The fact that an innocent pit bull has to face certain death in a shelter, where she should be offered safety, love and protection, is something that outrages us and we will never understand.
Poor pets often end up in sad shelters for the most inhumane and absurd reasons. Sometimes because they become old (just like humans), or because they can’t be controlled, have behavioral problems, or families move away.
In the case of a young pit bull named Layla, it was because her family thought “she was too much for them,” according to Jackie O’Sullivan, co-founder of Rescue Dogs Rock NYC, a shelter that rescues stray, abandoned and/or unjustly treated animals.
When her family abandoned her at the shelter, the pit bull was absolutely sad.
“We read the notes left by her owner, who related that she had 5 children and two other dogs, and that she couldn’t take care of them all because she had too many pets. It was very sad and devastating,” Jackie said.
She missed her family with all her heart, but she was still very social.
Layla truly adored the family’s children, ages 2 and 7, according to the shelter’s Facebook post. And when the family abandoned her, the little dog didn’t know what to do.
“She wasn’t doing well. A lot of dogs get stressed in a shelter, because they lost everything they knew. This puppy was very close to the children in the house, so we weren’t surprised that she was uncomfortable in the shelter,” Jackie relates.
“The only thing that seemed to give her peace of mind was her stuffed toy.”
“She would carry her stuffed animal down the street or around the yard, never leaving it behind,” one of the rescuers, Julie Carner, recounts on Facebook. “Today, that stuffed animal is all she has.”
Layla wasn’t willing to part for a single second from her favorite toy.
But, that stuffed toy couldn’t help Layla, who was in a PPP (potentially dangerous dog) shelter much more, and if she wasn’t adopted soon, she was going to be euthanized.
“She was on the list several times, so the shelter wasn’t going to give her any more time,” Jackie recounts.
Luckily, Rescue Dogs Rock NYC volunteers got her out of that devastating high-kill place, and she’s now in a temporary home.
“She relaxed quickly. She spent hours playing in the yard. She was doing great, and she’s definitely a great dog, and we’re hoping she’ll be adopted before too long,” Jackie relates.
In the foster home, the puppy regained her happy disposition.
She is back to playing and feeling safe.
“There are so many wonderful dogs that are abandoned in shelters every day. It’s so painful. But we’re happy she got her chance, because from everything we’ve seen, she’s a great dog,” Jackie said.
It’s incredible to think that this little dog was on death row several times without anyone taking a chance on her, thinking she was dangerous. That is the sad fate for many pit bulls because of the bad reputation of their stigmatized breed.
Layla is waiting for a loving family, with children she can play with and take care of, as most dogs seek and want, so happy she has a chance to show her affection!
Now she is waiting for a family to adopt her, to take care of her and love her.
From the shelter they want to raise their voice on behalf of Layla and all dogs of her breed, who like her, are denied any chance to live for the simple fact of being a pit bull. Enough of so much injustice!
Let’s help more dogs like Layla to have the opportunity to live with a loving family.
