Can I just stay with you? UPDATE!
Ryan Westward took on a mission at the beginning of July which ended up needing an overnight foster. It was a little tough to find a foster as it was recommended the rescue not be around other dogs or children. A non-pilot friend of Ryan’s stepped up to the challenge and wrote a very moving post.
The story does have a happy ending as he is in a loving home now, but it was an overwhelming rescue for all involved once they looked into his eyes and saw his demeanor. This poor guy had been moved around so much and so quickly to get him out of the situation he was in that he looked at everyone with a look in his eyes that said, “Can I just stay with you??”
The Bait Dog – Posted by I say Things So You Don’t Have To. (Read the entire blog post here.)
I got a call a few days ago from my friend Ryan Westward (for those of you Kansas Citian’s, he’s a kick ass DJ for 98.9 “The Rock”). Ryan is a pilot for an amazing animal transport group called Pilots N Paws. PNP transports dogs all over the U.S. out of shelters and to awaiting rescues and adoptive families, saving the lives of countless animals every year. Ryan called to ask me for help because he had a dog coming in to KC on a flight from Alabama and he needed an “overnight” for the dog while he waited for the flight to his final destination in Omaha. I asked around for some help but I couldn’t find anyone that could meet the qualifications of fostering a dog that was not recommended to be around kids or other animals. Of course all of my people (friends and family) have kids or dogs or both. Since my own kids went to their dads that morning, I agreed to take the dog on.
At 1:00 yesterday, I pulled in to hangar 6B at the downtown airport and awaited my passenger. All I knew was that he was a male Pitbull who was known to be really sweet. If you know me at all, you know that my very favorite breed of dog is the Pitbull so I was really excited to have one to babysit. A few minutes after 1, I saw Ryan pull up next to my car and I caught my first glimpse of the dog. As I watched Ryan unload the dog, I saw fear and sadness in the pooches eyes. Ryan extended the leash to me and the dog cowered and leaned in to Ryan’s leg, hesitant to come to me. After some coaxing, he finally let me take his leash and pet him. I looked down at the skinny fella and mentioned to Ryan how thin he was. Ryan then told me, “Ironically, his name is Fatboy.”. Poor Fatboy was so scared that I couldn’t get him to move and he was frozen in place. I picked him up and carried him to my car and gently placed him in the back seat and on to the pillows and blankets I had ready and waiting for him. Ryan then handed me a white sheet that he referred to as “The Woobie” and he said that the sheet had traveled with Fatboy all the way from Alabama. Ryan and I said our “goodbye’s” and I got in the car and dug down in my floorboard for the little Ziplock bag I had ready, full of treats. As an introduction, I bribed the adorable guy with yummy goodness. Soon, he was my best friend. During the ride home he alternated munching on treats and napping.
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Click here to read the entire story.
More to the story from KRQE News 13 By Gabrielle Burkhart
Fighters’ bait dog gets second chance at life
Police: Dogfighting ring likely mutilated pit bull
Updated: Wednesday, 24 Oct 2012, 7:17 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 24 Oct 2012, 5:52 PM MDT
ARTESIA, N.M. (KRQE) – A pit bull found mutilated was likely used as bait to train dogs for fighting, and now detectives are looking for the culprits.
The dog’s eyes were swollen shut, his face badly bitten. The tell-tale sign a male pit pull was used as a target for violence was that one of his hind legs had been cut off, according to police.
“It’s not mangled like it got caught in a tractor or something, but it’s definitely cut off,” said Sgt. Lindell Smith of the Artesia Police Department.
“I think they cut off his foot to make him weak,” added Cindy Perini, president of Paws & Claws Humane Society. “They knocked out his teeth, they withheld food, and they tried to make him as weak as possible, which is the idea behind the bait dog,
“They want them to lose.”
The dog was found two weeks ago in Artesia. Police said the 1-year-old pit they now named Amato was likely used to train fighting dogs.
When the dog was found, he was wandering the area around 12th Street and Washington Avenue, a place police believe may not be far from where he escaped.
Amato was immediately taken to a vet and treated for his injuries. Now, police are working to find who is behind this.
“For us to say that, ‘Oh, we don’t have any dog fighting rings here in Artesia or the surrounding area, or southeastern New Mexico,’ is just us burying our heads in the sand and trying to pretend like something doesn’t happen,” Smith said.
Smith added crimes surrounding dogfighting rings can include gambling, drug use, underage drinking, prostitution and child abuse.
For what he’s been through, those helping Amato heal say he’s remarkably lovable with dogs and humans.
“It just is such a testament to the dog’s general resilient spirit, that in spite of having been so abused by people and other dogs, he loves us all the same and is so sweet,” said Perini.
When Perini reached out to rescue shelters, it was Evergreen Animal Protection League in Evergreen, Colo., that immediately agreed to take Amato.
Pilots N Paws arranged for a ride in a private plane to Colorado where Amato will continue recovering.
“I think everyone that came into contact with him along the transport was teary-eyed when he left because he had just touched their hearts,” said Perini.
Many of his scars will remain, but Amato is on his way to getting a second chance at life.
Amato is currently in a Colorado foster home and will undergo surgery on his maimed leg before being fitted for a prosthetic foot. Perini said he’ll definitely be adoptable.
Police ask anyone with information surrounding these crimes to call the Eddy County Regional Emergency Dispatch Authority at (575) 616-7155. Callers can remain do not have to give their names.
Full Story Here:
https://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/fighters-bait-dog-gets-second-chance-at-life
