Dogs are said to be Man’s best friends – but being a best friend is a two-way street.
Sadly, some dog owners neglect their responsibilities, and despite the love, affection and trust their dogs put in them, they end up letting their canine family down.
This is a sad reality, but in Lilo the Pit Bull puppy’s case, it was much worse than most people could have ever imagined.
She started her young life under terrible conditions, and when she was discovered by a concerned neighbor, there was real cause for alarm.
Would these concerned neighbors be able to do anything to help her? And what did her owners have to say when they were confronted with the situation?
Something Strange in the Air
One wintery day, the residents of Phillips Avenue in Greensboro, North Carolina, noticed something strange in the air.
The neighborhood, which is surrounded by forest, is no stranger to wildlife – but the strange silhouette circling above their streets felt like an ill omen.
High in the sky, a flock of vultures were slowly circling one of the neighborhood’s homes. A strange and unsettling sight under any conditions, the vultures’ presence in the middle of a residential area was truly odd. So, what were they doing there?
Greensboro’s residents didn’t know, but they were sure they were up to nothing good.
One of the local residents was eager to understand just why the vultures were circling their community.
Tracing their movement, the concerned resident was able to pinpoint their activity to one neighbor’s back yard.
There, he saw someting that was quite difficult to digest. The birds were slowly closing in around a small, helpless puppy, chained to a tree with only a small plastic dog house to keep her out of the cold winter snow.
The neighbors couldn’t ignore what they had just seen.
The little dog – an eight-month-old Pit Bull named Lilo, had apparently spent most of her young life chained up to that tree. She was lying there, unresponsive, as the vultures apparently waited for her to die.
The neighbors weren’t sure if Lilo’s owners were even aware that she was still tied up in their yard, she was so skinny – but how could they ignore the gathering vultures?
Calling the Authorities
It had been over a week since the vultures began to circle above Lilo and her little plastic dog house. By the looks of her, she had given up on life.
It was then that Lilo’s inquisitive neighbor decided to act, and to call the ASPCA – the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. But would the ASPCA be able to help her? And would the organization be able to act in time to save the little dog’s life?
Lilo’s neighbors weren’t content with just calling the ASPCA – they also decided to call animal control. They reported a dog chained outside in the middle of winter, surrounded by vultures that were clearly waiting for her to die before they made their move.
As Lilo lay there, her life hanging by a thread, the vultures closed in, inching closer and closer.
It was a horrible thing to behold, no matter the animal the carrion eaters were waiting for – but especially considering it was a small, helpless puppy.
Arriving on the Scene
Finally, animal control arrived at the residence where Lilo was chained up. When they got there, they could hardly believe their eyes; an entire flock of vultures had gathered around the puppy – with two of them even perching on top of her plastic dog house.
With them, a reporter also came to document the strange case – and took a photo which would later be instrumental in helping Lilo recover.
But despite the fact that the authorities had arrived, Lilo was far from being safe.
She still had a long way to go if she were to make it out of this, safe and sound.
Vultures
Vultures are known as scavenging birds of prey. The prefer to feed off of the carcasses of dead animals, but can also kill sick or wounded animals if need be.
They are able to sense when an animal is near death, and can often be seen circling high above a dying animal in nature.
Due to the varying quality of meat they get off of their prey, the stomach acid is exceptionally corrosive, and allows them to deal with bacteria and germs that would, for almost any other animal, prove fatal.
In Lilo’s case, they were patiently waiting for her to draw her last breath before they moved in.
Animal Control to the Rescue
Lilo lacked the strength to scare the vultures away, and it seemed that the eight-month-old puppy was ready to die. No one was there to take care of her, and, having spent most of her life chained to a tree, it seemed like she had nothing to live for.
But then, animal control decided to make a move. They entered the back yard and scared the vultures away. Lilo, who was severely malnourished at this point, was taken away – and in her stead, the animal control officers left something behind.
A Note
Before leaving, the animal control officers left a note at the residence Lilo was chained up in, explaining that they had taken the dog – and why.
They also detailed which animal shelter Lilo was being taken to, so that her owners could pick her up.
But where were these owners? And why was Lilo so neglected?
Did her owners just not care, or was there another reason for her neglect?
Many shelters, including the one Lilo had been brought to, have a strict policy when it comes to Pit Bulls.
As a rule, they don’t adopt them out
The Problem With Pit Bulls
Because of this, Lilo’s clock was still ticking – she had already been at the shelter for weeks on end, but if no one would adopt her soon, the shelter would have to resort to other means
Pit Bulls are a breed haunted by stigma. Because many people abuse them as a means of training them for illegal dog fights, Pit Bulls have gained a reputation for being problematic, aggressive and violent dogs.
But the truth is, that while Pit Bulls are high energy dogs, they have no violent predispositions, as many people believe, but are actually extremely loving and caring pets.
The stigma around them is not based in reality, but that doesn’t mean people don’t believe it – and so, adopting them out of shelters is often nearly impossible.
While Pit Bulls that are brought up in a loving home can be amazing family pets, Lilo was facing a situation almost as dire as the vultures she had faced a few weeks before.
If her owners wouldn’t come and claim her, nobody would be able to adopt her due to the shelter’s Pit Bull policy – and she would likely be euthanized.
Something would have to be done, if the puppy stood a chance of surviving.
Although Lilo’s fate seemed grim, she did have one last chance of being saved from death.
Thanks to the photo the journalist had taken of Lilo with the vultures, and organization called the Merit Pit Bull Foundation arrived at the shelter and took her, in the hopes of finding a home for her.
Once they became involved, Lilo’s story stopped being a tragedy, and became one of hope – and of love
A Foster Home
Thanks to the Merit Pit Bull Foundation, Lilo was taken into a foster home.
After seeing her photo in the paper, Keana Lynch and Travis Henley – a local couple – decided to give her a temporary home until a forever-family could be found for her.
Lilo will receive good food and long healing…
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