Hey all- ANYONE WITH ANY PITBULL KNOWLEDGE PLS READ.
My past weeks have been a blur of trying my best to help animals who many folks in my area don’t seem to give much notice to. Everything from roaming cats to Canadian geese, birds, dogs, and a few other critters.
During course of trying to help a fam of geese make their way to a lake without roaming cats or dogs snatching up the goslings, I happened upon the sweetest looking pit bull I’ve ever seen. She also looked pregnant. Not fat but her nips were very large, as if nursing.
She was in the yard of a man who oft lets his male dog roam and was frantically gobbling up grass and looking generally pathetic, giving me the saddest eyes she could muster. I quickly hightailed it home, grabbed some dog food, scooped some out for her, and left her with a plan to return & find her home after I helped goslings.
The goslings and geese got trapped in someone’s yard, [ of course—as I hadn’t slept and was wearing pjs, so obvi the universe set me a task to be seen by half the town whilst looking generally pretty haggard, fighting with a fence, and getting hissed at by a stressed out mama goose.]
By the time I helped them to lake and made it back to doggo, she was nowhere to be seen, so I set about asking folks in area. A young girl named Max walking home said she’d look for her and asked for my number, she seemed very enthusiastic to help. A woman further down mentioned a house nearby where a dog had been getting out and when I looked, she was sitting by the driveway as her family pulled in. She’d been waiting for ’em.
I spoke with the lady of the house. The dog had been her ex husbands mostly, but when he moved away she said she’d keep her. They’d had her about 4 yrs and she’d been taking care of her last 6 mo’s. The vibe I got is that she liked the dog ok, but didn’t rlly super love her. There didn’t seem to be any major bond, for the lady I mean.
Idk why tho, she’s a great dog. I immediately fell in love with her. She’s beautiful, extremely sweet and very well behaved. I wanted to make sure she’s well cared for so I carefully struck up convo and eventually learned the dog has been getting out past few weeks, has also gone through trash.
I asked if she’s pregnant or had she already had the babies? The woman had no idea what I meant. I pointed out her enlarged nips, she asked “does that happen when they’re pregnant?”
I asked if she’s ever had a dog before and she hasn’t, so I offered to help because she clearly knew little of what to do for pregnant dog (who should rlly be spayed, but I didn’t dare go there.)
I offered to walk her in case there are already puppies, knowing she’d lead me to them. She didn’t, and the lady wasn’t going to be back until later so asked me to keep her afterwards for a short while. I brought her back to my yard and gave her food & water. She happily ate, gave me a few cuddles, and laid down to rest for hours, pausing a few times to play with a toy I gave her.
When my beagle came and barked at her, she sweetly deferred to my small dog, even though she’s twice her size. A stray cat I’ve been feeding came into the yard and the large dog left it completely alone. Before that, while in my car for a short ride, some kids approached selling candy and she was also very good with them, even tho it was 5 very noisy kids close to the car.
She’s perfectly well mannered and non aggressive. I couldn’t understand what trouble she could possibly be causing this lady. So I asked the woman how she’s feeding her, letting her know I think she’s pregnant and that she needs extra protein, that I’d be happy to drop off some appropriate food and eggs for snacks.
The woman feeds her once a week by dumping a bag of dog food in an outdoor dispenser.
I wound up politely telling her that while I could see how she wouldn’t know, it’s rlly not safe to do that because dog food should be stored in a cool, dry place, like a cabinet. I said I thought it was a matter of time before that may make her sick, and she told me she hadn’t known and that she’d get rid of the dispenser she’d bought 2 weeks previously.
Days later, dog gets out again. Returns home. I only found out when I was calling woman to ask if I could bring dog food the next day.
I want to mention this because it’s very sweet, but the first day I found the Pitt bull, after I’d found her home, when I got back to my phone I had several texts from the little girl, Max, who had wanted so badly to help. I told her I’d found the parent but to let me know if she happens across any puppies.
Well then yesterday, about a week after I first met the dog, the young girl texts me : “I think I found her”, and sends me a pic.
Sure enough, it’s the pit bull. Out of about 100 houses she could’ve easily gone to instead, and having never met the girl Max, that dog somehow walked up to the one girl in the area who wanted to meet her. Walked right into her garage and put her head on her lap. If that isn’t someone looking out for that dog, or some sort of cosmic goodness, idk what to call it.
Anyway so I help the woman get her dog back..again. I also drop off some eggs and baby food with extra protein, and say I’ll have dog food tmr. While there, she mentions she may want to rehome her, that she doesn’t really have time for her antics of late. I chat with her and tell her I’ll help to rehome, but as she’s a pitbull, I rlly don’t want her falling into the wrong hands so please don’t advertise, that I’ll make sure I get someone who can give her love and attention.
Before I go, I ask if she has eaten. She points to the food dispenser outside that she clearly hadn’t gotten rid of. I ask to look at it. When I open it, the food is wet, so I pick it up to show her and say “this probably needs to be dumped,” but as I do, the dog food literally crumbles in my hand. I realize that beneath the surface of the top layers of kibble, it’s now all just lime green mold. So moldy that it crumbles to powder. It’s also covered in ants.
The poor dog was literally starving to death. Knowing she couldnt eat spoiled food, she was leaving to find food, and even more sad, she was returning to her family even though she knew they’d trap her inside or in her fenced yard again without any food. She clearly loves them, but in my opinion, they don’t deserve her.
The woman didn’t even seem upset that her possibly pregnant dog hadn’t been given any adequate food in at least 3 weeks. All the “antics” she described were mild compared to what most starving dogs would do. She’d gone through the trash twice, which I now know she was looking for food. She got out many times, again to find food. And she’d used the bathroom inside, the only time in 4 years, prob because she had broken down in hunger and tried to eat some of the moldy food.
The woman was about to leave and I asked her if she’d feed her first, she said “that was the only food I have.” I fed the dog 3 jars of high protein baby food and made her a deal that I’d go get her some dog food and help her rehome her if she’d please make sure she eats well until then and that she doesn’t leave her out unsupervised.
I also found out the dog had been pregnant 6-8 mo’s previous, and none of the babies survived. So now I’m not sure if she’s pregnant or if her nips are like that because they haven’t gone back yet.
either way, I’m now faced with the task of finding a home for a pittbull. In my area they’re not technically even legal to have in city limits, tho most let it slide if they’re not a nuisance.
I don’t want this dog getting hurt anymore than she already has been. I don’t want her to go to someone that likes dogs, I want her to go to someone who LOVES dogs, and respects them as living, breathing souls deserving of care.
The problem is, with pitties we have to be extra careful- there are too many sorts out there who would give them horrible lives I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I’ve no idea where to begin. I’d keep her if I could, but I can’t have another dog. If anyone knows of any pittbull foster program or any dog lover in the southern U.S. who may want to give this girl a great home, pls lmk. But to be clear, I will be making sure she is cared for so I will require updates from anyone. But any advice or tips, I could rlly use.