This week in the Scoop we meet the Ohio Pit Bull Terrier who’s sniffing out crimes. Plus, we meet Tyko the weight-shedding Corgi and the bus station shelter dogs of Brazil. Read all about it!
Leonard’s a Pit Bull ‘Rozzer’
Pit Bulls are a banned breed here in the UK. In the USA, however, the breed is restricted on a state-by-state or city-by-city basis. Sadly, even where they aren’t a restricted breed they are often overlooked in adoption shelters for their aggressive reputation.
Leonard is one such dog. He was overlooked in a shelter, which tragically means he would’ve been euthanised if the Ohio state police hadn’t come to the rescue. Humane Society Director Jim Alloway has an eye for dogs who could have a brighter future as police officers. And in Leonard’s case, that’s exactly what’s happened!
Thanks to Jim’s intervention and Chief of Police Terry Mitchell, Leonard’s been busy training and working hard to become a fully fledged K9 police dog. And he’s something of a trailblazer – he’s the first ever Pit Bull Terrier K9! Watch the video above to see him in action. And, if like us, you don’t think dogs should be destroyed for their appearance, find out how you can join the campaign to end Breed Specific Legislation.
“Cor-gee, that’s a fat dog!”
Tyko a Corgi-cross, pictured above, made headlines recently for being a very, very fat dog indeed. But he’s turned his life around, shedding an unbelieveable 37kg. Previously, he had been so overweight that he’d been able to take more than a few steps before getting breathless.
Sadly, his health became a criminal animal cruelty court case of after his owner was prosecuted for neglectful treatment. The prosecution argued that his owner had been “killing Tyko with kindness” by feeding him far too much and not giving him enough exercise.
Tyko was taken away from his owner, who was spared harsher penalties usually associated with animal abuse, and now Tyko’s searching for a new home with the help of the Scottish SPCA. Good luck, Tyko!
Dog-‘tyred’
Image: Fabiane Rosa
Bus station workers in the Brazilian city of Curitiba made a big splash in dog news this week after they created a DIY shelter for stray dogs.
Using spare bus tyres and blankets, they made dog beds to keep the pooches warm and comfy as the Brazilian winter months approach. The above picture was shared on Facebook by a local politician, who congratulated the bus station workers for looking out for their doggy neighbours and the post went on to be shared more than 11,000 times.
The three dogs are named Max, Pitoco and Zoinho and look very cosy in their ‘dogified’ tyres, including painted paw prints! At least they have somewhere to rest and won’t be so “tyred” (sorry) anymore!