Best Place to Start (this will be long very long)

[Jon Payne]

A week ago I became aware of an abandoned dog out on a county road in the marsh. Anyone familiar with SETX knows these are saltwater marshes and the most inhospitable areas in TX. The threats are gators, racoons, feral pigs, feral cats, crabs, and nasty critters such as fleas and ticks. The threats also include crackheads and meth-monsters as well...

A blue female APBT had been dumped/abandoned by turds. Members of a FB group began posting about Bailey and her plight. Temps were dropping by SETX standards and the XO and I became concerned no one had rescued her. We even went out one night to find her and we failed. I promised the XO I would try again the next morning.

I didn't sleep worth a shit that night and the next morning I was back out in the marsh looking for the little blue pittie. I did find her, but she wouldn't let me touch her. She had been sleeping on a Rubbermaid lid. Two other ladies were trying to coax her too and I had to open my shop. I told them who I was, where I would be, and if they caught her I would give her a home. By noon that day a lady came to my shop and told me she had the little female pit.

Back Story-
I'm a cop, now semi-retired cop and APBT's have not been my favorite breeds in the past. I rescued one in the past and it ended horribly. I couldn't help him like I thought I could and he was a danger to everyone but me and my immediate family. An unprovoked bite (out of fear) cost him his life and left a scar on my soul. Evidently God's plan was for me to have another. Some of ya'll met Deuce. He was nothing short of amazing. I put his owner in prison on a blue warrant. He was just over 6 weeks old. Thinking I couldn't go through it again I found him a home with my daughter's boss. What I didn't know was the boss's husband was bed ridden and this is where Deuce would spend the next few months.

My daughter, Bliss, figured out a way to con all of us and get Deuce back. Shortly after we took ownership of Deuce (6 moths of age) we were slammed by Hurricane Ike. Just after Ike, Bliss was killed by a reckless driver.

Deuce was a pain in the ass. Needy, whinny, and suffered from separation anxiety. The one thing Deuce had in his favor was his fierce loyalty. It took close to three years to get Deuce over all his bullshit. He whined, tore shit up, and escaped from ANY enclosure.

Gabe visited my home for the first time and was amazed at Deuce's level of obedience. I'm paraphrasing for sure, but Gabe asked "How in the hell do you get him to do that"? My reply was, "I just talk to him". I had Deuce for 13 years. He was the XO's protector. He was my judge of character. He helped me get back into peak condition as a trainer and to meet the goals Gabe set for our fitness standards. At 13, he still did two miles a day with me and had a 6 foot vertical jump. You see, I had Deuce's ADBA papers and his pedigree. Members of his bloodline have lived as long as 20 years. At one point when he turned 10 I thought I should prepare for his passing. When he showed NO signs of slowing other than gray hairs, I put all those thoughts on the back burner.

Some of you are aware of what happened next. My last Combat Red Dot Pistol School right before the "Wuhan Flu", Deuce began hacking and struggling to breathe. Fearing he was poisoned, I rushed him the the emergency vet after a dinner with students. Deuce hadn't been poisoned, he had a cancerous mass in his throat. The vet explained he had only made it this far because of his exceptional physical condition, but he couldn't compensate any longer.

Sedatives helped him breathe, but as soon as the drugs wore off he would struggle again. This was the dog my daughter loved and now I couldn't save him. Deuce fell asleep and died in my arms. He was supposed to be on a steel table...FUCK THAT. I wasn't supposed to be back there...FUCK YOU. He died knowing I loved him in MY arms. The next morning I finished that Red Dot Pistol School. It was hard, I had assistance, and I had senior students that helped me complete the mission. I thought Deuce was the end of my journey with APBT's. God had other plans.

Now I have Bailey. She's named after the county road some fuck stick dumped her on. She scavenged out there for three nights. By witnesses accounts she fought racoons for cat food. I took Bailey into Ray's Pawnshop (my business) and got her a crate and a bed. In shock, she slept the entire day. Smelling like a bag of smashed assholes, she had to have a bath. Because we didn't want fleas everywhere, we had to bathe her in a driveway with a water hose and flea soap. She let us do it. She didn't eat for TWO days. You could hear her stomach growling and she began passing blood in her stool from stress. Even in distress, the way she looked at me made me melt.

