Scout, a black Pit Bull-Chow mix, was found with his three brothers—all around four-months-old—emaciated, close to death, coated in fleas and ticks, and suffering from severe cases of Demodex mange. The shelter that was called in to rescue the puppies said it was the worst case of mange they had ever seen. Scout in particular had not a strand of hair on his body, was covered in fleas and ticks, and his eyes were swollen shut.
A woman who operated a rescue in the Chicago area fostered Scout, then known as LoveBug. When we went to the rescue to look at another dog, we met Scout. He was described as a sweet, fast learning, calm dog.
We adopted him and learned that his personality was far from what we anticipated. Untrained except for the command sit, we enlisted the help of a dog trainer who taught him "down," "heel," "go potty," "wait," "stay," and more. She socialized him and helped him work through his fear of cars.
My plan is to work with Scout so he can achieve the "Canine Good Citizenship Award" before enrolling him as a therapy dog at children’s hospitals. I think children—especially those with cancer—will be able to connect with him. I hope they see his remarkable, and almost impossible, recovery as something they can look forward to. He's alive, well and happy.
Scout can help me educate the public about how loving Pit Bulls are and disprove the myths associated with the breed.
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