Found...Pit Bull on Xmas...Need Guidance...

[Wylie's Mom]

Hi All - first, HAPPY HOLIDAYS !

Well, I'm hoping for some guidance from my YT friends and experts. We took the boys for a walk today (Xmas) and saw a loose Pitbull (what we think is a Pitbull, that is). We picked up the boys right away as she started trotting toward us...she was very friendly ! Although she did try to "hop up" on us bc she wanted to smell the boys (omg, and the boys were going embarrassingly crazy!), she at no time tried to snap or anything close.

Anyway, I took Marcel's leash off, put it around her neck (no prob) and waked her home in front of the hubby and the boys (boys losing their minds, omg ).

I let her "have her lead" as we were in a neighborhood and I was curious...interestingly...we came upon a driveway which she walked right into and then proceeded to walk to the side of the house, and then to the backyard gate, which was right there, looking up at me like "are you going to let me in?". This house was for sale and empty .

Please see pics for wounds and I have some questions & details:

**First & foremost, no worries, we will not be taking her to the Humane Ass'n as she is a Pitbull and would likely be put to sleep
**She is a TOTAL sweetheart!!! Very loving and happy-go-lucky.
**She knows how to sit very well.
**Collar in pics is not hers - this is a choke collar I removed from a Lab we rescued in our neighborhood about 2mths ago - she has no collar (don't yet know about chip, but doubt it.)
**Claws not terribly overgrown, but haven't been cut in a while; ears filthy inside...no itching observed, but infection possible.
**Teeth NOT filed down - gorgeous white - estimate age 1-1.5/2
**We have not had her around the boys as we don't know her history

Questions, esp. about wounds:

**First, older wounds are on top of head -- fresher/pinker one is to right of right eye
**Various random, minor, healed scratches and "bumps" on other body areas
**LARGER (about size of 3 nickels lined up) very thickened, scabbed over wound above front leg -- below where collar would sit. Healing fine...but weird . (no pic as covered well by fur...older scab/wound, but thick!)

**Also, see nipples...did she have a litter in her a past?

MOST IMPORTANTLY...do you think these are the classic wounds of a dog who was forced to fight...or are these perhaps just signs of a fight from her being on her own?

Bc if they are clearly from fighting, there is *no* way I will make any attempt whatsoever to find her owners, ya know?

Lastly, she is a total darling and sweetheart - no cowering, not submissive, just a doll -- I'm calling her "ALARIA" for now bc I wanted her name to sound like a little angel .

Advice/thoughts?

[Wylie's Mom]

Pic of body condition...which is good . Appetite good too, btw.

Isn't her coat/coloring beautiful? Is that called "brindle"...?

[Britster]

Oh my goodness - she is BEAUTIFUL! Thank you so much for "taking her in" as I know a lot of people wouldn't have been so kind to a Pit Bull. And yup, pretty positive that's considered a brindle coat. I think she's absolutely a beauty. I don't really have much advice for you on what to do but I'm glad you're not just taking her to a shelter. How nice! I would say maybe just keep her for a few days.... kind of learn her temperament a bit and I would try to find a home for her myself. Craigslist is always a possibility and I think it's a great place to find a home if you do the research and find the right people and don't just give her away for free, ya know? Hmm. I hope someone has more advice about the scars/wounds but I just wanted to commend you for taking the beauty in!

[jrsygal37]

Ann, I'm so glad you got her. She looks as if she has nursed pups recently. I think? I'm no expert but I was looking at the nipples on her tummy, aren't they nursing nips? Sorry for the incorrect vocabulary. Not sure what you'd actually call them. LOL. As far as bites, it's very hard to say. Could be a fighter, or at least made to try and fight then cut loose when she wouldn't? Or it could have been a fight in the street, but they do not look fresh to me. IDK. I think if it were me I'd be skeptical of giving her back to where she came from. She could be a breeding dog? Anyway, I am glad it was YOU who found her because I know you'll do the right thing by her. Merry Christmas. Elaine

[Wylie's Mom]

Thanks, gals !

I don't know what to think...gosh, you don't think she has puppies somewhere out there, do you? I would be beside myself...

She is SO SWEET. Loves hugs, neck massages, just-under-ear massages .