Within 24 hours Bailey imprinted on me if you believe in that. Yesterday, the 13th, she began eating solid dog food. Right now, she will do almost anything for me. She allows me to check her head to toe, belly and back, with NO FEAR. She even acts like she HAS to PROTECT ME! I'm teaching her she doesn't have to guard me. I'm here to guard her. I've raised almost $700 for her veterinary care. She needs all of her shots. I pray she's heartworm negative and I'm having her spayed. She's spending everyday with me at the shop. We do two miles in the morning, we go to work, she has her potty breaks, and then she likes to sleep on me until bed time.

My mind races about how this applies to us and our mission. Bailey is a Warrior. Bailey is a GLADIATOR. She doesn't quit and I won't quit her. She is dog aggressive. Any dog that barks at her or challenges her, she wants to fight. Any man that is loud and comes close to me drives her to protect. Some of this will be trained out of her and some will have to be worked around. I'll never trust her with children or the mentally inept/challenged/retarded. Her prey drive could be too strong for that kind of thing.

Maybe it just boils down to Glocks aren't for everyone. Like Gabe has said before, Stakeouts aren't for everyone. Same can be said for Assault Rifles. I believe this applies to dog breeds as well. The difference between me and the fucking commies is I believe you have to make the informed choice of what's for you and what isn't. Bailey has given me the strength to do what I didn't want to do. I had it easy with my old grumpy English Bulldog. Now I have to work, I have to think, I have to reason, and I have to FIGHT.

If you made it this far Thank You and God Bless. I'm tired and calling it a night.

6225062251

[Papa]

Sleep well, Jon. Bailey, too.

I found my little rescue bitch on a back road in mid February between blizzards. She allegedly ran away in September. You get some awkward questions when the dog you dumped has a chip and survives.

No way she was going back to those people.

Once she'd been healed of the scabies and malnutrition I got to take her home. She knew me. She knew I'd saved her. I renamed her and fattened her up. And all during my recovery she watched over me from the couch nearby.

Damned right dogs imprint on you.

Here she is in the Disco Panda:

62252

And here catching some z's after guarding the old man all night:

62253

[res308]

Jon, that feeling of security in the first picture and that happy face in the second picture both tell me all I need to know. You have done well. Would that more men would treat dogs like you have instead of like the trash that dropped her off. Does my heart good.

[Johnny C!]

Yep! First pic says it all.

Good job to Jon & Papa. Beautiful pups!

[PRC 74]

I can't understand how anyone can dump a dog like trash. Thank you guys for stepping up and rescuing these fine looking pups. I have 2 rescue dogs myself.

[Jon Payne]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211214/259be8f829fbc2c5a22bfd2fb227387a.jpg
This is a pic someone took of her after she was dumped. Her abdomen is swollen from God knows what and the look of despair on her face is obvious to me. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211214/dbe4109c26ce8f4ed944be42cacb060f.jpg
And this is yesterday lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Papa]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211214/259be8f829fbc2c5a22bfd2fb227387a.jpg
This is a pic someone took of her after she was dumped. Her abdomen is swollen from God knows what and the look of despair on her face is obvious to me. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211214/dbe4109c26ce8f4ed944be42cacb060f.jpg
And this is yesterday lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I swear that dog is smiling.

[ToddC]

Hell, yeah! Can’t wait to meet her.

[coastalcop]

I had to put my 15 year old healer/border mix Paisley down last friday. She was a rescue found in a water drainage pipe and spent the rest of her life with us. She was preceded by her adopted sister Blondie who was also a rescue but had some long term health issues.

They both had great lives with us and both passed at home in our arms (our Vet will make house calls for this and likes animals more than people... which is what you want in a Vet)

I will get another rescue eventually, but its gonna take some time :(

[Ragsbo]

Dogs know!

