Meet Lily and The Pups!

Lily is a boxer/pit mix who was found as a very pregnant stray as the cold winter months were setting in. She was so emaciated that you could see the bones poking through her brindle coat and her gums were very pale. Cat found her with our other rescue Jazzy (see Jazzy’s blog below). Cat took her and Jazzy home and made them comfortable. She called all the rescues in the area but no one could take Lily and Jazzy because they were all at capacity, so she turned to Pit Crew. 

Because Lily was pregnant, we were unable to give her shots, but we were able to deworm her. Days after deworming, the color began to return to her gums. Lily was taken to the vet for an ultrasound and they detected 3 heartbeats. We were very surprised when on November 20^th, Lily gave birth to 9 live pups and sadly, 2 were stillborn. 

Over the next few days Cat bottle-fed them around the clock, waking up every 3 hours during the night to feed them. 

At the end of the second week their eyes started to open revealing blue eyes, which we expect to turn brown or hazel between 8 to 12 weeks. The puppies will be ready for adoption in mid January. Please contact Lauren at pitcrewpitbullrescue@gmail.com or by phone at (919) 457-3719 call if you are interested in adopting one of our Lily’s 9 puppies.

           

 Pit Crew is having an event at Raleigh’s Unleashed in the Lake Boone Shopping Center Saturday January 7^th from 11:30am to 3:00pm. We will be offering dog washes and nail trims while you shop and it will be a great opportunity to meet the puppies. 

If you fall in love with one, applications will be available for you to fill out and we can discuss the adoption process with you. If you are interested in a local business that sells premium healthy dog and cat food, Unleashed is located at 2460 Wycliff Rd in Raleigh NC. You can reach them at (919) 858-6460 or visit them at their website www.unleashedmutt.com

Meet Jasmine!

"I'm Jazzy!"

Jasmine is a 10 to 12 month old Pit Bull / Lab mix with a shiny tan coat, black mask and thoughtful eyes. She was found by Pit Crew partner Cat Renner, caring for a very pregnant Lily. Lily is a Boxer/ Pit Mix (check out Lily’s Blog for information about adopting one of the 9 adorable puppies she gave birth to Nov 21^st!) 

Jazzy and Lily

Cat searched for help but after no response from other rescues, she turned to Pit Crew. We started by advertising her on the local pet adoption web sites and got no response, after all it was the holiday season and people are very busy. 

ADOPT ME!!
Please contact Ruth at 252-213-2200 if you want to give me a forever home!

All Pets Animal Rescue located in Harnett County (Hcinder333@aol.com 910-892-3161) returned our call for help and gracefully drove up to Raleigh to pick Jasmine up. It was discovered upon arrival to All Pets Animal Rescue that she was not good with cats. Although they took great care of her, and while Jasmine got along with the other dogs, her issues with the cats were too overwhelming for their small rescue to handle and Pit Crew came to pick her up. We returned her to Raleigh, where Cat had arranged for her to be transferred to a very compassionate rescue, Faith Rescue.

Cat and Jazzy

If you’re interested in adopting Jasmine, please contact Ruth at Faith Rescue (Faith.rescue@yahoo.com 252-213-2200)

Tyson

Meet Tyson!

On Friday September 9^th, I was settling in to study for a biochemistry exam when I received a call from the manager of a local ABC store.  The man said that a pit bull puppy had been thrown out of a moving car as it drove past the store.  An older woman had seen everything and had run into the store, begging the employees to do something to help the dog.  The manager called the nearest veterinarian, which happened to be the office where I am doing my internship, Six Forks Animal Hospital.  The staff is familiar with Pit Crew and the work I do with bully breeds, so they instructed the ABC store manager to call me.

The man explained the situation to me and asked if there was anything I could do to help.  I told him I could not take on any more foster dogs at the time, but if someone at the store would be willing to foster the dog for a few weeks, I could find him a permanent home.  The manager sounded hesitant to take on the responsibility, so I suggested he ask his employees if any of them would be willing to foster the puppy, and a man named Jeff Kieth volunteered for the job.  After securing a temporary place for the dog to stay, I packed up a few supplies and got in my car to drive to the ABC store to find out what kind of condition the dog was in.

