Patrick sent me.

WARNING : THERE ARE SOME EXTREMELY UPSETTING IMAGES IN THIS POST!

I have recently come across two stories about the way in which we arrogant humans treat our so-called "best friends." The first occurred in Plett, S.A. On the 14th of May, a dogfighting ring was bust by police who had been tipped off about possible illegal dealings at a farm in Plett. Police arrived to find two male Pitbulls in a metal cage, fighting to the death. Both were severely hurt. These dogs, as well as 6 others who were lined up for the next fights, were confiscated and taken to Animal Welfare to be treated. Ten people were arrested. My first question is what kind of person scum organises things like this? And what kind of scum actually enjoys provoking dogs until they kill each other? I reckon we should punish people like this by putting them in a cage and making them fight.

Now what really pisses me off about this is that it gives Pitties a really bad name. They are known to be extremely aggressive, untrainable dogs, but this is simply bullshit. Anyone ever seen Daddy on the Dog Whisperer? He is the perfect example of a well trained Pitty. Pit bulls have also been used in TV programmes like Veronica Mars, and they are also the chosen pet of stars such as Adam Brody, Alicia Silverstone, and Jamie Foxx. In fact the reason this breed has become so infamous is because of the way humans have portrayed them. You could have a maltese that was brought up wrongly, and attacks anything at ankle height, and you can have a Pitbull that is simply loving and gentle to any living thing. I firmly believe that a dog will reflect the behaviour of its owner, and that much of a dogs nature is a directly correlated to the owners treatment of that dog. Same goes for humans - often if you assume someone has bad traits, they will prove you right.

The second incident I have been following avidly for a few months now. Patrick the Pitbull puppy was starved until he was small enough to fit into the garbage chute of a 22 storey building. He was placed in a black bag and thrown down the chute by the worthless piece of shit that owned Patrick - Kisha Curtis. Apparently, she couldn't look after him anymore. (umm, ever heard of SPCA/Animal Welfare, trash?) Patrick was stuck in the chute for a few days until a maintenance worker discovered the chute was blocked, and found a moving trash bag inside it. Patrick was immediately sent to doggie hospital.

This is the garbage chute that Patrick was found in. It makes me shudder.

It's hard not to feel nauseous and insanely angry when I see these photos. Patrick looks like a mummified skeleton. It's hard to believe he is 6 months old in these pictures. They were taken when Patrick arrived at the emergency room.

Patrick was not expected to make it through the night. However, the vets taking care of him gave him a blood transfusion and an intravenous drip, and stayed with him through the night, hoping for the best. Patrick was named for St. Paddy's day, and obviously the luck of the Irish has been with him, because he survived that first night, and is well on his way to becoming a normal, healthy puppy. I just cannot imagine what he went through. This may be just me projecting feelings onto Patrick, but somehow when I look at him, I see so much more than a puppy should have in his eyes. His eyes seem to give off a wary yet deeply knowing emotion.

Unfortunately, stories like these happen every day. The reason why I have been following Patrick's story so closely is because his plight has become a worldwide phenomenon. There is a Facebook group dedicated to him,  - The Patrick Miracle - amassing over 100 000 followers. Patrick's picture has spread like wildfire, and his fans have adopted a catchphrase - "Patrick sent me." This catchphrase is emblazoned over every new story similar to Patrick's that his fans come across, and so their stories are cross posted and awareness is gained for thousands of dogs around the world. As a result of The Patrick Miracle alone, hundreds of dogs on "the kill list" have been saved, and awareness for the true nature of Pitbulls grows. Patrick is probably the most popular dog in the world at the moment - he has been requested for adoption by thousands of people. The hospital he is currently at is not taking any more donations for Patrick as his care has been secured by the money that has already poured in from people around the world who fell in love with him. Patrick is indeed a miracle.

Patrick is now the most spoilt puppy in the world. I'm sure he has no idea what to do with all his flowers, toys and clothes sent to him from every part of the world.

I have two dogs of my own, both rescue babies. And they really are family to me. I am at a loss when i think about what I would do if they were hurt. For all their naughtiness, I love them so much. And  I guess my reason for this post is because for all the hate and ugliness there is in this world, there are so many good people that have an abundance of love. Its just unfortunate that the world is largely controlled by the nasty types.

This is what Patrick looks like today. Its nice to see a story that has such a happy ending. Patricks story has created so much awareness for the cause of Animal Rights. So many dogs have been given forever homes because of him - a breed of dog that is wrongly seen as vicious and unlovable. Now that is truly a miracle.

Adopt, don't shop, and save a life!