Iris Alvarez and Tom Matusiak
with Rocky, Conan, Mishka, and Phoebe

The American Dog reports

These lucky 4-legged children spend the day with Tom, who works from home. When Iris gets home, she goes straight to the backyard for doggy playtime. Iris rescued Rocky, a Husky/Lab mix, from an abusive owner 8 years ago. “All the Staffies came with my husband. He moved here from Poland.” On weekends, Mishka (4) and Phoebe (3) sunbathe on chairs by the pool, and 14 year old Conan follows Iris everywhere she goes. “If it hadn’t been for my elderbull, Conan, I would never have experienced the human-canine bond. It wasn’t until he came into my life that I discovered receiving the purest form of love.” She explains that though she loves Rocky, he’s always been independent and happy just knowing he gets food and walks every day. Their Staffordshire Bull Terriers have an indescribable bond with them. Unfortunately, Conan was targeted for breed discrimination, and the couple was asked to remove the “dangerous” dog. They fought and won the right to keep Conan, but they quickly moved away from the community. Since then, Iris has been a bully-breed advocate and helps run a local rescue (www.bigheartsbigdogs.com). She says that anyone who knows her will tell you her dogs are her life. “They don’t ask for much but love and respect back and a Frosty Paw every Sunday.”