Bulletproof, Hummelstown, PA
Hi! My name is Bulletproof, but everybody calls me Bully. This is my story.
Before I came to live with my Mom and Dad, my name was just “Bullet” and I lived with another family. They decided to give me up because they could no longer care for me. I was going to be brought to the local shelter to be surrendered, but before that could happen, I escaped from my fenced yard.
I didn’t end up having as much fun running free as I thought I would. Some people got nervous when they heard there was a Pit Bull loose…and one of them shot me in the right side of my face. 🙁
I made it back to my old house. When the dog warden picked me up to bring me to the Harrisburg Humane Society, she said she was amazed because even though I was bleeding and had to be in pain, my tail never stopped wagging.
When I arrived at the shelter, I had to have surgery to clean my wound and remove the birdshot that was still in my cheek. Despite my severe injuries, I was so happy to meet all my new friends at the shelter. 🙂 They were all amazed by how friendly and outgoing I seemed despite what I had been through.
The first time Mom saw me, she was volunteering at the shelter. I had been there almost a week. Mom watched me happily playing with my ball even though it kept falling out of my mouth because of my injuries.
Mom knew right away that I was special, and she convinced Dad (the shelter kennel manager) to let me come live with them as a medical foster.
I was so happy to have a family, but I still had a lot of healing to do. My new brother and sister, Pardee and Mya (also Pit Bull mixes), love to run around and play rough. At first, I was afraid to play with them and hurt my face, but they were patient with me.
After a few months, the swelling in my face went down, & my wounds didn’t hurt as much. I was able to play with my brother and sister without being scared, and Mom and Dad knew i was meant to be part of their family.
In November of 2011, Mom and Dad adopted me. They changed my name from Bullet to Bulletproof, because they say it’s more fitting. 🙂
After my adoption, I had to have another surgery to try to fix the damage done to my face. But that’s OK because my vet is one of my favorite people in the world! She extracted my broken teeth and cleaned out what she could of the remaining birdshot. When she was done, she stitched up most of the hole in my face.
Since my last surgery, the hole in my face has healed, and now it’s only about the width of a pencil. Even though Mom and Dad love me no matter what I look like, they’re happy that I’m not in pain anymore.
In October 2013, Mom decided that I should have the chance to bring the same joy to others that I’ve brought to her and Dad. I took my Canine Good Citizen test, as well as my certification test for Therapy Dog International, and passed both tests with flying colors! While I’m still very new to therapy dog work, Mom and Dad know I’m going to be great at it.
Even though I have a family that adores me and LOTS of new friends who know how great I am, I still sometimes encounter people who are afraid of me because of how I look. Sometimes they cross the street when they see me coming. Some even whisper about how I was probably used for dog fighting because of how my face looks. 🙁
I don’t understand why they’re so nervous around me, but Mom says that’s why it’s so important for her to advocate for me and others like me. I don’t really know what a breed ambassador is, but that’s what she says I am!
Thank you for taking the time to hear my story. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me when they read it, because I have a great home now, with a family who is going to love me forever.
I do want to encourage people to give dogs like me a chance; just because we don’t come from the best situations doesn’t mean we’re not great dogs.
Please visit your local shelter and consider giving another special dog a second chance!
Parent: Elysa