No One Thought This Growling Pit Bull Would Make It Out Of The Shelter
Source © Shutterstock
Karma Rescue of Sioux City posted the video of a female pit bull in its shelter that didn’t have a good chance of making it out of the shelter. The pit bull pup growled at the attendant and showed her teeth, which isn’t a good sign for shelter dogs in a city that has an active ban on pit bulls. It renders them unadoptable by law. Shelters are not allowed to place them in forever homes within the city.
The female shelter worker was afraid of being bitten but unwilling to give up on the juvenile dog. She called in Wade, a friend who was fearless as he leashed the dog and led her out of the kennel cage. The dog wagged her tail and barked as he slipped the leash over her head. She rolled onto her back in the grass and wagged her tail in delight as Wade rubbed her belly.
She was a friendly dog who needed training, but her time was up at the shelter. Unadoptable, she would be euthanized. The attendant was set to take her to the vet for euthanization in an hour when she sent one last text to the Hug Heart Foundation in Los Angeles, California. Pit bull rescues were full and unable to take any more dogs, but her impassioned plea to save the life of this beautiful young dog was enough to convince the shelter to take the dog.
Angel’s journey
The shelter worker called the female pitbull Angel. She took her from the shelter to a boarding facility for a few days, then had her shipped to the rescue shelter. The dog was within an hour of euthanization when two people made a decision that changed her life forever. It gave her a chance to receive training and the dog is nearly ready for adoption.
These wonderful caring shelter workers show the world what can happen when we work together to save innocent lives. Not long after the incident, the ban on pit bulls was overturned in Sioux City. After watching the video, it’s obvious that Angel had the potential to become a viable house pet. She is a friendly dog who was having a bad day when she growled at the attendant.
The likely cause of her bad humor was the fear of being in a strange place. We don’t know the backstory or if the dog was neglected or abused by its previous owner, but a little kindness and gaining her trust revealed a beautiful and loving personality in a pup who just needed someone to be willing to give her a chance. It goes to show you that we often judge animals by one incident when there is so much more to them.
The shelter worker could have joined public sentiment and deemed the dog a violent animal and a risk to public safety, but her knowledge of animal behaviors helped her to understand that being a pit bull didn’t necessarily mean that the dog was violent or dangerous.
The original purpose of pit bull breeding
Pit bulls were originally bred to perform a job to help people. The Smart Canine confirms that Pit bulls were originally bred in the United Kingdom for baiting bulls and dogfights. Pit bulls made exceptional ratters, riding the premises of disease-carrying rodents on farms and in other businesses. Today, pit bulls still have an essential purpose.
Fighting is an illegal sport that is cruel and inhumane, but it is one of the purposes for which its ancestors were bred.
. The breed is elevated over its original purpose. They make exceptional guard dogs and companions. Pit bulls have many other uses. They love to work and are used by hunters to retrieve birds and herding stock, and they’re known as all-purpose dogs. They’re friendly and funny when properly socialized and trained. They love to play and many families have found that they become integral parts of the family. When raised in a loving environment, they’re good companions for older children. Pit bulls are becoming a more popular choice for families, but there are still negative associations with the breed
Why are there so many pit bulls in rescue shelters?
Post Bark reports that Pit bulls and Pit bull mixes comprise the largest percentage of canines in shelters throughout America. Pit bulls do not need to have a record of misbehavior to be considered violent dogs. Some shelters with kill policies view them as a genetically violent breed and do not allow them to be adopted, as in the case of Angel.
She was one of the lucky ones who escaped a death sentence because of her breed. More people are coming around and realizing that Pits are like any other dog. Nothing in science confirms violent tendencies in pit bulls. They need socialization and training. Some are good family dogs and others are not. You will find this to be the truth for any dog breed.
Many owners surrender their Pits to shelters because they can no longer afford to take care of them, or they are tired of the time and energy it takes to care for a larger dog. There are not enough people in a position to adopt them because of the high number of surrenders and strays picked up off of the streets because of abandonment. Thankfully, the efforts of pitbull rescue organizations to educate the public are making a difference.
Final thoughts
Public sentiment toward Pit bulls is starting to change. More people are realizing that they’re not the monsters some have made them out to be. Yes, some pit bulls attack, maim, and even kill humans and other animals. Other dog breeds do the same, but we haven’t banned them yet. Some cities are loosening their ban on the breed, and people are learning the value of these animals. If you have a job for them to do, they’ll be happy to serve you. A well-trained pitbull can bring great joy to a family if they’re given a chance to prove themselves.