The Family: Tia and kids

[Meredith Quill]

Your Family Topic!

[Megan]

What the heck is Perry's chin tattoo?

[Bronzedog]

It's a shame too because he must have been a pretty good looking guy once. Of course anyone who really loves tats probably think he still is.

[jnymph]

What the heck is Perry's chin tattoo?

 

I don't know.  It almost looks like a barcode to me, like he needs his chin scanned.  

 

Tats aside, I've always given him the side eye.  Like there was something about him I didn't trust.   

 

HOWEVER..............this last episode made me see him differently.

I liked the way he was very caring in regards to Tania losing Blue; and her subsequent hesitation in regards to adopting Renegade.   He came across articulate in his talking heads and seems to positively adore Tania.  He's also very caring about the dogs.    That's an OK guy in my book.      

Edited November 17, 2014 by jnymph

[Megan]

I don't mind him. He actually seemed more familiar with the kennel dogs than Tania did in that episode. I thinking marrying anyone so newly sober is kinda scary but he seems like a nice guy.

 

I am just curious what it is supposed to be. Military stripes? Something that seemed super cool while he was super high?

[Linderhill]

I always thought Perry's chin tattoo was based on an American Indian design.  That possibly he's part Indian and this was his way of honoring that heritage?  not that I think its attractive, I find it kind of unfortunate.  One day all of these tattoos that the girls and guys have are going to fade and look awful and smeary.  I cant imagine what that chin tattoo will look like.

[LittleIggy]

The tattoos all over the women make me cringe. A big red skull on your chest? Seriously?

[jnymph]

The more I watch this show; the more I'm liking & perhaps loving this whole family.

i don't care about their tats/piercings/unconventional looks; their hearts seem to be in the right place!

This is coming from a rather conservative non tatted/pierced middle aged corporate drone woman. (That has an open mind to good peeps :) )

[Megan]

The girl form Syracuse is a smart cookie. I didn't catch which twin she is dating,but so far the significant others of the kids have seemingly been good news and smart people. It's nice to see a reality show where the people seem to have common sense, maybe not college educated with middle class upbringings but normal intelligence that isn't dumbed down for drama.

[Bastet]

I saw an old episode this morning from their time in the Los Angeles area, in which Tia laughed at her fear of bees, saying she'll stand around 100 pit bulls with no fear, but one little bee can chase her half a mile.  Now I like her even more as I, too, have an irrational fear of bees and mock myself for it.  (And have been chased; as she said, those little suckers sense fear.)  It was endearing.

[Bastet]

Is Tia's husband still in jail, does anyone know? I only watched sporadically back when the show started in CA, but I remember him being re-arrested.

 

Yes.  I don't know when he's scheduled for release, but he has been imprisoned for about five years now on a parole violation charge.  He took a plea to avoid a life sentence (for which he was eligible under CA's draconian "three strikes" rule); I have no idea whether he had anything to do with the stolen property found, but, regardless, the DA seemed to have a real hard on for him.  It was kind of an odd case all around, and I can see why Tia is hesitant around parole officers.

[zxy556575]

Thanks. It makes me a little sad that Tia doesn't have more of a personal life. She is so, er, dogged, about everything, and fairly humorless. She doesn't like holidays or time off or anything except the care of the animals. It's noble and all, but I wish more for her. For me, I wish she'd cut and comb her hair every so often.

[Bastet]

Thanks. It makes me a little sad that Tia doesn't have more of a personal life. She is so, er, dogged, about everything, and fairly humorless. She doesn't like holidays or time off or anything except the care of the animals. It's noble and all, but I wish more for her. For me, I wish she'd cut and comb her hair every so often.

 

Tia said in an interview I saw online that she started going out a bit more in New Orleans; she said the people are so fun-loving and friendly, it's rather impossible not to.

 

She always has her nails done, so it seems that's something she likes, whereas hair and make-up aren't, so she only does the latter when she feels like she has to.