We've had her in our backyard for about 4hrs now -- we have a 6ft. adobe fence, so I don't believe there is any way for her to get out. But I feel really weird about leaving her out there tonight...? I put a bed out there for her and she is also hopping on our patio chairs (lol! ). And even though we live in Phoenix...still...that's so cold to me!

We could put her in our garage...but my gosh...what if she got into something that hurt her?

And as of yet...I just can't let her around the boys as I don't know her well enough...but man, she is a LOVEBUG .

[jeanm1963]

Anne,

Last Summer my daughters next door neighboor found a dog with similar wounds on his head and face, the Vet determined they were from pushing on a crate that was closed or a Fence, My guess would be she pushed on the crate door trying to excape.. What a doll you are for rescuing her!! I just asked my daughters Fiance' he said that wounds found on Pits that were fighting are usually show ripped up ears as they are the first thing they go for!!

[Mom2TwoYorkies]

She is definitely a beauty! I would say she is a type of pit . . .more like an American Staffordshire Terrier . . .the wounds on her head look like another poster stated . . .chain link fence marks . . .or crate marks . . .it does look like she had a litter of pups. Usually the females are used just for breeding purposes and the males are trained to fight . . .we rescued a 2 year old American Staffordshire Terrier in 1999 from a rescue group . . she was very loving, never barked or tried to bite . . .just a sweet girl . .

[shamrocks]

She is absolutely beautiful. I am so happy that you took her in , like others have said not to many people would. She does look like she had a litter of pups . Is there any way to find out who used to live in the house?

[MeganS]

WOW she is stunning.

It sounds like she's fairly well taken care of. Could it be possible that perhaps her family moved (and took her) and she escaped to try to "go home" ? I've heard of this happening a LOT with cats. Not so much with dogs, but I suppose it's possible.

I really hope that if there is someone out there looking for her, you are able to find them. Thank you SO much for taking care of her. A lot of people would just run away from her because she's a pit bull...this just goes to show that they are sweet hearts too!

[TammyJM]

Oh my, Ann!!! She is BEAUTIFUL! I love her color/markings!! Her scratches do look older (and odd), but maybe from trying to get out of a fence. ??

She really is sooooo pretty...and such a sweet face!

Tammy

[marcerella02]

I am no help but she is beautiful! Bless you for saving her Isn't "finding" a dog both a curse and a blessing? So happy you saved them yet... what do you do now??? I am sure she will be just fine outside- Clearly she is used to being in a backyard- so i'm sure the bed is a bonus keep us updated- she looks like a real love.

[Darlene68]

She is beautiful Ann! It does look like she had a litter at some point in the past. You are such an angel for taking her off the street.

[Wylie's Mom]

Thanks so much all for the help and encouragement.

I think me and hubby are going over to that empty for sale house tomorrow (where we *think* she may have come from) - and see if we can walk into the backyard and take a look around...as if we're looking at the house...just to see what we can see. Also, am thinking I will just go ahead and knock on their neighbor's door as we heard them grilling outside today when we found her.

Checked Pets911 and CraigsList and our newspaper for Lost dogs...nothing that fits her or even close.

GOOD point on the ears being chewed up *if* she had been a fighting dog...her ears are perfect. Weird thing is...that old chest wound (above leg/below collar) I described...bc that one was deep and big, as the scab is still so thick, weird.

Now I'm kinda wondering if she had a litter, and someone took the pups away and put her in a crate during weaning (?) and this was perhaps when she may have injured herself ....? Possible...?

I think I may have to bring her in and sleep w/ her alone in another bedroom...I don't think I'll be able to sleep thinking of her out there. She does need a bath but, ack, big deal, what's the worst that could happen?

I just checked on her and she's on her bed out there curled up in a tight little ball of brindle ! Think she might have food coma as I fed her two dinners....WELL...it IS a HOLIDAY !

[Wylie's Mom]

Oh!

And I'm calling her "Ambrey" -- bc she reminds me of the color of amber...and this name fits her better than the first one I was thinking of......oh my!

[jeanm1963]

From the looks of her wounds I dont think I would be to quick to try and find her owners, it appears to me they werent very nice to her considering she has all those wounds!! Maybe you just got a very special Christmas gift