Thursday, July 23, 2009
Pit bull are good dogs
Its said that it takes longer to make a untrained pit bull mean than a german sheperd.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
pit bull poems
Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice. But for those who love, time is not."It is true that Pit Bulls grab and hold on. But what they most often grab and refuse to let go of is your heart, not your arm."-- by:Vicki Hearne
My Heart Belongs to a Pit Bull A spirited Pit Bull Shares my days, And makes my life complete.Intelligent and protective,Yet affectionate and sweet. A strong willed dog, So fast and quick -With courage and self pride.I can't imagine life without. My Pit Bull by my side.Active and adventurous, A dog that loves to play -My Pit Bull puts the sunshineInto each and every day.
A Prayer of a Pit BullSpirit in the sky, who watches over all animals. It is my prayer and my request that you grant greater understanding, and acceptance to humans; those who love us, and those who hate us.That they will know how loyal we are, how brave we are, and how loving we are. Help them to accept us as a breed in whole, and not let the few tragedies shine brighter than the many great traits that we have.And those who would kill me, let them know, I forgive them, even though I don't understand their hatred. And those who would beat me, let them know I still love them, even though it is not the honorable way.Thank you for all the strong traits that you have given to me, and my breed. Help those to know that I stand for courage, strength, loyalty, and bravery. And as my master already knows, let those who would come against my family know that I would surely die defending them.And just one last thing that I would ask: Let my master know, that if you should call me away, that I will wait patiently at those pearly gates until the one who chose me, comes home.
Room in Your HeartSorrow fills a barren space... you close your eyes and see my face. Think of times I made you laugh, the love we shared, the bond we had, the special way I needed you - the friendship shared by just us two. The day's too quiet, the world seems older, the wind blows now a little colder. You gaze into the empty air and look for me, but I'm not there - I'm in heaven and I watch you, and I see the world around you. I see little souls wearing fur, souls who bark and souls who purr. Born unwanted and unloved - I see all this and more above - I watch them suffer, I see them cry, I see them lost, I watch them die. I see unwanted, thousands born - and when they die, nobody mourns. These little souls wearing fur (some who bark and some who purr) are castaways who - unlike me - will never know love or security. A few short months they starve and roam. Or are caged in shelters - nobody takes them home. They're special too (fur balls of pleasure), filled with love and each one, a treasure. My pain and suffering came to an end, so don't cry for me, my person, my friend. But think of the living - those souls with fur (some who bark and some who purr) - And though our bond can't be broken apart, make room for another in your home and your heart.
The Rainbow BridgeJust this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who was left behind.They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly he breaks from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together...
Lonely DogOnce I was a lonely dog,Just looking for a home.I had no place to go,No one to call my own.I wandered up and down the streets,in rain in heat and snow.I ate what ever I could find,I was always on the go.My skin would itch, my feet were sore,My body ached with pain.And no one stopped to give a patOr to gently say my name.I never saw a loving glance,I was always on the run.For people thought that hurting mewas really lots of fun.And then one day I heard a voiceSo gentle, kind and sweet,And arms so soft reached down to meAnd took me off my feet."No one again will hurt you"Was whispered in my ear."You'll have a home to call your ownwhere you will know no fear.""You will be dry, you will be warm,you'll have enough to eatAnd rest assured that when you sleep,your dreams will all be sweet."I was afraid I must admit,I've lived so long in fear.I can't remember when I letA human come so near.And as she tended to my woundsAnd bathed and brushed my furShe told me 'bout the rescue groupAnd what it meant to her.She said, "We are a circle,A line that never ends.And in the center there is youprotected by new friends.""And all around you arethe ones that check the pounds,And those that share their homeafter you've been found.""And all the other folkare searching near and far.To find the perfect home for you,where you can be a star."She said, "There is a family,that's waiting patiently,and pretty soon we'll find them,just you wait and see.""And then they'll join our circlethey'll help to make it grow,so there'll be room for more like you,who have no place to go."I waited very patiently,The days they came and went.Today's the day I thought,my family will be sent.Then just when I began to thinkIt wasn't meant to be,there were people standing therejust gazing down at me.I knew them in a heart beat,I could tell they felt it too.They said, "We have been waitingfor a special dog like you."Now every night I say a prayerto all the gods that be."Thank you for the life I liveand all you've given me.But most of all protect the dogsin the pound and on the street.And send a Rescue Personto lift them off their feet."-- Arlene Pace
