[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by 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?

Ann,

How wonderful you are......and brave.....

I'm not familiar with the pit bull breed, other than they've received a bum rap. I've seen open wounds on pit bulls that have been brought into ER.....pretty deep and very nasty.....one I saw, the throat was gashed open. So, these guys have pretty powerful jaws.

Her wounds appear to be from dog fights, whether forced or otherwise. The more recent ones could have been from protecting her litter. I'm sure you're familiar on how to take care of open wounds.

The size of her nipples, based on my experience with my girls, even after they've had litters and have been spayed have remained on the larger size. So, when she had her last litter, since she's not lactating, could have been as recent as 8 to 10 weeks ago.

Did you look around the vacant house? Any signs of her litter anywhere? Dug out holes, puppy poop or hers.......

You can do a google look-up to see how recently the house was put up for sale, maybe get some info on the sellers. I know you don't want to find her owners, but it can give you a sense of how long she's been alone.

She does look a bit emaciated, so she may have been on her own for awhile.