Pit bull rescued from Vick dogfighting ring now helps cancer patients

[Contrary1]

:)

My pets were a great comfort to me when I was undergoing chemo. Animals seem to know when people are going through rough times. Nice story.



MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - It’s a dog’s life. And for Leo it couldn’t be better.

"Leo — rescued from heavy chains that confined him as one of the pit bulls in former NFL quarterback Michael Vick’s dogfighting ring — is a lover, not a fighter. He now happily frolics in a clown collar as he makes the rounds at the Camino Infusion Center, where he brings comfort to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Despite his training as a killer, Leo is a sweetheart as he visits his friends on the ward.

“He is wonderful, and all the patients love Leo,” said Paula Reed, the facility’s oncology director. “They really love his eyes and gentleness.” Six months ago, Leo should have been dead.

When officers raided Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels in Smithfield, Va., last year, they found dogs, some injured and scarred, chained to buried car axles. Forensic experts discovered remains of dogs that had been shot with a .22-caliber pistol, electrocuted, drowned, hanged or slammed to the ground for lacking a desire to fight..."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25214356/

[stevedeshazer]

1. Great story.

Recommended.

[PeaceNikki]

2. Yay!! What an inspiring story!

So many of these dogs are pure angels at heart!

K&R on a rarely posted AWESOME pit bull story!!

[Beaverhausen]

3. I'm so glad these dogs are getting a second chance

thanks for posting this. :hi:

[Maat]

4. Thank you, Leo.

Blessings (or positive energy, if preferred) to Leo and his human!

Thank the Universe that he made it out of that horrible situation alive!

[AlCzervik]

5. I can't take all that sweetness at once.

soooooo cute and what a great story.

[driver8]

6. What a sweet face...

and such a wonderful story to come out of all of this ugliness.

Thanks for posting this.

[flvegan]

7. Great story.

Dogs trained like this CAN be rehabbed. This should never again be an instant and assumed death sentence.

[Skittles]

8. off to the Greatest Page, Leo !

:thumbsup:

[MzNov]

9. I wonder if Leo went thru the Best Friends program first...

just look at that face..


so many of these sweet dogs were rescued and trained at Best Friends, then went on to be helpful and happy members of society!

http://www.bestfriends.org/

[catgirl]

12. 11th Hour in NJ is another great rescue facility

They took a scarred pitbull I had rescued down in New Orleans. Cheers
to all these people and to Leo.

[roguevalley]

10. I needed this. Last night, a friend of mine told me of a huge crowd

watching a bear in a gully near her house. She just thought it was frolicking but it actually had been shot and was trying to find a place to die. Some dumb ass actually was about three feet from it and was throwing rocks at it to raise its head so that he could get a better picture. Ass hole. May he burn in hell. Thank you for the good news.

[KittyWampus]

25. ugh, I'm now traumatized from reading that

sometimes I like animals more than people.

:cry:

[roguevalley]

47. I know I do. SIGH! How can people be so awful?

[aquart]

11. Thanks for posting this.

Normally I'm against dogs dressed up in ruffles. But not this time.

[RamboLiberal]

13. What a great story - cheers to Leo - K&R

[PeaceNikki]

14. The video in the link is a must see

:)

[hedgehog]

15. Several caveats:

1. His new owner is a professional trainer who gave this dog intense therapy.

2. I've heard other accounts of former fighting dogs that are good with people but aggressive toward other dogs.

3. I would question whether this dog is a pure pit bull.

I'm glad this dog is doing well, but each case has to be taken on its own merits.

[Beaverhausen]

16. Gee- thanks Debbie Downer. Here's a few links for you

many of these dogs have been rehabiliated and are just fine, despite their horrible starts in life.

http://www.badrap.org/rescue/vick/index.cfm

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/253902/36/

http://www.ajc.com/pets/content/pets/stories/2008/05/15/petdish_0518W.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/sports/football/02vickdogs.html

[flvegan]

17. I *almost* bothered with a response in regards to my personal experience.

Just didn't seem like it would sink in.

on edit: a response to "Debbie Downer", just to be clear.

[Beaverhausen]

18. Where have you been?

I know what you meant. :hi:

[hedgehog]

22. The video does indicate that the dogs were tested to see how they would behave around

other dogs.

From one of the other links:

This is the big secret. Most of them were dog-tolerant to dog-social. It was completely opposite of what we were led to believe," Reynolds said.


That info wasn't in the OP. A key point is that experienced dog handlers felt it necessary to test how these dogs would interact with strange dogs. These dogs passed, but some fighting dogs wouldn't.

[LostinVA]

35. ALL reputable rescues test ALL dogs to see how they react with dogs before being rehomed

regardless of breed.

