Shelters across the country are brimming with pets desperate to find their furever home. The breed most commonly found at a shelter happens to be pit bulls.
Proponents for pitties believe they have been given a bad rap. It’s true it’s believed they were originally bred for bear-baiting, which eventually evolved into using them for illegal dogfighting. But not every pit bull is made for such brazenry.
Because many pit bulls aren’t ferocious enough to fight, they are dumped on the streets, which leads to a prolific amount of these dogs needing a home. They also have been labeled as dangerous and aggressive, and have since been banned from being kept as pets in some cities or counties.
Poor Lakita the pit bull curled up on a pile of trash near a woman’s porch in Kentucky. All she wants is a full belly and a loving hand to pet her, a warm house to live in and affection.
Lakita smells terrible and her ribs are jutting out due to malnourishment. Thankfully, the woman living there realizes that time is of the essence for Lakita to live, so she quickly calls animal rescuers to help.
“This lady says, ‘Can somebody help me?? I think this dog is dying or is dead on my porch.”
The rescuers immediately notice that Lakita seems to have given up. She had been mistreated and was starving. She can’t trust humans.
“She looked up at me and she just looked defeated, like she had given up on life.”
A rescuer named Tracy Korfhage can be heard on the video below expressing disbelief at Lakita’s state.
“Oh, she smells horrid. She smelled like death. Oh, she smelled like she was rotting from the inside out.”
Who could allow this to happen to this dog?
Lakita realizes that help has arrived and wants to prove that she is worth saving. She stands up and looks at them, willing them to rescue her.
“…she started walking around and I could see that she was like, ‘Well, maybe these people are going to help me.’ She was just so sweet and I said, ‘We’ve got to do something!’ She wouldn’t have lived much longer that’s for sure.”
She doesn’t put up a fight when the rescuers with MisPits and Friends Rescue lead her to the vehicle to transport her to animal control for a medical evaluation. There they have her checked to make sure she isn’t a lost pet.
Tracy already feels a bond with Lakita, so she takes the poor girl home with her. In just one week’s time, the transformation in Lakita is amazing!
Lakita quickly gains weight by healthfully eating small frequent meals every day. Her coat begins to shine and she smells much better.
“She was at my house and I just gave her time to relax and to feel that she was safe … you could tell that she was thankful and tired. She was exhausted.”
After some rest and relaxation, Lakita actually has enough energy to play! She feels secure and comfortable finally instead of living day by day, scouring garbage bags for scraps of food.
Once Tracy feels Lakita is ready, it’s time to find her a furever home. Volunteers snap the cutest Christmas photos of Lakita ready to celebrate the holidays with her new family wherever they might be.
It is the photo of Lakita in a tutu that cinches the deal for Sebastian and Ashtyn. They instantly fall in love with the little girl.
“I just saw how cute she was in her tutu. She was so proud and I was like ‘Oh my gosh. We have got to have her.'”
Lakita is beyond thrilled to head to a home with three children who dote on their new doggie. She, in turn, loves her family dearly.
“When we first got her, she was very shy and timid. She she was trying to find her feel. Now she feels more secure. She doesn’t have to worry about where is her next meal coming from … She loves the kids, protects the kids. Pretty much where the kids are, she’s at. She’s our baby. Our big fur queen.”
Sadly, not every pit bull’s story has a happy ending like Lakita’s. Pit bulls and pit mixes end up in shelters more than any other breed and euthanization numbers for this breed are surprisingly high.
Lakita is blessed to be settled with her furever family who adores her as much as they love her. Hopefully, more people don’t pass by other sweethearts like Lakita who only want to be loved.
Watch Lakita’s fairy “tail” come true in the video below. She’s such a charismatic dog!
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