A Dog's HopeTreat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of mine. Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me learn. Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know, by the fierce wagging of my tail when the sound of your foot steps fall upon my waiting ear. Please take me inside when it is cold and wet, for I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet. Keep my pan filled with water, for I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding to walk by your side and stand ready, willing, and able to protect you with my life, should your life be in danger. And, my friend, when I am very old and no longer enjoy good health, hearing, and sight, do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I shall leave this earth knowing with the last breath that I draw that my fate was always safest in your hands... I will always be your BEST FRIEND!BaggageNow that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed, all nicely tucked into my warm new bed. I would like to open my baggage. Lest I forget, there is so much to carry - So much to regret. Hmm.. Yes there it is, right on the top - Let's unpack loneliness, heartache and loss, and there by my leash hides fear and shame. As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave - I still have to unpack my baggage called pain. I loved them, the others, the ones who left me, but I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me. Will you add to my baggage? Will you help me unpack? Or will you just look at my things and take me right back? Do you have the time to help me unpack? To put away my baggage, to never re-pack? I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see, but I do come with baggage - Will you still want me?Author: Evelyn ColbathWe Have Come to Rescue YouWe know you can't believe it's true, but we have truly come to rescue you. We have come to start your life anew. You are one of the lucky, one of the few.We have come to take away your pain, to end life as you know it -- at the end of your chain. There will be no more treadmills, no break sticks, no keeps.You can now eat freely and dream happy dreams while you sleep. There will be no more waiting for Saturday night, no being thrown in a pit, no being forced to fight. There will be no more suffering the atrocious abuse, with "they choose to fight" as their standard excuse. There will be no more bets while you suffer great pain, no more criminals with only profits to gain. There will be no more breedings, you are so worn.There will be no more lost puppies for you to mourn. They've cut off your ears, your appearance is marred. Yet you give sloppy kisses, and you wag your tail hard. When they say you're all vicious, we know they are wrong.For there is no other dog, with a love so strong. You hold no grudges. You only forgive. They are wrong -- You deserve to live. There are so many more we wish we could spare, but there are so few loving homes and so few people who care. So come now, let's hurry, there is no time to waste.There is imminent danger, which for you we will face. We know you can't believe it's true, but we have truly come to rescue you. Written for the most abused breed of dog in existence, The American Pit Bull Terrier.Author: Patty LetawskyA Dog Sits WaitingA dog sits waiting in the cold autumn sun, too faithful to leave, to frightened to run. He's been here for days now with nothing to do but sit by the road waiting for you. He can't understand why you left him that day. He thought you were stopping to play. He's sure you'll come back and that's why he stays. How long will he suffer? How many more days? His legs have grown weak, his throat's parched and dry, he's sick now from huger and falls with a sigh. He lays down his head and closes his eyes. I wish you could see how a waiting dog dies.Author unknownAlone AgainI wish someone could tell meWhat it is that I've done wrong,Why I have to stay chained upAnd left alone so long.They seemed so glad to have meWhen I came here as a pup.There were so many things we'd doWhile I was growing up.They couldn't wait to train meAs companion and as friend.They told me I would never fearBeing left alone again.The children said they'd feed me,Said they'd brush me every day,They'd play with me and walk me,If only I could stay.But now the family hasn't time.They often say I shed.They wont allow me in the house,Not even to be fed.The children never walk me.They always say, "Not Now!"I wish that I could please them.Won't someone tell me how?All I have is love, you see,I wish they would explain,Why they said they wanted meThen left me on a chain.Author UnknownThe Night Before ChristmasTwas the night before Christmas and the shelter is dark,The whole place is silent, not even a bark.The dogs are all locked in their pens for the night,The staff has gone home and turned out the light.As I lay my head on the cold concrete floor,I fondly recall the home I had before.The family I loved who loved me right back,We'd share everything from secrets to snack.sThings couldn't be better this time last year,But that has all changed and now I am here.I won't see the tree, the lights or the snow,I'm scared and alone, my spirits are low.The others like me weren't put up for adoption,A new family and home for us, isn't an option.We've been locked up in cells, like we were all crooks,We don't deserve a new home, because of our looks.Not Diesel, or Bingo, or the young one named Percy,Deserved to be loved, or shown any mercy.While families celebrate holiday cheer,I know in my heart that my end is near.The vet will arrive, the lights will go on.By the time you awake, we will all be gone.A stranger will come to take me away, I'll never wake to see another day.
