Beware of scruple-free dog breeders -- truly 'the pits'

As far as I know, Wally, the mini pit bull mentioned in the last post, is still looking for a loving home. And now I have more info about him to share, thanks to the person who replied to my query after I met Wally in The Dodo. The specs about this little dog-in-need start off with shocking information that you’ll see below: basically, Wally was bred to look the way he does, presumably with any accompanying handicaps. Sweet, huh? 

To describe such a thing, words come readily to mind: fiendish, despicable, reprehensible, cruel, inhumane, greedy . . .  The only word that’s missing, alas, is “criminal.” Animals are not ours to re-design, even though people have been doing that with dogs forever.

Wally

Here’s the new info about Wally – who BTW is now located in Stamford, CT. (That’s a drive of about 1- ½ hours from NYC.) 

The fact that people are actually breeding pit bulls in this day and age is mind blowing. Walk into any shelter and you’ll find numbers of wonderful pits waiting to be adopted. But now breeders have taken it one step further and are breeding a new type of pit, an “exotic pit” that resembles a toad.

Yup, you read it right: a toad. These “exotic pits” are extremely low to the ground with big shoulders and massive heads. Recently Pit Stop welcomed Wally to our family and he is the perfect example of one of these dogs. He was bred to look like a “bad ass,” but due to inbreeding, he has a congenital deformity in his leg. Fortunately, these issues will not stop him from living a long, healthy, regular life, like any other dog.

Standing a foot off the ground, Wally is a happy go lucky guy (estimated to be between 4-5 years old) who loves everyone he meets. He doesn’t have a bad bone in his body -- even though he is missing some. Sweet little Wally was born missing vital bones in his legs, which makes walking 20 feet a strenuous activity. He loves to wrestle around with other dogs, but wears out easily.

This little guy needs a home with a minimal number of stairs and a family looking for a couch potato. He’s house-trained (although he'll need a refresher course in any new home) and crate-trained. He does have some puppy antics (such as eating stray socks), so he needs a loving, patient person to give him a chance. 

To sum up Wally’s pros and not-so-pros . . .

Pros 

= Built in couch-snuggler (after he takes a running leap to jump on the couch)
= Gets along with cats! (But let’s be honest: on his best day he couldn’t catch a 25-year old 3-legged blind cat. He’s just that slow.)
=  Crate- and house-trained (might need a refresher in a new home)
= Rarely barks

 Not so Pros

= He likes to chew things so it’s best to leave hard, non-stuffed toys around for him. And try to keep your socks off the floor! He doesn’t just chew them, he inhales them.
= Stairs are not his friends. He can do 2-3 to go outside, but Wally is not an apartment dog. What goes up does not come down . . . unless he has a human friend to carry him.
= If you’re picturing your furry friend going out for long walks and hikes, Wally is not for you. A walk down a very short driveway has him putting on the breaks. He prefers a backyard -- much easier on his feet. 

If Wally sounds like your ideal future companion, complete an app at CatAssistanceNY.org.

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