BROWNEE
Yes this little guy has a very sad face. And he has every right to be. You see Brownee lost his best friend in the world: his owner, his constant companion Mr.Murray. We first met them when Mr. Murray, a kind and compassionate elderly man who needed help with his dogs. He wasn't in the best health so he couldn't do much on his own, so we offered to get his dogs into safe enclosures (and off of their cables they were tied to) and have both dogs, Red and Brownee, taken to the vet for medical check ups. It turned out that Red had a serious infection in his lungs and before we could do any emergency work, Red passed away at the vet. Mr. Murray was beyond distraught and it was the though of losing Brownee that kept him strong. Though Brownee had some minor medical issues, he was going to be okay. Then a few weeks went by and we got a call that a "red Pit Bull microchipped to us" had ended up at the shelter here in New Orleans. When we went to pick him up, we realized that it was Brownee and we were puzzled because Mr. Murray would never leave Brownee alone. They were together all the time. When we called Mr. Murray's house an unfamiliar voice answered and identified himself as a relative. He informed us that Mr. Murray had passed away a few days prior and that when they went to feed Brownee, he had bolted out the gate and ran away. He knew that his best friend in the world had left him. He ran like the wind and didn't stop for anyone. Where he was going, we'll never know. But what we do know is that he's scared and lonely and misses his Mr. Murray terribly. Brownee is a gentle dog and perfect in the house. After we complete all of his medical treatments, he will be available for adoption but for now he must remain with us. He is still grieving but getting better with each day that passes. They say "time heals all". We just hope that someday "that time" will be with you.
Z-BO
This little guy's life started and almost ended in Memphis, TN. It was during a thunder storm that this little guy, running the streets, tried to get out of the bad weather. He crawled into a storm drain where within a short period of time, it caved in and quickly began filling up with mud. No one knows for sure how many days the little guy was stuck, but it was a Mom and her daughter out for a walk that heard the cries of a desperate dog. They then flagged down a city worker who came to the rescue. He jumped into action and tried to dig the little dog out but it was useless. The more he dug, the more the mud kept coming down. He called in for more help from the city and with the help of heavy equipment, they managed to pull the little Pit mix to safety. We were called to the attention of this story by Memphis Grizzlies player Zach Randolph, a fellow Pit Bull owner himself. We made the drive to Memphis to save "Z-Bo" (Zach's nickname) from the animal shelter and brought him back to New Orleans. Though he is still very shy, Z-Bo is slowly making progress. Not only did he survive a horribly traumatic ordeal, but we then discovered hundreds of bite wounds all over his face, neck and chest. This dog had been used as bait by some jerk for dog fighting practice. They say it takes an entire village to save one boy…..in Z-Bo's case it was the city of Memphis.
GATOR aka Al E. Gator
He was our first rescue in New Orleans. We had gotten several 911 calls about a stray dog living in a field in the Lower 9th Ward. He had been there for months. No one could get near him. If cornered, he acted "aggressive" out of fear but what was very apparent was that he was very very sick. We were to eventually find out that he was filled with heartworm and also slowly dying from lungs filled with fluid. The Villalobos family kicked into action and safely and stress free, were able to "capture" this old guy. No one knows how long he truly has been trying to survive on the streets. Some locals feel he's a Katrina survivor and has somehow managed to live on his own all these years. Others say he's "just too pretty to be a stray" and must've been someone's companion. We will never know his past story but what is certain….is that his future will be happy and finally safe with us.
MAGICK
The first thing you notice are his dreamy eyes. They hypnotize you like "magic". But this sweet looking boy didn't always look this beautiful. He was spotted dodging in and out of traffic by one of our volunteers. His ribs stuck out and he was scrounging for food. They were able to lure him into their care with French Fries. But it wasn't until then that they saw the real damage. His throat had been slit from ear to ear. The infection had already settled in so it was a miracle that he was still alive. After taking him to the vet, we then were told in addition to his obvious serious situation, he was also heartworm positive. Magick has now gained some weight, his wound healed and he is currently going through heartworm treatment. But despite his condition, Magick keeps a very upbeat attitude and his very very very energetic and a silly boy who LOVES to go running.
