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PITBULLS IN THE NEWS
Patrick The Miracle Dog Story shared by: One day before St. Patrick’s Day, an emaciated red pit bull mix was discovered in a trash bag at the bottom of a Newark apartment building garbage chute. Patrick, as he was later named by the Humane Society, was brought to the Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls where he received immediate care. Patrick was treated by specialists who determined that he was found just hours from death. This extreme case of cruelty has enraged dog lovers around the globe, and the Garden State Veterinary Specialist clinic has been inundated with donations and inquires about Patrick. Doctors say that if he continues to improve and recovers completely, the Humane Society will arrange for his adoption. In the meantime, those interested in following his progress can find updates on his Facebook page:
Indiana Family Saved By Pit Bull Story shared by: They’re calling it a “phenomenal act of heroism by a dog.” And that “dog” happens to be a pit bull. While it seems pit bulls get a bad rep at times, one is being credited for saving the lives of his Bristol family members Thursday night. “It started here on the back porch, they said, underneath it. We have no idea how the fire started.” When the fire began, Kemper Hunter, his girlfriend Sarah Laughlin and their three month old baby, Shelby, were asleep. They woke up to their pit bull “Thor” jumping persistently on the bed. Kemper Hunter says, “We kept pushing him away like, ‘Yeah, we’ll take you outside in a little bit. It’s 3 o’clock in the morning. We’re asleep.’ We kept pushing him away and then I pushed him one time to turn around and he hit me in the face with both paws and he nipped at me and I sat up, you know, my dogs never done that.” Sarah Laughlin says, “I kind of peaked around the curtain we have in our hallway and seen the flames and smoke and it just freaked me out. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I just started screaming.’” Hunter says,”And we turned around. He had my daughter, which is three months old, in the bassinet, pulled to the front door ready to go.” They had only lived in this Bristol mobile home for a week… saying it had taken them months to find a place that would accept pit bulls. They say that’s a shame because Thor – regardless of his breed – is very smart and wonderful with kids. Hunter got him seven years ago when the pup was rejected by his mother. Hunter says, “He’s seven years old. I’ve had him since he was born. I’ve got him through parvo and I winged him through that. We went to jail together one time, to be honest. and he’s just been a fantastic dog.” A dog who has now given back to his family. And as they start back at square one in trying to find a new home, they say, now, more than ever, leaving Thor is not an option. Kemper says, “I’m overwhelmed. I mean I thank God for my dog. He saved my child. He saved my girlfriend here and he saved myself.” Sarah says, “He’s always been like our son to us, but now it’s like his our hero. He saved our lives.” The family lost everything all of their clothing, household and baby items and would be grateful for any help. You can make a donation to them through the American Red Cross Elkhart County Chapter. Stray Pit Bull Saves Family Story shared by: PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her “guardian angel.”The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon. The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as “Angela,” was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements. Angela didn’t have to do either to protect herself and her child — a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled. “I don’t think the dog physically attacked the man, but he went at him and was showing signs of aggression, just baring his teeth and growling and barking. It was clear he was trying to defend this woman,” Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse. “I don’t know what this man’s intentions were, but it is very possible this dog saved her life.” The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend. “You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid,” Jones said. “He was like her guardian angel.” After the alleged thief ran away, Angela quickly placed her son, Jordan, in the car and tried to drive off. Before she could, though, the dog jumped into her backseat, waiting with her for the police and animal control officers to arrive at the scene. The dog was transported to a local shelter and if his owners don’t step forward