Tyson when he first came to Pit Crew. 

After a few weeks of medicine, Tyson was looking much healthier!

When I arrived at the ABC store, Jeff led me to the store’s loading docks, where they were keeping the dog.  Luckily, an employee had a collar and a leash in his car, and they were able to secure the dog by tying the leash to the guard railing.  I could see the dog was a thin, unneutered male red nose pit bull. I was immediately concerned about the numerous large bald patches on his face and body where his fur was missing, which I suspected was the result of a bad case of mange.  Amazingly, he did not seem to have sustained any injuries from being thrown from the car!  While it was a miracle that the dog had not been hurt, I knew that things had just become more complicated because it would be impossible to find a home for the puppy in the condition he was found in.  He would need medical attention, vaccinations, and would need to be neutered.

I took the puppy to Dr. Jackie Price at Six Forks Animal Hospital that afternoon.  After she confirmed that the dog had sustained no serious injuries, she moved on to perform a skin scraping on the bald areas of his body to test for demodectic mange.  The test came back positive, so Dr. Price performed a heartworm test.  The heartworm test came back negative, which meant that the dog could safely take Ivermectin, the medicine that treats demodectic mange.  Ivermectin can be fatal if given to dogs that are positive for heartworms! The dog was prescribed a six-week course of Ivermectin, given a general dewormer to eliminate any intestinal parasites, and had a dose of K9 Advantage applied to protect against fleas and ticks.  Pit Crew Pit Bull Rescue would like to give a sincere thank you to Dr. Jackie Price, whose kindness allowed me to affordably treat this down-on-his-luck dog!  

After his visit to the veterinarian was complete, I brought the puppy back to Jeff at the ABC store and showed him how to give the dog his medicine.  I told Jeff that I would set up an appointment on September 21^st at the SPCA Saving Lives Spay and Neuter Clinic where the dog would be neutered, microchipped, and receive his necessary vaccinations.  When I picked the dog up from Jeff’s home to take him to the SPCA Clinic for his surgery, I was shocked to see how far he had come since I had last seen him!  Not only was his mange looking much better, but during the weeks the dog lived at Jeff’s home, he had transformed from a skinny and nervous puppy into a sweet and loving dog that loved to snuggle and give kisses!  His surgery was a success, and he was now ready for a forever home!

The Holland family developed an interest in the dog, and after bringing their children and their other pit bull, Duke, to meet him, they decided to adopt the dog they have named Tyson! Tyson is very happy living with his new family! 

Have You Seen Cowboy?

Have you seen Cowboy? 

This is a message from Cowboy's doggie parents:

Help if you can my sister was in a bad car wreck on i40 just out of Raleigh in Johnston county on Sunday September 25th. She was bringing out pit cowboy home. He has been real sick and she's has him at her vet where she works. He ran when she flipped the car and despite looking everywhere , posting everywhere even having a Facebook page noone has seen him and if they have they haven't reported him. Here is a picture and my number is 9102287647. 

You can visit the Help Find Cowboy Facebook page here: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Find-Cowboy/250495734987966

Application for Adoption

Dog Adoption Application Form

For additional copies of this form, please go to http://pitcrewpitrescue.blogspot.com/ For more information about our rescue and our dogs available for adoption, please visit the above website or visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pit-Crew-Pit-Bull-Rescue/100379740064601

Contact Information

Full name:     ______________________________________________________________

Occupation:   ______________________________________________________________

Address:        ______________________________________________________________

How long at this address:   ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________________________________________________

Cell Phone: _______________________________________________________________

Work Phone:  ___________________________________________________________

Home Phone:    __________________________________________________________

Best time to call:  ___________________________________________________________

Email address:      __________________________________________________________

Family & Housing

How many adults are there in your family (their relationship to you)?

_________________________________________________________________________

How many children (ages)?

_________________________________________________________________________

What type of home do you live in single family, town home, apartment, farm, etc.?

