Two Brothers Used As Bait Dogs Now Safe

Former Bait Dogs and Brothers Lucky and Rugby are Safe.

A couple of weeks ago Shadow’s Fund received a plea to help a pit bull in a local shelter. He was badly beaten up and the tape marks on his muzzle and bite wounds all over his body told the story of this traumatized dog’s cruel past. This beautiful, golden colored boy with a gentle temperament was likely used as a bait dog. Dog fighters will tape the muzzle and often hogtie the legs of dogs that don’t show a will to fight and use them to train other fighting dogs. Defenseless and terrified they are attacked repeatedly.

When we called to inquire we learned that the sad looking dog in the plea had a matter of hours to live. He was to be euthanized at the end of the day. We were able to rally enough support to get this dog, now called Lucky, out of the shelter into a loving foster home.  But there was a surprise waiting at the shelter.

When our transporter arrived to pick up Lucky she was told by shelter officials that he had been brought in with his brother, who was in even worse shape. Unwilling to leave his brother behind, we went back for the sweet, scared brown and white pit bull now called ‘Rugby”. Rugby was taken straight to DAWG in Santa Barbara where their generous and compassionate staff kindly watched over him for us until we could arrange a foster home for him. During his stay, Rugby became a favorite of all who met him. Craving affection and comfort, Rugby would climb up into laps and yearn to be petted and held. Perhaps the first kindness he had every experienced . . .

It has two weeks since the brothers were pulled out of the shelter. Both are in loving foster homes, have received medical attention and are learning what it is like to be loved and cared for. Soon they will go to their forever homes where they will spend the rest of their days enjoying the comforts of a family and a home.

Shadow’s Fund would like to thank everyone who helped with these very special dogs. So many people took time to visit them, walk them, give them affection . . . thank you! Your kindness has started them on the road to recovery. We ‘d like to send a very special thank you to Angela Adan, Tracy Green, Rita Wyngarden, Ian and Kellyn, Deann Turner, The Heigl Foundation and especially to DAWG for being so incredibly supportive.