[Papa]

I had to put my 15 year old healer/border mix Paisley down last friday. She was a rescue found in a water drainage pipe and spent the rest of her life with us. She was preceded by her adopted sister Blondie who was also a rescue but had some long term health issues.

They both had great lives with us and both passed at home in our arms (our Vet will make house calls for this and likes animals more than people... which is what you want in a Vet)

I will get another rescue eventually, but its gonna take some time :(

They'll come to you:

6225562256

[Jon Payne]

I had to put my 15 year old healer/border mix Paisley down last friday. She was a rescue found in a water drainage pipe and spent the rest of her life with us. She was preceded by her adopted sister Blondie who was also a rescue but had some long term health issues.

They both had great lives with us and both passed at home in our arms (our Vet will make house calls for this and likes animals more than people... which is what you want in a Vet)

I will get another rescue eventually, but its gonna take some time :(

Brother, I know all too well. Prayers for you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Herbert West]

You know what I like about people? Their dogs !

To those who rescue and care for pups, God bless you !
Had 2 pups who passed a month apart, they were 17.5yrs and 16yrs old respectively. It took about 1.5 years before I rescued another pup, mixed breed 12week old pup who I should have named him Velcro because he never leaves my side, Harry is now 1 yr old and 15 lbs of pure love and a great little watch dog, and despite his size can do a five mile hike/ ruck with dad without issue !

[Beoceorl]

A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
- (Proverbs 12:10)

[IANative]

Dog on the left is a miniature Goldendoodle we rescued from no kind of life as a city apartment dweller. His name is Oits, and his only exercise up until the time we got him was jumping on and off the couch. He was 8 months old when we got him, and he had zero muscle tone and zero endurance. On top of that, he's slightly splay-footed, so his fitness potential will forever be somewhat limited...

https://i.imgur.com/zg4HVS6.jpg

I immediately started him on daily runs w/ my bird dog, Gus, which is typically a 3-mile affair. Poor Otis couldn't run 100 yds without having to lay down and catch his breath. But he idolized Gus and wanted to do everything Gus did. His fitness improved. On top of that, he began to display an intense interest in birds- flying birds, sitting birds, training pigeons, etc. I thought maybe he had just enough Golden in him to exploit, and so I began training him as a flusher/retriever. His love of Gus, his love of birds, his love of me... and just enough natural instinct made for easy and enjoyable training. Fast forward to age two now, and the rescue pup that doesn't know he's not supposed to be a bird dog is a hunting and retrieving machine. He's accounted for six or seven solo dead-bird retrieves thus far in this his first season.

https://i.imgur.com/wsEMDag.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Uj9oFrr.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZoM9e2L.jpg

Oh, and he retrieves burrs and stickers like he's getting paid for it...

[Air Pirate]

“…Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware,
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear…”

~Kipling’s “The Power of the Dog”

[barnetmill]

Dog on the left is a miniature Goldendoodle we rescued from no kind of life as a city apartment dweller. His name is Oits, and his only exercise up until the time we got him was jumping on and off the couch. He was 8 months old when we got him, and he had zero muscle tone and zero endurance. On top of that, he's slightly splay-footed, so his fitness potential will forever be somewhat limited...

https://i.imgur.com/zg4HVS6.jpg

I immediately started him on daily runs w/ my bird dog, Gus, which is typically a 3-mile affair. Poor Otis couldn't run 100 yds without having to lay down and catch his breath. But he idolized Gus and wanted to do everything Gus did. His fitness improved. On top of that, he began to display an intense interest in birds- flying birds, sitting birds, training pigeons, etc. I thought maybe he had just enough Golden in him to exploit, and so I began training him as a flusher/retriever. His love of Gus, his love of birds, his love of me... and just enough natural instinct made for easy and enjoyable training. Fast forward to age two now, and the rescue pup that doesn't know he's not supposed to be a bird dog is a hunting and retrieving machine. He's accounted for six or seven solo dead-bird retrieves thus far in this his first season.