 

I'm working out of my home office today with a fairly light workload, so this morning I watched an old episode in which Mariah had to have her dog Sloth (a deaf, epileptic dog that had been part of a rescue four years prior; she was going to nurse him back to health and socialize him, but quickly wound up keeping him as her own) put to sleep.  It was so sad, but also so sweet to see Mariah - having just learned there was nothing to be done to improve his quality of life and realizing the non-selfish and humane thing to do was euthanasia - just break down in Tia's arms, Tia crying just as hard and saying, "I'm sorry" over and over, then Tia quietly calling the other kids to tell them to come up to the house, where they all immediately offered condolences and support.

 

It's nice to see a family that's tight knit, but not constantly slobbering over each other with hugs and affection.  (There's nothing wrong with the latter scenario, but it's nice seeing something different.)

Edited March 10, 2015 by Bastet

[jnymph]

Tia said in an interview I saw online that she started going out a bit more in New Orleans; she said the people are so fun-loving and friendly, it's rather impossible not to.

 

She always has her nails done, so it seems that's something she likes, whereas hair and make-up aren't, so she only does the latter when she feels like she has to.

 

I'm working out of my home office today with a fairly light workload, so this morning I watched an old episode in which Mariah had to have her dog Sloth (a deaf, epileptic dog that had been part of a rescue four years prior; she was going to nurse him back to health and socialize him, but quickly wound up keeping him as her own) put to sleep.  It was so sad, but also so sweet to see Mariah - having just learned there was nothing to be done to improve his quality of life and realizing the non-selfish and humane thing to do was euthanasia - just break down in Tia's arms, Tia crying just as hard and saying, "I'm sorry" over and over, then Tia quietly calling the other kids to tell them to come up to the house, where they all immediately offered condolences and support.

 

It's nice to see a family that's tight knit, but not constantly slobbering over each other with hugs and affection.  (There's nothing wrong with the latter scenario, but it's nice seeing something different.)

Bastet, do you happen to have the link to the interview? I'd love to read it.  

 

I too, think it's refreshing to see a family love and support each other in their own way.

[Bastet]

Sorry, I don't remember which interview it was as I watched a few.  One of the ones on the show's website, possibly the one about answering fans' Facebook questions.

[Guest dutronc]

I feel like I haven't seen Mariah around in the last few episodes, but maybe I'm watching them out of order. Is she off doing something else?

[Bastet]

According to her bio on the show's website, she has her hand in several things other than dog rescue.  So she's probably not around as much.

[Guest dutronc]

Ok, thanks! I wasn't sure if I missed something on the show. I like her, so I hope to see her in an upcoming episode.

[Bastet]

I recently watched season one, and it's interesting to see how much Tania and Mariah have grown up since then.  Mariah was only 17 when the show started, and I don't think Tania is that much older than her, so it makes sense, but "knowing" them now, it's kind of funny to see them in this larval stage of half responsible member of the VRC team/half unambitious teenager.

 

They've stepped up and taken on more responsibility over the years, especially Tania, but I think Tia changed, too -- understanding they needed to be praised and thanked, too, when appropriate, not just told what they were doing wrong.  As Mariah said, "I wish she'd trained me the way she does the dogs," and I think Tia realized she did need to incorporate some of that.

 

Watching the dynamic between Tia and Tania back then was quite interesting to me.  Tania was so desperate to please Tia that she'd get really upset when Tia corrected her on something.  So to Tania it was, "I know what I'm doing (in training dogs), so why do I have to keep proving myself to her before she'll let me do more?" and to Tia it was, "She knows what to do, but she gets frustrated and gives up, so how can I rely on her?" 

 

They talk a lot about Tania as Tia's "Mini Me," and I certainly see that, but one of the funniest similarities to me is one between Tia and Mariah:  while their speaking voices don't sound much alike, the baby voice they use when talking to dogs is incredibly similar.

Edited September 30, 2015 by Bastet

[Bastet]

Yikes - Tia dislocated her knee and broke her leg in two places (by jumping over the back of the couch and landing wrong - isn't it always something stupid like that that winds up really injuring you?), had surgery, had some post-op complications (including a blood clot) and wound up back in hospital, finally got back out, but needs to have at least one more surgery, and is pretty well down for the count for the next couple of months.  Lucky is taking care of her. :-)

 

(A friend emailed me posts from Tia's Facebook page.)