_________________________________________________________________________

Please describe your household:  __ Active    __ Noisy    __ Quiet   __ Average

If you rent, please give the rules governing pets and the landlord’s name and number:

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

(By providing this information you are allowing PCPBR to contact your landlord.  If requested, please let your landlord know they will be receiving a call from us so they will speak to us.)

Have you owned a pit bull or pit bull mix type of dog before?  Are you familiar with the breed?  If so, how are you familiar with the breed?  Would you like to receive more information about the breed? ________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Does anyone in the family have a known allergy to dogs?     _________________________

Is everyone in agreement with the decision to adopt a dog?   _________________________

Do you have time to provide adequate love and attention?   _________________________

Other Pets

What other pets do you have (specify type and number)?   

Are these pets up to date on vaccines? _________________________________________

Are these pets spayed/neutered?  If not..why?____________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Do you provide your pets with monthly heartworm preventative? (Interceptor, Heartgard, etc.) ___Yes ___No

Do you provide your pets with monthly flea and tick preventative? (K9 Advantix, Frontline, etc.)

___Yes ___No

Have you every surrendered a pet? If so, why?

_________________________________________________________________________

Have you ever had a pet euthanized? If so, why?

_________________________________________________________________________

Have you ever lost a pet to an accident?

_________________________________________________________________________

How do you discipline your pets and why?

_________________________________________________________________________

Veterinarian

Do you have a regular veterinarian?     __ Yes    __ No

Veterinarian’s name:  _______________________________________________________

Clinic Name:              _______________________________________________________

Clinic Address:          ________________________________________________________

Clinic Phone:             ________________________________________________________

(Providing PCPBR with this information you are allowing PCPBR to call your vet.   If requested, please authorize the release of information to PCPBR.)

About the Dog You Wish to Adopt

What is your idea of an ideal dog and why?

Desired age:  __________            Desired Size: _____________________________________

Breed you would not adopt:_____________________________________________________

Desired sex: _ Spayed Female _ Neutered Male _ No preference

Willing to adopt:                __ outgoing/hyper dog                            __ shy dog

__ dog that needs regular medication             __ dog that needs training

__dog that needs regular exercise            __ dog that is not child friendly                        __dog that is aggressive to other animals                                                              __dog that must be the only dog in the home

                        __ None of these

Where will the dog spend the day? (describe)

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Where will the dog spend the night? (describe)

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Do you use crate training?  ___Yes ____No   Are you willing to purchase a crate for the dog you wish to adopt if you do not already have one? ___________________________________________________________________________

Number of hours (average) dog will spend alone during a typical weekday?  Typical weekend? _____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Will you take the dog to an off-leash dog park? ___Yes ___No     If yes, do you agree to cease dog park visits if the dog shows aggression toward any other dog or human? ____Yes ____No

Who will have primary responsibility for this dog's daily care?  _______________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Who will have financial responsibility for this dog?  ________________________________

Do you agree to provide regular health care by a Licensed Veterinarian? This includes keeping the dog up to date on vaccinations as well as basic medical care.    __ Yes   __ No

Do you agree to provide the dog with monthly heartworm preventative? (Interceptor, Heartgard, etc.) _____Yes _____No

Do you agree to provide the dog with monthly flea and tick preventative? (K9 Advantix, Frontline, etc.) ____Yes ____No

Do you agree to keep the dog as an indoor dog?   __Yes    __No

When the dog goes out, how do you plan to supervise it? Fenced yard? Do you use tethering?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Do you agree to contact PCPBR via phone call to (919) 457-3719 or by e-mail to pitcrewpitbullrescue@gmail.com if you can no longer keep this dog?   __Yes    __No

Are you familiar with microchips?  If the dog you wish to adopt has a microchip, do you agree to register your contact information on the proper website?  ___Yes ___No

Are you be willing to let a representative of PCPBR visit your home by appointment prior to approval of adoption?
__Yes    ____No

If we have discussed the dog, cat, or human aggression problems with the dog you wish to adopt, do you agree to always supervise the dog around other animals and people? (If we have not discussed this issue, please check N/A.)  ____Yes ____No ____N/A

How did you hear about PCPBR?  ___________________________________________________________________________

Would you be interested in fostering?   __Yes     __No  ____I would like to know more about fostering.  If yes, would you want to foster a puppy or an adult dog? ________________________

Personal References

Please list someone who is familiar with both you and your pets. Please inform your references that they will be receiving a call from us!

