10 Lessons I’ve Learned from My Rescued Pit Bulls
October is National Pit Bull Awareness Month, and as someone who has two rescued pitties of my own, I thought I'd share some lessons they've taught me.
I adopted my first Pit Bull in 2013. When I got Wrigley I didn't adopt her because of her breed. I adopted her because I fell in love with her sweet face. She was 8 weeks old when I took her home. However when I got home it hit me...I just adopted a Pit Bull.
Now I've never been one to let media hype sway me, and I honestly didn't have a positive or negative image of the breed, I just knew they were dogs that had a really bad rap. But I was still a little nervous and thinking "what the heck did I just do?" So that's when I started researching this breed. And the more I learned about them, the more I wanted to help them. What I learned is that Pit Bulls are mostly victims of cruel exploitation, media sensationalism, over-breeding, and mostly they're just extremely misunderstood. There's a really awesome article about the breed, here if you're interested in learning more about this. Another problem these dogs face, is "Pit Bull" isn't a breed. It's a blanket term for dogs who have a certain set of physical characteristics (Ex: blocky head, muscular body, etc..) so there are over 20 different breeds and mixes that fall into the same category as "Pit Bull" if a dog looks a certain way, they're labelled a Pit Bull. Both of my dogs may be completely different breeds (since they're both rescues, I'm not sure what they are exactly), but they both have Pit Bull characteristics so they'd be labelled "Pit Bulls" or "Pit Mixes." I could go into details but I'm trying to keep this less than novel length haha!
Most importantly what I learned was that at the end of the day Pit Bulls are just dogs. They're just like any other dog and I mean that in the best way possible.
They're loving, loyal members of the family whose wagging tail is always a welcome greeting when you walk in the door. If you don't believe me, I'd encourage you to check out a local shelter and ask them to meet a Pit Bull.
Now I'm the proud owner of two rescued Pits, Wrigley and George. George is the big goofy brindle one, Wrigley is the tan one. And honestly, they've taught me a lot of life lessons.
So here are some lessons my Pit Bulls have taught me.
1) Celebrate all life's special occasions, even the small ones.
2) It's always nice to come back home. Travelling is fun, and full of adventure, but there's always something special about coming home.
3) Rest is very important, so listen to your body. Rest if you need to.
4) Never miss an opportunity to dress up (especially if that opportunity is Halloween).
5) Whether it's going for a walk, or an afternoon at the ball park, take some time to do something you love.
6) Life's short, don't be afraid to get dirty.
7) Fresh air is good for the soul, so go outside and throw a tennis ball with your dog.
8) Friends are precious, so if you have good ones, stick together.
9) Don't worry about what people think. If it's hot lay on the air vent.
10) Take care of those you love
A special thank you to Another Chance for Animals for rescuing my girl, and another big thank you to It Takes a Village for taking a chance on my George. Thanks to all the hard work the rescues do in our community I'm able to have these two dopes in my life, and I can't imagine life without them.
If you've been thinking about adopting a furry family member (of the Pit Bull persuasion or otherwise) please consider rescuing. No matter the breed, pets of all kinds need help. Shelters and rescues are filled to the brim.
Here's a few great local rescues to help get your search for your new best friend started!
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