[walnutqueen]

Dang, that is tough news.  I'd guess Tia isn't too happy about being laid up, or being looked after by anyone.  I wish her a speedy recovery.

 

It sucks getting older and having stupid little "accidents" take you down.  Last year I torqued my foot on a teensy <4" step in my home and was hobbled for 5 months; this year I sprained the same foot/ankle in my sleep - doing absolutely nothing!  :~)

[jnymph]

Dang, that is tough news.  I'd guess Tia isn't too happy about being laid up, or being looked after by anyone.  I wish her a speedy recovery.

 

It sucks getting older and having stupid little "accidents" take you down.  Last year I torqued my foot on a teensy <4" step in my home and was hobbled for 5 months; this year I sprained the same foot/ankle in my sleep - doing absolutely nothing!  :~)

 

Eek ! Poor Tia and WQ too !  

 

Tia is one lady that will be chomping at the bit having to rest and heal.   Hope she doesn't get a bug up her butt and try to move around too soon 

[SunnyBeBe]

I've been watching this show from day one and was just wondering if anyone knows what the status of Tia's husband is.  I know that he had a long prison sentence and was possibly in for Life.  Has anyone heard an update?

 

 At times, I wonder if she is interested in some of the men she meets now or is she still unavailable? There is one in particular that seemed to be quite fond of her. 

[Bastet]

Not life, fifteen years.  He's still in.

[Maharincess]

I've been reading about his case.  Tia sure didn't tell the whole story.  They found a lot more than just a stolen motorcycle. And the stolen motorcycle they found that she insisted wasn't her husband's just happened to be an exact replica of a motorcycle he had wrecked.  His motorcycle and the stolen motorcycle were found next to each other.  He was going to use the stolen one to fix his wrecked one. 

They also found locked boxes that Tia said had things that belonged to both of them.  In the boxes they found heroin, marijuana and paraphernalia.  The boxes also contained numerous social security cards and IDs that weren't Aron's or Tia's. 

But of course, this life long criminal is innocent! 

Edited May 24, 2016 by Maharincess

[Talky Tina]

I don't see a media thread. 

http://m.wdsu.com/news/star-of-pit-bulls-parolees-says-she-was-nearly-run-over-by-pet-owner/40003864

This is insane. This woman is a damn hero in that city, and many, many others and  she's treated like this? Ridiculous.  I am thankful that there were workers there to help her because with her in crutches she wouldn't have stood a chance of getting away.  

[zxy556575]

People can be so shitty, you know?

I understood the problems Tia had in CA but it isn't clear to me why she sometimes seems to be at loggerheads with the police in New Orleans. Maybe they get a lot of complaints about VRC from people who think the shelter has their dogs or when they take abused dogs from homes. Tia can be pretty truculent in defense of animals.

Edited June 12, 2016 by lordonia

[Rlb8031]

Well, as a result of this incident Tia posted on FB that they are closing the NO location to visitors again - permanently. Seems there was another incident the day before where a family came and went into and area marked "Do Not Enter" (I think you can see it in the video posted above) and began scaring the animals in that area. When staff came to respond to all the commotion, the family got belligerent and had to be escorted out. The combination of the two incidents seem to have Tia spooked about her personal safety and the safety of the dogs. So thanks idiots, for ruining it for the rest of us...

[Bastet]

They've had a lot of more minor problems with that being a public facility, so I'm not surprised these two more serious recent incidents (the attempted attack reported above, and someone sneaking away from the tour to access a restricted area and mess with the dogs who are afraid of people, becoming belligerent when confronted*) finally forced their hand, given the security measures they were already forced to take.

Even though it will be by appointment now, it's still far more accessible than the L.A. location was, or the country location is (meaning more people willing to go there to adopt, and to volunteer their time walking/socializing the dogs).  So hopefully this won't be too bad for the dogs (as Tia said, they've never had a tour lead to an adoption), but it will definitely have an impact on the money they bring in, when they're already struggling.  It's a shame, but they get things like people saying one of them "spoke to me through the TV," and there's no real way to screen for that.  I think especially in light of that young singer being shot and killed at a meet and greet, they're tired of being spooked.