That's a key point, and I don't even like pit bulls, much to my wife's chagrin.

[Texasgal]

19. What's your point?

This dog was destined for death, he has now been rehabilitated and now living a good life and is helping others.

Seriously... what is your point?

[hedgehog]

21. My main point is that this happy story may not apply to other dogs.

I'm glad the dog is happy doing what it's doing, but it may not do well in a setting with other animals. This dog had a professional trainer; the average person shouldn't assume they have the same skills. To my untrained eye, this dog looks like a mutt with some pit bull. It's disposition may be calmer than that of a pure pit bull.


Different dogs have different temperaments and a dog may behave differently with different people. Too many people have adopted border collies without being willing to put in the time needed to give the dogs the exercise they need. I think too many people adopt pit bulls without being able to give them the proper training.


FWIW - I have two dogs, one I would trust around other people, the other I wouldn't. Both go into a secure kennel when I have visitors.

[Texasgal]

24. I don't care of this was a pit bull or not

The story is a good story about a dog and people that helped him.

And I must really disagree with you about the issue of Pit Bulls. I rescued a pit that was tethered to a tree for five years and was angry as all get out. I am not a professional, I just love animals. I rescued this girl and she is a wonderful happy dog that now lives with a family. She lived with me until I could adequately place her, I have two smaller dogs and she was GREAT!

I will agree that many people adopt or come into a dog they have no idea how to take care of. That is another issue all together.

Pitt Bulls are not inherently nasty or mean dogs at all. I hate that they get such a nasty rep.

[hedgehog]

28. I've come across too many people who shouldn't have ANY kind

of animal, let alone a pit bull. I think for an average person encountering a stranger with a pit bull, the reaction is to be super cautious because too many jerks use these dogs to express their own anger at the world.


It's not the dogs' fault, but people of a certain type do go for rottweillers and pit bulls instead of spaniels and Chihuahuas!


My kids used to love the Good Dog Carl! books. I was surprised to realize that Carl was a rottweiller!

[PeaceNikki]

29. It's best to be super cautious when approaching any stranger with any dog.

[Texasgal]

31. ANY dog could turn on you or anyone

My Boston Terrier ripped my lip off when he was a baby. I had to have it surgically sewn back on by a plastic surgeon. Bostons are generally known for their loyalty to their owners and their ability to get along with children. I was playing ball with him and got to close to his face. :shrug: He is still a fabulous dog. My brother just had a baby, the baby came over and my boston licked his face. :shrug:

I think that Pits get a bad rap. They are lovely beautiful dogs. I have no problem with rehabilitation of ANY dog.

ANY dog can become a danger if not raised right.

[LostinVA]

36. And I have a border collie that acts like a "pit bull" towards strangers

until he's been properly introduced.

You know why many Border Collies are as hyper as they are? They've been ruined by the AKC and breeding them for "flyball." It's turning them into dogs with no off-switch. I'm glad I have an ABCA BC.

[JanMichael]

23. Well, only one had to be put to sleep out of the 50 or so.

These dogs all went to professionals for rehab--- just like folks with drug/alcohol problems, eh.

[foo_bar]

26. is there such a thing as "a pure pit bull"?

I believe that today there are:

a) "pure" pit bulls, often called "gamebred" because they are the dogs most often used by serious fighters
b) "pure" bred American Staffordshires, registered only with the American Kennel Club
c)"hybrid" pit bulls, who are a mixture of AKC registered American Staffordshire and "pure" pit bull
d) "pure" Staffordshire bulls

<...>

Any performance bred breed will vary in appearance. Show bred animals are bred to conform to a written standard of appearance, and because of this, they are more uniform. Purebred pit bulls range in size from 25 pounds to about 75 pounds.

http://www.workingpitbull.com/amstaffpit2.html

Granted it looks like a Shepherd/Chow-Chow mix but I guess there's a "one drop rule" of pit bulledness in sensation journo, or maybe it was known to associate with pit bulls.

[hedgehog]

30. That's a good question, because Some people call all fighting

dogs pit bulls but I think your definition "b" is the correct one.

When the Michael Vick story hit last summer, there was a report on NPR indicating that it is very hard to breed these dogs for meanness. Unless the breeder is "careful", he ends up with a kennel full of frindly dogs!

[Dervill Crow]

33. There is also an American Pit Bull Terrier . . .

The different distinctions of pit bullyness makes my head hurt, but a "hug" and a kiss from my own Daizie, who is a hybrid American pit bull terrier and English Staffordshire makes it all better.

:shrug:

[Skittles]

37. an ex-boyfriend of mine did pit bull rescues

the only danger they ever presented was with their tongues

[astonamous]

40. Is this a pit-bull?

This little guy was used as bait for a dog fighting ring in L.A. He came to us with huge gashes and a hematoma of his right ear.

