Rescue needed for male pit bull in Dallas

This dog was first mentioned on http://www.readlarrypowell.com last Friday. I was concerned about the welfare of the dog, so I contacted the family that found him and ended up paying the dog a visit Friday evening. Luckily, he was in much better condition than I expected.

I spent about an hour with him, and he seems like a very good-natured dog. He is in need of being placed in a rescue group, or in a home that is committed to making life better for him. While I do not pretend to be a vet or a professional dog trainer, here is a brief rundown on my observations about him:

BODY DESCRIPTION: Male pit bull, about 60 lbs, bone white with some tan (he actually has faint white/tan rings in his tail like a tabby cat), probably 7 to 10 years old, though not a senior or geriatric dog by any means. He has one blue eye and one brown eye. Ears cropped, tail intact.

HEALTH: He has belonged to somebody at one time, and does not appear to have been on the streets for a long time-though he was somewhat dirty. Sexually intact and has good body weight, does not appear to have mange or skin infection, though might have an ear infection. Paw pads look good. He has a few minor scabs/abrasions, nothing serious (no indication of fighting/animal wounds). Ears have been cropped to the skull, probably by a non-professional (meaning: tool-wielding ape). This was done fairly recently, and the tips are still red and scabbed, and are attracting a lot of flies-so may have some minor infection there as well.

Appears to be stone deaf-no auditory or visual response or recognition to sounds or speech. When he looked away I placed a squeaky toy directly behind his head and squeezed, but he did not respond at all. He followed me around everywhere I went, and when he was walking around the yard by himself, he seemed to always keep one eye on me.

Also seems to have a benign fatty tumor on left jaw, about the size of a golf ball or a little bigger (my old dog used to get these, and it looks and feels exactly the same-so it may be harmless). It does not appear to be sensitive to the touch. Teeth are a little dingy, but not a lot of tartar build-up, and gums are bright pink.

He did pant a lot. While it was kind of warm, I strongly suspect that he has a bad case of heartworms. He might also have a little bit of arthritis in his back hips. He doesn't have the gait of a young dog. Also, his tongue has been cut, torn, or damaged somehow along the outer rim, towards the left front-though it appears to be an old wound (you can see it a little bit in this photo, if you look closely).

TEMPERAMENT: With great gentleness he ate treats right out of my hand, licked my hand some, and was patient to be fed the treats. He also seemed to be absolutely delighted with the attention I gave him. His "special spot" on his back wasn't hard to find, and his leg would go 90 miles an hour when I'd scratch him. He would get so excited he didn't know what to do! He mouthed my hand a couple of times, but I swear he was so gentle that I never even felt his teeth.

He would also try to burrow into me when I was petting him, like cats often do. He likes drinking out of the garden hose, and was non-reactive when I sprayed the water on his legs and chest. In fact, he was non-reactive to just about everything. I held his paw, rubbed his ears, held his tail, placed my arm around him, scratched his belly, etc., and he did not show any aggression or uneasiness with any of it.

He also did not jump on me the whole time either. Seems to be well-behaved and low-key.

WHAT WE NEED: I will be helping this family with this dog for a while. First and foremost we need someone local to take him and be financially responsible for him, and work to get him adopted. Alternately, if there is a person out there who is interested in adopting him, and will consent to being screened, and who can help get him better, then feel free to contact me.

If you are interested in sponsoring him financially when and if this does happen, please let me know as well.

Because no one knows his history, prudence demands that he goes into a foster home situation with no small kids, and probably no dogs or cats either. He has not shown any aggression at all, but for the time being, it just makes sense for him to not be placed in a situation that could be problematic.

He seems like a really great dog, but one that has probably lived most of his life outside in the back yard - with little or no attention. I doubt he's ever been on a leash, had training, or seen a vet. This is all speculation of course, but one story is so very much like another most of the time; and how great of a home could he have come from if they lacked the sense or sensitivity to do this to his ears? He'll need some work and attention, and would probably not be a great choice for a first time, inexperienced dog owner.

The family who found him already has a dog, a cat, and two kids, so he has to stay outside 24/7, and the back yard (4ft chain link fence) is not secure at all - so he is at risk for being stolen or getting loose; and he is wearing out his welcome pretty quickly, as well. He must be gone by about May 28th, so this is looking very URGENT.

I'd hate to see this guy PTS. Please contact me at adoptadallaspet@yahoo.com or call 214.521.3611 to inquire about helping this boy. Greater Dallas inquiries only please.