I first began to hear about pitbulls when the Vick case became a national sensation. My heart immediately went to all those dogs. I did not know at the time that fighting dogs were usually euthanized without being given a chance. All I could see in the case was the cruelty of humans for doing that to an animal.
I had never met a pitbull, however, I did not believe the sensationalized stories I saw the media releasing. I treated every strange dog the same way despite breed. I approach all strange dogs with caution, but am willing to give them a chance.
The first pitbull I every truly got to know was Pearl. Good friends of mine discovered her on their lawn with a leg wound. They took her in and got her treatment. Once she recovered, I began taking her for walks because she had an extremely high energy level and needed it. She loved people, was strong headed and extremely energetic. Her high energy level and stubbornness often got her in trouble since she had an affinity for destroying items (headsets, shoes, etc.). Eventually, she was re-homed to a home that was better suited for her. The new owners had a large yard where she could run and play, etc.
Pearl
After that I volunteered at an animal shelter. Several pitbulls were there during the time I volunteered. Sure they had loud barks and strong muscular builds, but when given a chance they all proved to be sweet, loving dogs.
The next pitbull I met was Roscoe. Roscoe lived about a mile down the road from us. He had a regular routine in which he would visit several neighbors between our house and his. Our house was always his last visit. He would hang out at our house and play with whomever would come out to play with him. He was not allowed in the house because he tried to eat our cats. He had a silly grin that terrified plenty of people, I loved his silly grin. Sadly, he was euthanized by the pound after being picked up running at large for being involved in an altercation with another dog.
Roscoe and Topaz chilling on the front porch, July 2010. Roscoe wanted to go inside and play with everyone.
*Roscoe was hit by a car as a puppy and his right leg had permanent damage from the accident which is why it looks a little odd in this picture.
After that, I did not have any interactions with any pitbulls for close to a year. I missed my walks with Pearl and playing with her. I continued to follow the pitbull saga as the media continued on its endeavor to convince everyone that these dogs were horrible, man-eating machines. I knew I wanted to own one of these precious dogs, however, I was in college and so I did not think it would be anytime soon. Then I received a text message. It was December 28th and Pearl had given birth to a litter of puppies (the owners unneutered pit mix had got her when she went into heat before they realized she was in heat).
My parents decided that we could go look at the puppies. We went to see them when they were twelve days old.When we arrived, Pearl was one of the first to greet me. It had been around a year since I had last seen her. She stood up on her back legs and put her front paws on my shoulders and rested her head on one of my shoulders. To this date that is the only time I have ever received a hug from a dog.
When we went back to see the pups, the owner warned me that she had nearly bitten someone a few days prior for touching one of the pups. However, to the owner's surprise, Pearl began nudging the pups to me. When I originally decided I wanted to own a pitbull, I wanted a black one. I thought black pitbulls were absolutely gorgeous with their sleek, glossy coats. Pearl did not have a black puppy so I decided I wanted a puppy that looked like Pearl. Over half the pups in the litter looked like her. I also knew I did not want the runt or the largest puppy in the litter. I wanted a puppy that was not a push over but that was not going to be giving all the orders either. After watching the puppies for over an hour, I picked out a puppy that was not able to push everyone around but did do a fair amount of pushing.
Topaz and Jasper at 12 days old
Little did I know that my puppy would grow up to be so like Pearl (and not just in looks). At nearly 2 and 1/2 years old Topaz has an outgoing, loving personality similar to Pearls. Pearl was not as in your face with the loving; Topaz is much more exuberant when meeting new people. Both have an affinity for trying to catch birds though Topaz takes hers further by pointing out other game as well. She also doesn't give into immediately trying to take out the game, she points and waits, then when least expected makes a large leap in an attempt to catch whatever the object is. They both love to chew and destroy things, though Topaz is much better about only destroying her objects (or objects that she believes are hers). For instance, she did not differentiate between my brother's balls and her balls. If it is a ball then clearly it is intended for her. This is one of the reasons that stuffed animals are not one of the types of toys she is permitted to play with. Of course, Topaz is just as strong headed if not more so than Pearl ever was.
She can definitely be a handful at times but never once have I regretted making the choice to share my life with a pitbull.
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