Stormy is the ideal family pet. He gets along well with children, dogs, and cats. He’s sweet, affectionate, and playful. When his family had their fifth child, they decided he no longer belonged.

“He spent his entire life with a family with four children, two [other] dogs — one small, one large — and a cat,” Alana Guerrini, an Eleventh Hour Rescue volunteer and foster carer, told The Dodo. “Then the woman became pregnant with her fifth child and decided he was too much.”

Stormy, formerly known as Freshy, ended up in a crowded Brooklyn shelter.

“You could see the fear and terror in his eyes and how brokenhearted he was in that picture [at the shelter],” Guerrini said. “When I looked at that face, it crushed me.”

Fortunately for Stormy, Guerrini saw his profile and rushed to get him out — but it was a close call, she admitted.

“He was scheduled to be executed at 5 p.m., and it was 4:58 or 4:59 when we got the call saying, ‘We’ll let you take him, and he’s officially yours and off death row,’” Guerrini explained.

Stormy was picked up by Guerrini and her 16-year-old son last Thursday and driven to their home in New Jersey, where he will be fostered until he finds a forever home.

“He jumped right into my car,” Guerrini said. “My son had gotten into the passenger seat, and he [Stormy] just climbed up onto my son’s lap, and you could see that he was thanking him with every little wiggle and face kiss because he knew he was going to live.” He’s a guardian angel.”

“He wanted to sit in my son’s lap the entire time,” Guerrini explained. “So my son had to get into the back seat, and he spent an hour and a half riding home on my son’s lap.” “The only time he got off of it was when he wanted to kiss me as well.”

 

Stormy had clearly lived with a family before, but Guerrini was taken aback by how gentle he was with her son.

“He was wrestling with my son, and my son’s hand got stuck in the dog’s mouth… “And the dog kept his mouth open and slowly backed away, so he didn’t even scratch him,” Guerrini explained. “That’s when I knew I was head over heels in love with this dog.”

When Guerrin’s son was ill, Stormy was especially attentive.

“He stayed in his room all day and nuzzled up with him,” she explained. “And when my son awoke, he just followed him around.” He simply wants to interact with others and be loved.”

Guerrini can’t believe Stormy’s former family abandoned him in the first place, but she hopes that another family will recognize him as a treasure and provide him with the home he deserves.

“He’s a rambunctious 2-year-old pit bull,” Guerrini explained. “I do have to say that I’m very picky because he’s one of my favorites, so I need to find the best home out there.”