My story begins with a four month old American Pit Bull Terrier. Brindle in color, Tony was named after the famous tiger on the frosted flakes box. Tony’s stripes are as vivid as a tiger’s, which is why he got his name. Despite being a beautiful, well-behaved, and passionate canine, Tony still has negative qualities. When around other animals, Tony becomes excited and extremely anxious. Out of curiosity, Tony charges unfamiliar animals with the intent to sniff, lick, and play with them. Tony does these things because he was never fully introduced to other animals as a puppy. Sure he’s had plenty of interactions with other animals, but only for short periods of time, never long term. Tony longs for companionship, which is why he acts out when around other animals. He just wants a friend.

Tony’s situation, although serious to a degree, is fairly easy to control. When walking Tony I have to be firm in my commands and my grip on the leash, so he doesn’t drag me down the street trying to get to another dog, and he usually listens. I have to warn fellow dog walkers of Tony’s curiosity, and though most people steer clear of him, some allow Tony to sniff, lick, and play with their dog. Never has Tony bit another animal or shown aggression in any way but because of his breed, most people try to avoid him. Although on one occasion, avoiding Tony was no easy task.

One summer evening, an unsuspecting man walking three chihuahuas was caught off guard when Tony got out my front door and bolted toward the three ankle biters. The chihuahuas did not mind Tony, for all he did was sniff them and nudge them with his nose, tangling their leashes in the process. But their owner was frantic. He freaked out, called me and tony names, and threatened to call animal control. I calmly apologized and took Tony back inside. A few hours later I got a knock on my door. It turned out the man did call animal control and told them that a teenaged boy released a rabid pit bull from his home with the intent of the pit bull killing the three chihuahuas. My emotions ran wild when the animal control officer informed me of the situation and told me that Tony would have to be taken to the pound. “Are you kidding me!” I shouted in anger. “Look at him, he wouldn’t hurt a fly!” I tried to explain to the lady how good of a dog he is, but I think it was pretty obvious to her, for Tony showed the officer just as much affection as he shows me. “I know hunny he is a wonderful dog, but as much as I hate to say it, I have to do my job. He has to come with me.” I was totally hopeless at that point. I had thought about grabbing Tony and bolting for my buddy’s house a couple blocks down from mine, but the city cop standing at my front door sort of prevented me from going anywhere. Heartbroken, I put Tony in the front seat of the animal control officer’s truck. She allowed Tony to sit up front because she could tell how scared he was. Although I appreciated how caring the officer was, I hated her for taking my dog, and I cant explain the sorrow I felt when she drove away with him. It was like someone had kidnapped a member of my family, and I had no idea if I would ever see him again.

My thoughts consisted of nothing more than my faithful dog the hole time he was gone. Luckily, I was able to pick him up a few days after he was taken. Even though it was only three days, it seemed like an eternity. On the way to the pound I thought about how Tony would act or what he would look like when he got out. I wondered this because every human I know that has been to jail has looked and acted different when they were released. I wasn’t sure if it would be the same for a canine or not. My face was bright and my smile wide as I entered the animal control office. As I waited for Tony to be released, I prepared his leash and grabbed a couple treats from my pocket. I never expected for Tony to look his best upon his release, but when the vet brought him in, my jaw dropped. Tony looked like he had been a abandoned for a week, left to sit in his own urine and feces, given little attention and even less food. My dog looked like he had been mistreated the whole time he was there, and I was furious. If it hadn’t been for my friend who wen’t with me, I would have tore into every person who worked there for the way they treated Tony, whether they had anything to do with it or not. Im glad I didn’t though, for it could have made things worse than they already were. Despite the fact that Tony was treated horribly, filthy from head to toe, had scratches all over him, and was shaky for a couple days, the vets at the pound did manage to give him all his vaccines and they chipped him, both of which I am thankful for.

Since the incident, I have managed to keep Tony’s curiosity hyper-activeness and down to a minimal level through hard work and discipline. I spend a great deal of time with him in hopes that he will listen to me and obey me more then he did before. There hasn’t been any problems since the incident and I hope to keep it that way, for I never want Tony to get back to the pound. Even though some people may say he’s just a dog, he’s more than that to me. Tony is a big part of my life and I will do anything to make sure he stays in it for as long as possible. It is true what people say, dog is man’s best friend, but my dog is more than just my friend, he is a part of my family, and I never turn my back on family, no matter what they’ve done.