Sad today for a silly reason....OT

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-02-2003
Sad today for a silly reason....OT
16
Thu, 03-04-2004 - 1:56pm
This is going to be long, but I have to explain. LOL

Jersey the Wonder Dog is my puppy. Okay, she's actually 2 years old and weighs 50 lbs, but she'll always be my puppy. I got her when she was 6 weeks old because my brother's friend told him he was going to have the whole litter put down because he couldn't afford to have them. My brother brought me one and said HERE! Rob was in Florida on business at the time and I KNEW he was gonna say no (I had already conned him into letting me have Dixiecat, and the man DOES have limits....). I bought her a blue collar and for the next four days worked on her so she'd be as irresistible as possible. The cat helped, since at that time she was bigger than the dog. We didn't name her- just called her puppy- because I figured that would be a selling point with Rob. He didn't like Dixie's name when she got it, but it has grown on him. He walked in the door and she turned on the charm. After some well-planned pleading, he was hooked. We named her Jersey Girl (after the Jersey Devils). She has been spoiled ever since. She was 'supposed' to sleep with my son (because the cat sleeps mostly with my daughter) but Jersey was often discovered in the morning wrapped around Rob's shoes at the side of the bed. As she got older she started making rounds- she started out in the kids' rooms and ended up in ours by dawn.

One weekend when Jersey was just 3 months old, Rob had drill with the National Guard and my kids were playing with her in the yard on her leash. After a bit I heard strange noises from the backyard and ran to see what was going on. A stray dog had jumped our fence and had cornered my daughter. It was snarling and looked terrifying. Ramey was screaming at the stray and trying to get Rina to come to him. Jersey was still small but she stood in between that dog and my little girl. The other dog scratched and bit her, but every time it tried to get to Rina Jersey jumped back at it and scratched it back. I had to go through the neighbor's gate and lift Rina over it to safety, and send her and Ramey into the house to call the police. Then I thought I could save Jersey from the bigger dog. She was bleeding and limping and I was so scared for her. I came back around and grabbed her leash and yanked her to me so I could grab her and run into the house. It didn't work out the way I planned. I lifted Jersey up into my arms, but I am not tall. I couldn't hold her out of the other dogs reach, and while it tried to get to her I tried to get back to the house. In the process I was scratched a lot. When the dog latched onto Jersey's tail I swung it into the fence and it let go, but I grabbed the fence to keep from falling and it grabbed my hand. I lifted it with one finger because it was latched onto me so tightly. I was screaming like a banshee, I know. I was bleeding and hurt and so was my dog, and my kids were watching me from the porch window. I was afraid if I fell down it would kill me, so I tried to keep my balance but I was stumbling alot. FINALLY two of my neighbors from around the corner heard the screaming and jumped 4 fences to get to me. One grabbed me and wrapped his arms around me and Jersey and then turned so that the dog could only attack his back. The other grabbed the dog and finally subdued it, mostly by laying on it and holding a stick in it's mouth. When the police and animal control and the fired dept. and ambulance (LOL! talk about overkill!) came I was still crying and had to have lots of bandaging to my arm that hadn't been holding Jersey. I had nerve damage on my hand from the stray's grip. The firemen made Jersey a makeshift bandage for her wounds and pointed out to me that the other dog had bitten her throat and we were lucky she'd gotten free. My kids called my friend Teresa who came with her mom to help take care of my kids and Jersey. We all felt that Jersey had protected my kids. We all consider her to be our heropuppy, and we love her SO much.