within five days, Jones said, Angela and her family plan to adopt the savior she named “Angel.” Animal control officers and shelter workers believe Angel is lost, and not a stray, because of his good health, sturdy weight and mild temperament. “It’s funny, that someone’s irresponsibility could have saved someone’s life,” Jones said of Angel’s possible owners. For Angela, it doesn’t matter where the dog came from, just that he was there when she needed him most. “I don’t know what his [the thief's] intentions were — I don’t know why he did it, but I’m glad that — we call him Angel — I’m glad that Angel showed up because I don’t know what would have happened,” Angela told NBC2 News. For a small town with a population of 46,452, animal control officers were kept busy Monday afternoon. Jones says they department also responded to a report about a boa constrictor in a church parking lot. The snake found its way into a car engine and was able to be removed without being harmed. It took three people to move the massive, seemingly random placed snake. “It’s funny, because we aren’t a big place,” he said of the Gulf Coast town. “And we can go for four or five months without the media contacting us about a story. It’s been a busy week.” Officers from the responding county sheriff’s office canvased the area and were unable to locate the suspect described as being in his 20s, tall and dark haired. Pit Bull Throws Owners Drugs At Police During Traffic Stop Story shared by: Moro, Oregon – A Sherman County deputy sheriff is crediting a pit bull mix from California for snitching on his owner during a recent traffic stop after a marijuana and hashish stuffed sock came flying out the window of the suspect’s car. Sgt. John Terrel had pulled over a 1998 GMW with California plates just before noon on on Feb. 9th when he noticed the flying footwear. The defeated driver told Terrel that as he was being pulled over, he attempted to hide the sock. His pit bull mix noticed the sock and grabbed it, starting a game of tug-of-war. The dog won, throwing the drug stuffed sock out the window of the car as Terrel approached. Sherman County Sheriff Brad Lohrey offered high praise for the playful pooch. “I wish everyone traveled with their own personal drug dog. It sure would make our job easier.” Joel Dobrin, 32, of San Diego, was cited for possession of marijuana and hashish, and was indicted by a Sherman County grand jury and charged with possession of a controlled substance. When the President Calls About the Vick Dogs (Best Friends Blogs) Now that President Obama has jumped on the Michael Vick bandwagon with an official call to Eagles’ owner Jeffrey Lurie to congratulate him for giving the quarterback another chance, all of us here at Best Friends are waiting for a call from the White House to congratulate us for giving Vick’s dogs a second chance. I’m quite sure that the other organizations that also took on some of the canine survivors of the football star’s dogfighting operation are similarly poised. The conventional wisdom on this is that the president’s people have put their finger to the wind and decided that Michael Vick has been sanitized for political consumption by his success. (It’s interesting to speculate how he would be perceived if he were having a lousy year.) Personally, I’m kind of tired of hearing and reading about Michael Vick and wish that the media would lose its obsession with the man, especially since any mention of or concern about the dogs who managed to escape with their lives from his care is conspicuously absent from his public statements.
While we no longer wait by the phone for a call from Mr. Vick asking after his dogs, the likelihood of a call from the president has brought new esprit to the switchboard team and I’ve put together some notes on those we call the Vicktory dogs in case someone puts the historic call through to me by mistake. The conversation will go something like this: “Mr. President, what a surprise! Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to commend us for giving the Vicktory dogs a second chance. Sure, I’ve got a few minutes to fill you in … kind of a presidential briefing, I guess. “To be quite honest, sir, it’s kind of a mixed bag as far as how the dogs are doing. After all, these critters were right there when Michael Vick and his friends were body slamming some of their doggie buddies to death and electrocuting, drowning and hanging others. Unlike Mr. Lurie and the NFL, Bad Newz Kennels wasn’t into second chances. What’s that, sir? Yes, he’s having a great year … yeah, a terrific arm.
