Once upon a time, he had a home.  You can tell when you meet him that he remembers the warmth of having a family of his own, of being held and petted.  Sadly, that home turned out not be a forever home.  His family abandoned him at a shelter when he was just a couple of years old.  His beautiful green eyes became sad, and he was bewildered at this change in his life.

Happily, this handsome guy was spotted by a Last Hope volunteer, who saw the sadness and bewilderment in his eyes.  Now he’s in our program and has another chance to have the forever home – and love – he so much deserves.

Pepper has the most beautiful, thick coat, Russian blue in color, and those intense green eyes.  He’s very mellow and exceptionally people-friendly.  He will rub around your legs and give you little head butts as he asks to be petted.  In quieter times, he’s happy to sit close to a human friend.  When he’s feeling frisky, he plays like a kitten – dashing after toy mice and enjoying interactive play time.  He has an all-around great personality.

Could you be the one to give Pepper the forever home which he was deprived of the first time?  If so, he’ll reward you with an abundance of love and companionship, and his green eyes will be happy again.

For more information on Pepper, please email petsmartcats@gmail.com or call 631-988-5710. He’s residing at PetSmart, Route 110, Huntington Station, as he awaits hopefully for a loving,  forever home.

Hi there – I’m Allie - a friendly and happy Pit Bull. I’ve had a pretty tough start…I was picked up by the Town of Hempstead as a stray wandering the streets while I was pregnant with my puppies…and I’m only 2 years old! Our foster mom took wonderful care of me and all 7 of my puppies but now I am really looking forward to finding a home where I can relax and live a nice peaceful life with a family who will love me forever!

If you know of anyone who may have a spot in a forever home for Allie girl, get in touch with Last Hope and bring her home!

Note: ThatMutt.com is an affiliate of RIC by Stacey Lauren. Save 15% off your order with RIC by SL by using coupon code THATMUTT.

I love the dog-related graphic tees and tops from RIC by Stacey Lauren.

“Love Rock Live” is the brand’s motto, and each shirt makes a statement.

Stacey Lauren is the entrepreneur and graphic designer behind RIC. The brand is named after her late father Ric who Stacey said will always be an inspiration. She believes he continues to help her in ways he never could.

Dog-themed shirts to help animals!

RIC by SL offers three clothing collections – LOVE, ROCK and LIVE.

The LOVE collection features animal-related designs.

Stacey is quite the dog lover, and a portion of the proceeds from her LOVE collection are donated to the Humane Society of the United States.

“The reason I began designing animal-related graphic tees is so that animal lovers like me can proudly and fashionably display their passion for four-legged creatures,” Stacey said.

Some of the tees have specific messages of adoption and love for breeds, but hopefully each top can be a conversation starter, she said.

My favorite shirts from RIC by SL so far are the tops featuring a cute pitbull with the words “Lover not a fighter.” Ace and I are modeling it for you at the bottom of this post Although Ace is most likely not a pitbull mix, many of his friends are pit mixes.

Stacey owns a rescued pitbull mix named Theo.

“I love him immensely, and he has taught me so much about what it really means to rescue a dog,” she said.

While she would love to say Theo is perfectly behaved and the ideal representation of a lovable pitbull (and he is very lovable), she said he has many issues.

Theo is very fearful, she said. He was probably taken from his littermates at a very young age. He was a stray, and he may have been abused. He has developed a territorial aggression, which is clearly fear-based as he shakes and cries whenever the door bell rings.

“I do not blame any of this on his breed, but rather his circumstances,” Stacey said. “He is a learning experience for me, and I cannot wait to rescue more pitbulls.”

It is important that no matter what breed you decide to rescue that you are prepared to help the dog through any issues he may come with, she said.

In addition to the “Lover not a fighter” graphic, other dog-related designs from RIC include paw prints or various dog breeds.

I love “the golden life” shirt with a golden retriever and the “guardian” shirt with a German shepherd. Other designs feature the doberman, the Chihuahua, the bull dog and others. I’m hoping to see a design featuring big, black lab mixes at some point!

The ROCK and LIVE collections

Additional graphic designs are available through RIC’s ROCK and LIVE collections.

The ROCK collection features music-related designs and helps raise funds for kids’ music programs across America. I am a band geek at heart, and I truly appreciate these designs.

The LIVE collection features inspirational sayings such as “hakuna matata,” and proceeds from these shirts are donated to The Adventure Project to help fight extreme poverty.

RIC by SL coupon code

I hope you will visit RIC by SL on Etsy! I think you will love the designs as much as I do. Check out some of the designs below, and don’t forget to use the coupon code THATMUTT to save 15% off your order!

Win a free shirt from RIC by SL

RIC by SL is offering a free “Lover not a fighter” v-neck unisex tee to one lucky That Mutt reader.  You will be able to choose the color and size from the available options.

For your chance to win, please visit RIC by SL’s site. Then leave a comment below telling me what other RIC designs you like. I will select one winner at random Feb. 12 and notify the winner by email and in the comments of this post. Must have a U.S. mailing address to win.

Ace and I thought we would pretend we are models, too!

Don’t forget to check out the original post to enter to win!

I just learned about Wanelo.com. It stands for “Want, Need, Love” and is a social store curated by the community. Our Hakuna Matata Tank has been the #1 trending item for the past two days! A portion of the proceeds from this tank is donated to The Adventure Project to help end extreme poverty. Save it to your store to keep the trending going!

This Valentine’s Day, express your love for animals! A portion of the proceeds from our LOVE tanks & tees is donated to The Humane Society of the US!

Use coupon code HEART for 15% off your order at shopRIC until Feb 14.

Attention bully breed lovers! Check out Fresno Bully Rescue, an organization dedicated to rescuing bully breed dogs. Based out of Fresno, CA, FBR has rescued over 500 dogs since its founding in May of 2008. They currently house and shelter over 40 dogs at any given time. Many of these dogs were designated to be euthanized. Here is their mission statement:

FBR’s job is to provide a healthy and loving temporary home while we look for forever homes for our bullies. In addition, FBR is committed to promoting responsible ownership of bully breeds, fighting against breed discrimination, spaying and neutering pets, reporting dog fighting, and demonstrating to the community that bully breeds are loyal, loving, and wonderful forever companions.

RIC by SL is donating $2 to FBR for every shirt sold using coupon code FRESNO5. As an added bonus, you will also receive 5% off your order! AND a portion of the proceeds also goes to the Humane Society of the US. Spread the Bully Breed Love!

Don’t forget to ‘Like’ Fresno Bully Rescue on Facebook!