
Have you ever wondered what you would get if a Pit Bull and a Corgi mated? Well now you know! Meet beautiful Hazel a/k/a Hazelnut who is a one-year-old Pit Bull and Corgi mix looking for her furever home.
Sweet Hazel is 40 pounds of pure muscle mixed with a profound amount of sweetness. The joke is she has a booty that most men or women would die for. Hazel loves snuggles, attention and is good with older children and other dogs, though it is always recommended that you do a controlled meet and greet with another pet prior to adopting ANY new addition. Hazel is very good on a leash and loves to strut her stuff on daily walks and is quite an attention grabber.
This past Saturday, Hazel participated in a lunch buddy program where she ventured out with a volunteer for lunch to Oakland Park’s very own dog friendly coffee shop “Cyth & Co.”. While it took her a few minutes to get comfortable away from the shelter, once relaxed, she rested on the side walk, people watching, munching on a few table scraps and lapping up the attention that she received from fellow patrons. She was not reactive to other people or other dogs walking by.
Lunch buddy programs are a wonderful tool that not only provides a shelter dog with much needed fresh air and socialization, it also allows the shelter to assess what kind of temperament the dog has outside the shelter, assuring they find the most suitable home possible. Shelter life is stressful for any dog and it is hard to know their true personality until you get to see them living a “normal dog” life. Most rescues in our area sponsor lunch buddy programs and it really is a great way to volunteer and possibly change a dog’s life.
With many communities and associations throughout the tri-county area having Pit Bull breed restrictions, this results in hundreds of Pitties, as they are called living their entire lives in and out of shelters.
It is a very sad reality for this beautiful and loyal breed and the idea that a dog’s personality is based entirely on their pedigree is simply false. Dogs are individuals and what most aggressive dogs have in common is being under-socialized, abused, neglected or trained to attack. Have you heard the saying “there is no bad Pit Bulls, only bad owners?” More often than not, this is the case and life in a shelter can make a dog’s behavior worse. That’s why programs like the lunch buddy program are so important.
You may have a Chihuahua who is more aggressive than a Pit Bull but the difference is size and strength. If aggressive, a Pit Bull, or any large aggressive dog for that matter, can be far more dangerous to small children and animals. For this reason it is always wise to try a pet out first and choose one that compliments your household, remembering that it can be a 15-year commitment.
As for the Pitties, they deserve that chance, and given love and security they can be as lovable as ever too despite their undeserved reputation.
Tami Wray was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana and grew up in the Northwest area of Indiana on the beautiful Lake Michigan. Mrs. Wray relocated to Wilton Manors in 1988 with her mother and now considers Oakland Park her permanent home.
Along with raising two beautiful daughters and one step-daughter, she has spent her entire career working in the real estate field as a property manager, real estate paralegal and insurance professional.
One of her greatest passions is the rescuing of abused and homeless animals and promoting the need for spaying and neutering pets and adoptions of senior pets.
Mrs. Wray currently resides in Oakland Park with her husband Chris, two daughters and her rescue pets; four dogs, two cats and a ferret. Life is never boring!
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