https://i.imgur.com/wsEMDag.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Uj9oFrr.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZoM9e2L.jpg

Oh, and he retrieves burrs and stickers like he's getting paid for it...
History: The poodle was from wiki.
The Poodle, called the Pudel in German and the Caniche in French, is a breed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_breed) of water dog (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_dog).
A water dog is a type of gundog bred to flush and retrieve game from water. Water dogs are considered the progenitors of most modern retriever dog breeds.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_dog)

[SEANSTRAIT]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211214/259be8f829fbc2c5a22bfd2fb227387a.jpg
This is a pic someone took of her after she was dumped. Her abdomen is swollen from God knows what and the look of despair on her face is obvious to me. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211214/dbe4109c26ce8f4ed944be42cacb060f.jpg
And this is yesterday lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The second pic here says it all! Congratulations on a great save and addition to the family.

[Shannon Hogan]

Thanks for sharing Jon! Lost my pit last year. A rescue. She was all alpha female. I miss her doggy smooches and being whacked by her tail! All my K9's have been rescues.

[RedLeg0811]

Hi Jon,

First your new girl is great looking. I have to agree she is smiling.

When I introduced Jesse to the GSD breeder in July I was not planning on getting a dog until next year. The breeder is normally 6-8 months out on her list and we had already said we wanted a dog. The breeder doesn't take any money like many breeders. Anyways she showed us Leo at 12 weeks. He didn't do the puppy piranha, hung around us, and when someone came up and startled him he jumped in Jesse's arms. The people that where supposed to take him home had an emergency and had to back out. She felt he was the right fit for us and asked if we wanted him. After having the wife meet him, we made it happen.

I don't know if it was God or fate, knowing we would need him in a couple short months. But I have been so thankful to have Leo after Jesse died. It is going to be very hard when that day comes.

[David Bowman]

It's very dusty in this room... A bunch of it is in my eyes.

Dogs are the only animals that love us more than they love themselves.

Glad you found her. It was meant to be.

[Chainsaw76]

They'll come to you:

6225562256
Oh what a face! How could anyone resist that?

[Papa]

Oh what a face! How could anyone resist that?

We sure couldn't. He showed up at the front gate around New Year's Eve, maybe five years ago, emaciated to the point that his pupils were blown, with so little meat on him that he looked like a miniature Great Dane puppy. You can't really see it in the photos, but he has a divot in the fur and a scar under it, right between the eyes. He was shot or struck by someone or something and then dumped. Or he ran away.

Now he's about 85 pounds of solid, agile muscle. Living well is the best revenge.

[Chainsaw76]

I have come to believe that God’s greatest animal gifts are; Dogs for love, companionship and protection; Horses for work, but above all Wings; and cattle/game animals for food.

Dogs rank supreme, and the worst one I ever met was better than the average human.

jim

[TrojanSkyCop1]

Sleep well, Jon. Bailey, too.

I found my little rescue bitch on a back road in mid February between blizzards. She allegedly ran away in September. You get some awkward questions when the dog you dumped has a chip and survives.

No way she was going back to those people.

Once she'd been healed of the scabies and malnutrition I got to take her home. She knew me. She knew I'd saved her. I renamed her and fattened her up. And all during my recovery she watched over me from the couch nearby.

Damned right dogs imprint on you.

Here she is in the Disco Panda:

62252

And here catching some z's after guarding the old man all night:

62253

Aw shucks. GSDs = Coolest. Dogs. Ever. :cool::love:

[RedLeg0811]

We sure couldn't. He showed up at the front gate around New Year's Eve, maybe five years ago, emaciated to the point that his pupils were blown, with so little meat on him that he looked like a miniature Great Dane puppy. You can't really see it in the photos, but he has a divot in the fur and a scar under it, right between the eyes. He was shot or struck by someone or something and then dumped. Or he ran away.

Now he's about 85 pounds of solid, agile muscle. Living well is the best revenge.

