Carmen’s Story

By Kathy G. | Reading time: about 5 minutes

In my 30 years with the American Pit Bull Terrier as a breeder and competitor, rescuer, fancier and advocate, I never really went for the pretty dog. My tastes run more to the traditional type: smallish, nondescript coloring; essentially nothing that the average person would think of as a Pit Bull.

All that changed when I met Carmen, the first rescue dog in the hundreds that crossed my path that I kept for my own. I had been out of active rescue for a few years but a friend I worked with and helped along the way was very active in rescue. We worked together and so, of course, as dogs crossed her path and her doorstep, she would bring them to the veterinary clinic where we both worked.

I remember when she brought Carmen, a little chocolate and white girl wearing a multi-colored striped sweater, all of maybe 10 weeks old. You couldn’t help but be struck by her looks: white head, chocolate milk-colored body and full of — as they say — piss and vinegar. Carmen came into rescue as just another confiscation due to her owners’ legal problems. She was one of three siblings, along with a sister, Layla, and their brother, Dino. All three were almost identical in looks. While Dino went to another rescue, my friend Rosemary took Carmen and Layla under hers.

We didn’t know much about Carmen’s background but I often wonder if she was in a house fire considering her pulmonary problems and that she’s not a fan of candles or flame, as we learned when we sang happy birthday. To be honest, she doesn’t even care for warm food.

She was a funny little thing that would come into work every day with Rosemary, greet everyone, run around with the other dogs and then, when she was done, she would lay on a little doggie bed and just go to sleep. But if we were having a conversation, she would look between us, listening to every word as if she understood. I knew then that there was something special about this little girl!

Sure, I had run across other smart ones. American Pit Bull Terriers are known for their ingenuity, some more than others, but Carmen was always different. She had that something special you just couldn’t put your finger on.

Rosemary offered her to me from the very beginning but, as much as I wanted to have her, I had two old Pit Bulls at home and one of them was, for want of a better word, watching the clock tick. I also had a couple cats and my mother sharing my home. I wasn’t in a position to take another dog but Rosemary said she would keep Carmen for me until I was ready.

Everyone at work laughed and said: “are you sure you don’t want to find her a home?” You see, I had been through hell and back with my pets through the years as they grew older, and I cared for them to the last minute and second of their lives. Rosemary needed to find a home for Carmen, other than mine, because I sure didn’t need a puppy. But Rosemary wouldn’t hear of it and I thank her every day for that.

As the months went by and Carmen got a little bigger, Rosemary insisted she would not renege on her promise and, as it happened, my old Katie passed away; it was time to make a decision.

Carmen had already met my other adult Pit Bull, Gabrielle, and that could actually be the game changer … would it work? Would either one “be a bulldog”? Gabrielle, being Gabrielle, not only accepted the puppy but she became her big sister and best buddy!

The other big hurdle was my Mom who, being 80 years old, decided not only that we didn’t need another dog but certainly not another Pit Bull. But, as I was not getting any younger, I knew this might be my last chance to start with a new pup.

The day I brought Carmen home was exciting for me; it was the first time in 13 years my house had a puppy in it! Carmen was 9 months old then and, off course, the first thing I did was introduce her to my Mom, who immediately said: “that is the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen, she looks like a pig.” Well, you Bull Terrier fanciers know that they have been described that way, and though Carmen is not a true Bull Terrier, we do believe she does have a fair amount of Bull Terrier in her bloodlines. So I kinda get what she was saying. Next, we introduced Carmen to the cats and a very big backyard and the rest, as they say, is history.

Carmen is a big strapping girl who loves everyone she meets, two- and four-legged. She continues to come to work on Fridays at the veterinary hospital, where she charms my clients and doctors alike by doing her job: carrying files to the technicians and the doctors.

When I got Carmen I said she was going to be a movie dog. Well she didn’t quite become a movie dog – through no fault of her own – mostly due to my lack of time and having to care for my aging Mom. I will say that we have done our fair share of doggie school however: she received her Canine Good Citizen certificate from the American Kennel Club, has aced several tricks classes and, the coup de grace, Painting with Pawcasso … yes my dog paints!

Oh, and about her being an ugly dog? As the months passed, Carmen became my Mom’s best friend. She sleeps with Mom, keeps her company during the day and is now “the best dog we ever had.” I have to agree.

Thank you Rosemary for bringing her into our lives!

Note: Carmen’s sister, Layla, was adopted by a loving family with human siblings of her own. Her brother Dino is not only a Canine Good Citizen but a therapy dog as well. Not bad for a throwaway litter!