Imagine a scenario where you come home after a hectic schedule and see your ‘paw friend’ wagging his tail and then run towards you to take a giant leap onto your lap. Seeing the happiness on their faces makes us energetic too, right? We all know how difficult it is for tennis players to manage their hectic schedules. Some listen to music or watch their favorite TV shows for relaxation. Others like to spend time with their family members, but then there are some like Jessica Pegula, who love spending time with their dogs in their leisure time. She even has a tattoo dedicated to her pets. What’s the significance of it, though?

Pegula has multiple tattoos on her body and one of them reads, “No Fear.” However, the most special among all of them is her ‘paw’ tattoo. Her love for her dogs is portrayed through that body art. Recently in a video clip from Episode 2: LIRR vs 7, Pegula explained a bit about that tattoo. She said, “My little paw tattoo. Actually, I got it a while ago. I think I got this when I was like 18. With my first two dogs, I’ve three.”

She previously had three dogs: Maddie, Tucker, and Dexter. However, last year she lost her third paw friend, Dexter and we saw her dedicate her Canadian Open to him. She even put up an Instagram post featuring some of the candid moments between her and Dexter. Jessica Pegula wrote, “A few days ago we had to say goodbye to our boy Dexter very suddenly. His favorite thing in the whole world was tennis. Chasing tennis balls and chasing serves. I love you so much. Everyone give your doggies extra treats tonight. We truly don’t deserve them.”

She even called Dexter the “most loyal man with the best heart“. Several tennis stars like Coco Gauff, Shelby Rogers, Caroline Wozniacki, and Anna Kalinskaya came up with heart-touching comments on that post. Now, this year as per several reports Pegula claimed, “We just got a new puppy in the house, so that’s really nice. That extra time at home makes me feel pretty fresh now and hopefully, that will help me the rest of the year.” Jessica Pegula is lucky to have surrounded with people who love dogs as much she does in her life.

Jessica Pegula and her husband run a charity that supports rescuing dogs

Pegula got married to Taylor Gahagen in October 2021. Both of them have a common love for dogs. Their wedding picture, along with their three dogs, is a perfect testament to their love towards ‘human’s best friends’. They even have a foundation called ‘A Lending Paw’, which teaches rescue dogs to be service animals.

Speaking about the whole mission, Jessica Pegula once revealed, “We wanted to help people afford service dogs. Not only is that about dogs helping people, it’s about people helping dogs, because we only work with rescues. It goes both ways.”

Last year, she was seen with a service dog named Ace during the US Open ‘Stars of the Open’ exhibition match at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. She described that as a remarkably well-behaved canine companion and also expressed her happiness to be a part of Ace’s training and journey. Even her dad, Terry Pegula, has also been a big supporter of his daughter’s initiatives.

For example, in 2018, he designed dog-themed shoes for his team Buffalo Bills. The sole motto of that initiative was to spread more awareness among the fans about helping the dogs who are in desperate need of shelter. Who are the other dog lovers in the tennis world? Let’s know a few more names in the comment box.