Читать книгу American Pit Bull Terrier Handbook - Joe Stahlkuppe - Страница 6

The little girl, about four years old, was playing in the backyard of her suburban Florida home. She had carefully arranged her dolls for a tea party. Her mother was watching her out of the kitchen window. So intent was the child in her pretending that she sensed nothing amiss, no danger.

In this same suburb, two or three houses up the street, lived a powerful American Pit Bull Terrier. Seven years old, a muscular 45 pounds, he was covered with scars from his years as a fighting dog. Rescued from the pit, the dog lived his new life in comfort. At times, however, this pit veteran would escape from his backyard. Today was just such a time.

Jumping up on an outdoor grill, he cleared the backyard fence. As he walked down the street, he sensed movement from the little girl’s backyard and headed in that direction. The child didn’t see him enter her yard. She didn’t see him fixate on her. She didn’t see the intent look in his eyes. She didn’t see him when he started his charge toward her.

The child’s mother saw the dog hurtling toward her daughter, but she didn’t have time to call out. The little girl looked up and saw the rapidly approaching dog. She screamed as the animal leaped toward her. The dog jumped over the little girl and landed squarely atop a large rattlesnake coiled only a few feet away. Though severely bitten by the rattler, the dog easily killed the snake. He then vigorously shook the still-writhing body.

The child’s mother ran to gather up her crying child and the dog dropped the snake and ran over to the little girl and began covering her face with licks of affection. When she arrived, the child’s mother saw her daughter, the dog, and the twitching snake. She embraced the child and the dog, an old family friend.