|
Emma
Just having had a litter and not even a year
old, Emma was found wandering the streets, without a home. It was unknown where she came from or where her pups went. She
was lost and no one was looking for her. Emma was not happy in the shelter. She fought the fences, cages and streams of water
(used to wash her down). On the other hand, she was gentle with the volunteers and everyone who came to see her. She never
cowered from people and showed affection with a dainty kiss for any person who offered her their hand. That is how we found
her.
After looking for some time to find a companion for our AmStaff, Adam, we decided to check out the listings
on the Pit Bull Rescue Central (PBRC). There where several listings for young female Pit Bulls and AmStaffs. Emma was the
closest. She looked adorable in her photo. Despite the typical sad look of the breed, she had a sparkle in her eyes that attracted
us. So we took Adam with us to see how they would react to each other and how she would take to us. When she came out Emma
showed no hesitancy to meet and greet us, or Adam. Adam was not ecstatic, but treated the bone thin little girl with a friendly
attitude. Although her photo did not do justice to her poor condition (severely underweight, still swelled from whelping,
kennel sores from fighting cages and fences, and an apparent skin problem that left a sparse coat), Emma was obviously full
of life and seemed to be able to understand that she might be able to go to a better place.
After a couple more visits we were convinced that Emma would be worth a trial. After a couple of weeks her
entire persona evolved to match the sparkle in her eyes. At first she was quite food aggressive, but Adam seemed to be complacent
about letting her have whatever she wanted. Oh, there were a couple loud "arguments" (not physical, just noisy) over who was
getting affection from Mommy and Daddy. All this was short lived. Emma was soon satisfied that there was plenty of "num-nums"
for her and Adam, and despite her constant search for affection, she found that there was plenty of that to go around, too.
In fact, both she and Adam worked out how to live with each other very quickly, and soon they were cuddling with each other
as well.
A year later, Emma is a healthy weight, has no visible scars from her incarceration, and (with some nutritional
supplements) has the softest coat you could want to stroke. Since then we have added a third canine to our family: Jezzy.
Emma has decided it is her mission to keep everyone in line. In particular the grumpy old man, Adam, and Jezzy the wheel chaser.
She will be in either's face if they display what she might determine is anti-social behavior.
Emma has developed into a real lady who can: one minute be charging around the house chasing Jezzy, and
the next be curled up next to you under the covers for "nappy time". Emma is a sweet loving puppy dog who has a love for life
and wants to share it with everyone she meets (except maybe for those irritating squirrels and rabbits). Walks, car rides
and swims at the beach are new adventures, each and every time. Emma is home.
|
