Tia Torres

“In 2005, Tatanka lost her battle with cancer, unaware of her own greatness, the minds she changed, and the hearts she won. Without her, I would never have known what it feels like to bond with the greatest breed of dog in America. People call me a hero all the time, but the truth is that Tatanka—the buffalo, the bear, the chunky monkey—is the heroic one. Without her, there would be no Villalobos Rescue Center and certainly no Pit Bulls e Parolees. To her, | bow down with respect for one last ear washing.”
― Tia Torres, My Life Among the Underdogs: A Memoir

“I'd come from a place of distrust. I learned early to believe only in myself and to never rely on anyone. Duke changed that in me. | leaned on him and knew that he would always keep me safe. He put my feelings before his own. He knew what I was thinking before I did. He possessed the one attribute I’d never expected to find in anyone, man or animal: absolute loyalty. Duke was one of a kind, and there will never be another that will even come close to his greatness.”
― Tia Torres, My Life Among the Underdogs: A Memoir