In all, I have four children. Ethaniel is my youngest (and my last… haha). He was born following two unfortunate miscarriages, so my wife and I consider his birth a blessing and a triumph in itself. His name essentially means “gift of love” or “gift of God.” I often say that he was born smiling, and you can see that he makes it very easy to capture such.
My pit bull was adopted from the fantastic foster agency, Ring Dog Rescue. He was barely a year old when we adopted him, and in his short life up to that point, he had already been slated to go to a kill shelter, if only because of his breed alone. Prior to adopting Caylao, we had previously adopted another pit bull puppy named Kupono (my wife is part Hawaiian). Unfortunately, that puppy died suddenly at 7 months following a horrible allergic reaction to medication he received at his vet. We were heartbroken as a family, and hesitant to adopt again until we found out about Caylao. He is also a gift in many ways, himself, and his name derives from a Filipino name roughly translating to “Bearer/bringer of light.”
These two pit bulls opened our eyes to the horrible stereotype and legacy that is forced on their breed. Both dogs are shining examples of what a difference it makes to raise your dogs properly. Having four children, it’s not all too different from raising a child properly. Neither children nor pit bulls are born evil. They are born completely innocent, and they become products of their environment. What that product entails is entirely up to the people who surround them.
My sister’s pit bull, Hendrix, is actually the second pit bull you see in some of the photos (the leaner of the two). It was her idea to start the Instagram page, despite the prolific number of similar pit bull pages. I take the photos, and she manages everything else about the page, itself. Where our page differs from most is the day-one presence Caylao and Ethaniel have had together (and Hendrix, every time he comes to visit).
Ethaniel has been exposed to Caylao since birth. Caylao was 5 years old when Ethaniel was born. Ethaniel knows nothing except that Caylao is a teddy bear to approach freely and hug at will. Every post we make, we try to drive that point home.
They’re two peas in a pod… two friends who know nothing except that their companionship is complimentary, and natural. They are products of their environment.
They can do things together just like any children can.
Each post is an attempt to reflect that, albeit in silly, comical ways.
The point is, they’re growing up together. We want people to see that it’s not only possible, but that it’s happening with each picture we share. –Ethaniel & Caylao’s Family
Can’t get enough of Ethaniel and Caylao? Follow @ethanielspitbull on Instagram (or just click the link.) We guarantee that you day can only get better every time you see their photos!