I emailed this to a list of about 15 rescues in PA and NJ:
Hello everyone,
I compiled your email addresses from Petfinder. I am a volunteer and foster home for Animal Resource Center (ARC) out of Bloomsburg, PA. Last night one of the dog coordinators got a phone call about Nubis, a 7-year old APBT, who has spent the last 2 weeks locked in a crate in a basement. The story is one you know well - person got the dog and landlord said it had to go, passed on to another family member who also can't have dogs. As I am the only open foster home for the group and our kennels are full, she called me. I went to have a look at him this morning so that tomorrow, when we introduce him to my dogs, he would at least have met me, and my very calm and submissive pit mix.
Well, I did not even have to introduce him to Maggie as I can already tell my home would be too much for him. The basement he is kept in does not even have an entrance from the house, and when I got there at 930 am, he had not been out to potty since the night before around 10 pm. He did not soil his crate. His food was spilled all over the outside of his crate in a mixture of what looked like dirt, gravel, and cat litter. I have a feeling that he has been kept in a crate longer than they are saying, as he is very possessive of it. I was able to approach it and give him treats (he still growled a little). I didn't make eye contact, gave him the treats, which he took nicely, and stepped back. I was not afraid of him in the least and asked the owner to let him out. She did and he sat, waiting for treats. He ran up the stairs (as fast as a dog that is at LEAST 50 lbs overweight can run), took a 5 minute pee, and ran back down to the crate. He had a fenced yard he could have romped in, but he ran straight back to the crate. I looked back down the stairs, and this was enough to start the growling again. So, I simply stepped back and let him do his thing. He continued eating the food spread in the dirt mixture described above, and I started tossing treats down the stairs to try to get him to come up - he was fine away from the crate, and seems very sweet. He came up, took a few treats, and back down to his crate he went.
At this point I realized that as long as his crate was present, he was not going to interact with me. I did not take a leash and collar with me and the owner conveniently does not own one. I had intended on walking him away from the house, yard, and crate and then letting him see Maggie, but obviously could not do that without one.
I left, telling the woman I would do my best to find a place for him to go and to please be patient.
I would be happy to foster this guy, but seeing as I have 4 greyhounds and a pit and he has not been socialized in the least, I think it will be incredibly too much for him to take in. I also have crates throughout my house that the dogs go in and out of at will - even those that aren't crated. Even under strict supervision, as I do with all of my fosters, I am not comfortable that he would not pick a fight.
I beg you to please consider helping this guy out - I am the ONLY available foster home for ARC, and the Danville SPCA, our local shelter, automatically puts down ALL bully breeds. As I am foster-less, I would supply references and submit to a home visit if all that was keeping you from taking Nubis was lack of space. He needs to be worked with slowly and introduced into what it is like to be in a home again, without all of the stimuli I have here. I also have kitties and small children. I know some of you are a few hours away as well, and I would be more than willing to drive a distance and set up further transport.
Please email at
shannon.talanca@verizon.net
