A Pit Bull named Sweetie

[Guest Anonymous]

I just read this story and cried..I thought other Pit Bull lovers would also find it touching and heart warming.

Arizona, here I come!
I'm Sweetie, and this was me on my last day at Best Friends

I started out as a stray pit bull terrier on the streets of Puerto Rico. It was a hard life for a dog with no home and a heart full of heart- worms.

I was rescued by Celeste, a psychologist who'd come from New York to try to make life better for all of us street dogs. In my case, she arranged to put me on a plane so I could come to Best Friends.

When I arrived here, everyone said I was "a sweetie," so that's how I got my name. I was here just about a year before I was adopted into a new home near Tucson, Arizona



... and here I am at my new home

That's me at the front. And behind me are my new sisters, Patti and Crystal, and Tim Rogers who adopted me from Best Friends.

Tim is just crazy about us pitbull terriers. He thinks we're the cat's whiskers (?) and that we've all had a bad rap because pitbulls are often badly abused and made to do bad things like fight each other. (Do we look like we're fighting here?!)

You can visit Tim at his own home page and meet me and Patti and Crystal and also Celeste (she's the person who saved me in Puerto Rico and got me to Best Friends) and see what else Tim does, and lots more!

I've come a long way from the streets of Puerto Rico. Thanks, Best Friends members, for helping me to live happily ever after.



Sweetie's New Life....

Sweetie joined our family on February 4th, 1998. I found out about her from my friend Pam. Sweetie was rescued in Puerto Rico, flown to 'Best Friends' in Utah, cared for there for a year, and then Crystal, Patti, and I went to Flagstaff to bring her down here to Tucson. Even though she's already 8 years old, I hope we will have 8 years together!

After reading this, visit 'Best', an archive I have of a feature 'Best Friends' did on us at

The following are two e-mails from Celeste, The Angel of Mercy who saved Sweetie in Puerto Rico. In her words, she provides me with more information on Sweeties history. The second letter answers some questions I asked her after I received the first.

February 21, 1998

Dear Tim,

'Best Friends' sent your address so I would contact you regarding the lovely Sweetie. A friend and I rescued her from a horrible animal "shelter" close to two years ago. She had been left there by her previous owner because "she stunk". We doubt she had ever been bathed.
What called our attention was that we found her in a dirt cage with about 27 other animals (mostly puppies) sitting and crying so loud that it was just heart wrenching. To make a long story short, Sweetie ended up in our home along with 26 others. I hope by now you can tell why we named her the way we did. Of the many special things I remember of our 5 months with Sweetie is how despite the terrible heat and humidity in San Juan at the time, and 23 bouncing, hungry puppies (always wanting to play) around, Sweetie did not even growl at them once. She would let
them eat out of her bowl, even though they had several of their own.... and Sweetie has an appetite !!! She will always be special to
us...and we are sorry we were unable to keep her. We have a video tape of local news that aired the story - Sweetie is in it.
Our love to you and Sweetie (your other animals as well), and God bless. All the best,
Celeste

February 23, 1998

Dear Tim;
Sweetie was rescued out of a "shelter" in Puerto Rico, yes , by a psychologist, me, who now lives in New York in a tiny apt. At the time of her rescue she was thin, with mange, fleas and ticks and heartworm. I kept Sweetie ( along with the other 26 ) for aprox. 5 months. I later began sending them over to no-kill shelters in the states with the help of a local animal welfare group( who has made arangements with a major
airline to transport animals from P.R. free of charge). Because of the heartworm, Sweetie had to stay in P.R. for a while longer. I had to return to N.Y. and then returned to say goodbye before she left for 'Best Friends'. During her time in P.R. she had to stay at a vet's office and
also in a kennel. I felt so guilty !I was particularly worried about where to send Sweetie because of her breed, accentuated by her cropped ears. She is so beautiful though,
don't you think ? ... I miss her. All in all, before she got to you Sweetie had 8 foster homes/ caretakers, including myself, the vet, kennel and BF's. I wonder if she thinks that no one loves her for long... Anyway, Sweetie has taught me
how special pit bulls are, and I am so glad that her guardian angel brought us both to 'Best Friends' and her ultimately to the special,
wonderful home she deserves. Take care and keep in touch if you will. Hugs for all your kids, and a "besito" (kiss) for Sweetie.
Celeste.








