PEANUT....the wonderful pit bull God sent into my life.

by Norma Jean Carico
(Galax, Virginia)

I rescued Peanut from a kill shelter at 3 months old. He came out of the blue and followed my daughter's co-worker to the P.D. where they worked. She called my daughter and said "look out your window and see what followed me to work". She thought it was a lab but my daughter was quick to point out "NO.....that is a pit bull puppy "!

They brought him into the PD, my daughter started feeding him peanuts (thus his name) and my daughter called me and said "Mom, I found you a dog BUT it is a pit bull."

My daughter knew that I had been wanting a dog but my husband would never allow one. So....I told GOD that if it was meant for me to have a dog, HE would send one into my life. As I was discussing the dog over my cell phone (we were traveling) my husband heard "pit bull" and said H*** NO !

Our local animal control officer had to come get him and take him to the shelter. On the following day, I went to visit him with my sisters and as we walked the LONG hall of death, there in the last cage was the little pit puppy....so sick, scrawney, curled up on a pillow. He could hardly stand. I held him and he nuzzled my neck and my heart was stolen.

The animal shelter said I would have to be the first on the property at noon on Wed. to get him. Of course, I was the first one there. Many men had come and stated they wanted him (probably as a "bait" dog). Well, I got and paid the shelter a minimum adoption fee and took him to my vet.

Peanut was sick with Parvo, they informed me. This was a Wed. and if I took him back to the shelter, they could not "put him down" until Monday. The vet said he would die a horrible death before Monday. I cried and told the vet to do all they could do to save him. It would be expensive and could not guarantee me he would live.

Well, on Friday they called and said he could come home with me. I was elated. Peanut was a perfect puppy. Used the bathroom only when we took him out. Over the winter, we fed, fattened him up and so enjoyed all his puppy antics and destruction. lol

Peanut's knee started to bother him, took him to my vet and they said it was dislocated. I allowed them to do surgery. He recovered well from that but all of a sudden Peanut started developing kidney stones.

We took him many times for the stones to be irrigated out. One dreadful night, he got real sick and was it evident he was in tremendous pain. Took him back to the vet and this time she came out, sat beside me and said "I have called the Virginia Tech/Maryland School of Medicine and they want him there immediately".

I live about 65 miles from VT. My husband and I drove him there immediately. They kept him and said they would call the next day with a prognosis. I cried and loved him before we left. Peanut was about a year old. The next morning they called and told us the dreadful news. Peanut was in renal failure from kidney stones blocked up and poisoning his body.

I called my daughter and said we needed to drive up there so I could hold my precious Peanut when I had him put down. Much to my amazement and happiness, when I called them back...they said NO....we have a experimental surgery we would like to perform. It would be VERY EXPENSIVE ! I gave them the go ahead, knowing I would scrape every penny I had together to pay for the surgery.

Praise be to God....Peanut survived the intricate surgery. They bypassed the urinary canal to his "privates" and put a female opening in him to allow for the better passing of any future stones.

When we visited Peanut....oh, he was so bruised on his rear and bottom but they had prepared us for that. He loved us, licked us and we had a wonderful visit.

Peanut was there about 10 days. They called him HOUDINI because he always managed to slip out of his containment area and come walking down the hall with his IV bag dragging behind him.

We brought Peanut home with the LARGE circle ring collar to keep him from trying to reach his surgery area. He did so well and I am so proud to report that Peanut will be 3 years old this March and he is a wonderful, loving, caring, licking and kissing, gentle pit.

He has NEVER shown agression towards anyone and Peanut gives me UNCONDITIONAL love. He sits on command, shakes hands, and still chews on his favorite toys and he loved tennis balls.

I have a physical disability that I have had for nearly 11 years. I have difficulty keeping my balance and I fall often. Major medical facilities have not been able to give me a diagnosis unless it was a stroke.

I try to work with Peanut to be an assistance dog for me. When I do feel up to it and the weather is good, I walk him and keep him close to my body. If I sway, his strength could keep me from falling. But for now, I am recovering from a torn menicus on my right knee and my doctor insists I do no even go into my yard alone.

By spring, I am going to be brave and get Peanut out back in the neighborhood and start walking with him again. I also am a diabetic and Peanut often gets up close to my face and acts like he is trying to tell me something. My blood sugar was higher one time but not near as high as most diabetics can have.

I thank God for Peanut every day. My husband LOVES him too, takes him outside to "potty" and has endured the fact that I bypassed him and saved Peanut from certain death. I am attaching many photos. The ones when he was a pup are on a disk but I have alot of him to submit him. I AM A PIT BULL ADVOCATE AND I EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THE BREED AND TAKE HIM OUT TO STORES WHERE THEY ALLOW DOGS.