What is Pit Bull Rescue?

This Sunday, December 21, from 1:00 to 4:00, Petco of Cape Girardeau will host Pit Bull Rescue for their second Celebration of Rescue. This event will give the public a chance to meet the American Pit Bull Terrier and gain first hand knowledge of one of the most misunderstood breeds in our history.

Since we first began publicizing this event, many people have asked the question "What is Pit Bull Rescue?". As a way of answering this question, I would like to relate the story of Lonely, a Pit Bull that went through the entire rescue process.

I was contacted early last fall by the assistant to the representative of the 110th district, regarding one of her constituents that had been caring for a young Pit Bull. This dog had shown up on their doorstep, beaten up and starving. AT first they tried to make him leave. They quickly found out, once a Pit Bull adopts you, you are adopted.

Lonely, as they called him because of his very "lonely" sounding vocals, was cleaned up, fed and set up in an outside storage shed. His wounds healed and he quickly became a healthy, magnificent example of what a Pit Bull should be. What had once been a dog, thrown away by uncaring humans, was now a beloved, cherished pet.

Unfortunately, Lonely was living in an area that did not care about finding out the truth about Pit Bulls. Public opinion was formed by the negative stigma surrounding these dogs. No one cared this dog posed no threat to the community. He was a Pit Bull, and if he was not removed, he was in danger of being tragically "eliminated".

I drove the hour and a half to the home of Lonely's benefactors not really knowing what to expect when I got there. What a surprise I had! My first sight of him was standing loyally at the side of his "mom", with the sun shining on his sleek, copper colored coat. I was speechless. This was the first time I was to pull a dog from a loving home because of ignorance and what a dog he was.

I spent some time visiting these wonderful people. They shared stories of Lonely growing up and some of his likes and dislikes. All the while, Lonely watched me warily because he knew I was not just another visitor. We all knew this was going to be one of the hardest things we had ever done. I had to remove this dog from the only loving home he had known. The people that loved him had to let him go in order to insure his safety. He had to trust us to do the best we could for him.

Because this rescue coincided with the seizure in Old Appleton, Lonely was boarded by LaCroix Pet Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Over the years they have seen me drag in many refugees, but this was the first time I had to enlist their help for long term care. If they had any misgivings about this big boy, they never voiced them. For the entire week he was there, and all during his health checks and neutering, he was cared for as if he belonged to the staff personally.

Then came the time when Lonely's space was available at Mutts-n-Stuff Rescue in St. Louis. Mutts-n-Stuff is one of the largest Pit Bull rescues in our area. They stepped up in the very beginning to provide Lonely with a foster home until he could be placed in his forever home.

His forever home came in the form of a family that is dedicated to giving him the love and care that he has come to expect since back when he showed up as a broken pup on a stranger's doorstep.

This dog may have had a hard start in life, but he has known only kindness and care since he was a very young dog. He has been moved into different placees by strangers that have dedicated their lives to the unfortunates amoung us. He is a shining example of a dog that was raised with love.

I wish I could say all of my rescue stories had such a happy ending. I wish all of my rescues had been this easy. They have not. Rescuers lose more than they save. It is a sad fact of life that more dogs in the United States lose their lives than are saved. Many more are the victims of horrendous abuse and we do not find out about them until it is too late. But this is what rescue is. These successes are why we continue to put our hearts on the line. Rescue is all about being there when animals are in need.

Please join us this Sunday at Petco in Cape Girardeau to celebrate the successes and to honor those that have fallen. We promise you big sloppy kisses and unlimited smiles!