When the Badalian family’s beloved Lab died, they hadn’t planned on adopting a new pet soon, especially not a pit bull. Ten days later, they brought home two of the breed.

Southern Oaks residents Evelyn and Michael Badalian and their three children, Rafi, 14, Sophia, 11, and Benjamin, 8, were heartbroken when their nearly 14-year-old Lab, Dakota, was sick and had to be euthanized on September 24.

A couple weeks later, they went to visit a friend who works at the Pet Adoption Fund in Canoga Park. Michael Badalian wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t go with them, but he reminded his wife not to bring home a pit bull. Any breed but that one.

However, once the Badalians toured the animal facility, they were drawn to Rocky and Chelsea, a pair of pit bulls that had been together for about three years.

“When I first met these dogs, I admit, I was a little scared. They seemed very powerful and strong,” says Evelyn Badalian.

But the dogs’ history tugged at her heartstrings. Six-year-old Rocky had already been placed at the same rescue facility twice. He was adopted a few years ago by a man who subsequently took in a puppy, Chelsea, as a companion for him. When the family lost its home due to the economy, they returned Rocky and three-year-old Chelsea to the rescue group in hopes of reuniting with them one day. During the month the dogs were in the shelter they lost weight.

While visiting with the dogs at the shelter, the Badalians found them to be delightful. “They looked sweet and they looked sad, and the kids were in love with them,” says Evelyn Badalian. “They can be overwhelming at first when they come towards you. They move like panthers. But these are big pussycats.”

When the Badalians learned that someone had expressed interest in adopting Chelsea, they took action. “I made the decision right then and there that they could not be separated, it would break both their hearts,” says Evelyn Badalian.

They adopted Rocky and Chelsea on October 3 and couldn’t be happier with their decision. “They are hysterical together. The two behave as father and daughter. Rocky grooms her all the time, licking her face,” says Evelyn Badalian.

The two have free rein of the house and eagerly greet visitors. Chelsea is constantly licking people’s hands and faces, nudging anyone nearby to make her presence known. “She always wants the attention,” says Evelyn Badalian.

While Michael Badalian has a preference for the slightly more low-key Rocky, the kids enjoy romping with both high-energy dogs. “Want to see them take a biscuit from our mouth?” ask Sophia and Benjamin, demonstrating how the pooches quickly gobble up treats dangling from between their lips.

When the dogs nap, they typically cuddle together. Often one or both dogs sleep in Rafi’s bed. Rocky and Chelsea have brought the family much joy, says Evelyn Badalian, and it’s also been a humbling experience.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is don’t judge a book by its cover,” she says, “If someone had told me a year ago that I’d have, not one, but two pit bulls, I’d have called him or her crazy. Boy, was I wrong. These are two of the sweetest dogs I’ve met. We couldn’t be more grateful to have these two dogs in our lives.”