Pit bulls have a bad reputation for being vicious breeds prone to violent attacks, but like many stereotypes, their aggressive reputation has little to do with reality.
In 2015, a volunteer from an animal rescue group got word that there was a stray pit bull on the side of the road. At first, the volunteer was nervous that the dog might be aggressive or try to attack when she tried to rescue her, but all her fears vanished when she saw what the pit bull was really doing there…
The Stray
In 2015, a passerby noticed a stray pit bull on the side of the road. It was clear the dog had been on its own for a while and needed some food and possibly some medical attention, but was afraid that the dog might act aggressively if they approached it.
Calling The Pros
The passerby was also afraid that if they tried to rescue the stray dog on their own, the dog might panic, run into the street, and get hit by a passing car. Rather than attempt it themselves, the passerby decided to contact the professionals…
Dallas DogRRR
The good Samaritan reached out to Dallas DogRRR, a group of volunteers that dedicates their time to rescuing lost and abandoned animals and providing them with shelter and care in the hopes that they will be adopted and find their forever homes.
Sending Out A Rescuer
As soon as the Dallas, Texas-based rescue group heard about the pit bull that wouldn’t leave the side of the road, they sent a rescuer out to the area where the dog had been spotted. Sure enough, the pit bull was still in the exact same spot…
No Signs Of Injury
The rescuer couldn’t help but wonder why the female pit bull was just lying on the side of the road. At first, the volunteer thought the dog might be injured, but as she slowly approached the dog, she couldn’t see any signs of injury or trauma.
The Plan
The plan was to get the dog into a cage and into the trunk of the car. After that, the rescuer planned to bring the abandoned dog to the Mercy Animal Clinic, where a vet would be able to figure out if she had any injuries or diseases that needed to be treated…
The Rescue
Surprisingly, the pit bull didn’t seem afraid or aggressive as the rescuer scooped her into her into her arms and placed her into the trunk of her car. At the time, she thought the rescue was over, but as she was about to pack up, a stranger approached her and told her she couldn’t leave yet.
A Helpless Baby
According to the stranger, who had been watching the pit bull for a little while, the dog had refused to leave the area because she had been looking after and protecting a tiny kitten that wouldn’t survive on its own…
The Kitten
The rescuer walked over to the area where the pit bull had been lying on the ground and found the kitten. As the stranger described, the kitten was incredibly young so they decided to bring it back to the shelter since there was no trace of the mother around.
The Truth Is Revealed
The rescuer assumed the kitten had recently been abandoned or orphaned and that the pit bull had been protecting it for the past few hours since it couldn’t last long without being nursed by its mother. However, when she set the kitten down next to the pit bull, she realized what had really happened…
An Extraordinary Bond
After placing the kitten down, the baby immediately latched onto the pit bull and started to nurse. Since the pit bull didn’t seem to be bothered by it, the rescuer realized that the dog had actually been nursing the kitten and keeping it alive with her milk.
The Clinic
The volunteer drove the pair to the Mercy Animal Clinic and showed the vet, Dr. Rick Hamlin, the extraordinary relationship that had developed between the pit bull and the kitten. “Over my 28-year career, I’ve never seen anything like this,” Hamlin said…
A Mother’s Instinct
“My best guess is that the mother pit bull had a litter of pups and they died or weaned and she still had milk. And the kitten’s mother, who just had her – well, something must have happened to her, and this kitten was left behind. The pit bull probably found her and took it as her own,” Hamlin explained.
Perfect Timing
Once at the clinic, the staff quickly got to work treating the pair, who they named Pitty and Kitty. According to the team, Pitty was just about to run out of her milk supply, so the rescue came at the perfect time. “If she hadn’t been getting enough milk, she wouldn’t have made it,” Hamlin said about Kitty…
Too Young To Wean
The team decided they would have to bottle-feed Kitty as she was far too young to wean. However, the first time they attempted to feed Kitty, her adopted canine mother wouldn’t leave her side and gave her sweet kisses the entire time.
The First Separation
The staff at the clinic knew Pitty was attached to the kitten, but they had no idea just how much until they tried to separate them for the first time so Kitty could go home with Hamlin overnight as she needed to be bottle fed every 2 hours…
Out Of Options
Normally, the team at the Mercy Animal Clinic wouldn’t try to separate animals that are bonded so strongly as it can cause emotional distress, however, in this case, it was necessary to ensure Kitty got the nutrients she needed to grow stronger.
A Mother’s Protests
“When I took Kitty out of the cage, Pitty started howling. It was the first vocalization she made since she arrived,” Hamlin said about the moment he took Kitty out of the cage that was being shared with Pitty. The very next morning, Hamlin brought Kitty back to the clinic bright and early…
An Emotional Reunion
“It was a tremendous reunion,” said Hamlin, who watched as Pitty kissed and cleaned Kitty. At that point, the team decided they would only allow someone to adopt Kitty and Pitty as a pair as they couldn’t bear to separate them permanently. Sadly, however, Kitty had been born with a congenital malformation in the kidneys and bladder and the team couldn’t save her.
A Happy Ending
As expected, Pitty was devastated but not long after the perfect family came along and gave Pitty a new bunch of 4-legged brothers and sisters to love. Meanwhile, Hamlin decided to share Pitty’s story to show what pit bulls are really like. “Hysteria around pit bulls is exactly that,” said Hamlin, who explained that Pitty, “adopted Kitty and provided maternal needs for kitty.”
Rescuer Uncovers Sweet Reason Abandoned Pit Bull Won’t Leave Roadside is an article from: LifeDaily