Pit Bull with Special Needs Makes Everyone Fall in Love with Her
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When you think of Pit Bull Terriers, an image of a dog that is solid, muscular, and powerful will probably come to mind. While this description is fitting for most dogs of this breed, there are some exceptions to the rule. One example is little Delta, who is a Pit Bull that suffers from dwarfism. This is something that has attracted a lot of attention to the young dog. The Dodo says that when Delta is out walking with her owner Michelle Thomas, it takes them twice as long as it should for them to get anywhere because her dog attracts so much attention. While some people think the dog is adorable, others give them looks of sympathy. This is something that Thomas does not understand as she looks at Delta and thinks she is magical.
While life is good for Delta right now, things have not always been so great for her. Just two years ago, the poor dog was thrown from a car in South Florida. A good Samaritan so this horrific act and was able to go to Delta’s aid. They contacted animal control who came to rescue the dog. She was then taken to a rescue shelter in Tampa, Miami. Michelle Thomas is a dog foster carer with New Life Dog Rescue. When she heard about Delta’s story, she decided she wanted to help the puppy by becoming her foster carer. She made the four-hour trip from her home to the rescue shelter to collect her.
Thomas already had two rescue dogs at home; Mack and Bogart. As Delta was still a puppy, she looked tiny against the older dogs. Thomas estimates that they each weighed at least 70 pounds more than the pup. Despite the huge size difference, Delta felt at home straight away and got on well with her new canine companions. Delta loved to play with the bigger dogs. Although she had a small stature, she had a big personality. She wasn’t afraid to get stuck into a game of tug with Bogart and Mack. More often than not, Delta would win the game. The young Pit Bull also seemed to love unicorns. She had a stuffed unicorn that she fell in love with and it became her favorite toy. For this reason, Thomas treated her to a unicorn outfit of her own and bought her a giant unicorn to play with in the yard.
As time passed and Delta got older, Thomas noticed that the dog wasn’t developing as she should. One of the first things that she noticed was that Delta’s paws seemed to turn inwards a little. When Delta was around four or five months old, Thomas also noticed that the dog had stopped growing. Other strange symptoms she noticed were that Delta was having some difficulties with eating, and her breathing sounded a little hoarse. Concerned, Thomas took Delta to the vet for an examination. The vet then decided to do extensive testing to enable them to come to a diagnosis. Delta was eventually diagnosed with canine dwarfism. The medical name for this condition is achondroplasia, which is a form of osteochondrodysplasia. The bones do not form to full-size, so the dog is left with abnormally small limbs.
In addition to the diagnosis of canine dwarfism, Delta was also diagnosed as having a condition called brachycephalic syndrome. This condition is common amongst dogs with short snouts and it affects their breathing. Due to her conditions, it meant that the rescue would potentially have problems finding Delta a permanent home. Many people who are interested in adopting a rescue dog will only consider a dog with a clean bill of health. There are generally two reasons for this. First, people do not want the extra responsibility of caring for a dog with health conditions. Second, they do not want the additional costs associated with dogs suffering from a health condition, such as bills for veterinary appointments and medication. Therefore, Delta’s diagnoses were a setback in her bid to find a forever home.
Thomas fully understood that Delta could potentially need a lifetime of care, and she was also aware of the difficulties in finding permanent homes for dogs with health problems. With this in mind, Thomas discussed the situation with Kris Prossen, the founder of New Life Dog Rescue. A decision was made that Delta could remain with Thomas, who would act as her permanent foster carer. Prossen told The Dodo that they were glad to have had Delta in their care. By being taken to that rescue, they have been able to fund her veterinary care. They also have the funds for any future surgeries that Delta may need. Although they do not know what the future holds for Delta, New Life Dog Rescue has taken on the responsibility of taking care of Delta no matter what life throws at her.
Delta has already had some surgery to improve her breathing Following the surgery, she needed lots of love and care, which Thomas was on hand to offer. Despite her medical difficulties, she has become the sort of dog that her care team knew she would become. She is a lively and loving little dog that is very happy about life. One of her favorite things to do is to take a dip in the swimming pool. She is such a confident swimmer that she is even happy to dive underwater to retrieve a tennis ball. She can swim, run, and jump around just as well as any other dog. She is also a very vocal dog that tries to talk to everyone in her household. Thomas has described Delta as loving lots of attention. She loves to dress up and pose for the camera. Therefore, Thomas regularly shares fun pictures she has taken of Delta on social media because she wants to share how cute the dog is with other people.