Bow

I never thought I’d be the owner of a Pitt Bull.  Although I love animals, I had very little personal experience with this breed.  Let’s face it; they have such a bad reputation, I’d just never considered it.  Until Bow.  I met Bow because he had been shot with a bow and arrow across from one of the schools where I worked.  Apparently, a neighbor had mistaken the pillow Bow was chewing on for his cat.  Bow was about a year old and mostly black with some white on his chest and paws.  Despite the newly acquired hole in his shoulder, he had a sweet face and a nature to match.  The owner explained that she couldn’t afford to take him to the vet and was in the process of moving to a new location that didn’t allow dogs, so I agreed to take him off her hands.  I feared because of his breed and injury, he was not adoptable by the average family.  As I loaded him into my car, he cried in pain, but not once did he try to bite me.  

After a quick recovery, Bow showed himself to be a very high energy dog with a few quirks.  Did I mention he was also deaf?  You can imagine my family’s reaction (“A deaf pitt bull??”), but his sweet nature won them over.   His favorite outdoor activity was barking at nothing in particular, seemingly to announce to the neighborhood, “Bow’s here!”  The kitchen garbage was his preferred cuisine.  When I was ready to take him out for a jog, he’d get so excited that he’d scurry about in circles (always clockwise) as I tried to get him to sit long enough to put the leash on him.  Bow’s bedtime routine always provided a lot of entertainment for us.  My husband called it “the running of the bulls.”  I’d let Bow in the house and he’d charge in, slipping and sliding all over our wood floors as he made a mad dash to pounce onto his dog bed.  Without a blanket or his bed to “nurse” on, he simply could not settle down.  While nursing on his bed, Bow would slip into a deep slumber with the most beautiful and rhythmic snoring.  One time, I forgot about his nursing habit.  I loaded him into my new car to take him to the park, and before we had even arrived, Bow had gnawed clear through one of my seatbelts.  But, mostly his quirks were what made him the most special pet I have ever owned.  Each time I came home he’d break into a huge, toothy grin (I’m not kidding!), from ear to floppy ear.  He won us all over with his antics and unique personality.

Two days after Christmas, Bow escaped from our yard and was struck by a car.  Thankfully, he was wearing a tag with our information, and the people who hit him stopped and immediately notified us.  His injuries were extensive, and the vet recommended that he be euthanized.  As you can imagine, we were devastated.  I think anyone who has lost a beloved pet wonders at some point if they can go through it again.  I believe that, as with our relationships with people, it is important to remember that our time with them is limited and precious.  Our lives are absolutely enriched by those we love, whether they are people or pets, and I can’t imagine an existence without them.  We had four (mostly) good years with Bow, and he will forever remain in our hearts.  And we will never judge a dog solely based on the breed again.

Ken & Aryn

*The picture was taken on Christmas ’08, 2 days before he was hit.