MORGAN EDELMAN Staff Writer

This is the final of a series of eight articles about shelter dogs that have been adopted and found their forever home as told through their eyes. This series is part of a senior capstone project that is meant to raise awareness of the importance of pet adoption.

My name is Nala and I am a 3-year-old Pit Bull Terrier. Up until I was around 2-years-old I was living with humans that weren’t treating me very well and using me to have puppies. One day, there was a loud knock on the door and suddenly my puppies and I were taken away from our home. The humans said that the Atlanta police pulled us from our home during a drug bust.

I didn’t know what was going on that day, but what I do know is I am glad that I was taken away from that home. My puppies and I were brought to DeKalb County Animal Services through LifeLine Animal Project. When I got to the shelter I tested heartworm positive, but luckily the organization LifeLine was nice enough to pay for my treatments to help me feel better.

On March 25, 2016, it was just like any other day at the shelter. There were humans walking around looking at all the other dogs and passing right by my cage, until this young girl came and stood in front of me. She stared at me for a little bit with her friend and I could tell they were trying to decide if they wanted to take me out to play. I heard her ask one of the workers if they could take me out and at that moment I was the happiest dog in the world.

At first the girl was a little hesitant in choosing to play with me since I am a Pit Bull and most people are scared of my breed, but as soon as she started playing with me she was no longer hesitant and instantly knew I was the dog for her. I have been living with my new mom for almost a year and we fit perfectly together. I am her first dog that is all hers and we have a special bond because of that.

I also gained a brother when I moved into my new house. He is this strange creature that the humans call a cat, but he’s cool so I don’t bother him much. My favorite things to do now are chase tennis balls, cuddle and eat food. I was a 21st birthday present for my mom and she says I am the best present she could have ever gotten. Even though I had a rough life at first, my new mom has made up for it with all the love she gives me. We do everything together and I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.

Each year there are approximately 3.9 million dogs that enter shelters and about 1.2 million of those dogs are euthanized. I was lucky enough to make it out alive but unfortunately not everyone has the same luck as me. Please take this into consideration the next time you are looking for your new best friend.