Is he social? We live with four dogs, Casper is one of them. He is OK most of the time, but if he starts getting snarky with the other dogs, we either have to put him in a different part of the house or ask him to go to his bed. I would never take him off leash in public, especially at one of those disgusting dog parks, but then I would never let any of my dogs off leash in public.

Casper is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever had. He is a big-headed clown and I often call him my little bobble head because of the way he runs. He loves people and loves walking with me through the neighborhood. He is a good boy and we love him and are grateful that he is safe with us and didn't have to suffer the horrors of dog fighting.




The whole crew!



Casper is a Dogo (pure)

[Rob H.]

48. Aw, look at that face!

Looks like a happy boy you've got there. :)

[ColbertWatcher]

44. Stupid comment, self delete. n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. The dog in the pic is a pit bull? Looks like a mix maybe

[PeaceNikki]

27. That's a "pit bull". Looks like both who've owned me.

[Madam Mossfern]

34. sweet dogs!

We have an American Pit Bull Terrier. He's a sweetie, white with brown patches over his eyes and a black nose. Pit Bulls are very strong. Once while I was walking him, I was distracted looking at some interesting plants and he spotted a squirrel running up a tree. Damn dog nearly ripped off my arm and dragged me 100 feet. Now when I leave the house with him, I remind him "no hunting". He gets along great with my 16 year old kitty.

I need to find a picture of him.

[PeaceNikki]

42. Thanks!

Cocoa (top photo) is our current dog. She's a rescue and was clearly mistreated. She's a sweetheart, but so very submissive. When she meets new people she immediately goes on her back at their feet. And she doesn't bark. Not at all. She's NEVER barked. I kinda wish she would (like to let me know someone's approaching). She's coming out of her shell a lot now that she has 2 kitties.

Sam (lower photo) had to be put down 4 years ago. He had cancer. It was the saddest day ever. He was only 6 and was the PERFECT dog. A dream. Also raised by a cat. This photo was taken the day he was put down. He was so thin and frail here.

Both have tugged me on a rare occasion... they are hunters at heart! :)

[GreenPartyVoter]

41. Hmmm... I was thinking they had pointier noses for some reason

[Dervill Crow]

32. He looks just like my Daizie's daddy,

except Brasco is a red nose.

[Danger Mouse]

38. What a sweet looking dog.

[ConsAreLiars]

39. Here's Lucy, a street rescue who served as an informal therapy dog at

a transitional facility serving mentally ill homeless "at risk" people. Gentlest animal ever. After one instance when she accompanied my friend who worked there to work, the demand to bring her back led to a regularly scheduled Wednesday visit. The usual nice experiences but also some transformational changes. (edit typo)

[Contrary1]

43. Please...no flame-fests.

I posted this only as a happy ending to a sad beginning.

Some animals simply cannot be rehabilitated, depending on the treatment they have endured. I have taken care of many feral cats. They even come running to the names I have given them. But, for whatever reason; they will never be tame.

And then there was Leggs. A wild male kitty who decided to show up for dinner around 6:00 pm every night. Unlike a few of the other ferals, I was never able to catch him to undergo the friendly veterinary "snip". He showed up almost every night for three years.

That last night, he did become tame. As he lay dying under my deck, he literally crawled, because he was too sick to walk, to be close to me. All that time, I figured I was nothing more than a meal to him. But, in his mind; I had become more than that. For some reason, he needed to be close to me in his final hours. I look at that as a happy ending.

And so was Leo's story.

[uppityperson]

45. k&r for a good life for a previously abused pit-bull.

[DCKit]

46. Ah. The dogs "they" claimed couldn't be rehabilitated...

are helping rehabilitate people. I was horrified when they stated, bluntly, that the only recourse was to euthanaize all those animals. Thankfully there were people available to take some of these dogs and give them a chance.

I've known a few bad dogs, but never one owned by a good person - if you accept that people own dogs and not vice-versa.

[The Stranger]

49. Here's to hoping they keep that piece of shit Vick rotting in prison for a long time.

[B3Nut]

50. He almost reminds me of my old Honey dog

she was a rescued fighter found abandoned in a rental property. She was pretty much the same color as Leo. I had to put her down Feb. '07 due to advanced cancer and general old age (we figure she was 13 or 14 by that time.) I had adopted her in 2000. She was a snugglebug...

Glad to see Leo get a second chance...pits make fantastic therapy dogs. May Vick continue to rot in prison. Nice to see some positive Pit Bull press for once...yay for the pibbles! :)

Todd in Cheesecurdistan, owned by four pibbles, a pitweiller, and an American bullydawg