Cali, (left) a Whippet mix, is the matriarch of the pack, and Violet, a beagle/German Shepherd mix, her constant companion.
Violet
George and Scott adopted Violet on Dec. 1, 2012, from George’s niece, Sarah, who had adopted Violet from a local shelter. Unfortunately Violet was not a good fit due to her beagle and German Shepherd DNA. Sarah and her boyfriend, Jeff, lived in a townhome in Buffalo Grove, Ill., and Violet needed more exercise.
George flew to Chicago and returned with Violet to Atlanta on Dec. 8, where she joined the pack and her forever home.
Cali
George and Scott had lost their dog, Cesar in February 2007 and needed another companion for their remaining dog, Rio, a tan greyhound. Instead of getting another greyhound, they decided to try a Whippet.
But Whippets are smaller dogs and much harder to find as a rescue animals. The couple expanded their search to California, where George was commuting weekly at the time for work. They discovered a Whippet mix that had just been rescued from the heavily wooded and mountainous region near Temculla, Calif.
The following week arrangements were made and George flew the dog, renamed as Cali, to her forever home in Atlanta. Cali is the matriarch of the current pack.