Blue, Allentown, PA
Hi! My name is Blue! I’m a 2 year-old male pitbull and my story started when I was just a little baby.
In April 2010, someone placed me in a cardboard box and left in the city center of Allentown, PA. I was only 4 weeks old. I don’t know what happened or why, but I was hurt and I was bleeding to death.
Luckily, two women spotted me in the box and brought me to a no-kill shelter, Animals in Distress. The lady who worked at the shelter didn’t know what to do with me, a helpless puppy. I just looked at her with my blue eyes and she knew she wasn’t going to give up on me.
She called her supervisor and asked if they would be taking me in and what the steps would be in order to save my life. I was taken to the vet immediately. Besides the scars on my neck, I had a prolapsed rectum (the staff suspected it was due from some sort of trauma). They had to do major surgery to remove about four inches of my colon and then sewed everything back in place.
After the surgery was over, everyone including the vet was concerned that I might not make it. And I was in a huge amount of pain. I was in the hospital almost two weeks, but I made it!
I got better and better every day. The lady who first saw me at the shelter became my foster mom in June, once I was well enough to come to her house. In October 10, 2010, she decided she was a failure…because she’s keeping me for good!! 🙂
But because of what happened to me then, I have no control over my bowel functions and I’m on a special homemade diet because my body cannot process regular dog food. My homemade diet consists of barley, rice, ground meat, and light/dark red kidney beans. For a while it was trial and error because my stomach is SO sensitive. I cannot handle bought food (too processed for me), even the $60 bags of food didn’t work (too “rich” for my stomach to handle). This mixture (“knock on wood,” my mom says) has been the key. I get 3 cups twice a day and I’m still a tiny little guy because I can’t process half of it.
Despite my inflictions, my mom says I’m one of the best dogs she’s known. I show my affection and loyalty to my mom and my family constantly. I’m a 40-lbs lap dog and I love to return kisses. I take my job of protecting my family from the vacuum VERY seriously. I love to play, snuggle, go for walks, and I LOVE other animals.
I cannot go a day without clothes. I need clothes in the winter because I get cold, and I also need them in the warmer weather because I’ll get allergies. My mom sometimes tries to take me out without my clothes on and I’d look at her like she’s crazy.
I also have this thing about crossing the streets. I’d sit at every break in the sidewalk — EVERY break — so it takes a good half hour to walk a “quick” round around the neighborhood. Well, at least I’m being cautious and checking for traffic. 🙂
Last but not least (yes, I do have many quirks), I have a special routine when I go to bed. I NEED clean blankets on my bed. If they aren’t clean, I’d sit down next to my bed and looks at my mom; I won’t lay down until they are changed. Once that’s done, I’d snuggle in bed, wait for my mom to cover me with the blanket, turn on my radio and night light, and then I can sleep peacefully.
I was a case where my future was very uncertain. A puppy as small as I was, tolerating the surgery and recovery process of a massive surgery, I’m a fighter all right. I fought for my life. And won.
My mom always tells me that she loves me with all of her heart, and she hopes that others can gain inspiration from my story. She says you’d never know I’ve had so many issues. I have my problems, sure. But don’t we all?! 🙂
Thank you for letting me share my little story! I’m also bouncing around on Facebook, Blue “Blueskidoo” Pibble, so come join me!
~Blue
Parent: Kacie
p.s. I’m lucky I was dropped off at at Animals in Distress, which is a true no-kill shelter. My mom was skeptical about working at a shelter at first because she knows how easily she get attached to animals (like what happened with me ♥) but she’s glad she worked at Animals in Distress where the animals are well taken care of and if they are not adoptable; they live happy lives there with their shelter family. I wouldn’t even had a chance if it wasn’t for them!