Stories of survival, hope

BABY GIRL

Travis Vogtman lives in a motor home in downtown Olympia. He was given a pit bull he calls Baby Girl about a month ago. She was found at a park. "I said, 'I'll take it,' not knowing what I was getting myself into" since it was his first dog, Vogtman said. "It's a lot of responsibility." Volunteer veterinarian Kim Martin said she thinks Baby Girl was a puppy mill dog, bred many times until she wasn’t useful any more. "She was kind of at the end of her physical tolerance," Martin said. But she doesn't know for sure. "They don't come with a microchip" explaining their background, she said. Martin guesses Baby Girl is about 10. She has a broken hip that never healed properly. Still, the only time she gets aggressive is around male dogs, Vogtman said. The vet said she has seen tremendous improvement in Baby Girl since Vogtman started caring for her. She's not as malnourished or lethargic and half of her hair has grown back. "What she needed was someone to love her and pay attention to her," Martin said. Vogtman said Covenant Creatures has given him everything he needs to take care of Baby Girl, including a leash, collar, dog food and medical treatment. "She's a sweetheart," Martin said of Baby Girl.

ALIBI

When Jezzabell Farr is in trouble, she always has her Alibi. Alibi is her service dog. A pit bull, Alibi was trained by Farr to know when she is going to black out because of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. When Farr has a blackout, Alibi is there. "He helps bring me back," she said. Farr, 22, has lived on and off the streets since she was 12. She has Alibi and a baby son now, so she has become more stable and has been able to get housing - and help out with Covenant Creatures. "A number of recipients feel compelled to give back," said the Rev. Leanne Johnson, who formed Covenant Creatures. Covenant Creatures helped with Alibi's own medical problems, such as when he injured a shoulder. Farr said she owes a lot to Alibi. "He helped stabilize my life," she said. He also has helped her to be more social because she has to talk to people about service dogs. "I have to defend my rights," she said. "Others don't know the law."

PRINCESS

Melissa Sanchez has a pit bull, Princess, that was bitten in the face by another dog. The wound became infected. Within an hour of meeting Sanchez, Johnson made sure Princess was seen by Martin. "If it wasn't for Leanne and Kim, my dog would have died," Sanchez said, tears in her eyes. Sanchez also was worried about a rash forming on Princess where a tight harness was rubbing. "They care more about their pets than they do themselves," Martin said. Sanchez, who was carrying a small backpack that contained pills for her dog, said Princess loves attention. "If they don’t talk to her, she will bark at them," Sanchez said of other people. "She's a lover."