I don’t like all dogs; but then, I don’t like all people. Neither dogs nor people are one-size-fits-all. I prefer to form my opinion on an individual, case-by-case basis.
Take pit bulls, for example. I’ve met some who are full of kindness and charisma, and others filled with rage and dark deeds. As someone once said, “The thing is, everyone has their reasons.”
Too many pit bulls enter this life with several strikes against them. Often born and bred under irresponsible conditions–the product of backyard breeders--many are raised by ignorant people of ill intent. Most of these dogs who live by the sword will die by the sword.
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Why am I being so polite? How about this: Too many pit bulls are raised by twisted human beings under harsh and painful conditions. Many are raised only to fight and kill. And if they’re not good fighters, if they prove too sweet or too weak, then they’ll be used as fighting bait. Or perhaps left to fend for themselves on the street.
I like to think there’s a special place in hell for the humans who find amusement and pleasure in witnessing the torture and suffering of dependent creatures–a hell for those who manipulate a devoted nature to achieve their own sick ends.
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If it takes a special person to rise above his or her circumstances, and I think it does, it practically takes a miracle for a dog. But some miracles are not very complicated. Some miracles come in the form of a nice person plus the right kind of training. In the case of abused dogs, rewards-based retraining can produce remarkable results--training that's based on positive rather than punitive reinforcement.
Did you know one of Michael Vick’s former fighting dogs is now a therapy dog? No thanks, of course, to Michael Vick.
An abused dog’s transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It requires dedication, patience, consistency and compassion. But the rewards can be great, and not only for the dog.
Which brings us to Louise.
When Altadena resident Susan Campisi found a young female pit bull running wild on the streets of Pasadena, she scooped her up and took her to the Pasadena Humane Society.
But this dog proved painfully shy and fearful of people, and, according to the evaluation at PHS, unadoptable. So Susan found the dog’s life and death in her hands.
She took the dog home and gave her a name. Susan has been fostering Louise for two months.
I’ve been a party to the Louise-saga, and seen this pit bull grow in confidence, peaceful habits, and obedience. In the first few weeks, Louise would shrink away from me, now she comes bounding across the living room to say hello. She'll sit, stay, lie down, and offer her paw upon command.
Not to say the work is done; it’s just beginning. But Louise has intelligence and a willing heart. She and Susan are enrolled in an intensive training program beginning this week. I promise to follow their progress. Susan’s goal is to find a loving home for Louise.
We people, even with the gift of language, are not always able to tell, rise above, or even understand our life story. The past can haunt us, stalk us.
In my personal experience, given the right care, dogs have the gift of forgiving and forgetting. Which, so to speak, gives them a leg up on us.