Good Bye
4-25-01

It has been just about 24 hours since the little angel Sweetie sprouted her wings. This last 24 hours has been hell. As I sit at the computer, I mentally get ready to reach down my left hand to pat her on the head. I realize no longer will I need to scoot the chair out extra far to maneuver around her, nor will I need to walk around her as she sleeps in various doorways.



When I am laying on the couch, I will not need to reach down to pet her. I won't need to trip over her as we walk out to the barn for the nightly goody ritual. I certainly won't have to nudge her with my foot at night to stop her snoring. And the kitchen is going to be roomier too. I won't have to drop all my tools to go over and hug her after she has given me 'The Look', my then being pulled to her uncontrollably by an unseen force, Only, of course, to have her turn bashfully away when I approach - the TEASE. No more goodies, no more goodies, no more goodies. No more pinches or hugs or rubs or teasings. No more baths with wet terry cloth towels to remove layers of dust from her rubbing her back into the soil with joyful abandon, while her feet flail in the air (God have mercy on any poor insect flying in the vicinity of those flailing feet!). No more backward hops down the hallway to the kitchen, leading me as I carry her bowl full of dinner. No more sitting next to me at the computer, by my chair outside, or on the steps, or in the bathroom.....




Spontaneous Face Lift

That little bugger Sweetie! GOD she would aggravate Me! I could not go to the kitchen for a glass of water without Sweetie awakening from her slumber. She would get up and walk (more like 'trudge') to the kitchen threshold, and stare at me. I could be doing the dishes, or anything else that was not food related, but because I was in the KITCHEN, there must be something wonderful soon to come! (As a side note, just because more times than not I would find myself giving into those invisible, uncontrollable forces from her at the THRESHOLD, only to then give her some type of 'goodie', THAT could have had NOTHING to do with her constant vigilance!). After so many minutes of her 'Stare', I would sometimes find that I had had ENOUGH! I would think to myself "So, you think you're getting a goodie? Well, HERE'S a goodie!" I would then act as if I had picked up some type of tasty little morsel, I would kind of move it in my finger tips, and then I would THROW the imaginary tidbit at her with a motion that seemed like it was going just over her head. The response from her at that moment was immediate and pronounced. Her head would bolt upright, her eyes would widen, those deep black eyes, all the flesh on her face would tighten to the back of her head, as she now had the appearance of a dog that had just experienced a spontaneous facelift. All that sagging skin, reacting to the effects of gravity (many of us know what THAT'S like) would suddenly take on a life of it's own. Simultaneously, both her ears would move about 90 degrees along imaginary circles to the back of her head, and then sort of stand upright. I say 'sort of', because she had almost no ears. They were cruelly cut nearly to the bone, I presume when she was a pup, to the point that here were basically just little stubs of flesh where beautiful, floppy, expressive ears should have been. It is what is known as as a 'Fighting' crop. But with Sweetie, undeterred by the fact that she had practically no ears, she was able to take what she did have, and would create the most hilarious and endearing expression of alert bewilderment. And even though her eyes were pure black, somehow, with a skill unique to her, she added to that look of 'alert bewilderment'. Of course, she only fell for THAT trick once a night. After that she received her real goodies. She MUST have also received a great sense of satisfaction in knowing she had awakened the rest of the doggy household in the process. And all was well again in our home. Until... the NEXT time I walked into the kitchen!

When I write about Sweetie,
she's alive, and she's home





Thankfulness.....
As much as I can grieve and lament over Sweeties death, it does not do justice to the overall reality of her life, and her arrival to our/HER home. So many factors had to come into place for her to be here, and to pass away peacefully, as she did.









I am thankful that Celeste showed up when she did at the shelter Sweetie was imprisoned in. 24 hours before, or 24 hours after, and Sweetie would most likely not have been there. 24 hours afterwards she most likely would have been killed with a heart stick. This is a needle thrust though the chest cavity, straight into the heart. It is quick, and from what I understand, merciful for a very sick animal. It would have been anything but merciful for a fairly healthy, struggling, strong pit bull. I am thankful she wasn't sold to a medical lab for horrible, unnecessary vivisection experiments, which this 'shelter' does sell to. I am thankful she wasn't used, as many older pits are, for training and baiting with young, up and coming fighting pits. I am thankful that Best Friends was willing to take her, as they cannot take pits as a rule. I am thankful my friend Pam brought Sweeties plight, featured in an issue of Best Friends magazine, to my attention. I am thankful that Best Friends allowed Sweetie to come live with us. I am thankful that in our 3 short years together, Sweetie was allowed to become a 'dog'. I am thankful she was allowed to develop into a spoiled 'brat' (which she did very quickly and effectively). I am thankful that she was
in a home, where when she peed on the carpet, it could just be picked up and thrown in the washer, no anger or punishment necessary in HER home. I am thankful that in her last years Sweetie had a human as her one and only, much to the chagrin of the other pooches. I am thankful she was attended to by a top notch veterinary team throughout her life here in her Tucson home. And I am thankful she passed away in the care of these professionals, while my arms were wrapped around her and my whispers were in her ear. I am thankful she did not die alone. I am thankful that no matter what her past history held, she was allowed to blossom into her own beautiful self. I am thankful to have been allowed to know Sweetie....