Name:

Address:

Phone:

Relationship (relative, neighbor, friend, etc.):

Name:

Address:

Phone:

Relationship (relative, neighbor, friend, etc.):

All of the information I have given is true and complete. This dog will reside in my home as a pet. I will provide it with quality dog food, plenty of fresh water, indoor shelter, affection, annual physical examination and vaccinations under the supervision of a licensed Veterinarian. 

________________________________            __________________

(Signature*)                                                                                   (Date)

*If you are filling this form out in a word document, please type your name in the signature box.           

           

Ashton Needs A Forever Home!

Meet Ashton, Pit Crew's Rescue dog featured in the News and Observer!

Ashton

Ashton is currently 12 weeks old and has a great temperment.  She is spayed, current on all vaccines, and has consitently been on heartworm preventative and flea and tick preventative since she left the Fayetteville shelter.  She gets along with both cats and dogs. If you are interested in adopting or fostering Ashton, please contact me at (919) 457-3719 or email me at pitcrewpitbullrescue@gmail.com!

On a Thursday in late July, I heard about a blue nose pit bull in a shelter in Fayetteville that was scheduled for euthanasia.  The next day, I drove to the shelter in hopes of rescuing the dog.  When I arrived, I was told the dog was not available for adoption, but Shelter Coordinator Ann Chalker told me that they were overwhelmed with strays.  She said that there were approximately 70 other dogs, many of them pit bull type dogs, scheduled for euthanasia that week, any of which were available for adoption.

As Ann gave me a tour of the facility and showed me the many dogs available for adoption, my heart broke. I thought of the importance of spaying and neutering our pets, so many of these unnecessary deaths could have been prevented!  There were so many dogs: a mother nursing a litter of puppies, victims of dog fighting with horrific injuries, and so many others.  I wanted to take all the dogs there home with me and find them a forever home, but sadly, I knew I could only take one home, and as soon as I saw Ashton, I knew she was the puppy we were going to save.

Ashton and I before work in the morning

As we finished our tour of the shelter, Ann took us to our last stop, the puppy kennels.  The first cage on the top left housed the puppy we now call Ashton,  a beautiful female brindle pit bull mix.  I asked Ann if I could open the cage, and as soon as she said yes, I opened the door and reached in, picking up a frightened eight-week-old puppy.  Ann commented that the pup had been there for a “long time,” which in the Fayetteville shelter meant two weeks.  The pup had been scheduled for euthanasia the previous week, but she had been spared.  I told Ann I would take the pup, and she got the paperwork ready for me.

I paid the adoption fee for the Ashton and was told that I could pick her up Monday afternoon when she had recovered from her spay.  I could hardly wait for the weekend to be over!  On Monday afternoon, I drove to All Pets Hospital for Animals in Fayetteville where Dr. Byrd had performed Ashton’s spay.  I gave Ashton a Capstar to kill the many fleas covering the tiny puppy and took her home, where she slept deeply in her new crate surrounded by toys.

The next day, I brought Ashton to Six Forks Animal Hospital, where I am an intern, and Dr. Driscoll got Ashton up to date on her shots and performed a fecal test.  I read the results of the fecal test, and after confirming with Dr. Driscoll, we determined that she had roundworms and coccidia.  Ashton was treated for both parasites and got her first doses of heartworm preventative and flea and tick preventative. 

I have been fostering Ashton since I brought her home from the shelter, and she is a sweet and loving dog that will make a great addition to any family.

If you are interested in fostering or adopting Ashton, please contact me by phone at (919) 457-3719 or email me at pitcrewpitbullrescue@gmail.com!

Sadie Needs a Forever Home!

Meet Sadie!