Now why I am sad- I JUST found out that the area we live in has a law against pit bulls. Jersey is part pit bull, part german shepherd, and part chow. I have contacted city hall to see if this applies to her because she's only part, but they haven't gotten back to me. I will move before I will get rid of this dog. I mentioned the dilemma today to my kids' grandmother (their biomom's mom, whom I love very much) and SHE even said she doesn't understand why we take the risk of having a dog who's part pit bull around the kids. She feels she's a danger! She knows the story, and she knows WHY I feel like this dog should have a halo! This dog treats my kids like her own puppies! She swims with them, she walks and plays with them, they lay on her like she's a giant brown rug. And she protects them. I have seen her stand between a stranger and my kids and kinda look at them like Don't touch. When I raise my voice at the kids she comes in and stands between me and the kids and I swear she's saying- do what you have to, but don't touch my kids. When the kids have to stand in the corner she stands WITH THEM! She's friendly, loves children, and has never bitten anything other than that dog that wanted a piece of my little girl. Oh, and she eats bugs, but I don't think that makes her dangerous. Just weird. She plays with the cat and they sleep on the couch together. When he's upset my son will lock himself in his room and cry into her fur. She's SO not a threat! It breaks my heart that the kids' grandmother who KNOWS what she's done for the kids could suggest that we shouldn't keep her. So today is a sad day for me. I am sad for my puppy who is being judged by one of her grandparents' breed instead of on her own considerable merits. I love her so much, and I just wish I could make everyone else see her like I do.

Okay, enough sappy puppy story. Just had to share.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 9:52am

I sorta understand Mel.

  Shawna-- Proud Cl for 100 Pounds or More to Go 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 10:04am
Aawwwww!

I have a Pekingese, so she's definitely not a threat to anyone. But I don't know what I would do if I was told I had to get rid of her. I'm single and she is my BABY. I'm sitting on the couch with my laptop right now, and she's laying across my feet. She motivates me to exercise (I've never seen anyone or anything that is so enthusiastic about walks!!). When I get home in the afternoon, she sits just past the tile of the foyer, shaking with excitement, until I put down my purse and stuff and pick her up. She can tell when I am upset, and crawls into my lap and licks my face, which she doesn't usually do. I love her! Don't know what I'd do without my Bella.

Soo... your sappy puppy stories are always welcome here.

-Tina

Image hosted by Photobucket.com Abby Lane is

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-02-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 1:08pm
I know exactly what you mean. When I lived in Battle Creek we lived in what became a high crime neighborhood. The first time I ever swore in front of my mother was when the people across the street were HANGING their rottweiler. They had a noose around it's neck and were raising it off the ground to make it struggle to get out, while POKING it and laughing. I was SO livid! I called the police and said "The b@%$@rds across the street from me are HANGING their F*&^%$# DOG!" My mom's jaw dropped, but she didn't say anything. When the police came, they did take the dog away, but that's only ONE incident. I can put my hand in her mouth to take care of her teeth (yes I brush and floss my dog's teeth....) and she will open it wider to try to keep her teeth from touching me! She takes her treats so that her teeth don't touch the giver (apparently she knows the adage about not biting the hand that feeds you). Playa sounds like Jersey's son Chief- he will greet you at the door and then flop over on your feet with his tongue lolling out BEGGING to have his belly rubbed.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-02-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 1:13pm
Your dog is so adorable! And you know, he just looks SO vicious sprawled out on Rich with his head on his chest. I was afraid (insert rolling eyes here). He looks like a giant baby!

I think animals are just like kids- they learn what they live. And responsible, loving pet owners shouldn't be punished because insurance companies and city halls and uneducated persons don't understand that. Grrrrrrr.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 1:15pm
LOL! i wish my bassett hound knew that rule about not biting the hand that feeds you ...... she has a hard tiem distinguishing where the food ends and the flesh begins when she's gettin treats LOL!


 
 
 
 

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-02-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 1:20pm
LOL! My dog Nicodemus was like that- if I yelped he'd always whimper and lick me, but he was so excitable when it came to pupperoni.....He was a great dog too! He let my baby cousin hold his tail from her walker and would pull her around the house.

Sigh. I think "they" (as in, people with the power to do so) should spend more time punishing bad pet owners, puppy millers, and bad trainers than persecuting harmless animals with good homes and parents...er, owners.... who love them.

You know what? City Hall STILL hasn't called me back. The mayor's phone number is in my church directory...I should just call him. LOL!

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