Once upon a time, there was a very pregnant and very alone pitt bull who gave birth to 12 beautiful puppies.

The puppies were all adopted, but, as sometimes happens, not all were a perfect fit. A very energetic girl needed rehoming. She was loved and cared for from the beginning. Ken, with his big heart, welcomed her into his life. He named her Bea and joined a Facebook group for the litter where they all shared greetings and news about their pups.

This sweet boy and another sister were adopted as well.

Unfortunately, this puppy and his sister were mistreated. A year after their adoption they were dropped off at Ortonville Dog Rescue. This boy was severely malnourished, missing fur, and had sores on his ears, back, and legs. He had been kept in a crate, left in his waste, and the owner said he was untrainable.

This boy was very broken, and Jillian, despite everyone thinking she was crazy, welcomed him into her home as a foster. He received a new name for his new life, Bruno. He gained 15 lbs. The sores on his skin began to heal. Very slowly, his bald patches filled in. He became potty trained and rang a bell to go out. He learned commands - sit, down, stay, off, and out. He craved attention and soon became a 60 lb lap dog. Jillian joined the same Facebook group as Ken.

Jillian posted Bruno's progress and antics to the Facebook group where she met Ken. Ultimately, Jillian and her kids realized that Bruno was a foster failure and they had to keep him. Bruno was far from perfect! He had some behavior issues and became very protective of his newfound family. But, as much as Jillian's family helped Bruno heal from his past, Bruno helped Jillian's family heal from their past as well.

In January, 2022 Ken reached out to Jillian. Their friendship grew as they messaged each other daily for months. Ken seemed interested, and Jillian dropped lots of hints but she wondered if Ken would ever ask her out. After three months, Ken and Jillian met at the Ortonville Pub and spent three hours over cokes laughing and enjoying each other's company.

Ken was a good, kind man. Jillian was bat-shit crazy, so naturally, she was terrified. But Ken pursued her, leaving flowers on her car at the gym. That was it. Jillian fell head over heels for Ken.

Yep, the flowers did it!

But there were hurdles... Bruno did not like anyone coming into the house. Ken would stand in the driveway and throw dog treats over the fence to Bruno. Ultimately Jillian got a huge bone for Ken to give to Bruno and he decided that Ken was an OK guy.

And the flowers kept coming and coming!

Ken and Jillian learned they had lived in the same area (Ortonville) and shopped at the same grocery store (Beuches) for the last 17 years. Before that, when Ken was a young kid, he lived in Warren and his kids, Kyle and Nicole continue to live in that neighborhood. Jillian grew up just two miles away in Sterling Heights! Ken brought Jillian down to the 'old neighborhoods' to meet Kyle and Nicole. Since then, Ken has brought Jillian down to her old stomping grounds in metro Detroit to meet Ken's aunts, uncles, brother, and sister. Family is very important to Ken, and Jillian has been excited to find they celebrate and even camp together!

While Bruno had accepted Ken, he was not so happy to share his people with two other dogs - Bea and Stormy! So Bruno went away for some very intensive training, and Bea joined him. And finally, Bruno decided he had a perfect play mate!

And then came fall, and Ken needed to see if Jillian could make it through Salmon and Deer season. Jillian had to manage pre-dawn wake-up times, traveling all over upper Michigan, cold weather, waders, night fishing at Tippy Dam, archery, rifle shooting, and could she sit quietly in a blind for hours on end?? It might not have always been pretty, but she passed!!

Jillian comes as a package deal, and Ken joined in family time. Jillian continues to feel blessed as Ken works to make one-on-one connections with Nick, Liv, and Leo.

Ken travels. Jillian, eh, not so much. The question of if they could travel well together was at hand. They embarked on a week-long vacation! Ken showed Jillian waterfalls in West Virginia and introduced her to old friends and puppies in South Carolina. Jillian introduced Ken to friends in Virginia. They wrapped up their trip in the mountains of northern Georgia. It was amazing!!

Then came serious talk about building a life together. The ring search began, the ring was found, the question popped, and the planning began!

As the summer passed, wedding planning paused for Salmon fishing and this year, Jillian caught her first Salmon! She landed it, filleted it, cooked it, and served it!

Very soon, these two families will join together and form one.

Ken and Jillian have found a second chance at happiness. They are older and wiser and holding hands they will embrace this next season of their lives.

These new brothers and sisters may range from 10 1/2 years old up to 31, but they get along. Nicole and Liv will finally get the sister they've always wanted. Kyle, Nick, and Leo already speak the same gaming and military language. Nick, Liv, and Leo will gain grandparents they've so dearly missed. And, of course, Ken and Jillian are in for many years of watching Disney movies between Nicole and Leo! It really is a Happily Ever After!