Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Meet the Bull dogs!

Isaac
American Pit Bull Terrier
Birthday: July 4th, 2000
Claim to Fame:Sun God

He was only 10 weeks old, but Isaac knew we were meant for each other right from the start. When I sat in his kennel at the shelter, he climbed into my lap and gave me a very gentle kiss. Later when I got up to leave he tried to squeeze underneath the kennel door to follow me and promptly got stuck. We have been inseparable ever since.

Isaac is my rock, my doggie soul mate, my port in any storm. He is sweet and gentle and greets everyone like they are a long lost best friend, even if he's meeting them for the first time. He is kind to other animals including with his canine brother and sister and head butting cat. Yet there are those who would cross the street when they saw us coming or back away after learning he was a pit bull. That makes me sad, not for us, but for them. Cleary a fully wagging behind and a big pit bull smile was not enough to calm their fears or assuage their prejudices.

At almost ten years of age he’s getting a little gray around the muzzle, but he is still young at heart. All these years later it is still amazing to me that this soulful dog was left to die in a dumpster as a pup. Someone considered him trash, but he truly is his mama’s most precious treasure.

Madeline aka Maddie
American Staffordshire Terrier
Birthday: December 25th, 199???
Claim to Fame: President, Counter Surfers Club of America, New York Chapter
Maddie wasn't supposed to stay. In fact, I used to refer to her as Madeline NOT Fraser, as if I could somehow convince myself that this naughty little dog hadn't charmed her way into my heart. She was a foster, a foster, a foster, until she went on a trial adoption. I cried every night for a week before she left, I cried all the way to the house where her new family lived and all the way home again. When the family called four days later to say that perhaps they weren't "ready for a dog," Maddie came home and never left. That was  eight years ago.

Maddie is my comic relief. She makes me laugh every day. She thinks she has the world by the tail and even when she gets into mischief, which she often does, I just can't stay mad at her. She is sweet and sensitive and a world class snuggler. Not bad for a dog who lived the first 3 years of her life on a 4 ft chain.

She is probably at least eleven now and could be older, she was an adult "3-5" when she was pulled from the shelter. Maddie the foster dog wasn't staying, but I am so very thankful that she did.

Zeus
American Bull dog
Birthday: March 31, 2000
Claim to Fame: Run Away

The new addition to the family, Zeus joined us in November 2008. Zeus is proof that sometimes dogs do know best. He knew he was my dog from the start, it just took me awhile to get on board with the idea.

He’d been at the shelter for four months and we had been best buds from the start. I loved him to pieces, but I wasn’t looking for a third dog. Two was enough, we had a nice even keeled household, why mess with a good thing? When a nice couple adopted him, I was wistful, but happy. He was a great dog, going to a nice home. Then he got lost. I spent every day for three weeks looking for him day and night. During that time I made a lot of silent promises to him if only he would be found safe and sound. Thankfully he was, thin and sick, but able to make a full recovery. He came home the “for the weekend” the Saturday after Thanksgiving and never left.

6 comments:

  1. funny how they come into our lives to stay

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  2. you are one, very lucky lady, and they are three, very lucky bully's!

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  3. Love this Kate!!! I never realized Madaah was the President of the New York chapter...but it only makes sense!!! This is great!!! Keep up the writing...its so cathartic!!!

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  4. I am so happy that you created this blog! I don't know if those pups could get any more adorable!!

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  5. Kate, your writing is fantastic and I'm so glad you posted a link on FB so I knew you had started this blog.

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