The Smiling Pit Bull

Who we are - part 2

Hi, my name is Zack and I am an American Staffordshire terrier, who may also be mixed with an American Bulldog or a Dogo Argentino, but unless you have a DNA kit handy, then it is all a guess. What I do know is that I am a big love bug, or that is what my mum keeps telling me.

I can't say I have had a good life. At the age of four, I found myself back in the shelter environment. Yes, I did say back in the shelter. I have to admit to spending my early years with my owner, then for reasons I cannot explain the day came when I went home to his friends place. I thought this was a temporary stay, but it wasn't and I wasn't too impressed with the new arrangement so I decided to escape. Yep, I could easily scale the owners 6ft chain link fence. Did I tell you how athletic I am? Well, the owner wasn't too happy, but I tried to tell her that I just wanted to be around people - at any cost. A month later I found myself at the steps of the Seattle Humane Society. I had to laugh when my temporary owner told the admissions woman that I was a Labrador x Poodle. What a joke. Of course, I was laughing at the time because I really didn't know what was going to happen to me, especially when my owner left me there and walked away. I felt betrayed and alone. Although the staff at the shelter were really friendly, they had other things to do and couldn't be with me 24/7.

It wasn't long before I couldn't handle being in the cold kennel watching people walk past my cage without even a hello. I heard the talk, pit bulls are no-good, child killers, dogs that are just waiting to attack someone. People would look at my bad cropped ears and just point and whisper. It didn't take long before I started getting a rash on my head. The vet kept checking it and trying to treat it, but everyone said it was some kind of mange and the level of stress I was experiencing didn't help matters. Of course, as I suffered more stress I started to bang my tail on the concrete. Yep, I ended up banging the end of my tail completely raw. I heard talk about amputation and I was moved not long after. About a month to be precise.

Well, I ended up at a new home and just knew this must be the one, my forever home. But I soon learned that this was a foster home and I would be here until I got a real home. All I knew was that I was out of the kennel and loving my warm rug. I was hoping someone would notice  teeth issues, a cracked canine to be precise, and the pain I felt, but no one ever did. Even the vet who checked me over didn't help me. It was around this time that I heard a woman named Faith was asking about me. One day my foster was ready to adopt me out, then she decided that she wanted to adopt me. All I know is that one day I was going to meet Faith at the shelter and I waited all day but she didn't come. I learned that my foster mum had decided to adopt me and I was going home again. I just didn't feel too confident anymore. I mean one minute I am home and then I am back at the shelter. But this time I was with my foster/adopted mum for about 8mths and it seemed pretty good to me. Some of the training seemed a little tough but I didn't complain, I would just do whatever they suggested, including no barking, at all. The pain in my mouth was getting worse but no one did anything about it. Then one day I went for a drive with my mum and she drove me to the shelter, again. I visited a few times to see my friends so this was nothing new, but this time I was taken in through a different door, only to find myself in a kennel and I never saw my mum again.

I was there for 2 weeks and I heard that someone emailed Faith to tell her I was back again. You won't believe it, but she came in to see me straight away. I didn't want to get my hopes up because every time I do, I end up back in the shelter. But it was hard not to hopeful when Faith seemed so happy to meet me. We spent 40 minutes together and then she went away, again, but then she returned with a man named Joel and another dog, Zoe. He was a nice man and Zoe was just bouncing off the walls, I guess she was a little exciteable but she is young and hopefully will grow out of that soon enough. I liked these people, though I was a little preoccupied with my teeth issues. Then they disappeared only to return again a couple of days later so I could meet Zoe to make sure we got along. Then they went again. About 4 days went by and by now I had sunk into depression because I knew people don't come back after that many days. I guess I was hoping that it would be an impulse adoption and Faith would take me right away. But now she is gone and I know people never come back when they have time to think these through an adoption. I was a 4yr old dog and most people don't want an older dog. But when I had just about given up, Faith walked through the door of my kennel. I recognized her right away and couldn't believe how much her face lit up when she saw me and I noticed she had a collar and lead in her hand. The next thing I knew I was walking through the shelter and was getting in her car. Wow, I love car rides, especially when they include me driving away from this shelter. Here we go, home sweet home.

Who we are - part 1

Hi, my name is Zoe and I am an American Pit bull terrier. As a 4 mth old puppy, I found myself alone and wandering the streets of Seattle until a lady from Seattle Animal shelter saved me. I was given the title of 'pound puppy'! Don't get me wrong, I much preferred being safe in the kennel rather than on the streets rummaging for food, but that place sure was stressing. I was stuck in a cage, surrounded by other squealing dogs and we were all waiting for that 'forever home'. I assumed my owners would come for me any day, but that day never came. Instead, a month went by and I sat waiting, waiting, waiting, but nothing happened. People came and went, and in that kennel is where I remained, and thought I would still be sitting to this day if it wasn't for Arlene.

Arlene obviously saw that I had potential and wanted me out of the shelter system. She showed up one day and introduced me to a nice young man named Tim, who then took me home and I gave me a great life. Though I soon learned that this wasn't going to be my forever home because he was a foster daddy, but he would look after me until I found a real home to call my own. After a month I figured I had won his heart and could live with him forever, but then I met a lovely couple who were looking for a sweet little pitbull. Well, I knew I was sweet and I was a pitbull, so pack my bags already! My trip was delayed because they also owned 5 ferrets and everyone was a little unsure about how I would react around them. So we set up a meet and greet, where I got to meet them in their home and everyone watched how I reacted to the furry little critters. To tell you the truth, I really wasn't all that interested in them. All I was interested in doing was bolting up and down the stairs, again, and again, and again. What a fun place to run around AND you can be sure I ran. Ok, now I admit I was a little excitable, but I was a puppy damn it and am supposed to be bouncing off the walls. Well, I was so preoccupied with being a puppy that I didn't even realize that this was the beginning of something great. Now three years on and it is still great!