*Or, you know, what the previous poster said around the same time.  Sorry for the duplicate.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Bastet

[zxy556575]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

So hopefully this won't be too bad for the dogs (as Tia said, they've never had a tour lead to an adoption), but it will definitely have an impact on the money they bring in, when they're already struggling.

No adoptions from all the tours!? That's a crazy statistic. So it's all just curiosity seekers who likely don't donate much, either. Blech.

[Rlb8031]

The no adoptions from the tours thing isn't entirely a surprise. Very few people are in a position to make a snap decision about getting a dog. And I'm sure given Tia's adoption rules (the big one being no first time dog owners but then the home check, etc.), that decreases the numbers even more. Seems to me that locals are the most likely to adopt and the least likely to tour (how many of you guys do touristy kinds of stuff in your own town/city?) so the combination of the two facts leads to not a lot of people coming to tour and then ultimately leaving with a dog. However, it does seem like they have a lot of volunteers that end up taking animals...

[Talky Tina]

It's so upsetting to me that somebody tried to run Tia over, I just can't imagine why somebody would do something like that to a person who dedicates her life to saving dogs, or to anybody really.    It's a crazy, scary world out there. 

I don't care about her husband's record or if she told the entire story of his arrest, it's nobodies business but theirs.  I care about what she does for dogs and she does so much, think about how many dogs would have been dumped on the streets if she hadn't taken them in.   She may not be everyone's cup of tea but I really admire her.  

She said today that the 2 incidents coming right before the young woman from The Voice being shot while meeting with the public made her realize they needed to shut down.  She also said she and her family won't be making many public appearances any more.  It is sad that a few rotten people can ruin things for everyone else.  

[Mu Shu]

On May 24, 2016 at 6:13 PM, Maharincess said:

I've been reading about his case.  Tia sure didn't tell the whole story.  They found a lot more than just a stolen motorcycle. And the stolen motorcycle they found that she insisted wasn't her husband's just happened to be an exact replica of a motorcycle he had wrecked.  His motorcycle and the stolen motorcycle were found next to each other.  He was going to use the stolen one to fix his wrecked one. 

They also found locked boxes that Tia said had things that belonged to both of them.  In the boxes they found heroin, marijuana and paraphernalia.  The boxes also contained numerous social security cards and IDs that weren't Aron's or Tia's. 

But of course, this life long criminal is innocent! 

wasnt there an episode showing him in court in an orange jumpsuit?   You don't get an orange jumpsuit for jaywalking.

im surprised this show is still on.   It was interesting for a time, but got old fast.  

[GreyBunny]

On 6/15/2016 at 2:00 PM, Mu Shu said:

You don't get an orange jumpsuit for jaywalking.

He got into a shootout with cops and allegedly belonged to the  Aryan Brotherhood.  But he's just "misunderstood" according to Tia.  

On 6/15/2016 at 2:00 PM, Mu Shu said:

Tia sure didn't tell the whole story.

She's lied about so many situations and publicly badmouthed so many people when she doesn't get her way, I wouldn't trust her to tell me the sky was blue on a sunny day.

Edited December 6, 2016 by GreyBunny

[Calamity Jane]

On 12/5/2016 at 10:15 PM, GreyBunny said:

He got into a shootout with cops and allegedly belonged to the  Aryan Brotherhood.  But he's just "misunderstood" according to Tia.  

She's lied about so many situations and publicly badmouthed so many people when she doesn't get her way, I wouldn't trust her to tell me the sky was blue on a sunny day.

I have tremendous admiration for what Tia and her family do for the dogs, but I've always taken her accounts of her husband's troubles with a huge pinch of salt.  The courts are just so overburdened these days that it's difficult to imagine a prosecutor going after someone for something as minor as she tried to make it seem.   The whole story reeked of her glossing over significant details, and thank you, Greybunny, for clarifying.  She seems to have a pretty big blind spot where his doings are concerned.  

