This is the story of Rico, a pit bull who was raised and trained by a man that wanted him to be a fighter. This man would do horrible things to Rico such as force him to run long distances with chains wrapped around his neck. I could not even imagine the pain that this would cause. One day during one of Rico's long runs, this man did something to Rico that would change his life forever.
On this day, Rico collapsed.in the middle of a public beach in Mexico. The man started yelling and shouting at Rico to continue the run but Rico was not able to do so. The man then used a knife to cut out Rico's tongue and proceeded to throw it into the ocean. Because there was many onlookers, the police were called immediately and a veterinarian was rushed to the scene.
Rico was rushed to surgery and hours later awoke with a wagging tail. He began training to learn how to be a companion instead of a fighter. He was taught to obey simple commands, walk on a leash, and to enjoy play without the fear.
Because of the Give Some Life Foundation ( http://givesomelife.com/gsl/ ), Rico quickly learned how to eat and drink. He even learned a new way to show affection. Rico is currently in the care of the Even Chance Pit Bull Advocacy, Resources, and Rescue ( http://evenchance.org/Even_Chance/Welcome_to_Even_Chance.html ).
It is hard to change the negative views the people have about pit bulls but it is people like this that make those views possible in the first place. People have to remember that any dog can be violent if they are raised to be that way. A dog doesn't become violent without the help of someone teaching it to be that way. And if a pit bull is violent, it is always possible for it to change its ways.
There is a petition called "Demand Justice for Dog Shot at D.C. Festival" on the same page as my article. The petition needs 25,000 signatures so if you read the article attached and would be interested in signing it, it would be greatly appreciated. There are also many other petitions on the page if you have some spare time and would like to go through them.
http://animals.change.org/blog/view/tongueless_pit_bull_teaches_resiliency_and_forgiveness#
This blog is prepared by a paralegal student as a class project, without compensation. The content of this blog contains my opinion, and is offered for personal interest without warranty of any kind. Comments posted by others on this blog are the responsibility of the posters of those messages. The reader is solely responsible for verifying the content of this blog and any linked information. Content, sources, information, and links will most likely change over time. The content of this blog may not be construed as legal, medical, business, or personal advice.
Rice looks like a mean dog on the outside but I guess looks dont make up a person or dog in this situation. But I find it so amazing how just a little bit of effort and affection can go a long way especially for changing Rico's life and hopefully the overall outlook on pit bulls.
ReplyDeleteAs an animal lover I am both grateful that advocacy programs exist for abused animals and saddened that there is a need for them. I recently had my cat spayed at an area "no kill" cat shelter. The Tenth Life cares for approximately 600 cats on their property. The address for this shelter is unpublished because people would simply abandon their cats at the foot of the driveway.
ReplyDeleteApril,
ReplyDeleteGreat subject! I agree that any dog can be trained to be mean, so we need to have empathy for the pit bulls who are abused. I have recently read some heart-breaking animal cruetly cases right here in Dayton. I agree that animals need our help!
There is a strong link between people who abuse animals and the potential for violent behavior, so we all should make it our business to stop animal cruetly.
Laura