower's face, her eyes filled with tears.
"I'll do whatever it takes," said Erica, her voice breaking with emotion. "I'll adopt her right now. I'll fly her to Colorado tonight." With goose bumps, I witnessed Erica's visceral reaction to Flower and knew that Erica's strong, nurturing instincts were about to change Flower's life for the better.
Flower was flown on Pet Airways from Los Angeles to Denver and is now in full bloom; in her forever home and showered with love by the Slaughenhoup family.
