Rain
Senior HTF Member
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- Mar 21, 2001
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- Rain
A few weeks ago, I went down to the local animal shelter to look at dogs. Though I have two cats already, I have been thinking for some time of adding a dog to my little family.
I looked at the dogs that were up for adoption, but didn't really get any particular vibes from any of them. So I went to have a gander at the cats as well. While in the "cat room," I see through the window another dog--a very nice looking red pit bull.
I asked about him. His name is Red and he isn't up for adoption yet, as he has some rather severe anxiety, likely due to where he's ended up.
So I decided to volunteer my time at the shelter in the hopes of getting to know this dog better. They've let me hang out with him and today, for the first time, I was allowed to take him out for a walk.
He's a sweet boy. He pulls a little on the leash, but that's about it. I discovered today he can sit on command and shake a paw (things he didn't do last time I was hanging out with him) and if you give him a kiss on the cheek, he'll lick your face.
I never set out to get a pit bull or any particular breed for that matter, but as it happens, this is the dog that has struck my fancy. It's getting harder and harder to say "goodbye" to him when it's time for me to go home. I've been going down on Mondays, as I have the day off, but now I'm going to start going Thursday mornings at 8:30am as well, as I don't work until 11:00am.
I should mention that I'm pretty sure Red would be fine with cats (though it's not a situation I would put him in without extreme caution.) His pen is situated right by the "cat room." He can see all the cats and smell them when the windows are open, but has never made any attempt to get at them.
Now here's a problem: One of my coworkers, a rather disagreeable and argumentative woman--let's call her Sally--caught wind of the fact that this dog has struck my fancy. It happens that she also has a pitbull (her first, which she has had for a few years). Sally fancies herself the worlds greatest expert on pit bulls, of course. She met Red only once, for a matter of seconds, but has pronounced that I should not have this dog. Of course I know that the only reason she doesn't want me to have him is because I want him. The problem is that Sally is such a cow that she's going to do everything in her power to keep me from getting this dog, including badmouthing me to the shelter or trying to encourage one of her friends to try to adopt him instead.
Now I don't claim to be a dog expert by any means, but I ask you: Is this dog better off with some guy who just wants a pit bull for the sake of having a pit bull or with a guy who wants this particular dog, who just happens to be a pit bull?
I guess what I'm asking with this thread is for advice from people who have pit bulls or dogs in general. What can I do to convince the shelter that I'm the guy who should get this dog? Any specific tips on caring for this particular breed of dog? General input?
(Please keep this humane. I don't want to hear from dog owners who purposely make their dogs aggresive or who think pit bulls are some kind of "status" symbol or anything like that. Thanks.)
I looked at the dogs that were up for adoption, but didn't really get any particular vibes from any of them. So I went to have a gander at the cats as well. While in the "cat room," I see through the window another dog--a very nice looking red pit bull.
I asked about him. His name is Red and he isn't up for adoption yet, as he has some rather severe anxiety, likely due to where he's ended up.
So I decided to volunteer my time at the shelter in the hopes of getting to know this dog better. They've let me hang out with him and today, for the first time, I was allowed to take him out for a walk.
He's a sweet boy. He pulls a little on the leash, but that's about it. I discovered today he can sit on command and shake a paw (things he didn't do last time I was hanging out with him) and if you give him a kiss on the cheek, he'll lick your face.
I never set out to get a pit bull or any particular breed for that matter, but as it happens, this is the dog that has struck my fancy. It's getting harder and harder to say "goodbye" to him when it's time for me to go home. I've been going down on Mondays, as I have the day off, but now I'm going to start going Thursday mornings at 8:30am as well, as I don't work until 11:00am.
I should mention that I'm pretty sure Red would be fine with cats (though it's not a situation I would put him in without extreme caution.) His pen is situated right by the "cat room." He can see all the cats and smell them when the windows are open, but has never made any attempt to get at them.
Now here's a problem: One of my coworkers, a rather disagreeable and argumentative woman--let's call her Sally--caught wind of the fact that this dog has struck my fancy. It happens that she also has a pitbull (her first, which she has had for a few years). Sally fancies herself the worlds greatest expert on pit bulls, of course. She met Red only once, for a matter of seconds, but has pronounced that I should not have this dog. Of course I know that the only reason she doesn't want me to have him is because I want him. The problem is that Sally is such a cow that she's going to do everything in her power to keep me from getting this dog, including badmouthing me to the shelter or trying to encourage one of her friends to try to adopt him instead.
Now I don't claim to be a dog expert by any means, but I ask you: Is this dog better off with some guy who just wants a pit bull for the sake of having a pit bull or with a guy who wants this particular dog, who just happens to be a pit bull?
I guess what I'm asking with this thread is for advice from people who have pit bulls or dogs in general. What can I do to convince the shelter that I'm the guy who should get this dog? Any specific tips on caring for this particular breed of dog? General input?
(Please keep this humane. I don't want to hear from dog owners who purposely make their dogs aggresive or who think pit bulls are some kind of "status" symbol or anything like that. Thanks.)