ST. ROCH GHOST DOG
The matriarch figure of the "The Ghost Dogs of St. Roch", she managed to survive through Hurricane Katrina and live on the streets of New Orleans for the past 7 years. Having litter after litter, she did her best to keep her families safe by living under an abandoned house across from the St. Roch cemetery. Sadly with each year, she watched her puppies get killed by speeding cars, stolen by street thugs and die from disease. The locals in the area admired her courage and her strength yet were intrigued by how she was able to elude from being captured by rescuers after so many years. And many were also mystified by the fact that of all the houses to live under, was the one across from this particular cemetery named after a Saint who was known from traveling with his constant canine companion while he helped people in need. Some wondered if it was St. Roch himself that kept "Mama Ghost Dog" alive all these years. Or maybe it was just plain survival instinct. Whatever the case may be, she is one of the most magnificent dogs we have ever encountered. Just being in her presence, you feel something magical, spiritual surround you. Though she is not ready for a home yet, she has another purpose until that time. This is a dog that has proven that with determination, tenacity and for the love of her family, you can make it. She is truly a blessed animal.
COUNTRY GIRL
This spunky gal has got to have one of the most dramatic stories we've ever encountered. It all started in the back woods of Louisiana. I was playing with my dogs in my yard "out in the swamp" and a truckload of good ole country boys pulled over. They heard that I was the one with the Pit Bull rescue and needed some help. They had rescued a female Pit Bull from some not so nice guys. In their attempt to save her, they realized the only place to put her was in the back of their truck but they tied her in thinking that she would be safe until they got her home. Yes I probably would've done things different but I'm not going to fault these guys for trying. As they were driving home, the dog jumped out of the truck and was run over by their very own truck. She injured two of her legs, one of them pretty badly. They rushed her to the vet and after hearing how much money it would cost to fix the broken bones, etc, they didn't have that kind of money. So they found me and we drove down some backwoods road to get her. Indeed she was pretty injured but despite the pain she must've been in, true to a typical Pit Bull, she was in great spirits. So we took her to the vet where she received all of her medical treatment. After watching her hobble around with her cast and her little butt wiggle non-stop, I named her "Country Girl" after the Luke Bryan song. Though she has healed from the actual surgeries, she now is getting ready for physical therapy. Country Girl is an absolute goofball. Nothing upsets her, nothing stops her from having fun. She is both up for adoption and also for sponsorship to help pay off her vet bills and physical therapy. If you're looking for a well behaved house companion but also someone who will make you laugh and keep you entertained, then Country Girl is that gal.
LUCKY
I first spotted Lucky running as a stray in the infamous Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, LA. For weeks I tried to catch him but he was so scared and you could see the desperation in his eyes. He was skin and bones yet his lanky body was able to out run me, day after day, night after night. Weeks had gone by and I had given up all hope of catching him. Then one day I received a desperate call from a woman who was trying to help a dog who was drowning in the canal near her house. Apparently her 12 yr. old daughter had gotten off the school bus like she did every day and the neighborhood stray dog, Bo, was acting "weird". Bo who ran the streets, being fed by all the neighbors, was frantic. His normal happy go lucky attitude was now that of a panicked dog who was trying to tell the 12 yr. girl, Destinee, "something". She followed Bo across the field and he hung over the side of the bridge and down into the alligator infested canal and there, hanging on for his dear life, was a brown and white dog. He was drifting in and out of consciousness as he fought for his life from drowning. After many 911 calls to the sheriffs and animal control and with the help of neighbors, they managed to pull the dog from the water. Villalobos was then contacted and when we saw the "canal dog", it was then that we realized it was the same dog that I had been chasing for weeks! Thanks to Destinee and a little brown stray dog named Bo…."Lucky" was now safe. Once healthy and after weeks of re-cooperation, we realized that Lucky had some "behavioral issues" that made him unadoptable. So he remains with us and is now living the life out in the country at one of our satellite houses….right off the river. Despite his near death experience, Lucky has absolutely no fear of the water and actually enjoys playing in it. We consider him our "brat" dog but he is one of our founder, Tia's favorite companions to hang out with.
