Lacy: What’s in a Name

by Matt Ritchie (Feb 28 2015)

Lacy’s story begins with my last dog Josie. I was introduced to a girl who was going away to college and couldn’t care for her dog any more. At the same time, I had made up my mind that I wanted a dog so I adopted her dog Josie. Josie was a Border Collie/Pit Bull mix. Now, I wasn’t looking for any specific breed. It was coincidence and fate that she was a Pit mix.

When I moved to California from Massachusetts, I was questioned about her breed while apartment hunting. This was when I started to learn about the negative attention given to Pits. I heard “She’s not a Pit, is she?” more than once. Luckily, she didn’t resemble a Pit at all and I was able to lie about it. People loved her while not knowing the truth about her.

I had Josie for 6 years before she passed. Because of my time with her, I made up my mind that when I was ready for another dog, I was going to rescue a Pit Bull. I wanted to be someone who gave the breed a chance. I wanted to be someone who proved to the world that they are great dogs. I wanted to fight for them. So the search began. I started hitting the internet and focused in on the Pasadena Humane Society. They had a ton of Pits. But every time I filled out an application, someone else got the dog I wanted before me. SO then I thought about the TV show “Pit Bulls and Parolees”, and remembered how they’re always mentioning the large amount of Pits they have. I found the website for Villalobos and turned in an application for a puppy they had and got turned down. Turns out Villalobos is pretty strict and didn’t think I was a right fit for a Pit Bull. Needless to say, the search continued.

At this point I brought the search closer to home and started visiting the Long Beach SPCA. I would go down on the weekends and walk through the whole facility. All the dogs would jump at their gates as I walked by and all of them were barking. Barking and jumping over and over. All but one. An 8 month old female named Violet. She just sat there in one spot and stared at me. No barking. No jumping. Nothing. Just sitting there with a look on her face like she was saying “Look dude…. you’re either gonna get me out of here or you’re not. What’s it gonna be?”. But, I had my mind made up that I wanted a boy so I kept walking. Sorry Violet.

A little further away was a 5 month old male. After some thought, I decided this was the one. So I went home, talked to my landlord and got her permission to adopt a Pit Bull. She even came with me the day I went down to fill out the paperwork. Only when we got there, he was gone. Someone had JUST filled out an app for him. As I’m standing there wondering what to do next, I hear my landlord behind me say “What about this one?”. I walk over and she’s standing in front of Violet who’s still just sitting there. No barking. No excitement. Nothing. I thought “Too much of a coincidence. This is a sign.” So I changed my plan and went with a female.

I filled out the paperwork and Violet came home with me a few days later. When I got home, I decided “I hate her name.”. Just didn’t like Violet. I put some thought into it and said to myself “Well…. she’s a “Blue Nose”. I rescued her in Southern Cali which is all desert. Blue…. Desert….. Female….. females like flowers….. so I googled “Blue Desert Flower” and up pops a picture of a Lacy Phacelia…….. Lacy. I like that. Forget Violet. From now on she’s Lacy.

4 years later…… Lacy can’t stand still to save her life. She HATES standing still. Starts crying and whining whenever we’re not moving. Boy did I get played. But I couldn’t be happier.