Maddie and the Little Pit Bull

Yesterday I played ball with Maddie on the beach. She is so very athletic and agile! It's a thing of beauty to watch her leap into the air with glee to grab the ball, so comfortable and confident with her body. A young man walked by with a young pit bull on a leash. We began talking. The pup was 6 months old, precious, and dying to play with Maddie, barely able to contain herself on a leash at the site of Maddie running. He let her loose and off she went to chase Maddie. Her name was Samin, and she could really care less about the ball. Samin was in for the chase.

The man, Steven, was delighted that his dog followed Maddie into the water. He'd tried to get her to go in on his own prior to today, but Samin wasn't that into getting into the ocean. Well, nothing like an older dog to show her the ropes! Samin followed Maddie out into the ocean like she'd been doing it all of her life. So Steven was delighted. As I was, since it's nearly impossible not to smile from ear to ear watching this dog joy exploding before our eyes!

Then I saw it. The woman walking by with a look of horror on her face... I could almost hear her screaming inside, "Oh my God, that's a pit bull!!!!! Running loose!!!" She took a little step behind her significant other as she looked at us in dismay before hurrying away.

"How could you let a pit bull run loose???!!!" her face seemed to say.

I felt for the woman, for her fear. But I must admit I felt even more for the breed. For how misunderstood they are. How mistreated they are in the wrong hands. For the breed bans. The countless euthanasias. It's true, some may have aggressive genes bred into them, thanks to humans. But can't we judge each dog as an individual rather than stereotype and ban a breed from cities?

I wondered if this woman couldn't read the dog's happy and totally non-aggressive nonverbal language? Did her fear stop her from seeing that this dog was a sweetheart, both playful and loving?

Soon Samin was dragging, unable to keep up with Maddie, who was still going strong. Samin looked at Steven, panting and tail drooping a little.

"I'm whipped, Dad," his face seemed to say. "Maybe we better go now." Steven hooked the leash on to this very obedient girl, and off they went.

Thanks, Steven and Samin. You made my day more joyful for stopping to play. And thanks, Steven, for adopting Samin. One more pitbull rescued from a shelter...one more with a chance to LIVE!

Maybe I'll have to post in the future about the 2 pit bulls my husband and I fostered after Maggie (the dog in MAGGIE the dog who changed my life A Story of Love) died. They sure shattered any stereotypes I may have had about pit bulls being vicious!

Photo: Maddie (front, profile) & buddie, Drake summer 2009 Wyoming camping trip

Posted By:

Dawn Kairns
Author of MAGGIE the dog who changed my life A Story of Love

Website: www.dawnkairns.com

Blog: Dawn Kairns and Maggie the Dog
Twitter: www.twitter.com/themaggiebook

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2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist
DWAA 2008 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award Finalist

10 Steps to Deal with the Loss of Your Pet

by Dawn Kairns, author of MAGGIE: The Dog Who Changed My Life

Sometimes special animals come into our lives and touch our hearts in a way that leaves us forever changed. A chapter ends as the familiar road you traveled together comes to an abrupt and. You are in uncharted territory without a map. Lost. The world as you know it may look totally different.

Not everyone realizes that the bond between humans and their pets can be deeper than with a loved human. Some people often spend more time with their pets than they do with family members. Pets don’t judge or hurt us the way humans can. The loss of their constant, unconditional love can leave us empty.

There is no best way to get through the loss of a beloved pet. The way through the grief process is different for everyone. Here are some things I found helpful when I lost Maggie, my beautiful black lab with whom I had the most precious of relationships:

1. Hold a ritual after your pet dies and invite friends and family who knew and loved your pet. Share stories about how your beloved animal enriched your life and other lives she touched. You may also want to create a memorial altar with a candle and your pets’ photo, along with other items that belong to or remind you of your pet, such as her dish, special toys, and a lock of her hair.

2. Recognize that the grief of pet loss can be exceptionally profound and honor that by giving your grief the space to be. Allow your tears. Set-aside quiet time each day where you can decrease the demands of the outside world. Write in your journal. Allow your pain to express and release.

3. Let in the compassion and understanding of supportive family friends and strangers.

4. Don’t be surprised if some family members or friends are not as supportive as you might expect them to be. Allow yourself to take time off from friends who don’t understand the depth of your grief, who try to downplay your loss because it’s an animal rather than a human, or who have unrealistic expectations of you at this very vulnerable time.

5. Let people know if you need to talk about your lost pet. Many well-intended people may try to change the subject to make it easier on you and you may need to let them know that it’s okay to talk about it.

6. Find a pet loss support group locally or online and make use of the national pet loss support hotlines.

7. Nurture yourself. Get a massage. Take walks that nature. Meditate. Have lunch with a supportive friend. Do what feeds your soul.

8. Know yourself well enough to know if getting a new pet at this time will help or hinder our grief process. Some people do fine jumping right in with a new dog or cat. Others may resent having a new animal in the house too quickly.

9. Help animals at your local humane society or get involved with the many breed rescue groups in your area. It may help ease your pain if you allow your love from your lost animal to become part of a bigger purpose, such as assisting and caring for homeless animals.

10. Try new things to discover more of yourself; those creative endeavors you have often considered but have never tried.

We all have to face grief and loss eventually. It’s one of the great equalizers in life. Allow your pet’s death to ripple the foundation of who you are, as death often does. When we experienced loss, it may be a good time to let go of what no longer fits in your life; what isn’t you. In my case, after I lost Maggie, I changed both personally and professionally. I hope my steps on the road from loss to healing can now benefit you in your time of loss. As devastating as the loss of our beloved animals can be, this time can also be an excellent opportunity to examine our purpose in life and find new meaning.

© By Dawn Kairns

http://www.dawnkairns.com/

http://www.maggiethedogwhochangedmylife.blogspot.com/

Author of MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life: A Story of Love

*Nominated for the Merial Human-Animal Bond Award

by the Dog Writer’s Association of America*