My Heart Belongs to a Pit Bull A spirited Pit Bull Shares my days, And makes my life complete.Intelligent and protective,Yet affectionate and sweet. A strong willed dog, So fast and quick -With courage and self pride.I can't imagine life without. My Pit Bull by my side.Active and adventurous, A dog that loves to play -My Pit Bull puts the sunshineInto each and every day.
A Prayer of a Pit BullSpirit in the sky, who watches over all animals. It is my prayer and my request that you grant greater understanding, and acceptance to humans; those who love us, and those who hate us.That they will know how loyal we are, how brave we are, and how loving we are. Help them to accept us as a breed in whole, and not let the few tragedies shine brighter than the many great traits that we have.And those who would kill me, let them know, I forgive them, even though I don't understand their hatred. And those who would beat me, let them know I still love them, even though it is not the honorable way.Thank you for all the strong traits that you have given to me, and my breed. Help those to know that I stand for courage, strength, loyalty, and bravery. And as my master already knows, let those who would come against my family know that I would surely die defending them.And just one last thing that I would ask: Let my master know, that if you should call me away, that I will wait patiently at those pearly gates until the one who chose me, comes home.
Room in Your HeartSorrow fills a barren space... you close your eyes and see my face. Think of times I made you laugh, the love we shared, the bond we had, the special way I needed you - the friendship shared by just us two. The day's too quiet, the world seems older, the wind blows now a little colder. You gaze into the empty air and look for me, but I'm not there - I'm in heaven and I watch you, and I see the world around you. I see little souls wearing fur, souls who bark and souls who purr. Born unwanted and unloved - I see all this and more above - I watch them suffer, I see them cry, I see them lost, I watch them die. I see unwanted, thousands born - and when they die, nobody mourns. These little souls wearing fur (some who bark and some who purr) are castaways who - unlike me - will never know love or security. A few short months they starve and roam. Or are caged in shelters - nobody takes them home. They're special too (fur balls of pleasure), filled with love and each one, a treasure. My pain and suffering came to an end, so don't cry for me, my person, my friend. But think of the living - those souls with fur (some who bark and some who purr) - And though our bond can't be broken apart, make room for another in your home and your heart.
The Rainbow BridgeJust this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who was left behind.They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly he breaks from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together...
