Love at First Sight for Ollie’s Newfound Family

The Nixon family has had two dogs, Gizmo and Snuggles, for a long time. But when Gizmo, who was already 15 years old when the family welcomed him into their home, passed away, they decided to get a new dog. Richard, the family patriarch, agreed to adopt a rescue dog and make what he thought would be a small poodle part of the family.

“When we first saw the dog, he was not the two and a half pounds like I expected,” Richard says. “It was a nine-pound dog. But my daughter Abby got so excited that she said, ‘Yes, let’s keep him!’ So we took him home to the rest of the kids, and they’ve all fallen in love with him.”

That’s how Ollie, a rescue dog with a history of being abandoned and beaten, found a home with the Nixon family. Richard says Ollie, who has been living with their family for more than two years now, still shows signs of being mistreated.

“He does not like to be left alone,” Richard says. “He’s got an attachment issue to where he always feels like someone’s leaving. So he’s always going to be in your lap or be right next to you. Or if we’re not there, he’s going to be lying in my favorite chair. He’s very, very needy.”

Despite the struggles and adjustments, Richard says rescuing Ollie was a great decision.

“I can tell you there’s nothing better than to see an animal like this who’s happy,” Richard says.