DYLAN
Dylan has been with us since birth. His life started off horrible from the second he came into this world. He and his litter mates along with his mother (Roxy Mama) were left at a hotel after their owner got arrested for drugs. They were then taken to someone's backyard, where it was soon determined that Roxy Mama was too aggressive for anyone to handle. Villalobos Rescue Center got involved and brought the entire family to their facility. As the puppies grew up, we began to notice that some were great but there were others that had "issues". Dylan was one of them. Unfortunately he took after his mother and just didn't accept too many people into his inner circle. So he remained with us where he is a big ole long legged goofball who actually prefers to play with little dogs over anyone else. Dylan may be a little "off" but we love him regardless.
PRADA
Her story made international headlines. When Prada escaped from her home in Nashville, TN., she did what many dogs on the loose do…she got into a little trouble. As this overly energetic gal ran thru the neighborhood, she got into a couple of tussles with some local dogs. Animal control took her into custody and this is when things got ugly. Prada's owner tried to get her dog back, but Nashville law has a "one strike you're out" policy. So Prada was condemned to death because she was ruled a "dangerous dog". So her owner decided to fight back. But it was during Prada's incarceration at the animal shelter, that made things get really heated. On video surveillance tape, it showed Prada getting loose from a worker and somehow making her way thru secure gates to another area of the shelter and getting into a fight with another loose dog. Workers kicked and kicked to try and break up the dog fight. Thankfully no one was hurt but what this became was a case of the "pot calling the kettle black". The shelter and law enforcement were accusing Prada's owner for not being able to contain her dog…..yet they did the exact same thing. So the very lengthy and expensive court battle began. Prada sat in the animal shelter for almost a year and a half while the entire world stopped to watch the fight to save a Pit Bull's life unfolded. Rulings were made to once again euthanize Prada but then…appeals were filed and she got yet another stay of execution. Then finally on April 27, 2012, the judge decided to release Prada into the custody and care of us (Villalobos Rescue Center) where she must remain for her entire lifetime. And this is where you come in. Prada needs support just like our other Pit Pals. Become her sponsor and take a trip out to the Big Easy to meet this sweetie in person. This is one designer gal that looks great on everyone!
HARLEY
This happy go lucky gal ended up here because there were just too many women in the same household. Anyone who knows anything about Pit Bulls knows that 1 female is enough woman for everyone. But Harley lived with another Pit chick and the two didn't see eye to eye. Despite her "disagreements" with her roomate, Harley is a very playful and fun lady to hang out with. She would make a great companion as she is very polite in the house yet she likes to roll around in the dirt outside. From one redhead to another…this is one fun chickie!
DAKOTA AND RILEY
Dakota (the big brown male) and Riley (the brindle female) are probably one of the saddest cases we've had. We get hundreds of calls and emails for pleas for help. This pair had been running loose in a suburb of San Antonio, TX. for about a year. No one could get near them because of their fear of people. As if that wasn't bad enough, they had gotten into a tussle with a porcupine and their eyes, face, mouth, tongues were filled with painful quills. As the good samaritan watched the infection grow with each day, we were all finally able to network with a wildlife rescue who were able to trap them (www.wildlife-rescue.org) Villalobos drove down to Texas and picked up the shy couple. Though sweet, they are still so afraid of people but at least now realize they are safe.
RHINO
Like his name, he has the muscles of one of the mightest animals of the African plane. When he trots across the yard, you can feel the Earth shudder. But then you look at this silly crossed eyed face and you just have to laugh. Rhino is two french fries short of a Happy Meal but with looks like his, who cares? He loves his baby pool and though he's too thick to go for long walks, he at least likes to go for a short little jog. If you're looking to take a walk on the wild side, then sponsoring this beast is for you!
