Meet Snowboarder Louie Vito's New Dog Gucci

Professional snowboarder and recently ousted Dancing with the Stars contestant Louie Vito "always wanted a dog," but his intense Olympic training schedule made taking care of a pet difficult. "I travel a lot during the winter," he tells PEOPLEPets.com. So what's a guy to do?

Enter sister and roommate Lindsay — also a pet lover. Vito, 21, decided that between the two of them, they could make it work. "After considering if we would be good pet owners — we decided we would be! — I adopted a 9-month-old pup," he says. "And I've been nothing but happy with her."

Vito met his pet at an Animal Advocates Alliance adoption drive in a Los Angeles park while leaving the Dancing studios one day. "She's a pit mix, white and brown with a brown patch over her eye," Vito shares. "I don't know why I chose her. I needed a dog that wasn't huge, because my sister would be with her a lot, but not too small because I'm not into 'fu fu' dogs."

After naming her Gucci — "Gucci Vito just sounded right," he says — Vito took his pup on the day-and-a-half drive from L.A. to Utah. "I drove through most of the night, which was good for Gucci since she slept," he explains. "It was lousy for me, though, since she wasn't good company at all!"

Now happily at home in Utah, Gucci is settling into her new life with Vito's sister. The snowboarder — who's finishing up Dancing duties in L.A. — hopes to join them soon.

Meet more celebrity pets on PEOPLEPets.com:
Stars Put Pets First, Even on the Green Carpet, for N.Y.C. Charity Gala
Mario's Great Puppy Hunt Continues, and He Needs Your Advice!

Kate Hogan with reporting by Aaron Parsley