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08/29/2009: "Powder the Pitbull"

I haven't been writing a lot this summer. I can't believe my college is already starting up again tomorrow. It's kind of a relief that I'll never have to walk back onto that campus again (except at my leisure), but for some reason all of these life changes are bringing up a lot of memories. I work full time at PETA now, which has been an amazing experience, but I feel like the rest of my life has gone on hold. Friends, family, fun... it all just becomes a blur after you have fallen into a routine day after day. I want to break free and go on a vacation! I guess I just plunged full force into the real world with no real transition period. Norfolk is so far away from everything I've ever known that I don't feel quite like it's home yet. Every time I do travel up to Richmond or Northern Virginia, I just feel like my entire visit is such a rush because I don't have time for everyone and everything. I need to make some new memories, because right now, I am just reminiscing over every previous period of my life. I cannot believe I'm already 21 and my childhood will never come back. Being faced with mortality a lot this year after the death of Mango and my grandmother has made me realize that life is so temporary, and I am afraid. Powder was very sick with pneumonia several weeks ago, and I was worried I'd lose her too. Luckily, she's bouncing off the walls once again.

Speaking of Powder, I don't think I ever really explained her situation very thoroughly. When we found her back in March, she had been living with a family in a motel, and they no longer wanted her. They had often left her to roam the streets and just hoped she wouldn't come into any danger. Having her in my life has been so wonderful, despite the fact that she is a little monster who constantly causes commotion. One minute she's standing on the dinner table howling like a hound dog, and another she is digging through the trash or climbing a tree. It's definitely been a struggle, but in a good way. Powder is a pit bull mix, so having her around has also opened up my eyes a lot. In this country, pit bulls are one of the most hated and abused breeds. They're chained in backyards for their entire lives, beaten into submission, forced to fight, provided with very little veterinary care, and neglected. Of the millions of dogs who are euthanized every year, pit bulls make up a staggering number. When they do receive love and companionship, though, they will grow into some of the friendliest and loving dogs you'll ever meet. Everyone who meets Powder comments on her sweet demeanor and amusing character. Now that I've had a pit bull in my life, I feel drawn into this crisis and I hope I can do just a little to change things around.

To be honest, no one who's looking for a dog companion should ever buy from a breeder. Please, always adopt. There are millions of potential companions waiting in shelters facing death. Every time someone buys an animal, an adoptable shelter animal is condemned to die. I know people say that they are looking for certain traits in breeds, but do you really think you can't find a purebred in a shelter? There are entire rescue groups devoted to single breeds. And mixed breeds have advantages, too. All the dogs I've ever lived with have been mixed, and they've all been amazing and some of my best friends in life. They're certainly unique and come with their own quirks. There is a dog out there in a shelter or at a rescue organization who's waiting for you.