Sadie is a 4-5 year old red nose pit bull that needs a new home. The West family took her in as a stray a little over two years ago after Sadie was found walking in a busy intersection near Walgreen's in Goldsboro.  A friend of the family spotted the skinny and frightened dog and stopped to help.  As soon as she opened her car door, the dog jumped right in and sat in the front seat!

The woman who found Sadie was unable to keep her and asked the West family if they could take her in.  The animal-loving West family couldn’t say no to the beautiful stray, and Sadie went to live with them.  The West’s took Sadie to the vet, where they found out Sadie was drastically underweight and had an infection in both of her ears.  The family was given antibiotics to treat Sadie’s ear infections, which cleared up nicely.  In a matter of weeks, Sadie transformed from a malnourished stray into a healthy and happy house-dog who loves to go for rides, fetch, swim, and lounge around the house. 

Sadie is spayed, current on all her shots, house-broken, wonderful with small kids, and very well trained.  She will not even touch her food until she gets the “go ahead” command!

Recently, the West’s moved to a new neighborhood and on their daily walk, two neighborhood strays attacked Sadie.  She was not seriously injured, but after that day, the West’s started to notice Sadie showed signs of aggression towards some dogs, particularly dogs that show dominance or appear to be threatening her or other dogs.  Sadie gets along well with most dogs, but the West’s don’t think their neighborhood is a safe place for Sadie and are looking to find her a new loving home. 

Sadie needs a home where she will have a secure (preferably fenced in) yard to play in and should not be taken to dog parks.

If you are interested in adopting the loving and loyal Sadie, please contact me at (919) 457-3719 or e-mail me at pitcrewpitbullrescue@gmail.com

Ashton

“Ashton”

Ashton

Our sweet Ashton needs a forever home! If you are interested in adopting or fostering Ashton until she can find a home, please call me at (919) 457-3719 or email me at pitcrewpitbullrescue@gmail.com!

On a Thursday in late July, I heard about a blue nose pit bull in a shelter in Fayetteville that was scheduled for euthanasia.  The next day, I drove to the shelter in hopes of rescuing the dog.  When I arrived, I was told the dog was not available for adoption, but Shelter Coordinator Ann Chalker told me that they were overwhelmed with strays.  She said that there were approximately 70 other dogs, many of them pit bull type dogs, scheduled for euthanasia that week, any of which were available for adoption.

As Ann gave me a tour of the facility and showed me the many dogs available for adoption, my heart broke. I thought of the importance of spaying and neutering our pets, so many of these unnecessary deaths could have been prevented!  There were so many dogs: a mother nursing a litter of puppies, victims of dog fighting with horrific injuries, and so many others.  I wanted to take all the dogs there home with me and find them a forever home, but sadly, I knew I could only take one home. 

Ashton and I before work in the morning

As we reached the end of the facility, Ann took us to our last stop, the puppy kennels.  The first cage on the top left housed a beautiful female brindle pit bull mix.  I asked Ann if I could open the cage, and as soon as she said yes, I opened the door and reached in, picking up a frightened eight-week-old puppy.  Ann commented that the pup had been there for a “long time,” which in the Fayetteville shelter meant two weeks.  The pup had been scheduled for euthanasia the previous week, but she had been spared.  I told Ann I would take the pup, and she got the paperwork ready for me.

I paid the adoption fee for the puppy that I dubbed Ashton and was told that I could pick her up Monday afternoon when she had recovered from her spay.  I could hardly wait for the weekend to be over!  On Monday afternoon, I drove to All Pets Hospital for Animals in Fayetteville where Dr. Byrd had performed Ashton’s spay.  I gave Ashton a Capstar to kill the many fleas covering the tiny puppy and took her home, where she slept deeply in her new crate surrounded by toys.

The next day, I brought Ashton to Six Forks Animal Hospital, where I am an intern, and Dr. Driscoll got Ashton up to date on her shots and performed a fecal test.  I read the results of the fecal test, and after confirming with Dr. Driscoll, we determined that she had roundworms and coccidia.  Ashton was treated for both parasites and got her first doses of heartworm preventative and flea and tick preventative.

