Urgent Boyd
June 27, 2012
A pit bull puppy listed as ‘urgent’ tugs on a foster’s heartstrings making for a happy Thanksgiving tale
By Nyla Robinson
My pup Bodie was picked up on the street by animal services in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. He was about 3 months old, had recently had his ears cropped and still had stitches and a plastic cone on his head when he was found.
He was in the shelter for 6 weeks until it became over crowded, and shelter volunteers reached out to rescue groups for help. Saving Paws of Washington was one of those rescue groups. SPOW listed “Boyd” on Petfinder.com hoping to find a foster or forever home before Thanksgiving 2011 when their transport van was scheduled to pull the dogs and bring them to western Washington.
I saw his listing (a horrible picture, his intake photo with him in his plastic cone) and couldn’t get this homely little pup out of my mind. I checked his listing every day for over two weeks hoping someone would come forward and want him, but no one did. The morning before Thanksgiving I checked, saw him still listed as “Boyd-Urgent” and just couldn’t leave him there. I volunteered to foster him.
My one and only foster attempt ended in complete failure two weeks later when I adopted him. This is one of the few times when failing is a truly good thing! He’s now 1 year old, an obedience school graduate and an all-around sweet, lovable goober.
Big difference btween the the two photos! Great job.
The intake photo is a classic “Before” picture. I love to see such beautiful “After” pictures.
@Matt.S Us too Matt!
Love your name, I spell my daughters name the same way! Bodie is extremely handsome! People can be so cruel, he still had the cone on his head and stitches. This is one of the reasons I’m for mandatory micro-chipping. Thank you for being a blessing to this handsome boy.
@theprettychic There’s a big downside to mandatory microchipping, though, as with any registration scheme, if that scheme includes breed and is accessible to the authorities: Easy confiscation and destruction in the event of new BSL. :/
@skreidle @theprettychic Not micro-chipping also has a big down-side. If for some reason Bodie were to be pick up as a stray here, though my town is pit bull friendly all strays are taken to the Everett Shelter. If a pit-bull looking dog is picked up without ID or microchip, it’s held for a 72 hour stray hold then euthanized in Everett. No rescues, no adoption. Euthanized. My Bodie is licensed, ID tagged and micro-chipped.
@PittieMom Exactly, it has more advantages to micro-chipping than disadvantages.
@PittieMom @theprettychic Oh, I know! I think microchipping is a great idea and everyone *should* do it, of their own volition, registered with Avid or HomeAgain. I just don’t think it should be mandatory, or registered with local Animal Control or authorities, for the reasons/concerns I listed. All of my dogs are microchipped (or tattooed, if we happen across a clinic.)
He is so beautiful! Thanks for sharing
In defense of his previous owners, he probably got lost or stolen — he looked to be in good health in the intake photo, and that’s a professional veterinary show crop, not a home butcher job…
Boyd is a beauty!!!
I’m a volunteer at the Rancho Animal Center and I remember him! I thought he was such a unique looking dog. Thank you so much for being a “foster fail” and giving him a great and loving home. I wish all of the animals there could have that. And trust me, we get plenty of “stray” pits there with cropped ears who, and they were certainly not all stolen, a lot of people just like the look, even though it does not benefit the animal and can cause a lot of misinterpretation, like they were used for fighting, which is not the case at all.
@donut Thank you, sometimes that just needs to be said. We have to get away from thinking every pit bull with cropped ears or scars was used for fighting. So many times that’s not the case at all.
Thanks so much for posting! I sent his update and photos to Rancho a few months after I adopted him. I wanted the folks there to know he was safe and is a much loved member of my family.
What a gorgeous, striking boy! Thanks for sharing your story.
I take umbrage with the description of Bodie! In fact I thought he was stunning in both photos and one of the most beautiful bullies I have seen. I LOVE that nose, does he need sunscreen? Glad you saw something in this guy and congrats on being a happy foster “success”. Welcome to the club!
I don’t like the foster failure term, can we call it foster success adjacent or something?
@DianaJones It seems like foster failure is the only time it’s good to fail. We agree, a better term should be coined. Bodie is a handsome boy!
My initial impression of this “homely” puppy just showed my ignorance before I met him. He’s truly beautiful inside and out and, yes, that little pink nose gets SPF 50 smeared on it at any hint of sunshine!
@PittieMom Thanks for the comments Nyla. We know Bodie is loved and safe. And that’s all that matters now.
@DianaJones …Instead of Foster Failure I’ve heard it also called “taking the casual route to sdoption”. Makes it sound more like the adventure it is, doesn’t it?
@PittieMom @DianaJones It’s definitely a better term. Thanks
What a handsome guy! I go to college near Rancho Cucamonga, and there are a lot of surrounding towns that have dogs running in the street. There’s an overflow of Chihuahuas and pitties, I’m sure. I’m glad Bodie is now living a happy life!
He is beautiful!!! I’m so happy he is in such a loving home now. Most of the dogs in my local shelter are Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes and it makes me so sad for them. My two Pits I have now both came from the shelter and they are the very best dogs I have ever owned. I love my pound puppies!!! I love hearing stories like this. There are so many dogs that need loving homes and its sad to say that most of them are Pits. I feel like we all can do a little to educate people about the breed and show everyone that they are just as sweet, loving, and loyal as any other dog. Thank you for doing your part to help Boyd and showing people how wonderful Pit Bulls are.
@PitBullMommaX2 You are so right PitBullMommaX2, we can all do our part, even if you don’t have a pit bull, to educate people to see them as wonderful loving dogs. Thanks for rescuing your two pit bulls too. Somehow we think they are totally spoiled. (In the good way)
@StubbyDog
Yes they are totally spoiled and I would have it no other way! I want to thank you as well for having this website. It is so nice that you show Pit Bulls in a positive way! It’s good to know there are other people willing to go out of there way to support these dogs!!! Thank you so much!
@PitBullMommaX2 you are welcome. We love bringing everyone these positive stories, and as we said before, we have no shortage of stories. Our fans are the best!!!
Thank you for saving him, and giving him the loving home he so deserves. Blessings to you – it’s such a loving act to rescue a pooch.