The vet says that she is about 2-3 years old, and is as sweet as they come. We found her wandering around our neighborhood next to a busy road on Monday around lunchtime, and took her in. Nobody has claimed her, but I'm not really expecting anyone to come forward. Pitbulls are notorious for having bad owners in my neck of the woods, so I doubt someone cares enough to look for her.
She's pretty skinny, but muscular. It looks like she may have given birth not too long ago. We had her dewormed as a precaution, but we haven't had her tested for heartworms nor have we gotten her any shots yet ... just in case someone claimed her. If nobody comes forward tomorrow, I'm going to take her to our vet for her shots, to have her tested for heartworms, and to schedule a spay.
Pitbulls are illegal in Miami-Dade County, so I'm kinda harboring a fugitive here. Her owner has not come forward yet, so, due to the urgency of the matter caused by the legality of it all, I am going to have to try and find her a forever home pretty shortly. I don't want to adopt her to a home that couldn't handle her, although she's not much to take care of. She's quiet, obedient, very people-friendly, playful, and just wants nothing but to be loved.
Here's the kicker: My neighbor is an animal control officer. I've been sneaking her out on walks whenever he's not home. Since we do not own her, we have no legal rights to her. If they find her, she is considered a stray and will be euthanized within 5 days of being caught.
So, she's people-friendly, not shy, loves car rides and belly rubs, obedient, crate-trained, and seems to pick up on commands quickly --she learned "sit" in 2 minutes. I haven't tested her out around my 3 huskies yet, so I don't know if she's dog-friendly or not. At the vet she seemed happy to see all of the other dogs, but none were within close proximity. She hates cats, but is being cool around my bird.
Here are my questions: Is she a good candidate for adoption? Are there any other things I should test her with before I adopt her out?
Once it gets to the point where I feel she is ready to leave, I want to find her the perfect home. I am willing to drive pretty much anywhere for her, and it will obviously have to be away from Miami. My Fiance and I are prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure that she gets the loving home that she deserves.
Are there any pitbull rescue organizations still operating in South Florida that could help me search for a forever home? Maybe I could bring her to a rescue to have her evaluated before they feel comfortable to list her for adoption?
I am completely new to pitbulls, so I don't know what to check for.
These pictures are from Monday. That scratch on her nose looks worse than it is. It's a pretty small scratch and is healing up very nicely.
For comparison: She's pretty small. I'm 5'2", and she's below my knee. My huskies are a couple inches above my knee.
I will get better pictures as she feels more comfortable, and take a video of her playing so people can see that she's not all business,
.EDIT: She is not chipped, nor was she wearing a collar. I have posted "FOUND" notices everywhere I could think of. They are all over my neighborhood, all of my local vets, petfinder.com, craigslist, another random pet site that I can't remember the name of ... I've taken out an ad in both of my local newspapers, and I've even tried Facebook (longshot, I know). I called all of the animal shelters and the humane society to let them know that I found a dog and described the dog to them just in case someone calls looking for her. No luck.
I wonder where all her pups are, its so sad, they will probably be next to be confiscated and pts, I hate BSL! Keep us up to date on her, and if I could I would take her in a heartbeat, but I already have my limit at two.