“So, as I was saying, it’s a mixed bag on the dogs, though some are doing very well, all things considered. Handsome Dan, Cherry, Mel, Oliver and Halle have all been adopted and some of these guys were pretty shut down, you know, terrified when they arrived here. Mel was mentioned in Bill Plaschke’s article in the L.A. Times about Michael Vick … yeah, he interviewed Mel’s new family in Texas. Poor dog still shakes in a corner whenever a new person comes to the house, but he’s in a great home and that’s what counts. “What’s that, sir? Sure, we want them all to be adopted and live in homes with a nice family, but unlike Mr. Vick, the court has ordered that most of the dogs, based on their behavior evaluations back in 2007, have to pass a good citizen test before they can be adopted. No, I’m serious. It’s called a Canine Good Citizen certificate, CGC, and it means that the dogs are able to demonstrate self-control, sociability and friendliness toward people and other dogs. Actually, it’s quite an accomplishment for a dog who was encouraged to be aggressive or maybe was used as a bait dog. Sir? Oh, a bait dog is a relatively non-aggressive dog who gets thrown into the ring with a stronger fighter just to give the stronger dog confidence and a taste for blood. That’s right, sir, kinda like a press secretary. “Anyway, 16 dogs are still at the Sanctuary: Mya, Shadow, Lucas, Layla, Willie Boy, Georgia, Meryl, Ellen, Tug, Denzel, Ray, Squeaker, Lance, Curly, Little Red and Oscar. And they get a lot of attention. Most of them have health issues; some have bebesia, a blood parasite that spreads among fighting dogs and flares up occasionally. Some have immune problems that we speculate came from excessive use of steroids, but they continue to make progress.
“Ray, who was really shy and dog-reactive when he arrived, has earned his CGC. Oscar got his CGC and Shadow has made such great progress that he has a potential adopter coming to meet him next week. We’re very pleased. Most of the dogs are now social enough to share a run with another dog and some spend a few days a week in staff offices, getting comfortable in new environments with people coming and going. Yes, I guess it is a bit like the new Congress, except that most of the dogs would never bite you and I doubt that Congress people are able to share a run, um, I mean, an office. “Why do we do all this for these dogs? Well, Mr. President, that’s a big question but I’ll try to keep it short. First of all, we don’t believe that killing the Vick dogs, which many people and even some animal organizations wanted to do, would have been right. We know that they are individuals with the potential to have rewarding lives. They were like child soldiers kidnapped by warlords and forced to fight; no one thinks child soldiers should be killed just because they are damaged. Same thing applies here. Also, the Vicktory dogs are victims of a crime. As long as they are struggling to regain even a semblance of the life that should have been theirs from birth, then that crime continues to affect lives, dog and human, and is not yet a thing of the past, regardless of Michael Vick’s jail time or talent. You’re right, sir, it’s not funny and I’d hate to think of Bo in that situation, too. “Of course, no worries! I’ve got a pretty busy day as well. Nothing like yours, but thanks for calling and please pass along a Happy New Year to Michelle, the girls and Bo from all the animals and staff here at Best Friends…. Oh, just one more thing: I think it would be a great message to send if you adopted a shelter dog as a companion for Bo, maybe a cute pittie girl with a big smile and wiggly butt. Sure, we can set you up. Call anytime — you’ve got the number. And a good day to you, too, Mr. President.” Francis Battista Co-Founder, Best Friends Animal Society
Paralyzed pit bull looking for home (ABC News) June 9, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Some people never give up when things go wrong. And that can be said for dogs, too. Red, a pit bull, was shot almost a year ago when robbers broke into his West Side home. He almost died, but now Red's rolling happily into the future. Red's story is heartbreaking in some ways; his back legs are paralyzed from a gunshot wound to the spine. But his story is also heartwarming because of his survival and his battle to come back. At a no-kill animal shelter called "PAWS" on North Clybourn, Red the pit bull is on the move again, wheeling himself away from a tragic incident. "His owner last year was robbed at gunpoint& Was severely beaten, tied up in just a brutal assault and then the robbers went into the home and Red defended the home and defended his owner and they shot him," said Rochelle Michalek, executive director, PAWS. Red's owner barely survived the attack and the Chicago cops who found Red after the armed robbery thought he was dead from the gunshot wound. But thanks to the city's Animal Care and Control he lived. And now after ten months of rehab here at paws he's learning to be a dog again. "When he first got here he was paralyzed from the robbery and he had significant