Lonely DogOnce I was a lonely dog,Just looking for a home.I had no place to go,No one to call my own.I wandered up and down the streets,in rain in heat and snow.I ate what ever I could find,I was always on the go.My skin would itch, my feet were sore,My body ached with pain.And no one stopped to give a patOr to gently say my name.I never saw a loving glance,I was always on the run.For people thought that hurting mewas really lots of fun.And then one day I heard a voiceSo gentle, kind and sweet,And arms so soft reached down to meAnd took me off my feet."No one again will hurt you"Was whispered in my ear."You'll have a home to call your ownwhere you will know no fear.""You will be dry, you will be warm,you'll have enough to eatAnd rest assured that when you sleep,your dreams will all be sweet."I was afraid I must admit,I've lived so long in fear.I can't remember when I letA human come so near.And as she tended to my woundsAnd bathed and brushed my furShe told me 'bout the rescue groupAnd what it meant to her.She said, "We are a circle,A line that never ends.And in the center there is youprotected by new friends.""And all around you arethe ones that check the pounds,And those that share their homeafter you've been found.""And all the other folkare searching near and far.To find the perfect home for you,where you can be a star."She said, "There is a family,that's waiting patiently,and pretty soon we'll find them,just you wait and see.""And then they'll join our circlethey'll help to make it grow,so there'll be room for more like you,who have no place to go."I waited very patiently,The days they came and went.Today's the day I thought,my family will be sent.Then just when I began to thinkIt wasn't meant to be,there were people standing therejust gazing down at me.I knew them in a heart beat,I could tell they felt it too.They said, "We have been waitingfor a special dog like you."Now every night I say a prayerto all the gods that be."Thank you for the life I liveand all you've given me.But most of all protect the dogsin the pound and on the street.And send a Rescue Personto lift them off their feet."-- Arlene Pace
A Dog's HopeTreat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of mine. Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me learn. Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know, by the fierce wagging of my tail when the sound of your foot steps fall upon my waiting ear. Please take me inside when it is cold and wet, for I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet. Keep my pan filled with water, for I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding to walk by your side and stand ready, willing, and able to protect you with my life, should your life be in danger. And, my friend, when I am very old and no longer enjoy good health, hearing, and sight, do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I shall leave this earth knowing with the last breath that I draw that my fate was always safest in your hands... I will always be your BEST FRIEND!BaggageNow that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed, all nicely tucked into my warm new bed. I would like to open my baggage. Lest I forget, there is so much to carry - So much to regret. Hmm.. Yes there it is, right on the top - Let's unpack loneliness, heartache and loss, and there by my leash hides fear and shame. As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave - I still have to unpack my baggage called pain. I loved them, the others, the ones who left me, but I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me. Will you add to my baggage? Will you help me unpack? Or will you just look at my things and take me right back? Do you have the time to help me unpack? To put away my baggage, to never re-pack? I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see, but I do come with baggage - Will you still want me?Author: Evelyn ColbathWe Have Come to Rescue YouWe know you can't believe it's true, but we have truly come to rescue you. We have come to start your life anew. You are one of the lucky, one of the few.We have come to take away your pain, to end life as you know it -- at the end of your chain. There will be no more treadmills, no break sticks, no keeps.You can now eat freely and dream happy dreams while you sleep. There will be no more waiting for Saturday night, no being thrown in a pit, no being forced to fight. There will be no more suffering the atrocious abuse, with "they choose to fight" as their standard excuse. There will be no more bets while you suffer great pain, no more criminals with only profits to gain. There will be no more breedings, you are so worn.There will be no more lost puppies for you to mourn. They've cut off your ears, your appearance is marred. Yet you give sloppy kisses, and you wag your tail hard. When they say you're all vicious, we know they are wrong.For there is no other dog, with a love so strong. You hold no grudges. You only forgive. They are wrong -- You deserve to live. There are so many more we wish we could spare, but there are so few loving homes and so few people who care. So come now, let's hurry, there is no time to waste.There