Chato sniffs some grass to eat at Alton Baker Park on October, 28th 2017.

By: Eleanor Valentine

Surrounded by six energetic dogs and an enticing glass of red wine, Niccola Gentile could talk for hours about her love for dogs. At twenty-seven years old, she works with the Last Chance at Life shelter in Oceanside, California. She is clearly very passionate about dogs and is a strong advocate for breeds that might be deemed as aggressive. At this shelter, she helps with walking the dogs, cleaning and closing the shelter, and sending dogs out for sleepovers at various homes. This shelter not only gives her a chance to do something she loves, but it also saved her. This rescue was her escape when she was contemplating taking her life.

When Gentile had gotten to the point where she didn’t want to wake up anymore, a woman at the shelter she worked at gave her a key. “I literally spent maybe [in] less than two months over a thousand hours at this rescue outside of being a full time Marine and student.” She would go just to be with her dog Diego, an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, before she even adopted him. Without Diego, Gentile doesn’t think she would be here today. Sweet, one-eared Diego, or her “heart dog,” is the reason why she is still alive. Her sister, Kacie Van Stiphout, noted that Diego and Gentile’s other three dogs, Lucy, Ray, and Chloe, have made a huge impact on her life. “Now she has someone to look after and care about,” Van Stiphout said. “It’s helped her get through depression becuase she has dogs that need her.” Even though Diego had a tough upbringing and might look scary, Gentile says that he is a sweet and caring dog. When Gentile has bouts of anxiety or depression, he will lay on her chest until she calms down. He was used as a bait dog for dog fighting in Mexico, but it’s nearly impossible to guess his past based on how he acts. Gentile’s choices to work with Last Chance at Life and to adopt Diego helped her realize how important adoption and awareness are. Gentile has always had a passion for animals and wanted to be their voice, so she took that passion and used it to help both dogs and herself.

With many years of helping dogs under her belt, Gentile plans on continuing that work in the future. She feels happiest when she is at the kennels helping the dogs and she will continue to be a firm advocate for them, especially the ones that are stereotyped. She says that dogs with aggressive tendencies can be helped, and she is there to fundraise, foster, promote, and advocate for them from now to well into the future.