07/06/2025
Today, my big man would have been 12.
This is Olaf or New Moon Emmett of Amazing Love.
Not many people know this, but Olaf changed the entire course of my life.
I rescued him at 18 months old. He’d been left alone in a house for four days after his owner died of an overdose. Though he came from a reputable breeder, no one reclaimed him so hee was dumped into rescue.
I got the call because I had just saved a blind 14-year-old English Pointer who’d been tied to a tree for two weeks. That rescue went viral, and soon *BIG PAWS* out of Vegas called me. They asked if I wanted a Neapolitan Mastiff. I had no idea what that was but I said yes.
So I took Olaf in. At the time, I only knew pit bulls and huskies. I figured, how hard could it be? A dog is a dog, right? My husband Silas wanted big dog, and so I got him one.
Olaf was 206 lbs. I brought him home to my toddler, a nasty little corgi named Grimm, and just treated him like any other dog.
That lasted until he ripped the jugular out of my best friend’s Golden Retriever.
That was my wake-up call. Hands torn up, covered in blood, I googled:
“Is a Neapolitan Mastiff dangerous?”
And that’s where it all started. Olaf was not dangerous but I just didn't understand the breed
From that moment on, I realized breeds like Olaf demand more than love. They demand knowledge, respect, and accountability.
When Olaf passed from cancer, I finally gathered the courage to call his breeder. I’d avoided it for years, afraid of judgment. But instead, Sherri and I cried together. I learned she had tried to get him back before he landed in rescue. She taught me what true, reputable breeders do to protect their dogs, even long after they leave.
After Olaf, I knew I’d always want giant breeds but not the heartbreak of another Neo. That’s when I found the Cane Corso.
Years later, I’ve come full circle, I’ve placed two Cane Corso with the same man who first handed Olaf off to me. Funny how life closes its loops.
Because of Olaf, I landed in Cane Corso
Happy Heavenly Birthday, big man.
