Adopting a pitbull

Back in February, my husband and I adopted a 60 pound pitbull that we named Gertie. It's been really lovely over the last couple of months to watch her grow confident and adjust to living with us.

We originally intended to get a small pup that would be a better fit for city life. When we first met her, we decided against adopting her out of concern about her size. Every couple of days we went back to the shelter and were disheartened to see her there during every visit. Most dogs would get scooped up in a few days but I think Gertie's size and breed scared off most people. After about a month, we realized that she had developed a kennel cough. It was so heartbreaking to see her struggling in the shelter environment so we finally decided to take the chance and bring her home.

There have been some tough times. Gertie is a really rambunctious pup with a tail that's like a whip but she's been a wonderful addition to our home.