is imminent danger, which for you we will face. We know you can't believe it's true, but we have truly come to rescue you. Written for the most abused breed of dog in existence, The American Pit Bull Terrier.Author: Patty LetawskyA Dog Sits WaitingA dog sits waiting in the cold autumn sun, too faithful to leave, to frightened to run. He's been here for days now with nothing to do but sit by the road waiting for you. He can't understand why you left him that day. He thought you were stopping to play. He's sure you'll come back and that's why he stays. How long will he suffer? How many more days? His legs have grown weak, his throat's parched and dry, he's sick now from huger and falls with a sigh. He lays down his head and closes his eyes. I wish you could see how a waiting dog dies.Author unknownAlone AgainI wish someone could tell meWhat it is that I've done wrong,Why I have to stay chained upAnd left alone so long.They seemed so glad to have meWhen I came here as a pup.There were so many things we'd doWhile I was growing up.They couldn't wait to train meAs companion and as friend.They told me I would never fearBeing left alone again.The children said they'd feed me,Said they'd brush me every day,They'd play with me and walk me,If only I could stay.But now the family hasn't time.They often say I shed.They wont allow me in the house,Not even to be fed.The children never walk me.They always say, "Not Now!"I wish that I could please them.Won't someone tell me how?All I have is love, you see,I wish they would explain,Why they said they wanted meThen left me on a chain.Author UnknownThe Night Before ChristmasTwas the night before Christmas and the shelter is dark,The whole place is silent, not even a bark.The dogs are all locked in their pens for the night,The staff has gone home and turned out the light.As I lay my head on the cold concrete floor,I fondly recall the home I had before.The family I loved who loved me right back,We'd share everything from secrets to snack.sThings couldn't be better this time last year,But that has all changed and now I am here.I won't see the tree, the lights or the snow,I'm scared and alone, my spirits are low.The others like me weren't put up for adoption,A new family and home for us, isn't an option.We've been locked up in cells, like we were all crooks,We don't deserve a new home, because of our looks.Not Diesel, or Bingo, or the young one named Percy,Deserved to be loved, or shown any mercy.While families celebrate holiday cheer,I know in my heart that my end is near.The vet will arrive, the lights will go on.By the time you awake, we will all be gone.A stranger will come to take me away, I'll never wake to see another day.
Monday, July 13, 2009
pit bull heroes
Heather Fretes with her dog, Bleu, whose barking alerted her to a pervert next-door trying to sexually assault a 7-year-old girl. Together, the owner and her dog drove off the attacker.
A barking dog and an alert woman scared off a pervert in Queens after he lured a girl into a backyard by promising to show her worms, police and witnesses said yesterday.
"Mommy! Daddy!" the 7-year-old girl screamed as she fought off her attacker between two garages about 7:45 p.m. Friday. "Help me!"
Her cries for help startled a dog on the other side of a fence. Bleu, a mixed pit bull, began barking incessantly, which brought his owner, Heather Fretes, to the window.
"He was going wild barking," Fretes said. "I looked out and I saw two people. The girl was screaming."
Fretes ran outside and yelled at the man, who witnesses said had been watching the girl and her friend before the attack. The suspect tore down part of a fence to escape the backyard on 171st St. in Flushing. The girl wept as she told Fretes about the attack.
"He took my hand and led me back where he tried to pull down my pants," the girl said, according to Fretes.
"Everything is fine," the victim's uncle said late yesterday. "She's okay. As long as she's okay, we're fine. She wasn't hurt."
Paramedics took the girl to a nearby hospital, where she was examined and released. She was shaken up, but not injured. No weapon was used, police said.
A police source said detectives interviewed the girl again yesterday in hopes of putting together a sketch of the suspect.
Cops described him as a white man, in his late teens or early 20s, with sandy brown, spiked hair. He was wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt.
"There's no indication at this point that it's part of a pattern," the police source said. "Obviously, we're checking that out, but it's early in the investigation."
Neighbors said the suspect was sitting on the steps of a nearby home, watching the victim and her 10-year-old friend as they rode their scooters. He then got up and approached the girls, telling them he had a bird and liked animals.
"My sister didn't like what the guy was saying to her, so she went in the house," the 10-year-old's sister said yesterday.Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2007/07/08/2007-07-08_hero_pooch_saves_7yearold_queens_girl.html#ixzz0LCaPMKSD&C
heres a website about pitbulls
OAKLAND -- It was a routine walk for Mike Henrickson and his dogs.
