Saving Lewis ~ My Pit Bull

This is Bruce sitting in my front window

As I was looking out the window I saw a dog limping on one leg walking in the middle of the road. A car was coming down the street, I closed my eyes and prayed that he would not get hit. He ran onto the sidewalk hobbling and looked hurt. He could not weight bare on his left front paw and I thought it may be broken.

As I drove up the block I saw him scurrying past a fence where a dog was barking. He look terrified.

I pulled over and got out of my van to check him out. As I approached the dog, I became nervous when I saw he was a pit bull!!!!!!!!!

What if he bites me, attacks me or worse, what if he goes after my son?

As these questions were going through my mind, I cautiously looked at the dog for any sign of aggression or snarling, but to my surprise the dog walked slowly toward me with his ears back, tail between his legs and went right by me jumping into the drivers seat of my van and shivered uncontrollably.

I love any animal, but I have always been a little frightened by pit bulls. They are viscous and nasty....aren't they? My entire view of pit bulls will forever change.......

As this pathetically sad, injured, emaciated dog sat in my van I did not know what the heck I was going to do with him. All I know is that he needed help. First I need to warm him up then feed him and give him water.

I drove back to my house with the pit bull in the back seat of my van. I wrapped him in a warm blanket I had in the back seat and I let him settle down for a little while in my van to warm up. I kept the heat blasting and went into my house to get him some food and water.

I brought him back some food which I placed on the floor in the van. He gobbled every bit in a second, then he drank the entire bowl of water.
Now as he was resting comfortably in the warm van I was able to really take a look at him.

He was in such bad shape. He looked like he had not eaten for weeks, he was emaciated and you could see every rib. His right ear had a 1/2 inch tear in it and was scabbed with blood.

His left front paw had a patch of dried blood on the shoulder area that followed down to his feet. The middle portion of his left leg had an internal lump that appeared to be maybe a broken bone that healed by itself or was fractured and never healed.

Near the lump was a scabbed bloody line across his paw where he was probably hit. The pads of his feet were rough, sore and some were bleeding. How far did this poor baby walk, how did he hurt his leg, did anyone abuse him??? I was so sad for him.....

The dog needed medical attention, but it was the holidays and no shelters were open.

I kept him in my garage with warm blankets, I put on my portable heater and kept food and water close by.

After a few hours I had to see if he needed to pee. I opened my garage thinking he might run right away from me, but to my surprise he walked right next to me, I guess he knew he had a nice place to stay for a while. He slowly got up and was limping pretty bad. He could not weight bare on his left front paw, but he managed pretty well. I took him into the back yard, he followed me not leaving me for a second. He did his "business" and came right back next to me as if saying "I am ready to go back in and lay down now"....and that is exactly what he did.

Back to the garage, I covered him in blankets again and I sat with him in my arms and cuddled him and told him it was going to be OK.....But was it????

My kids were petting him and the poor little guy was starting to look somewhat bright eyed, probably the first time in a very long time...

Nobody wanted "Lewis" (that was his "temporary" name, Lewis the limp) to go, we wanted to keep him, but he was hurt and needed help. Veterinarians cost so much money!!

The thought entered my mind of course to keep "Lewis", but the reality was we already had a dog and a cat and my dog, Bruce was very skiddish and did not get along well with other dogs. This pit bull would eat my little 30 pound dog for lunch...

As I drove to the shelter I had such a lump in my chest. I did not know what to expect. Will they take "Lewis" in and euthanize him, leave him in a cage where he will be cold? I had no idea what was going to happen to him.

The drive to the shelter felt like a death drive. I pictured taking this dog into the shelter, saying good bye, and he would be put to sleep, and that would be it.....

When the staff opened the door in the back to let in this dog, my heart sunk. He was terrified to walk through those doors, as if he knew what was going to happen. He would not stop crying and he was staring at me. If he could talk he would of said "Please take me home, don't leave me here".

They brought him into a treatment room where the staff checked out his leg. They cleaned up all his wounds and gave him immediate antibiotics and pain medicine. I was allowed in the room with him because he would not leave my side. He had to be dragged into the treatment room, so they asked me to come in with him. He looked like he trusted me, so in I went.

I got down on the floor next to him and told him it would be OK. The staff at the Shelter were the most caring, compassionate people I have had the privilege to meet. They gave me a big bed with blankets and told me to stay as long as I needed to.

I stayed for about another half hour, gave him a big kiss and said good bye, but as I turned to walk away and go out the door he walked over to the door, sat down and stared at me and cried. My heart sunk again, but I needed to go. I asked the staff if I could come back and see him tomorrow. They said of course.

The next day I came into the shelter and was taken to his "cage". Walking through the kennel made it feel like dog jail. Dogs barking, yelping, probably saying to themselves "Please take me, ....No me....take me home"

When I saw him he was laying down shaking like a leaf. He looked up and when he saw me he became alive. He stood up on his pathetically frail legs and tried to jump on me. He was so weak, but so happy at the same time. His tail started to wag and I immediately bent down and gave him a hug.

I was allowed to take him into another room where it was quiet and the staff gave me a blanket and some treats to give him. I laid on the floor with him and held him in my arms.

Lewis was so sad in the shelter, look at his face, how could I leave him??

When I left he cried, but a girl named Christina said she would sit with him and keep him company for a little while.

Every day, for seven days I visited Lewis. For legal purposes he needed to stay at the shelter for seven days just in case the owners were still looking for him. After seven days he would be surrounded to the shelter and he could be placed for adoption.

Loving animals as I do I know I could not leave Lewis there, but again Bruce (my dog) did not get along well with other dogs and how would Lewis react to my cat?

The shelter director suggested we bring in Bruce to see how they got along, and that is exactly what we did, along with my three children.

Bruce and Lewis sniffed each others butts, smelled, sniffed some more, smelled some more and seemed to be getting along pretty well, all with no aggression.

We then brought Lewis into the cat area. He sniffed around, paying no mind to the cats meowing and we walked back out. I guess he likes cats??!!

I knew in my heart Lewis was meant to be with me

Seven days later we took "Lewis" home.....after he got neutered and his rabies vaccination.

First day home for Lewis, he looked so frightened and sad...can't imagine why??

Maybe because he was out on the street lost, limping, hungry, thirsty, freezing, not knowing where he was going, then brought to "death row" to sleep in a loud barking kennel, no bed, no blankets, then he got his balls cut off, and a shot in his butt!!!!

I put Lewis to bed when we got home from the shelter, he was exhausted. I laid with him and petted his head while he slept, he slept for three hours straight

Three days after he was "home" he began to look happy and content. He was getting to know the house, getting used to my cat and his new "step brother", Bruce. I think Bruce actually enjoyed the company. Lewis followed me everywhere I went. When I did laundry he laid at my feet, when I cooked he sat next to me. I took him in the van with me on all my errands and gave him walks everyday with Bruce.

I saved Lewis from being euthanized, getting him "out of jail", and he is the love of my life. I swear if he was a man I would marry him (well I guess I would have to leave my husband first..) He is the most loving, affectionate dog and I am the luckiest person in the world to have found him. He makes me so happy, and when I see him smile I want to cry because I know he is saying to himself............

"There is no place like home"



Since adopting a pit bull I became very curious about the breed. Here are just a few sites I looked at, with a future page about Pit bulls on my site of course ...

Pitbull Dog Breed Blog

PitBullLovers.com A free resource web site devoted to the positive image of the American Pit Bull Terrier.