problem. And we took him in and since that point in time we have taken him to therapy and he's gotten much stronger ... he's got a cart. We take him for four or five walks a day," said Fran Barker, PAWS Adoption Center Director. Red arrived at PAWS last August. He went up for adoption for the first time in October. But so far it just hasn't worked out. Red is not an easy adoption. "It would have to be home that has more of a quiet lifestyle. Somebody that has had dogs before and preferably someone who has worked with dogs with special needs," said Michalek. "He's a great dog with people. He enjoys life," said Barker. When he walks, Red rocks and rolls. And even though he can't wag his tail, he's one happy dog. Visit the website below to watch the video! (Copyright ©2010 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)Paralyzed pit bull looking for home Can Attack Dogs Be Rehabilitated? (TIME.COM) There's something especially loathsome about torturing helpless creatures for fun and profit. And evidence of torture is what investigators found on July 8, when federal and local authorities working in teams across eight states staged the largest raid in history against the underground dogfighting racket. Twenty-six people were arrested (five of whom are scheduled to be sentenced to as much as five years in prison on Dec. 8 in St. Louis, Mo.), and more than 500 dogs were rescued, most of them pit bull terriers...... View this story by following the link below. Please take time to view the pictures and videos provided. Can Attack Dogs Be Rehabilitated?
With scars from bite wounds on her face and forelegs, Layla probably survived several prolonged fights. David Harry Stewart
December 15, 2009 Originally, I wanted to post only positive stories on this page, but unfortunatley, Pitbulls are mainly in the news for negative reasons. I had to post this article because I need people to understand how cruel people are and stop basing your negative associations to pitbulls on attack stories you hear on the news. All breeds have the possibility of attacking, you never know the story behind cases nor is the fact that their a pitbull true. I am so thankful that this poor girl has been rescued and is in good hands. I can only hope that law enforcement is actively pursing their search for her origination. Law Enforcement needs to do more about dog fighting and cruelty to help save these animals. HYDE PARK (FOX25, myfoxboston) - A badly wounded dog was found in the woods, near death. It's believed the dog may have been a "bait dog" in a dog fighting operation. The dog, named Turtle, had around 60 new bite wounds on him, not to mention old bite wounds. Some of those wounds were covered with homemade stitches. Turtle is shown below, probabaly heavily sedated to ease her pain. If I had it my way, those involved in dogfight, either Owners or Watchers should all be put into a pit (as "bait") with thier pitbulls. It is so sad that some of these dogs don't even get a chance in life.
Officials believe Turtle may have been a bait dog involved in a dog fighting ring. Turtle was taken to Tufts Veterinary Hospital in Walpole, where he underwent surgery on Tuesday night. Workers there believe Turtle would not have survived much longer than an hour longer if he had not been found. The Animal Rescue League is offering a $3,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in this case. Animal cruelty is a felony in Massachusetts. March 2010 Update:“Turtle” Thriving in Foster Home Turtle March 2020Three months after being rescued by the Animal Rescue League of Boston and medically treated by the staff at Tufts Veterinary Hospital at Walpole, the female pit bull type dog named “Turtle” is now thriving in a foster home. “After three months of recovery she looks like a completely different dog - she just looks amazing,” says Debby Vogel, manager of Volunteer and Educational Programs, and one of Turtle’s rescuers. “She’s making great progress in her foster home. She’s getting along well with her hound dog sister and the cats that she lives with and she also gets along very well with some of the dogs that she sees at work every day. She has a couple of dachshund friends and a cockapoo friend and she’s doing really, really well.” Coincidentally, says Vogel, her cockapoo friend is one of the dogs from last year’s Randolph law enforcement case, “which is kind of cool.” Photo courtesy of Amelia Hughes. Your tax-deductible gift to the Animal Rescue League of Boston will help to support our Rescue Services program, ensure that many homeless animals receive the medical care they need, as well as a chance to be adopted into a caring home. December 7, 2009 Today, while watching Pitbulls and Parolees, I learnt that from 2005 to 2008 nearly 1800 pitbulls were executed due to the City wide ban. Pitbulls were actually taken from their loveing homes and killed. I can't even imagine this happening. I would probabaly be in jail if someone tried to take my dogs from me. I am actually wearing a sweatshirt right now that say "My Pit Will Die Protecting Me, I Will Die Protecting My Pit....Any Questions?"
