The Pit Bull Next Door

[valancy]

I always take too long to tell things, so this is the short version: the angry pit bull next door terrified me until I fell in love with dogs, until I realized how horrible her situation was, until I realized no shelter I could find would take a sick, angry, overweight, old pit bull, until I stayed up nights worrying about her, until I started to

Comments

[ninasis]

Man, that sucks so much! We had a pitbull for 9 years and he remains the best dog we've EVER had...and believe me when I tell you my mother has had DOZENS of dogs. Spike wandered into our yard one day when I was 10, during the time when pit bulls were all over the news as being these vicious, aggressive, mindless balls of terror. So I freaked, of course, and he just looked at me like, "Psh, I don't EVEN care about you, but can I PLEASE have some water???" and drank almost all the water out of our wading pool. Turns out his previous owners who had been trying to train him as a fighting dog, but he didn't take to it. So they took him out to a field near their base, hit him with a shovel to try and break his spine, and then left him there to die. He walked at least 25 miles - Peterson Air Force Base to our house

[valancy]

Ok, now you made *me* cry.

That's a wonderful story. :) And thank you!!! For now, I'm going to make it a slow, steady progress, and try to go over there and give her treats, get her on walks, bathe her this weekend if she'll let me (and if her owner will let me). With luck in a few weeks it'll occur to him that he doesn't want a dog that just costs him money to feed and does nothing but sit in its own you-know-what.

[ninasis]

Well, the offer stands. I can dress in all black and we can smuggle her into my SUV. ;-)

[skogkatt]

Oh, that poor dog! I am glad you're trying to help. You totally just made me cry.

[valancy]

I'm sorry!!!

But at least now it there's hope! Before I was scared to death thinking no one would ever take her...or even go near her.

I'm going to go shopping for a leash and some other stuff tomorrow to see if I can start getting her out on walks - the owner said I could - and then it's just a slow steady campaign to convince the neighbors they don't want her.

Fingers crossed.

[aea]

I hope you can get that poor baby a better life. *hugs*

[valancy]

Me, too. :') Thank you!

[kuroshii]

pit bulls are called nanny dogs for a reason. they're the most gentle creatures. safe with babies and other animals...normally.

all that anger and froth you often see? isn't from their breeding, it's from their environment. the dogs get seriously abused staring in puppyhood to make them "suitable" for fighting.

i hope you succeed in rescuing this one, either by adopting her yourself or finding someone else to take her.

::hugs::

[valancy]

I've become this big pit bull supporter, too! I only just learned about them, really - funny. (I have a tendency to be obsessive when I fall in love with things. I guess I'm making up for lost time?

And I agree - the anger is clearly from the environment. The first sign of tenderness and she just melted.

[kuroshii]

all they ever want to do is please their master. they're a fiercely loyal breed.

[tommx]

Pit bulls are often maligned largely because often they are trained to be mean. They are actually naturally very lovable dogs.

As to your dog's situation, have you tried these people? http://www.operationkindness.org/index.php

If you were closer to DC, I'd recommend Washington Animal Rescue League. www.warl.org They specialize in rehabilitating animals in situations like this. Usually they tend to go more for puppy mills, dogs in situations like the one Mike Vick ran, and dogs displaced by natural disasters.

[valancy]

Thank you!!!

I admit I really want to adopt her...I've always adopted abandoned animals, and I'm scared no one else will take her. But I don't know if I have the right to force this on C., either. *sighs*

Either way, it would be better.