But relocating to NO certainly cut into possible visits in a pretty drastic way, didn't it?  I know after they were denied permission to stay in Tehachapi (was her husband in the prison there?  anybody know? The dad of a childhood friend of my son's is there on a life sentence for murder), they were in a serious fix, but wow, NO is a long, long way from California.  It's a really good thing for dogs in that part of Louisiana, though.  The South seems to operate in a time vacuum reminiscent of attitudes from my childhood in the 50s when it comes to spaying, neutering, keeping dogs in fenced yards, etc.  She's chipping away at that whole ethos, but it's a monumental task.  

I was watching old episodes from the Tehachapi days last night, and my, how everyone has changed since then!  Tia perhaps most of all - she was so off-balance, so short-tempered with the girls, so seemingly insecure about everything.  Perhaps getting out of California, physically farther away from the drama of husband-in-prison, plus the girls maturing into terrific adults helped her achieve a more stable version of herself.  It was really striking to realize how much they have all evolved.  I do wish they had a facility more like the one in Tehachapi, though, for their main location.  It was so much nicer, and although the heat is pretty bad in the summers, I doubt it's as bad as the heat + humidity of NO.  

[Maharincess]

I just read on Facebook that Kanani's house burned down just a few days after they moved in. He, his (wife?) Mariah and all of their dogs are ok but they've lost everything.  So sad. I love the twins, they just seem so happy and full of life.  This really sucks for them. 

[jnymph]

19 hours ago, Maharincess said:

I just read on Facebook that Kanani's house burned down just a few days after they moved in. He, his (wife?) Mariah and all of their dogs are ok but they've lost everything.  So sad. I love the twins, they just seem so happy and full of life.  This really sucks for them. 

Oh no, that's just awful !  :(   I've always liked the twins too. 

[chenoa333]

That is so tragic! How did the fire start? 

[Maharincess]

I'm not sure how it started, I don't remember if Tia said or not. 

I was poking around their Facebook pages and also saw a post from Tia about them being "catfished". I was going to post it here but its too long.  She said it happens all the time that people will call or email and tell them they're sending a huge donation that never comes.  She said one guy said he was a truck driver and was bringing them a semi truck full of hundreds of dog crates.  He was texting the whole time telling them which exit he had just passed on his way to them. He said he had just taken their exit and would be there in 5 minutes.  The had a big crew outside ready to unload the crates and the asshole never showed up.  Tia called the company who said they'd never heard of him and they don't even make dog crates. 

Another one said he was sending a very, very large cash donation.  They did a lot of checking and the guy and the donation seemed legit. Tia spent a lot of the money ahead of time on much needed supplies and the donation never came. 

I hate people.  Why would somebody do something like that?  Does it give people pleasure to mess with people like that?  The people at the rescue dedicate their lives to helping dogs and people do shit like this to them.  People suck.  

[chenoa333]

Holy shit! That breaks my heart. What the fuck is wrong with people these days? I swear Armageddon is near and there will be an end to human waste like the above mentioned pieces of sick disgusting crap. Animal rescue/welfare is hard enough and very heartbreaking and then vermin like this come along? What the f is happening?

[LadyNebula]

I realized we haven't seen Tonia's husband Perry in awhile.  Hope all is well with him/them as a couple.

[Bastet]

32 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

I have watched all the seasons but can't remember what Tia's husband went to jail for. How long is his sentence? I keep thinking that surely, any season now, he should be out. I mean, people who have committed manslaughter and stuff are out in 5. 

Yeah, it was burglary and theft charges, not violent crimes, that sent him back to prison, but under CA's disgusting "three strikes" law, he was actually eligible for a life sentence.  He took a deal of around 15 years.  This happened maybe ten years ago, so he still has a while to go before release.

[Rlb8031]

12 hours ago, Bastet said:

Yeah, it was burglary and theft charges, not violent crimes, that sent him back to prison, but under CA's disgusting "three strikes" law, he was actually eligible for a life sentence.  He took a deal of around 15 years.  This happened maybe ten years ago, so he still has a while to go before release.