Snow (above) was a lost three year old, deaf, pure white female pitbull, caged at the Denver Municipal Shelter. Her family was desperately looking for Snow and soon after made the tragic discovery that she had been picked up and destroyed by animal control. More than 1800 pit bulls (like Snow) and pit bull mixes have been executed from 2005 to 2008. Hundreds more have been taken to shelters outside of Denver, in hopes they will not be euthanized. These shelters are burdened and overcrowded by Denver’s irresponsible breed ban. The following story is from the ASPCA. Click on their website to read the full story.....
ASPCA Rescued Pitbull Story - Nov 13th
This past July, the ASPCA assisted in collecting forensic evidence and conducting behavior evaluations of rescued dogs in a federal and multi-state investigation that led to one of the toughest crackdowns on dog fighting in U.S. history. Raids were conducted on various dog fighting operations in eight states and resulted in the rescue of more than 500 dogs. Now, after months of rehabilitation, many of the rescued dogs are seeing a miraculous change in lifestyle. Evaluated over the summer by a team of animal behaviorists, including four ASPCA staffers, most of the dogs are absolute gems with people, and quite a number are also good with other dogs. Vice President of the ASPCA Animal Behavior Center, Dr. Pamela Reid, who was a member of the behavior evaluations team, says, "We found the dogs to be true to Pit Bull reputation, they were extremely friendly with people. Most greeted us with wagging tails and smiling eyes, and while some were aggressive with other dogs, as would be expected from their history, about two-thirds of the adults and most of the puppies did not test as aggressive. With socialization and training, many of these dogs may well turn out to be excellent pets and companions." Check out the following pooches, who after surviving painful lives of dog fighting are not only ready to become loving companions, but will use their stories to inspire others.
Jakob One-year-old Jakob now lives in California, where he has worked with Our Pack, Inc. Pit Bull Rescue to be trained as a therapy dog for hospital patients, residents of retirement homes and school children. “The most important characteristic of a therapy dog is temperament, and as we know, Pit Bulls have loving, affectionate natures that often make them perfect for this kind of job," said Marthina McClay, Founder of Our Pack, Inc.
Meet Fae, whose face was disfigured after losing her lips as the result of a dog fight. After working with St. Louis, MO, rescue group Mutts-n-Stuff, Fae is getting ready to start classes for the Canine Good Citizen® tests. Fae has undergone reconstructive surgery and, with her inspiring story, she will make a wonderful ambassador for overcoming the cruelty of dog fighting. “It’s amazing to watch her discover new things and receive love for the first time,” says Gale Frey, Mutts-n-Stuff founder. “Fae is a sweet dog who loves nothing more than to be around people!”
Darmah lost part of her left front leg as a result of being forced to fight. She is now working to become an ambassador to children who have experienced similar losses. Darmah is living in her new forever home in Chicago, IL, where her new pet parent hopes to work with her at the Shriners Hospital for Children.
The following stories are from the Save A Bull Website. Click on thier link below to find out more about what they have to offer.
One of the top rated Search and Rescue (SAR) dogs is Dakota, an Am Pit Bull Terrier. Kris Crawford, who has two other pit bulls that are also certified Search and Rescue dogs, owns Dakota. Dakota is so good at what she does that NASA requested Kris and Dakota to assist in the recovery of the Astronauts, after the tragic 2003 shuttle disaster. Kris and Dakota were also involved in the Laci Peterson investigation. Kris and her team have been involved in many cases and have made national news on several occasions. Cheyenne, Dakota and Tahoe, in addition to their work as SAR dogs, are also certified hospital therapy dogs. They can often be seen at pet fairs, shows and schools, informing the public about their work and education about the Pit Bull breed. It is important to Kris to have the girls out educating the public about the true spirit of the Pit Bull and teaching children canine safety, as most fatal dog bite incidents involve children.