Ashton is currently 12 weeks old and has a great temperment.  She is spayed, current on all vaccines, and has consitently been on heartworm preventative and flea and tick preventative since she left the Fayetteville shelter.  She gets along with both cats and dogs. Please contact me if you are interested in adopting or fostering Ashton!

Sir Marshmallow

“Sir Marshmallow”

Sir Marshmallow

Although Pit Crew focuses on pit bull type dogs, we also recognize an animal emergency when we see one!  A toy poodle appeared in my driveway on a night we had three dogs here!  I could tell the poodle was someone’s pet, so I ran out to the driveway and quickly grabbed the dog by the scruff.  Unfortunately, this made the dog panic, and it expressed its anal glands on my arm and shirt.  While I took a shower, my friends Lisa and Chris called animal control and waited outside with the dog, which Lisa dubbed “Sir Marshmallow.”  Within an hour of our call, an animal control officer arrived to pick up the male toy poodle.

The Animal Control Officer scans for a microchip

We wish Sir Marshmallow the best and hope he and his owner are reunited!

Rascal

"Rascal"

The beginning of August brought a big surprise for the Laura and Gerrit Heinrich-a male pit bull mix puppy!  The busy couple, who raise horses in Wake Forest, were taken off guard when a dirty, extremely thin, tick covered puppy with two inch long nails showed up at their doorstep.  Gerrit and Laura removed the many ticks covering the body of the little man they have dubbed Rascal.  They then bathed and trimmed the pup’s overgrown nails. 

Overwhelmed with their busy work schedules and caring for their horses, the couple feels they cannot give this cuddly little man the life he deserves, and they reached out to Pit Crew for help to find him a home! 

Rascal and the Heinrich family, who are temporarily housing him

The Heinrich family has graciously offered to pay for the little man’s neuter, first series of shots, and heart worm and tick disease testing. If you are interested in adopting or fostering Rascal, please call me at (919) 457-3719 or email me at pitcrewpitbullrescue@gmail.com

Won't you be my new mommy or daddy?

"Chunk"

"Chunk"

Chunk

In searching for young pit bull type dogs to foster, I stumbled upon a craigslist post that a woman named Darlene who lives in Zebulon had posted about a 5-8 month old male pit bull type puppy she had found.  She did not feel she could take care of the dog, so I offered to foster the puppy. 

Chunk gives me kisses!

 A few days later, Darlene responded to my e-mail, saying that she and her husband had become attached to the puppy and that she wanted to keep him.  She asked me if I had any information about low cost neutering and vaccines, as she did not have the resources to provide the puppy with the medical care he would need. 

I replied to Darlene with the information that is now available on our blog (under the heading Low Cost Spay/Neuter Services).  She graciously thanked me for the information, and said that she and her husband were still unsure as to how they would pay for Chunk’s surgery and vaccines.  Understanding that the costs for the neutering and shots, while reduced, are still expensive, I offered to help out by covering the neutering costs if the family could cover the expenses of disease testing and vaccinations as well as heartworm and flea/tick preventative.  Darlene accepted our help and we agreed to work together to meet the puppy’s medical needs.

Chunk, me, and his mommy, Darlene

On Sunday, July 10, I went and met Darlene and her husband.  I brought them a 3-month supply of heartworm preventative.  The family was incredibly receptive to our suggestions and warmly welcomed us into their home. We have successfully scheduled the male puppy she has named “Chunk” an appointment at the SPCA’s Saving Lives Spay and Neuter Clinic for his neuter, disease testing, and vaccines next week.  Our friends at the SPCA have been amazing and have gone the extra mile to help us in our quest to help the pit bull breed by allowing us to make appointments for our dogs easily and by working the dogs we work with into their busy schedule.

Thank you to Darlene, her husband, and our wonderful friends at the SPCA (especially Ray and Dr. Foley)!

I will keep you updated on Chunk and his surgery and shots! He has found a wonderful forever home and his surgery undoubtedly go great!

Chunk and Chris play with a frisbee

Special thanks to Chris Cottrell for all of his help!