"I Fought Cruelty!"

Janet Nash, New York

Saved a Pit Bull Being Used As Dog Fighting Bait

It was midnight—the weather was bitterly cold and it was pouring rain—when someone knocked on my door describing a bloody, shivering and snarling Pit Bull tied to my front gate. I am known in my New York City neighborhood for taking in abandoned and wounded animals. I was a bit concerned about this dog's aggression, but decided to let her inside for the night, keeping her isolated from my other pets.

The first time I looked into her eyes, I was in love—and so was she. This poor dog crawled onto me and actually hugged me, shaking and heaving. She was feeble and exhausted—only about 10 months old. Her hind legs were completely atrophied and her entire neck was a bloody scab from spending her short life in chains. I named her Delphine.

After some research, I found that Delphine had come from a nearby housing project where she was bred from a line of champion fighting dogs.  She was taken from her mother prematurely—then isolated, sensory deprived, malnourished, taunted and beaten. She had never even been outdoors before. When I confronted her previous owners, they coldly explained that they had given her to another dog fighter as bait, because she had refused to fight.

I soon learned that Delphine was terrified of feet, brooms and newspapers. She had no ideas where to defecate or urinate, and would pee out of fear if any one walked past her too quickly. Other than her intense and innate capacity for love, she had absolutely no dog manners and was somewhat feral. Her face and ears were ripped open and grotesquely swollen with festering infections. I immediately got her medical treatment and began to regularly soak and massage her in warm baths.

In time, her hair began to grow back and healing took place. But she was still terrified of strangers. It took me about three months to convince her that most people were kind. Today, Delphine is the most loving and sensitive little Pit Bull. Everyone adores her, especially the neighborhood children. She loves to play ball and is quite the charmer with her soft, smiling eyes and wide grins. I have learned so much from the animals in my life. They constantly teach me how to live in the moment, and how to truly enjoy life.