10/01/2025
October is pit bull awareness month, for us, and for some of you too, it’s every month.
Someone asked me yesterday what was my defining moment that made me fall in love with the breed. Now the wife scolds me for stories like this, but she’s not looking at what I’m doing currently, so I’ll share it with you.
When we first started rescuing animals I did it just to help the wife, while I agreed with it, nothing really connected me to it the way it had gripped her. We went south of the state line to pick up an abused dog. We were just getting one so I only loaded one kennel into the van. A kennel is a good safe way to transport a dog you have never met before, both for the dog, and the people as well.
We arrived at the animal control, and were led to the dog and the wife leashed him up and was off to do the paperwork necessary, following behind her I saw a dog in the corner of a kennel, the employees there tried to get him to move to the other side of the cage as to section it off so they could clean the area he was in, but he just sat in the corner shaking, and because of how he looked they were afraid to try to move him, so they just used the hose to clean the urine and waste splashing him, and further terrifying him.
I asked what and why they were doing that, and was told he’s just a dog and doesn’t understand. I asked them what would wind up happening to him. He said he was unadoptable, and would be euthanized. That’s when it hit me. We wound up taking two abused dogs home with only one kennel. This blue terrified boy with sores and wounds, got a quick bath with waterless shampoo in the parking lot, toweled off, and I asked the wife to drive home as I am a bit stronger than she is (physically) and if there was a problem I could better control it.
Five minutes into the ride home that scared unadoptable dog who didn’t understand what was happening to him, went around the kennel blocking him from the front seats and climbed right onto my lap. He sat and looked at me, and tears were literally flowing from his eyes as he gave kisses and laid down. My eyes may have been crying a bit too. That’s my moment. You see, he did understand, and I think he understood a bit too well why he was there.
He’s in a loving home now, and is quite the ham and never longs for love or attention. He came out of his shell quickly before he was adopted. See, love can reset the previous damage done. Time will heal the wounds, love will heal the rest. When the bills are too much, or there’s a big unexpected vet bill, or we have to buy a pallet of food, and I’m ready to give up on everything, I remember that day, and that ride home, and the love he showed resets me too, and everything is put back into perspective.
We can’t fail, they don’t have anyone else, we can’t fail. Help us change the minds of people, and share.
