I believe most of us have heard people saying, “Make sure you make a good first impression.” It’s definitely a very important moment influenced by implicit attitudes of which we are unaware, like age, race, culture, language, gender, physical appearance, accent, posture, voice and many other factors. Yet what if that first impression has already been set in stone a long time ago before we even have a chance to appear? That’s exactly what happened to a sweet pit bull puppy named Gigi.
More info: Instagram
Louis took home little Gigi to cheer up his ageing dog King
Image credits: sweeti_gigi
A few years ago, Aaron Michael Louis decided to adopt a new pet in order to get a companion for his senior Labrador retriever named King. “I met Gigi, and she was just the sweetest, kindest little dog,” Louis told The Dodo. “So I brought her home, and it was like an immediate bond between them.”
“Anything her older brother did, she did,” Louis wrote on Instagram. “The bond was unmatched. She definitely played the role of the annoying little sister.”
Gigi's Labrador brother was her favorite companion of all, before his tragic passing
Image credits: sweeti_gigi
Yet before Gigi’s two-year adoption anniversary, King passed away, leaving great pain for both Aaron Michael Louis and Gigi. “It was like a strong grief period for both of us,” Louis said. “That was a turning point of our relationship. She started to trust me more.”
Both Gigi and Louis were going through the strong grief of losing their best friend
Image credits: sweeti_gigi
Louis and Gigi were searching for a way to heal, therefore they started to go for daily walks around their neighborhood in San Diego, California, hoping to find some parks where Gigi could get new friends to play with. Unfortunately, everyone avoided her. “The reason I never take my pit bull to dog parks anymore because I always feel bad when she has to play by herself,” shared Louis on his Instagram and immediately caused a huge discussion between those who hate the pit bull breed and the ones that are genuine dog lovers without immediate judgments.
As part of their healing process, Louis and Gigi took daily walks in their neighborhood
Image credits: sweeti_gigi
Even though it's a myth that pit bulls are an inherently aggressive breed, many people like to believe in the opposite. "Pit bulls were originally bred for bull-baiting and dog fighting, but this does not mean that they are naturally inclined to be aggressive towards people or other animals.
In fact, many pit bulls are loving, gentle, and make great family pets," says the article on DogTime. Temperament studies have shown that pit bulls have a high score among the most affectionate, least aggressive dogs. In annual testing carried out by the American Temperament Test Society, pit bulls got a rating of 86.4%, which is higher than such popular breeds as golden retrievers, corgis, and beagles.
Louis felt that the discrimination they experienced was doubled
Image credits: sweeti_gigi
Both Louis and Gigi were looking for comfort and became closer than ever
Image credits: sweeti_gigi
To see Gigi disregarded at the park was deeply heartbreaking and also very similar to what Louis had faced all his life as a black man. “The biggest obstacle, I would say, that me and Gigi run into is the prejudice and the stereotypes against both of us,” Louis said. “But I never get frustrated or mad because in my mind, I’m just like, ‘They don’t know us.’ They’re going off something that they believe without even meeting us.”
All the injustice and false assumptions pushed Louis to create a dog community of his own: a pit bull-specific meet-up which he called Bully Breed Bunch. This way, Gigi finally got a chance to find happiness by playing with other dogs.
A pit bull-specific meetup had huge success
Image credits: sweeti_gigi
Louis and Gigi became an inspiring team sharing the same love message
Image credits: sweet_gigi
“When new dogs showed up, the tail was wagging, she was happy,” Louis said. “Everything [I] kind of hoped it was, it was, like, even better.”
Louis has since held various Bully Breed Bunch events, sharing love and sincere joy not only between pit bull dogs but also between their owners. “My favorite part has been just seeing these dogs grow in that space and find their comfort zone, find their happy place with their humans,” Louis said.
Gigi discovered the joy of new friends while their parents swapped familiar stories
Image credits: thebullybreedbunch
Bully Breed Bunch events became a huge source of happiness and unconditional love
Image credits: sweeti_gigi
Watch Gigi play with her new puppy friends here
Change starts with us, in the choices we make and the actions we take, and Aaron Michael Louis is definitely a very good example of that. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Louis and Gigi found a beautiful way to brighten up life not only for themselves but also for the entire community around them and very hopefully it will have a powerful impact on many generations to come.
The story of Gigi instantly spread on social media and received lots of supportive comments