Sweetie has been gone for 8 weeks now. In some ways it's impossible to believe. She still seems to be here. Yet, I still find myself looking for her. We miss her so much. It is so hard to face the fact that such a strong soul is now gone. I never look at her ashes. That's strange in that I became so impatient to get them back, and now that they're here, I never think of them. Sweetie is somewhere else in my mind, not in that little plastic box.



This One Moment;
Sweetie Entrusted In My Heart

Sweetie has left a picture in my mind that is uniquely her, yet universal of our loving companions.
I met Sweetie on several occasions and did not get to know her personally, with the exception of one day. Tim brought Sweetie with him as he usually took her on his daily quests.
Tim went to say hello to Stuart Little and the usual small talk. Oh, Stuart is another pit bull that Tim had his hand in saving his life. Tim really likes pit bulls. Stu (he lets me call him 'Stu') had a tough beginning, but nothing like International Sweetie - You know the saying - "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, because when you meet someone else, their story is something that you could not have endured". It is the same for our animals. So Tim and Stuart were chatting while Sweetie and I were talking.
I told Sweetie of the joy and laughter she brought to Tim and the whole house, that she brought gifts with her and how she shared them in her 'own way' with the others. I told her how important she is to ALL the family members, even without doing anything, simply by being there and being who she is.
I petted her forehead and brought my hands around to hold her face, our eyes met, and from this one moment, the love she had been given and had been living since she found Tim was entrusted in my heart - Forever.
When she turned her head, that's when I knew, I would not see her again; she knew it too. But, the enduring look on her face as she looked in the direction of the man who gave her love, acceptance, guidance, understanding, safety, and most of all, a place to belong, that, she knew, was hers, Her home.
As we all know, when we give our companions these gifts, and they 'own' them as Sweetie did, they return them a thousand fold and, unconditionally.
it is an honor and a pleasure to have known Sweetie for the brief moment that filled my heart with her wisdom and knowledge - Forever.

A thousand years on Earth is like a day in heaven. I will see you soon,
Sweetie.

Pamela Sharpe



Oh Dear Sweetie, are you out there, somewhere? I still look for you. I still half expect to trip over you. I am reluctant to think of how, as this time passes, I've come to realize ever more of what a perfect companion you were. I do not wish to diminish my respect or love for your sisters, or trivialize what they are to me. But you were special. You were the friend that was always nearby. You always made sure I was within eye shot, and you made sure you were within arms lenghth when I needed a dog to pet. I was the center of your world, and I will always appreciate that. These other girls love me, but I think yours was more sincere, less based on my being the food provider. It's difficult to put my finger on it. Somehow YOU were my Best friend. And this home and this family have not been as much of a home and family since you left. Somehow it doesn't seem like 'it' would be fair if something wasn't forever lacking now that you are gone. I miss you. 7/30/01

[kendalyn]

Wow, that was pretty moving... :cry:

I'm glad Sweetie had at least 3 good years so she could know the happiness of a loving home

[Guest Anonymous]

Kind of funny how these pitbulls can grab your heart and hold on for dear life.


RIP dear sweetie.

[GIXXSTER]

Anonymous napisał(a):

Kind of funny how these pitbulls can grab your heart and hold on for dear life.


RIP dear sweetie.

I'm really starting to not like this auto-login stuff.

[Guest Anonymous]

I don't think that they were being negative, at least I hope not! :cry:

[Guest Anonymous]

pouty left the board!

[imported_Debbie]

:cry: You should've put a *Tissue Alert* in the subject box !!
What a beautiful girl Sweetie was...... and it was wonderful that she got to be pampered for at least the last 3yr. of her life !! :cry: :cry:

I needed a good cry..... :cry: