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BART IS OUR LATEST RESCUE AND HE IS AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION
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CISCO'S STORY
May 15, 2003
I find stray dogs quite often, maybe because I am
out
walking dogs all the time, maybe because stray dogs
somehow ÒknowÓ that I will do what I can to help them
find their owner. But the dog I found very early in the
morning on May 15, 2003 was different. I could tell,
even from a distance
that this was pit bull. Up until
that morning, I
knew very little about pit bulls, so I
was very cautious about approaching this pit bull. When
he started barking at me from a distance, I decided
that perhaps I should call someone to come get this
dog. But before I could call anyone, the dog approached
one of my elderly neighbors while she walked her corgi.
To my surprise, the pit bull was very friendly with the
corgi and while the two dogs were saying hello, I put a
leash around the pit bullÕs neck. Once I had him
leashed, I realized he was in terrible shape. He had
quite a few open sores on his back and his underside
was so raw and irritated that he could barely squat
when he urinated. He was also very thin but I could
tell from the very beginning that this was a very nice
dog.
Cisco Ð as he would later be known Ð brought into my
life a number of challenges. Starting with the
practical, that particular day was a horrible day for
me to deal with the rescue of an adult (intact) male
pit bull. I was extremely busy and the most practical
and sanest thing for me to do would be to call PACCA
(the city-run animal control agency) and have them pick
up this dog. But, although I didnÕt know much about pit
bulls, I knew what would happen to this dog if I turned
him over to the shelter. After a couple of days at the
shelter Ð to give the owner a chance to reclaim him Ð
he would be euthanized. I called both shelters in the
city and knew that no one was looking for this dog and
given the condition he was in, I didnÕt expect he would
be reclaimed.
I then made a decision that to this day I am proud of.
I took a stand, I took responsibility for this dog. He
had walked into my life that morning and I chose to
believe he did so for a reason. I took him to a local
vet so he could be treated and boarded, as I could not
keep him at my house. I have three small dogs and that
evening I was picking up my newest canine family
member, an 8-week-old puppy born to a chow that had
lived as a stray for almost 4 years. I live in row home
É there was just no room here. The next 5 weeks would
become one of the most intense periods of my life.
Cisco remained at the kennel because I was unable to
find him a foster home. One of the first things I
learned is that it is very difficult to find a foster
home for an adult male pit bull. This meant that in
essence, I had another dog to care for. Every day I
would visit the kennel, take Cisco for a long walk so
he could get fresh air and exercise, made sure his skin
condition was getting better and made sure he was
getting plenty of food.
Then there were the countless hours spent in front of
the computer, making contact with pit bull rescue
groups, getting Cisco posted on petfinder sites,
sending dozens of emails about Cisco, learning about
pit bulls and pit bull rescue. Some days were good and
I was hopeful that in time, a good home would be found.
Other days were not so good, Those were the days when I
kept thinking about the horrible odds Cisco faced. ItÕs
difficult to stay hopeful when you know that only 1 out
of 600 pit bulls needing a new home actually finds one.
Many days I would drive home from the kennel in tears
because I feared that one day I would have to face the
possibility that a home could not be found for Cisco. I
just could not bear the thought that one day this
wonderful dog would have to be destroyed simply because
he was born a pit bull at a time when pit bulls are
simply not wanted.
When things seemed overwhelming, I tried to focus on
what needed to be done. Cisco needed to heal, he needed
vet care, he needed to gain weight, he needed to be
neutered, he needed shots. I also needed to know that
this was a sound dog. Everything I had seen told me
this was a terrific dog, but I needed someone with much
more experience with pit bulls to tell me that I was
right. I found a couple of wonderful people at the
Atlantic City Humane Society who have many years of
experience with pit bulls. They offered to do a formal
temperament evaluation of Cisco Ð free of charge. All I
had to do was get him to Atlantic City. So on a Sunday
afternoon, the day before Memorial Day, I drove two
hours to casino town with a very impressive looking pit
bull in the back seat of my car. Cisco passed his
temperament evaluation with flying colors and one of
the evaluators told me something that day that would
guide the rest of my journey with Cisco. She told me
that finding Cisco a good home was the Òright thing to
do.Ó And now, more than ever, I was determined to do
the Òright thingÓ for Cisco.
Shortly after this temperament evaluation, the
inquiries started coming. From the first time I spoke
to Brenda, I had a real good feeling about her and her
family. While the Furry Friends Foundation was
screening their application for adoption, I made
arrangements to have Cisco neutered and microchipped.
Next, I found a pit bull rescue group in Baltimore who
would do the home visit for me.
And finally, there was the 2-hour drive to Baltimore to
deliver Cisco to his new home. Cisco made himself right
at home from the moment he walked into his new yard. By
the time I left an hour or so later, Cisco and BrendaÕs
husband Ziggy seemed like old pals, Cisco following his
new master wherever he went.
I got a note from CiscoÕs family a few weeks ago. Cisco
is all healed, he now weighs 60 lbs. (he weighed about
42 lbs. when I found him), he is very well behaved and
a much-loved member of the family. I also got a wallet
size picture of Cisco. A professional picture of Cisco
É he looks so handsome and healthy! Seeing his picture
and reading BrendaÕs note brought tears to my eyes, but
this time they were tears of joy!
Cisco is a very lucky boy, he has finally found what
every dog deserves, a wonderful family who loves him
and will cherish him for the rest of his life. And I am
a very lucky woman, because on that early May morning,
I found a dog that taught me a great deal about taking
responsibility, about making a commitment, about doing
the Òright thing,Ó even when that is very difficult,
about making my own judgments, about following my
heart.
I would like to thank each and every individual who had
a hand in helping me find a happy ending for Cisco. The
list is long and my gratitude immense. Thank you all
for helping Cisco beat the odds!
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