Just before Christmas 2010, one of our brave, active-duty soldiers came home to his apartment. Sitting in front of his apartment complex was a young blue and white male pit bull... with a broken leg.
The solider, who has a huge heart, picked up the friendly, injured stray dog and brought him to a local emergency clinic in Lancaster, CA. He was worried about handling an unknown, injured dog in pain, but he picked up the dog. The injured leg "flopped over" horrifyingly, but the dog remained friendly and manageable through everything. Surgery was performed to save the dog's leg and also neuter him. But now, the dog has nowhere to go! The soldier is unable to keep him because he is active-duty, and no owner has ever reclaimed their dog. Despite all of this, the soldier named this lovely pooch Lucky. Lucky IS lucky, because he found such a kind stranger, because he got medical care, and because we are hoping he will find a safe spot to land!
The local shelter has already informed him that the dog will be euthanized if he is brought in, because of the medical care Lucky needs, and also due to space issues. Unwanted pit bulls in shelters have a hard time finding good adopters! The soldier really went past what the majority of people would do for a stray dog, and he is struggling with the situation.
A trainer in SoCal has met with Lucky and done a limited assessment of him, due to his cast. Lucky certainly seems to be a stable, friendly dog--- a true example of his breed! He is around 45 pounds, neutered and microchipped, and is being crate-trained during his recuperation. The big problem is that Lucky doesn't have a safe spot. He needs a foster home, or a foster-to-adopt situation, for him to recover and then be appropriately placed.
Lucky is an active young dog who will need to be kept as quiet as possible while he's healing. He'll need lots of toys and puzzles and mental challenges like training to keep him happy while he is "bedridden." Due to his injury, no cat or dog testing has been done yet, since the trainer was already worried about the amount of activity Lucky was doing! Lucky showed no resource guarding issues with human beings over his food, treats, or toys during the evaluation. He was happy and comfortable with all handling from strangers, despite his cast!
Here are some notes from the trainer who evaluated him:
"He did not display any resource guarding, with food, a bed he wanted to hump and a sheepskin blanket he showed interest for. Food was withheld from him as well as taken away, to see the level of frustration displayed and behavior that might have been a consequence of it. Aside [from] the persistent jumping there was no guarding or strong inappropriate response. He offered a sit or put his feet on the floor when the jumping and reaching for the food did not give him much in return. He was definitely hungry and determined to get access to the food. I used a rawhide and a tendon stick as well... A couple of [stainless steel dog bowls were] thrown by him, to see if there was noise reactivity or startle without recovery. He handled it well."
"Some minor body handling, with pressure on head and muzzle and leaning over him. He mouthed once, along with the humping, and was verbally reprimanded for it, as well as kept down by the collar. The purpose was to see how he would respond to a loud reprimand and being physically restrained when aroused. Chances are someone is going to reprimand this dog in his life, and physically handle him. Not the way to go but since these things happen... The mouthing was minor, no significant pressure applied, I only felt him pulling on my coat. He modified his behavior..."
"...some of his behaviors are flat out rude but also typical. None of them were excessive or abnormal. The folks at the emergency clinic said that they had no problem with him whatsoever, including in proximity of other animals."
Here you can see some videos of Lucky's mini-evaluation:
Lucky will need a good person in his life! He was probably not trained as a youngster, and so he shows the typical sorts of pushy behaviors that teenage dogs tend to show when left to their own devices. He can learn not to jump on people, or to grab a toy when he's excited. Right now, the most pressing need is a place to GO. In a safe spot, his leg can heal and he can learn about being a polite goofy boy!
The people involved in Lucky's rescue have full-time jobs. They are not professional animal rescuers, they aren't being paid for it. If you are SERIOUS about providing a safe spot for our sunny Southern California boy, please e-mail Valentina at: redpitbull [at] prodigy.net
You'll need to have a real way to keep him separated from your current pets so he can be calm and heal. Some dogs do not appreciate dog friends, or are quick to argue with other dogs in their house or stranger dogs, or view cats as snacks-- and so far, we aren't sure where Lucky falls in this spectrum except that he is good with people! You will need to be ready to provide the foster or home environment he needs to thrive. If you are unable to provide him a safe spot, please don't e-mail but do pass along the word to your friends!
Our servicemen and women- and LUCKY!- thank you for your help! Please pass along even if you cannot help another way! Thanks!
Lucky's heart is still happy as ever, but he still needs a place to go! He's healing from surgery but still has a bit of a limp. Right now he's a little chubby after weeks of confinement, but everyone gets a little "plush" during a long, rainy winter, right?