Up and down the hill from King Estates Middle School, where Henrickson, 47, would throw a ball for Benny, his fetch-minded pit bull, while his other dogs played off leash.
Henrickson, a mild-mannered guy who retired as an auto body mechanic six years ago after a stroke, had madethat walk every day for 11 years, sometimes after midnight.
Nothing broke their routine until dusk a week ago today, when Benny took a bullet between the shoulder blades while protecting his pack.
As he was returning home from the school with Benny and his other dog, Rosie, by his side, Henrickson was mugged. Someone had run up behind them on Fontaine Street and struck the back of Henrickson's head with a pistol, knocking him to his knees.
"Benny looked at me, listened to my voice, knew I was in trouble and took it from there," Henrickson said. Benny lunged at the gunman, releasing his fury and full 85 pounds at the stranger.
Henrickson pleaded with the gunman not to shoot. Benny was on a retractable leash, which Henrickson released while Rosie, also a pit bull, barked wildly at his side.
"Benny pushed him and bit him and got him as far away from me as he could," Henrickson said.
The dog chased the gunman into the middle of the street, which runs along Interstate 580 near Keller Avenue in East Oakland.
Henrickson said Benny locked his jaws on the arm the gunman used to point his pistol.
The guy grabbed the gun with his free hand and shot Benny "pistol to fur," Henrickson said.
The dog fell, and the gunman fled to a car waiting a few feet up the street.
Henrickson dragged Benny to the sidewalk, where he held his dog while he died.
"He looked in my eye like he was saying, 'Did I do OK, Dad? Did I do good?" Henrickson said. "I told him, 'You're a good boy, Ben. Don't die.'"
Pit bulls are known for being fiercely loyal to their owners, but dog trainers say any dog might respond the same way.
"Dogs have a way of sensing things that we can't fully explain," said Mike Wombacher, a San Francisco-based dog trainer.
Wombacher said he has had clients with dogs who reacted like Benny when their owners were threatened, as well as dogs that do nothing. So much is based on temperament and training, he said.
Benny was protection-trained. Henrickson had worked with the dog to provoke aggression when attacked, although people who knew the 6- year-old dog said he had never attacked anyone or anything, save a tennis ball or two, in his life.
"He was a big ol' lap dog," said David Ratto, a friend of Henrickson.
He's now a hero to some.
"Benny defended my dad to the end. He gave his life for my dad," Henrickson's
18-year-old daughter, Krista, wrote in a letter to the Tribune.
"My dad is so upset. I am too, but mainly because I almost had lost my dad," she said.
Henrickson and his friends said they wanted to share their story - - accounts all verified by Oakland police -- because they are tired of hearing only pit bull horror stories in the media.
"There is nothing that can bring Benny back, I know," Krista wrote. "But I can't stop the tears. I held my dad while he cried and he did the same (for me)."
Henrickson and his girlfriend, Amanda Zamacona, found Benny on Halloween morning about five years ago about 30 feet from where he was killed.
He was scared, skinny and full of fleas, the two recalled this week while sitting in Henrickson's kitchen, a marked-up pit bull calendar on the wall and a big-framed photo of Benny that Zamacona made him as a memorial atop a counter.
Benny had crawled under a parked car on the corner to escape police.
"They couldn't coax him out for anything," Henrickson said. He has had dogs, mostly pit bulls, for 27 years.
He said he walked up to the 10-month-old stray and said, "Come on, big boy."
Benny came right out, so Henrickson slipped a rope leash around his neck and told police he'd take it from there.
"He walked just perfect with me all the way to my house," Henrickson said.
"Poor dog," Henrickson said. "He was a real soldier. He gave his life for mine."
Police said it is highly unusual for robbers to mug someone walking with dogs, particularly two big pit bulls. And definitely not very smart.
"If they were smart, they wouldn't be criminals," Sgt. Caesar Basa said.
