It's not their fault!

It is Sunday morning and I am getting ready to go visit my babies at the shelter. I am thankful for the nice weather and hoping it will bring in lots of adopters. It will be a busy day with many new dogs getting their glamor shots and also fun for a variety of dogs who will get to participate in play groups. Lots of great things going on, but there is one thing I haven't been able to stop thinking about - my boy Bronson.

Bronson literally brought me to tears last week. I can't even think about him without getting teary eyed. This boy arrived at the shelter back in November. Yes, he is another pit bull and yes, he is black. Poor guy already had 2 strikes against him. He couldn't go to just anyone because of breed restrictions in different cities - not his fault. Then he is black, which to many ignorant people,  is not unique enough and made him look more intimidating - not his fault.

So what happens to dogs like Bronson?  He sits in a shelter for months. He is continually passed up for different dogs, barely being seen.  Most shelters are filled with black dogs and often get unnoticed. The KCMO shelter is no different and the kennels are older, they are stacked on top of each other and the lighting isn't the best. Bronson was placed in a dark, bottom kennel because of his size and standards set by the Department of Ag. This of course made it even harder for him to be seen - not his fault.

The past month, Bronson's mental state started to diminish. He started to become more agitated because his lack of exercise. He was showing signs of stress, jumping and bouncy from side to side in his kennel. He would growl and lunge at dogs passing by his kennel. Potential adopters wouldn't even consider him because of his behavior in the kennel.  Months being stuck in a kennel changed Bronson - not his fault.

What people didn't get to see is just how much of a gentleman Bronson truly was.  Outside he would sit for treats and just look at you with that big smile, waiting for another. He let you love on him and thoroughly enjoyed the belly rubs. He was a people pleaser and all he wanted was his own people.  He wanted to be out of the shelter, but no one would give him that chance - not his fault. 

I'm sure you know where this is heading; we lost Bronson on Friday. I am super sad and super disappointed. Bronson was deteriorating more each day from frustration. A plea was sent out in hopes to find someone to help him. A rescue wasn't going to take him because he had become more and more aggressive.  It had been difficult to find him a family in the months he had stayed at the shelter. I am torn because of course Bronson wasn't happy living the majority of his life in a kennel. It wasn't fair to keep him locked up, hoping someone would come for him while he continued to deteriorate. I so badly was hoping for a better ending for him.

It wasn't Bronson's fault. He did not ask to be brought into this world as a black pit bull. He did not ask for ignorant owners to not take care of him or not reclaim him once he was picked up as a stray. It's not his fault there are breed bans in so many cities, which hindered his chances of getting adopted. Bronson deserved better and so do many others that are sitting in shelters right now. Bronson, I am sure is stress free now and I am going to miss his kisses today. If you get anything out of this blog, please let it be to ADOPT. Give a shelter dog a chance. They are most deserving of a home and you will be saving a life.

LOVE YOU SWEET BRONSON - I WILL MISS YOU!!!