Update 12/26/2015
Sadly, Precious the Pit Bull – who, in the previous update, was taken in by Megan Sanchez, the sister of the original owner – needs a new home. While her puppy, Molly, has already been rehomed, Precious has since been taken in by Jessica Stuby and her rescue organization Babes 4 Bullies and is currently looking to be adopted.
According to Stuby, who has been fostering Precious:
She’s doing great. She’s actually at work with me. She’s been a wonderful companion.
Stuby doesn’t plan on actively looking for a new home for Precious until the new year. For now, she just wants to let Precious – who suffered a bit from smoke inhalation – settle in. But once she does go up for adoption, it shouldn’t be so difficult to find her a new home. She’s had a lot of interest.
As for the law that got Precious kicked out of her home, Stuby hopes that the Pit Bull’s story changes minds about it and eventually makes a difference.
Says Stuby:
“I think the main important goal isn’t to rehome, but that her story can change people’s mind about the breed. She’s not just an amazing dog — this breed is an amazing breed.”
We’ll keep you updated as Precious the Pit Bull’s situation changes. In the meantime, make sure to follow Babes 4 Bullies on Facebook. And if the cause of fighting breed-specific legislation is important to you, consider contributing to their organization.
Update 4:49 p.m., 12/15/2015
A recently released video – courtesy of Surae Chinn – shows Precious the Pit Bull and her puppy being reunited with her owner’s sister, who lives in a nearby county that doesn’t prohibit owning a Pit Bull.
Happy reunion after tragic fire. Update on PG Co #Pitbull who wouldn’t leave owner’s side tonight at 545p @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/KMU4a2RKVb
— suraechinn (@suraechinn) December 3, 2015
It’s an emotional reunion for a family that’s already had to deal with so much. Have a good life, Precious!
***Original Story***
A video started making the rounds yesterday of a Pit Bull standing by her unconscious owner while a fire raged in their nearby home. Add it to the countless images of Pit Bulls displaying their love and devotion for the people who care for them, even in the direst of times.
If there was ever doubt that dog is man’s best friend, this will curb that. This dog refused to leave his owner’s side when the man was injured in a fire. —> https://bit.ly/1RmEAZl
Posted by NBC Connecticut on Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Normally, that would be that – a tragic story of loss intermixed with a glimmer of goodness thanks to man’s best friend. But this story is even more tragic than your average “home burns down” tale, because the county that the fire took place in – Prince George’s County, Maryland – has a ban on Pit Bulls.
The firefighters sprayed Precious the Pit Bull – who was apparently acting protectively, as any dog would – with an extinguisher to create some room so they could attend to her human. Afterward, video from the scene showed her sniffing the firefighters hands and remaining calm, despite the circumstances. And yet, when animal control showed up, they took Precious and her Pit Bull puppy, Molly, and declared that both dogs could not be returned to the family as long as they lived in the county.
[bp_related_article]
One more time, for people who don’t know – Breed Specific Legislation (which most commonly manifests as a Pit Bull ban) is ineffective, it’s a waste of time and money, and it’s just plain wrong. The good news is that much of the United States is starting to come to that conclusion and are either dropping breed bans – as was the case recently in Youngstown, Ohio – or prohibiting them altogether.
The bad news is that there are still way too many breed bans in effect, and Pit Bulls like Precious – great, loyal family dogs who’ve never done anything wrong – are all too often victimized by them.
No humans or animals were seriously hurt in the fire. The woman and her father were taken to the hospital and are expected to be okay. A third dog – a Rat Terrier – and two turtles were also saved from the home. Unlike the Pit Bulls, they will eventually be returned to their family.
Fortunately – according to a Facebook comment – the owner’s sister will be picking up Precious and Molly today before taking them to her home, which resides in a county without a breed ban. These dogs are lucky – it’s not uncommon for Pit Bulls found in BSL-affected areas to be dumped in shelters or euthanized immediately.
Hopefully, this story prompts Prince George’s County to reevaluate their breed policy, but I’m not holding my breath.
Featured Image via NBC Connecticut
