When Kathryn Birster’s dog of nine years passed away, she and her husband were absolutely devastated. The Birsters loved their dog more than anything, and they were crushed by his loss. Because of that, they had no plans to adopt another dog anytime soon. But fate had another plan for them.
One day, Kathryn Birster noticed a post on her Facebook timeline from Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia. In the post, ACCT Philly said they were trying to find a home for two bonded pit bulls.
While many people were interested in adopting the male pit bull, there wasn’t much interest in the female dog. As Birster read the comments on the Facebook post, she started getting more and more worried. It was clear that if something was not done soon, these two dogs would be separated.
“I was watching all of this play out on Facebook and my heart was breaking all over again that these two who clearly needed to be together might be separated,” Kathryn told The Dodo. “I sent the photo to my husband, and we talked about it for a few days.”
Image: KATHRYN BIRSTER
After a lot of deliberation, the Birsters decided to go see the pit bulls. On March 14, 2014, they went over to ACCT Philly and met the two dogs for the first time.
The Birsters immediately connected with the dogs. “After spending some time with them, we knew we couldn’t leave them behind, and we (tearfully) completed the adoption process, bringing them home that night,” Kathryn said.
Image: KATHRYN BIRSTER
The Birsters named the dogs Gus and Nina, and the pit bulls quickly settled into their home. The pups were energetic and excited to be with the Birsters. They were also very grateful to have each other.
“I know now that Gus would have been a complete wreck without Nina. She’s his comfort and his grounding,” Kathryn said. “If he’d been adopted or fostered without her, he would have always, always been searching for her. Nina’s a bit more independent, but she would have lost her play companion.”
Image: KATHRYN BIRSTER
Three years after adopting Nina and Gus, the Birsters can’t imagine life without them. Kathryn often shares photos of Gus and Nina’s adventures on their Instagram page. The dogs love running around and playing outside.
Image: KATHRYN BIRSTER
They also always enjoy napping together!
Image: KATHRYN BIRSTER
The Birsters and their dogs have a great life together, filled with fun adventures and lots of love. Kathryn and her husband have provided Gus and Nina with a wonderful forever home!