All your dogs are good looking dogs. I couldn't resist giving them scratches.

[Papa]

All your dogs are good looking dogs. I couldn't resist giving them scratches.

Sadly, the retriever's nads were far too big for his brain, and he's currently wearing an inflatable donut after being--tutored.

[Spokelse416]

A week ago I became aware of an abandoned dog out on a county road in the marsh. Anyone familiar with SETX knows these are saltwater marshes and the most inhospitable areas in TX. The threats are gators, racoons, feral pigs, feral cats, crabs, and nasty critters such as fleas and ticks. The threats also include crackheads and meth-monsters as well...

A blue female APBT had been dumped/abandoned by turds. Members of a FB group began posting about Bailey and her plight. Temps were dropping by SETX standards and the XO and I became concerned no one had rescued her. We even went out one night to find her and we failed. I promised the XO I would try again the next morning.

I didn't sleep worth a shit that night and the next morning I was back out in the marsh looking for the little blue pittie. I did find her, but she wouldn't let me touch her. She had been sleeping on a Rubbermaid lid. Two other ladies were trying to coax her too and I had to open my shop. I told them who I was, where I would be, and if they caught her I would give her a home. By noon that day a lady came to my shop and told me she had the little female pit.

Back Story-
I'm a cop, now semi-retired cop and APBT's have not been my favorite breeds in the past. I rescued one in the past and it ended horribly. I couldn't help him like I thought I could and he was a danger to everyone but me and my immediate family. An unprovoked bite (out of fear) cost him his life and left a scar on my soul. Evidently God's plan was for me to have another. Some of ya'll met Deuce. He was nothing short of amazing. I put his owner in prison on a blue warrant. He was just over 6 weeks old. Thinking I couldn't go through it again I found him a home with my daughter's boss. What I didn't know was the boss's husband was bed ridden and this is where Deuce would spend the next few months.

My daughter, Bliss, figured out a way to con all of us and get Deuce back. Shortly after we took ownership of Deuce (6 moths of age) we were slammed by Hurricane Ike. Just after Ike, Bliss was killed by a reckless driver.

Deuce was a pain in the ass. Needy, whinny, and suffered from separation anxiety. The one thing Deuce had in his favor was his fierce loyalty. It took close to three years to get Deuce over all his bullshit. He whined, tore shit up, and escaped from ANY enclosure.

Gabe visited my home for the first time and was amazed at Deuce's level of obedience. I'm paraphrasing for sure, but Gabe asked "How in the hell do you get him to do that"? My reply was, "I just talk to him". I had Deuce for 13 years. He was the XO's protector. He was my judge of character. He helped me get back into peak condition as a trainer and to meet the goals Gabe set for our fitness standards. At 13, he still did two miles a day with me and had a 6 foot vertical jump. You see, I had Deuce's ADBA papers and his pedigree. Members of his bloodline have lived as long as 20 years. At one point when he turned 10 I thought I should prepare for his passing. When he showed NO signs of slowing other than gray hairs, I put all those thoughts on the back burner.

Some of you are aware of what happened next. My last Combat Red Dot Pistol School right before the "Wuhan Flu", Deuce began hacking and struggling to breathe. Fearing he was poisoned, I rushed him the the emergency vet after a dinner with students. Deuce hadn't been poisoned, he had a cancerous mass in his throat. The vet explained he had only made it this far because of his exceptional physical condition, but he couldn't compensate any longer.

Sedatives helped him breathe, but as soon as the drugs wore off he would struggle again. This was the dog my daughter loved and now I couldn't save him. Deuce fell asleep and died in my arms. He was supposed to be on a steel table...FUCK THAT. I wasn't supposed to be back there...FUCK YOU. He died knowing I loved him in MY arms. The next morning I finished that Red Dot Pistol School. It was hard, I had assistance, and I had senior students that helped me complete the mission. I thought Deuce was the end of my journey with APBT's. God had other plans.