Up and down the hill from King Estates Middle School, where Henrickson, 47, would throw a ball for Benny, his fetch-minded pit bull, while his other dogs played off leash.
Henrickson, a mild-mannered guy who retired as an auto body mechanic six years ago after a stroke, had madethat walk every day for 11 years, sometimes after midnight.
Nothing broke their routine until dusk a week ago today, when Benny took a bullet between the shoulder blades while protecting his pack.
As he was returning home from the school with Benny and his other dog, Rosie, by his side, Henrickson was mugged. Someone had run up behind them on Fontaine Street and struck the back of Henrickson's head with a pistol, knocking him to his knees.
"Benny looked at me, listened to my voice, knew I was in trouble and took it from there," Henrickson said. Benny lunged at the gunman, releasing his fury and full 85 pounds at the stranger.
Henrickson pleaded with the gunman not to shoot. Benny was on a retractable leash, which Henrickson released while Rosie, also a pit bull, barked wildly at his side.
"Benny pushed him and bit him and got him as far away from me as he could," Henrickson said.
The dog chased the gunman into the middle of the street, which runs along Interstate 580 near Keller Avenue in East Oakland.
Henrickson said Benny locked his jaws on the arm the gunman used to point his pistol.
The guy grabbed the gun with his free hand and shot Benny "pistol to fur," Henrickson said.
The dog fell, and the gunman fled to a car waiting a few feet up the street.
Henrickson dragged Benny to the sidewalk, where he held his dog while he died.
"He looked in my eye like he was saying, 'Did I do OK, Dad? Did I do good?" Henrickson said. "I told him, 'You're a good boy, Ben. Don't die.'"
Pit bulls are known for being fiercely loyal to their owners, but dog trainers say any dog might respond the same way.
"Dogs have a way of sensing things that we can't fully explain," said Mike Wombacher, a San Francisco-based dog trainer.
Wombacher said he has had clients with dogs who reacted like Benny when their owners were threatened, as well as dogs that do nothing. So much is based on temperament and training, he said.
Benny was protection-trained. Henrickson had worked with the dog to provoke aggression when attacked, although people who knew the 6- year-old dog said he had never attacked anyone or anything, save a tennis ball or two, in his life.
"He was a big ol' lap dog," said David Ratto, a friend of Henrickson.
He's now a hero to some.
"Benny defended my dad to the end. He gave his life for my dad," Henrickson's
18-year-old daughter, Krista, wrote in a letter to the Tribune.
"My dad is so upset. I am too, but mainly because I almost had lost my dad," she said.
Henrickson and his friends said they wanted to share their story - - accounts all verified by Oakland police -- because they are tired of hearing only pit bull horror stories in the media.
"There is nothing that can bring Benny back, I know," Krista wrote. "But I can't stop the tears. I held my dad while he cried and he did the same (for me)."
Henrickson and his girlfriend, Amanda Zamacona, found Benny on Halloween morning about five years ago about 30 feet from where he was killed.
He was scared, skinny and full of fleas, the two recalled this week while sitting in Henrickson's kitchen, a marked-up pit bull calendar on the wall and a big-framed photo of Benny that Zamacona made him as a memorial atop a counter.
Benny had crawled under a parked car on the corner to escape police.
"They couldn't coax him out for anything," Henrickson said. He has had dogs, mostly pit bulls, for 27 years.
He said he walked up to the 10-month-old stray and said, "Come on, big boy."
Benny came right out, so Henrickson slipped a rope leash around his neck and told police he'd take it from there.
"He walked just perfect with me all the way to my house," Henrickson said.
"Poor dog," Henrickson said. "He was a real soldier. He gave his life for mine."
Police said it is highly unusual for robbers to mug someone walking with dogs, particularly two big pit bulls. And definitely not very smart.
"If they were smart, they wouldn't be criminals," Sgt. Caesar Basa said.
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