One day while outside in the yard with one of her “kids”, Weela suddenly body-slammed 11-year-old Gary and sent him flying into the yard. Gary’s mom, Lori, who was watching from the window saw the whole thing and was very surprised. Weela had always played so well with the kids, and she quickly rushed out to see why Weela would have done such a rough move given her usually calm, gentle demeanor. It was then she saw a big rattlesnake sink its fangs into Weela’s face, and she immediately understood Weela had saved Gary’s life by pushing him out of the way! Weela’s good deeds did not stop there, a few years later, Weela saved the lives of 30 people, 29 Dogs, 13 horses and 1 cat. Heavy rains caused a damn to break on the Tijuana River. Weela pulled 30 to 50lb loads of food across the river to a tiny island to feed the stranded animals the entire month they were there.
One night two armed men broke into Melissa Willis’s home. They pointed a gun at her while her son stood behind her. Weezie, their male pit bull, immediately came to the rescue. In addition to growling, barking, snapping and otherwise causing a scene, Weezie placed himself between his family and danger, and with every advance by the men, he pushed his family backwards until they were to the exit. He kept the armed robbers focused on him so his family would be safe.
The Number 1 United States Customs Dog is an American Pit Bull Terrier named Popsicle. How did he get that name? He was found during a drug bust in a freezer where he had been left to die after being used as a bait dog for dog fighters. Not soon after his rescue, Popsicle began training at the Canine Enforcement Training Center in Front Royal, VA. He then went on to work at the Pharr and Hidalgo bridges in Texas. While working at the Pharr bridge, Popsicle alerted to drugs in a tractor trailer. It turned out to be a ton and a half of cocaine with a street value of $139,605,000, the largest cocaine seizure in the McAllen area in 10 years. Popsicle later and went to work at the Port of Roma, Tex. While working in Roma, Popsicle made 24 seizures of Marijuana: 12,080 pounds with a street value of $640,000; one cocaine seizure of 148 pounds worth $6,719,200; and two currency seizures with a total value of $65,144. Popsicle and Rudy have done more than work hard detecting drugs, they’ve also made numerous public relations and outreach appearances. Popsicle is a dog who overcame his abusive start in life and had his chance to get back at the crooks. While working at Roma, Popsicle suffered a career ending injury to his knee - an injury that required surgery. Popsicle is now retired and is living a life of leisure at his owner’s home.
A little over five years ago, Norton’s owners heard of this “loser” dog needing a home, loser because he was a pitbull that ‘wouldn’t fight!’ We had two dogs at the time, a Rottie and an Amstaff, so we weren’t looking for another dog, but something made us call these people to find out about Norton. The owner said thanks but they’d already found a home for him. A week or so later the dog’s owner called back to say Norton was returned and offered for them to come by and take a look. When they went to visit Norton they found a dog with not only physical scars, but extreme separation anxiety. They worked with Norton on this but he refused to not be with his people, these people that loved him, cared for him and took him away from his bad situation, so the owners made peace with the fact that Norton would need to be with them at all times. Little did they know how much this would wind up coming in handy. One evening while in the bathroom, Norton’s owner was bitten by a spider. She was on medication at the time and it inhibited her body from producing any antihistamines, so she went into anaphylactic shock. She couldn’t make it out of the bathroom and could not make a sound to let her husband know she was in trouble. For some unknown reason, Norton got up from his bed in the closet and went over to her sleeping husband and kept pushing him with him nose until Barrie woke up. When her husband saw how upset Norton was and realized his wife was not there, he went looking for her and found her almost unconscious. She spent two days in intensive care and a week at home recovering from a spider bite that would have killed her within a matter of minutes if it were not for Norton. |