Now I have Bailey. She's named after the county road some fuck stick dumped her on. She scavenged out there for three nights. By witnesses accounts she fought racoons for cat food. I took Bailey into Ray's Pawnshop (my business) and got her a crate and a bed. In shock, she slept the entire day. Smelling like a bag of smashed assholes, she had to have a bath. Because we didn't want fleas everywhere, we had to bathe her in a driveway with a water hose and flea soap. She let us do it. She didn't eat for TWO days. You could hear her stomach growling and she began passing blood in her stool from stress. Even in distress, the way she looked at me made me melt.

Within 24 hours Bailey imprinted on me if you believe in that. Yesterday, the 13th, she began eating solid dog food. Right now, she will do almost anything for me. She allows me to check her head to toe, belly and back, with NO FEAR. She even acts like she HAS to PROTECT ME! I'm teaching her she doesn't have to guard me. I'm here to guard her. I've raised almost $700 for her veterinary care. She needs all of her shots. I pray she's heartworm negative and I'm having her spayed. She's spending everyday with me at the shop. We do two miles in the morning, we go to work, she has her potty breaks, and then she likes to sleep on me until bed time.

My mind races about how this applies to us and our mission. Bailey is a Warrior. Bailey is a GLADIATOR. She doesn't quit and I won't quit her. She is dog aggressive. Any dog that barks at her or challenges her, she wants to fight. Any man that is loud and comes close to me drives her to protect. Some of this will be trained out of her and some will have to be worked around. I'll never trust her with children or the mentally inept/challenged/retarded. Her prey drive could be too strong for that kind of thing.

Maybe it just boils down to Glocks aren't for everyone. Like Gabe has said before, Stakeouts aren't for everyone. Same can be said for Assault Rifles. I believe this applies to dog breeds as well. The difference between me and the fucking commies is I believe you have to make the informed choice of what's for you and what isn't. Bailey has given me the strength to do what I didn't want to do. I had it easy with my old grumpy English Bulldog. Now I have to work, I have to think, I have to reason, and I have to FIGHT.

If you made it this far Thank You and God Bless. I'm tired and calling it a night.

6225062251
I love APBT's.. Raise them right and they are some of the most loyal and loving dogs. I like all dogs.. More then most people but I digress.

Here's my rescue. She got dumped by her previous owner and she had severe problems with dog aggression (fortunately no people aggression) It took work to get her to break out of that mentality but she's made leaps and bounds over when she was younger. She loves people and kids and has lived with us for 8 of her 10 year life.
Damn straight dogs can imprint on you. Keira has picked up on things that even I didnt sense yet and comes to help out (usually if its been a long day or night) and shes always close by and always watching especially when Im sleeping.. I hope you and Bailey are doing great..
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220114/5d6af23658400fa34d64abe0c7611c05.jpg

[Jon Payne]

We are doing great. I'm really looking forward to being done with the heartworm treatments!

I love APBT's.. Raise them right and they are some of the most loyal and loving dogs. I like all dogs.. More then most people but I digress.

Here's my rescue. She got dumped by her previous owner and she had severe problems with dog aggression (fortunately no people aggression) It took work to get her to break out of that mentality but she's made leaps and bounds over when she was younger. She loves people and kids and has lived with us for 8 of her 10 year life.
Damn straight dogs can imprint on you. Keira has picked up on things that even I didnt sense yet and comes to help out (usually if its been a long day or night) and shes always close by and always watching especially when Im sleeping.. I hope you and Bailey are doing great..
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220114/5d6af23658400fa34d64abe0c7611c05.jpg

[Gunstore Commando]

We are doing great. I'm really looking forward to being done with the heartworm treatments!

I can empathize. We saw two dogs through heartwork treatments. A long time ago, now, but I can't imagine it's a lot more fun for the dogs now than it was then.

Both of ours had long, happy, and active lives after the Tx. Hoping the same for your pup.

[RedLeg0811]

Sadly, the retriever's nads were far too big for his brain, and he's currently wearing an inflatable donut after being--tutored.

Yeah I remember you saying he kept poking the bear (your male GSD).