And, IIRC in CA you have to do your parole in the state (there are extremely limited cases where they'll let you transfer your parole) which was an issue for some of the parolees when Tia first moved to NO. There were a couple of guys whose POs refused to allow them to move out of state and transfer their parole because their job had relocated (one dude couldn't even travel out of state to assist with the move). So it's possible that if Aaron (Aren??) gets released and has 2-3 years of parole it will be a long time before he makes it back to his wife and kids...

Speaking of which, does anyone recall whether he is actually the girls' father?

Edited September 13, 2017 by Rlb8031

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Rlb8031 said:

Speaking of which, does anyone recall whether he is actually the girls' father?

No, he's not.  Tania's dad is Tia's first husband (where the Torres comes from), and Mariah's father is a man to whom Tia was never married but was with for quite some time.  The Agua Dulce property was originally theirs together.

Quote

And, IIRC in CA you have to do your parole in the state (there are extremely limited cases where they'll let you transfer your parole) which was an issue for some of the parolees when Tia first moved to NO. There were a couple of guys whose POs refused to allow them to move out of state and transfer their parole because their job had relocated (one dude couldn't even travel out of state to assist with the move). So it's possible that if Aaron (Aren??) gets released and has 2-3 years of parole it will be a long time before he makes it back to his wife and kids...

Oh my, I am losing it - I could have sworn I included a paragraph with that information for the same reason you did - that talking about his release date triggers the thought that he'd likely have to remain in CA for a while even after release - but, lo and behold, I just thought it but didn't type it.  Yikes.  Anyway, yes, on top of the 15-year-sentence (which, as a "three strikes" offender, he's not eligible to have reduced by work/good behavior credits), Aren would probably have to remain in CA for his parole period after being released.

Edited September 13, 2017 by Bastet

[Rlb8031]

1 minute ago, Bastet said:

No, he's not.  Tania's dad is Tia's first husband (where the Torres comes from), and Mariah's father is a man to whom Tia was never married but was with for quite some time.  The Agua Dulce property was originally theirs together.

Oh my, I am losing it - I could have sworn I included a paragraph with that information for the same reason you did - that talking about his release date triggers the thought that he'd likely have to remain in CA if he was paroled, I just thought it but didn't type it.  Yikes.  Anyway, yes, on top of the 15-year-sentence (which, as a "three strikes" offender, he's not eligible to have reduced by work/good behavior credits), Aren would probably have to remain in CA for his parole period after being released.

ESP - Extra-Sensory Posting. I read your mind and posted it for you! LOL!

[SunnyBeBe]

I read that Tia's husband's date for eligibility for parole was in July of 2017.  I wonder why he didn't make it.  If he can move from CA to LA, once on parole, I'd be cautious if I were Tia.  He's had so many issues with the law, I'd be hesitant for him to ruin the good thing she now has in LA.  Unless, she's changed her tune about him, she seems to see him through rose colored glasses.  Not wise when you are in her kind business.  

Edited November 13, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[Teri313]

Does anyone know - are Tia and AJ still married? In a recent episode, she was sorting through a huge pile of mail, kind of overwhelmed by it, and then she casually says, "Maybe I'll find my next husband in this pile." And that's when I noticed that she's not wearing a wedding band anymore, and I'm pretty sure she used to. She's such a good person, I really would like to see her happy and not so beat up all the time.

[Maharincess]

I just caught a video of Tia, I haven't seen the show in a while and I was shocked at her appearance. She looks 20 years older than the last time I watched the show. In the video she looked like she didn't have any teeth.  I hope she slows down a bit and takes care of herself. 

[CJKing]

54 minutes ago, Maharincess said:

I just caught a video of Tia, I haven't seen the show in a while and I was shocked at her appearance. She looks 20 years older than the last time I watched the show. In the video she looked like she didn't have any teeth.  I hope she slows down a bit and takes care of herself. 

I thought the same thing. I hope she takes care of herself. 

[Rlb8031]

I feel like after she broke her leg, she aged YEARS...

She always had a stressful life, but it never looked like she carried it on herself, and even after they moved to NO, she cleaned up really well at Perry and Tania's wedding. But now she looks really, really, really tired and old.