My dad never let me have an inside pet. We always had an outside dog and it was always his dog. Finally, one year, I got my very own dog. My dad had a dalmation at the time and he gave me a lab. I loved that dog more than anything. One day, the stupid dalmation ran away and took my Sadie with him. I never saw her again. It wasn't until I was 20 that I got my own dog again. Her name was Scratchy.
Aside from dogs, though, I've always had outside cats. Technically they weren't mine. We lived int he country so stray cats were common. I took it upon myself to feed them and take care of them. When I turned 16, my neighbors moved and some strange people moved in. They had a gazillion cats that were malnourished. So I began to take care of them too. I used to go sit on my front porch and talk to the cats. I could talk to them about anything.
Just before my 21st birthday, I ended up with my very own cat. Domino. I brought him inside.My dad hated him. Allen hated him but man did I love him. I still do. Domino is a special boy.
Animals have always been a part of my life. I've always hated to see them suffer to know they didn't have a family to go to. I guess that's why I now have five cats and two dogs. Four of my cats (including Domino) stay inside. One is outside and he came with the house we bought. Scratchy passed away in 2005. I still miss her like crazy. But today, we have Abby and Sheba, both Pit Bull Terriers.
Somehow, I have fallen madly in love with Pit Bulls. Perhaps it is because of their loyalty, their sense of humor and their ability to follow me around without seeming to mind where I go, including the bathroom. But really, I think it is because there are so many people who despise pit bulls, so many people who judge them without even knowing them.
I've always had this passion to do something to help animals. But since pit bulls came into my life, I've singled that passion down to wanting to help them. Wanting to help change their reputation and keep them alive.
I've thought about forming my own pit bull rescue group but I don't have the time or knowledge to do that. So when an animal group formed in Nashville and asked me to be the Vice President, I figured this was my way of helping the pit bull breed.
Currently, we have saved 6 dogs. One was really sick and old and we rescued her just so she could pass away in a loving home instead of by the gas chamber at the local shelter. The second one we rescued was a pit bull terrier. He was scheduled to be put to sleep on Friday at this same shelter. We saved him on Friday, just minutes before he was to die. He, of course, came home with me, as a foster puppy. His name is Nash.
Yes, this means I currently have 3 pit bulls in my house, on top of the 4 cats. It is too many. I know it's too many, Allen knows it's too many but we don't care. We saved his life. We feel good about that.
Nash still hasn't found a home. It upsets me because I know why he hasn't. But then again, none of the other 3 that are available have found homes either. But Nash will have a harder chance of finding a home. No one will see his cute little floppy ears or his awkward smile. No one will care that he learned to sit and use the bathroom outside pretty quickly, which is amazing for a little 5-month old puppy. Nope. They will care about the fact that he is a pit bull terrier.
Earlier this week, I was covering a board meeting and someone asked about Nash. I've written columns about my foster experience so people know about him. So I was telling them about Nash and how we hadn't found him a home yet. And another lady, listening to our conversation, asked what type he was. When I told her, she said, oh no, like I had adopted satan himself.
I took this as my opportunity to change someone's mind about pits. So I told the woman I had three pits in my house and they lived with cats and none of my cats had been eaten yet. She wasn't convinced so then I brought out my cell phone which has lots of photos. I began to show her tons of pictures. Still convince her. These are the type of ignorant people that are in the world today. These are the type of ignorant people I am trying to change. It won't be easy.
My pit bull terriers make me smile and I think the world should know, they can make them smile too.
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