Dogs are, plain and simply stated, amazing. They greet us when we come home after a long day at work with love and kisses and for some dogs, it doesn’t even take hours of being out of the house for them to miss us — our absence can be as brief as a trip to the mailbox. In that light, it’s a wonder that there are still humans out there who consciously work to keep dog fighting alive, but sadly, hundreds of dogs are victimized by this industry every day.
While some of us may believe that there’s no hope for a dog who’s made it out of dog fighting alive to find a loving home, dogs continue to surprise us in ways that we cannot even begin to fathom with their resilience. Looking at Niya, the dog in the photo below, it’s clear that she has never known that humans could love her. Her ears were cut, most likely to prepare her for a life of being forced to fight other dogs, and her body was covered with wounds and scars that will likely be there for the rest of her life.
When Kimberly Slown, founder of Arrow Dog Rescue, first arrived at Gibson County Animal Shelter in Trenton, Tennessee, Niya was so traumatized that would not budge. She eventually had to be carried to Slown’s car.
It took only a few days for Niya to learn that there are humans out there who are trustworthy. According to Slown, “she came and woke me up 5 times in the middle of the night by putting her muzzle into my hand.”
Along with following Slown around (even to the bathroom), Niya has a bed and toys of her very own. We’re so glad that she’s on the road to recovery!
While Niya has made amazing strides in her recovery, she still has a long way to go. According to Slown, after playing with the other dog in the house, Niya will often “[fly] back into this corner for safety.”
It will take a long time before a dog like Niya will feel completely at ease around other dogs and humans, but we are so glad that Niya has somebody like Slown by her side. We’re rooting for you, Niya! Slowly, but surely, you’ll get there.
To follow Niya on her road to recovery and to learn more about Arrow dog rescue, visit their official Facebook.
All image source: Arrow Dog Rescue/Facebook
that turd william needs to go die now for saying this dog should be killed now. great person to help the dogs in need.
The dog is dangerous and should be put down.
In the first 5 months of 2013, pit bulls inflicted 93 percent of all dog bite fatalities. This is well above the average of 60 percent from 2005 to 2012. As the pit bull population rises, more human fatalities ensue. During the last eight-year period (1991-98) that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied fatal attacks by breed, pit bulls were estimated at 1 percent of the U.S. dog population. Pit bulls killed an average of three people per year. The pit bull population has since grown to 4 percent. During the most recent eight-year period (2005-12), pit bulls killed an average of 19 people per year. Why do pit bulls kill more Americans than all dog breeds combined? The founder of DogsBite dot org explains this clearly in an editorial published by the Orlando Sentinel, "Banning pit bulls saves lives and protects the innocent". "The threat from pit bulls results from the combination of the animals\’ inclination to attack without warning — an essential trait of fighting dogs — and the type of injuries that pit bulls typically inflict. Most dogs bite and retreat, but pit bulls have a hold-and-shake bite style, and tenaciously refuse to stop an attack once begun. Often a pit bull releases its grip only when dead — the trait dog fighters describe as being \’dead game.\’"
2013 Dog Bite Fatality Victims:
Betty Todd, 65-years old – Killed by her son\’s pet pit bull.
Christian Gormanous, 4-years old – Killed by his neighbor\’s chained pit bull
Elsie Grace, 91-years old – Killed by her son\’s two pit bulls
Isaiah Aguilar, 2-years old – Killed by his neighbor\’s chained pit bull
Ryan Maxwell, 7-years old – Killed by a pit bull while visiting family friends
Daxton Borchardt, 14-months old – Killed by his babysitter\’s two pet pit bulls
Monica Laminack, 21-months old – Killed by her family\’s pet pit bulls
Tyler Jett, 7-years old – Killed by his neighbor\’s two pit bull-mix dogs
Claudia Gallardo, 38-years old – Killed by a property owner\’s pit bull
Jordyn Arndt, 4-years old – Killed by her babysitter\’s pit bull
Beau Rutledge, 2-years old – Killed by his family\’s pet pit bull
Rachael Honabarger, 35-years old – Killed by her family German shepherd
Pamela Devitt, 63-years old – Killed by a pack of loose pit bulls
Carlton Freeman, 80-years old – Killed by four roaming pit bulls
That\’s adorable William, should we put down doctors who kill too? Over 150.000 deaths a year are attributed to doctors killing people, and that\’s at the low end of the spectrum, most years its 250.000 in the US alone. What about terrorists? They\’re surpassing the doctors.
Wow. You listed 14 people who have been attacked and killed by Pitbulls and other dog breeds. What you failed to provide were facts behind these attacks, and why they happened. Domesticated dogs do not kill because it is fun, nor do they kill because they are natural born killers. Your facts reflect nothing. Therefore hold no standing. Dogs who kill are usually a product of irresponsible dog ownership and therefore are victims themselves due to human stupidity. Your argument is mute.
Some people need to be put down….
Some people need to be put down. Like those who simply advocate statistics that are unfounded to try and convince people something obviously false is true…
God Bless this person for taking Niya !