{"607597":{"#nid":"607597","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Grad\u2019s Heartwarming Rescue Dog Story ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech industrial engineering graduate Blaine DeLuca found his best friend just in the nick of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;I\u0026#39;d been on the prowl for a dog for the better part of six months,\u0026quot; DeLuca says. \u0026quot;I knew I definitely wanted to get a rescue.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlong comes Penni, a dog in desperate need of a loving home.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnimal rescuers believe Penni spent most of the first part of her life locked in a basement. She was abandoned on the streets of the Bronx, and when police found her she had a sore on her ribcage that was growing a tumor.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA medical evaluation coupled with shelter overcrowding led to a decision to put Penni down. Fortunately, though, the rescue group arrived just in time to save her life and contacted DeLuca hoping he\u0026rsquo;d be able to provide a good home.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDue to the physical abuse Penni endured, there would be some challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;She was terrified of everything in sight. She was untrusting of every situation. She simply did not want to interact with the world,\u0026rdquo; DeLuca explains.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe started taking Penni on daily walks to encourage her to explore. She had been confined for so long, DeLuca says it seems like she forgot how to run.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESo trips to the dog park and plenty of encouragement helped.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEven still, Penni would sometimes get skittish in confined spaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0026rsquo;s when DeLuca realized what would be the best therapy for Penni.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This dog loves being outside. I have made a point of seeking different destinations as often as possible,\u0026rdquo; DeLuca says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESo walks turned into hikes. The duo has explored Zion National Park, Lake Mead, and the Grand Canyon together.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We share a unique bond when we are out experiencing these events, too. I mean, not everyone can say they have been rappelling with their dog!\u0026rdquo; DeLuca laughs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EYes. Rappelling. An amazing transformation for a dog many felt could never recover from the abuse she endured.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow Penni\u0026rsquo;s story has been seen more than 50 million times through channels like USA Today and National Geographic. DeLuca chronicles their journeys on Instagram.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe consummate Georgia Tech alumnus, DeLuca kept Penni styled in a Georgia Tech bandanna. She lost the gold neckerchief in a creek on one of her adventures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Penni and her human came back to Atlanta for a visit, the Institute made sure she got a replacement \u0026mdash; and a good walk around campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s so cool to see her here,\u0026rdquo; DeLuca says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pennidog\/\u0022\u003ETo follow DeLuca and Penni\u0026rsquo;s adventures, visit Penni Dog on Instagram here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech industrial engineering graduate Blaine DeLuca found his best friend in an unlikely place, and it couldn\u0026#39;t have come at a better time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From Abandoned and Abused to Adventure Pup"}],"uid":"28058","created_gmt":"2018-07-10 14:02:29","changed_gmt":"2018-07-10 15:28:16","author":"Steven Norris","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"607598":{"id":"607598","type":"image","title":"Penni The Dog ","body":null,"created":"1531231424","gmt_created":"2018-07-10 14:03:44","changed":"1531231424","gmt_changed":"2018-07-10 14:03:44","alt":"Penni the doga rescue pup owned by Tech Grad Blaine DeLuca","file":{"fid":"231769","name":"Screen Shot 2018-07-09 at 5.19.52 PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202018-07-09%20at%205.19.52%20PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202018-07-09%20at%205.19.52%20PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4055202,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202018-07-09%20at%205.19.52%20PM.png?itok=9EaR-eON"}}},"media_ids":["607598"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"4768","name":"dog"},{"id":"178507","name":"rescue dog"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"},{"id":"178508","name":"pitbull"},{"id":"178509","name":"amazing dog stories"},{"id":"178510","name":"penni the dog"},{"id":"1191","name":"industrial engineering"},{"id":"246","name":"Georgia Institute of Technology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESteven Norris\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Social Media\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["snorris@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}