Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Ah, For the Love of Pits! (Reply)


(Picture Left: Leo, gratefully accepting a kiss from one of the shelter volunteers. What's more, Leo, loves to give hugs!)


In a message dated 3/24/2009 10:02:27 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, Runwithmee writes: i was the, i guess, ironic and accidental beneficiary of the assholes dumping their "pitties" as you call them. Two orphans, showed up on my daughter's porch. She has the dog, i have the bitch. Sweetest, smartest and yes strongest dog i've ever had. Life support system for a jaw, but still. all required is to love them

Reply: I am so pleased and grateful for your daughter rescuing the two abandoned Pittie puppies. They are very lucky dogs indeed!

As you know, Pitbulls have garnered a very undeserved reputation.....not because there is something wrong with the dogs, but because there are many things wrong with the people who breed, abuse and abandon them.

Most people don't realize this fact, but the #1 breed recommended by the AKC to be with children are American Staffordshire Terriers!

How ironic is it that the best breed of dog to be with kids would be the most abused and tormented by human adults?

So many things in life sometimes make no sense.

It also makes no sense that an unneutered male Chow and unneutered male Pitbull would be a bonded pair of dogs.

But, that's exactly what was the case when a man abandoned Tommy (the Chow adopted out a few days ago) and Leo, the Pitbull who Fiorouzeh and I picked up yesterday from the pound after Leo landed on Sunday morning's shelter kill list for "Kennel Cough."

Unfortunately, we could not place these dogs together in the same home for all the reasons cited a few days ago on this blog.

But, we did rescue Leo and brought him yesterday to a Manhattan boarding facility.

At first, I had doubts about pulling Leo and still have to admit he will not be an easy placement.

He is a rednose, purebred Pitbull. I can't say he is some kind of hound or lab mix, as we often try to do with Pit mix dogs.

What's more, when we first walked Leo at the shelter on Sunday, I almost fell flat on my face, as Leo is so strong on the leash!

But, when picking him up yesterday from the pound, we used a doubled-handled leash. That is a leash that has a regular handle on the end and another handled close to the dog's collar. When walking the dog while holding the short handle, it forces the dog to walk right next to you and makes it almost impossible for him/her to pull.

I would thus highly recommend these leashes for Pitbulls or any powerful breed that has tendency to charge in front of the walker.

Fiorouzeh and I shared dog walking duties last night when walking Leo the 20 blocks to the boarding facility. Neither of us had difficulty walking Leo with the appropriate, double handled leash. They are indeed a God-send for any dog that needs serious leash training!

Leo is initially a shy (and very skinny) dog, but once warmed up to someone, gives hugs and kisses. He actually stands and wraps his "arms" around one (like a person would) and nuzzles his head against one's torso!

Very, very sweet.

But, what's not "sweet" is the challenge and dilemma of trying to find any loving Pitbull an equally loving human home.

Too bad your family already has two rescued pitties. I would love to put Leo on a jet plane and send him to you. After all, what's one more?

Still, if that's not possible, do you have any clones here in NYC who would be, like you, willing to take in a nice Pittie who needs a loving person for the rest of his life?

Ah, for the love of Pits!

That we could only find the loving people to match the love of these very fine dogs. -- PCA

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