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My Pit Bull Journey

For the Love of Fostering

By Shani SmithPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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In September of 2016 I decided it was time to move into my best friend's house. Along with me came my handsome cat, Niall, and my nine pound miniature pinscher, Sophie. Warmly welcomed into the new home, there were now three animals; my two (of course) and a 25 pound deaf pocket pitty named Bella.

Bella was recently found running the roads of Springfield, Ohio. She was malnourished, dehydrated, overheated, but most of all—happy. Happy to see a loving face and open arms to welcome her home, and this is where my journey began. Of course, when Bella was found, there was no way for anyone to afford the vet bills to get her back to health, or the supplies she would need back at home. We searched for hours until we finally had received a response from a pit bull rescue. The rescue had agreed to pay for Bella's medical expenses, food expenses, and housing expenses as long as we could provide a safe and loving environment. Who could say no to that?

Bella was quickly taken to a vet, where we would soon learn she was deaf, covered in skin infections, and falsely pregnant. Yes, I said it—FALSE pregnancy. She had been lactating, and actually swollen enough to look around five to six weeks pregnant, though, come to find, she was just an empty puppy with crazy hormones. So after all was said and done, Bella was snug in her new foster home where she was eventually adopted by my roommate. Though this was far from the end of our rescuing days.

Just a few weeks later, we would bring home THREE more pit bull puppy fosters. First came Cinnamon, a yellow pitty/boxer mix who had mysteriously broken her femur and was only given hours to live in the shelter; and then Grayson and Prudence who were rescued at only ten weeks old, covered in mange, malnourished, and very obviously mistreated when their owners threw them and several other puppies over the fence of a animal shelter in Kentucky. Their lives were also only given a limited about of time. Cinnamon was taken to a wonderful vet, where she had a femural head ostectomy surgery, physical therapy, and was back up to par with being the playful, loving pup she was.

Grayson was very quickly adopted. Prudence had yet to find the perfect home, and Cinnamon still was not physically prepared to leave our side. So, that being said, we rescued two more—Hercules and Mochi. Hercules was a huge teddy bear, though intimidating at first. Mochi was actually a shepard mix. Both lived, but on a time limit, once again. Though soon, I had no idea I'd have one of the most horrifying days of my life.

On a Monday morning, my roommate and I had gone to work. He worked a half shift where he would be home by 2:00 PM and I would not be home until 6:00 PM. As the day went by, my manager grabbed me and said, "be strong, your roommate will be here to pick you up in just a few minutes." As I pace back and fourth, he finally arrives. I walk to the parking lot where he immediately grabs me and begins apologizing, and sobbing. I keep yelling whats wrong, as he points to the back seat of the car and says "It's Sophie..." At this point I am panicking, my heart races and I fall to my knees repeatedly saying, "Please tell me she's OK." With tears in his eyes he shakes his head no. My stomach turns, my heart flutters, and I take a moment to realize my little girl is gone. While we had been at work, our foster Mochi had escaped her kennel and had killed Sophia.

At this point I don't know what to feel, and to this day still do not understand why. Mochi and Sophie were best pals, napped together, snacked together, everything. Unfortunately, without a question, the rescue could not adopt Mochi out, so she was sadly put to sleep. This made our hearts ache more, and made us never want to touch fostering again. I blamed myself over and over, and tried to picture ways I could have prevented it. Maybe if I would have called off, maybe if I would have locked them in a room, maybe...just maybe.

As the long painful days rolled by, we didn't speak of rescuing. Our hearts were tired, and we all felt we were to blame for these two innocent lives. When for a moment Prudence licked the tears that rolled down my face, and I remembered they need me more than I know. They need us more than we all know. Every aching soul whose lives are only offered hours to live, need me right now as we speak. So we got back up, and tried again with every precaution we could take.

Over the last year we rescued so many lives, and still it isn't enough. Here is a list of some: Linda and Bettis, the American Bulldogs; Kovu, Sarge, Truman, Mercy, and Roma the Treeing Walker Coonhounds rescued from a wooden box where they were mistreated and starved; Red, a Red Coonhound; Milo, the beagle; the most gentle soul in the world, Dixon, the worlds most handsome Pit Bull; Kiara a quirky pitty mix; and Ruben, a very mistreated pit/boxer mix who lost his eye from a severe case of glaucoma. All these dogs who were adopted to amazing loving homes, all these dogs who almost didn't get a second chance.

Oh, and of course, last but not least, my new addition, Prudence. The girl who saved me more than I could ever have saved her, and I will forever be grateful that I can always call her my most loyal and best friend.

Through all the heartaches, doggy messes, scars and tears, there will never be a day in my life that I regret being a foster and giving a second chance to those who truly do deserve it. I hope this story touches your heart, and I hope you can help change the lives of these amazing animals too. I promise you, you'll never regret it.

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