Phantom and Sarah are pit bulls who found themselves in two separate shelter with dismal prospects for adoption.

Pit bulls are at the highest risk for euthanasia in the United States. They don’t get a second chance as often as other breeds. The controversy surrounding the pit bull breed has resulted in real world consequences for many of these dogs.

Thankfully, these two rescued pit bulls got a second chance at life thanks to some very thoughtful police as well as two organizations with a focus on giving purpose to dogs who would otherwise be facing euthanasia.

The Decision

The two amenable pit bulls were rescued from their respective shelters and were trained to become K9 dogs for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina.

The officers in the department decided that the two pit bulls deserved a chance rather than being judged and sentenced to death for nothing more than their breed.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office talked about some of the reasoning behind their decision in a post on Facebook:

“Departments do not need to spend $15-$20,000 for a pure breed German Shepard or Belgian Malinois to search and find illegal drugs, at the same time giving dogs destined for a life in a shelter or euthanasia a second chance at life serving Law Enforcement Officers and Departments around the country.”

They would be saving the lives of the dogs, saving the tax payers money, and getting two excellent new K9 dogs. There really was no losing in the situation.

A Purpose

They found Phantom in a shelter in Texas. Sarah had just spent an entire year in a shelter in New York. Both dogs are now trained in narcotics detection.

They will never be involved in the direct apprehension of suspect.

Animal Farm Foundation and Universal K9, the organizations involved in getting these dogs into the Clay County Sheriff’s Office K9 program, do not allow their dogs to train in apprehension or bite work. They want to showcase the other talents that pit bulls have and highlight their kind nature rather than risking further damaging the reputation of the breed.

The Sheriff’s Office has had only positive things to say about their experience with the two organizations:

“The Clay County Sheriff’s Office would like to express their great gratitude to Animal Farm Foundation and Universal K9. Had it not been for their great work both Sarah and Phantom may still be looking for their forever homes.”

A Close Call

Another dog, Storm, in the same class as Phantom and Sarah, was rescued from the shelter just one day before she was scheduled to be euthanized. She is now a narcotics dog in the Red Oak Independent School District where she serves with School Resource Officer John Julin.

That’s a close call and a very good dog that came very close to being lost for good.

Too many pit bulls do end up lost to the world when they remain unadopted and are still in the shelters on the day they are scheduled to be put down.

Organizations such as Animal Farm Foundation and Universal K9 hope to change that, one dog at a time.

If their work with Phantom and Sarah is any indication, we think they are already doing a phenomenal job.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Relieved Join your friends or be the first to like our page

Source: Bored Panda