by Charlie Jones

Charlie Jones is an FBR foster and volunteer with the Fresno Bully Rescue. FBR shares their animal rescue adventures with us now every other month.

I never realistically considered fostering a dog, much less a Pit Bull, a breed about which I had heard so many horror stories. One night, though, while catching up on Facebook, I came across a post which had been forwarded by a good friend who had recently adopted a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy from Fresno Bully Rescue. The post said that a female SBT and her three pups would be taken to a kill shelter the next day if no one was able to foster her immediately, because her owner was no longer able or willing to care for them. That seemed unreal to me. So, I asked my husband if would be willing to temporarily take in a little family so they could live. Maybe it was the wine, maybe he didn’t take me seriously, but he said, “Sure. I like Pits; I had one as a kid.” I took him seriously.

Two days later, they were delivered to our home. It was chaos from the very beginning. We had no idea what kind of temperament she had or how protective she might be of her pups, so it was a big risk. I had watched enough episodes of The Dog Whisperer to know that I needed to be confident, calm, and assertive, so I put on my game face and jumped into this new arrangement.

We named her Blue. It took some adjustment, but not as much as I thought it would take, before we got into a routine. The puppies were not socialized, and Blue was terribly untrained. The pups responded to snuggles and love, and within two days, they were friendly, loving little Tasmanian Devils. They traveled in a single, noisy whirlwind, full of energy and silliness, and they were precious.

Blue

They only stayed a month or so before they found homes, but we kept Blue for eight months. In that time we got her into shape—she went from not being able to make it a full block without losing energy and breath—to literally pulling my husband on his bicycle at full speed for two miles. She was a wonder.

Seven pairs of chewed shoes later, she was fairly well-trained, incredibly affectionate and loving, and so very willing to please. But she was always a handful. It was difficult to let her go because she had become part of the family, and we had fallen in love with her. However, we always knew that we were not the right family for her. We knew that there was a perfect person out there who could help her reach her full potential, and, thanks to FBR and Instagram, that person found Blue. Blue is now thriving, happy and content, and we get to watch her progress through her mom’s posts on Instagram.

Blue and her new mom

Was it all worth it? Absolutely. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Saving a life worth saving—and they are all worth saving—is worth any amount of time, patience, and money.

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to Fresno Bully Rescue.