Adopting a pet from a shelter helps them and, in turn, feels good to you. It’s an amazing opportunity to brighten up an animal’s life that might otherwise be homeless or neglected.
Oftentimes, when you save an animal’s life, it will return the favor in its own way. That’s exactly what happened to this one guy whose dogs he adopted ended up saving him too.
Robert McGowan discovered two pit bulls at a local animal shelter. According to The Dodo, these dogs had experienced difficult lives and were abandoned by their previous owner.
It’s no wonder that pit bulls are the most common breed of dog in shelters. Their aggressive reputation deters people from taking them home as pets.
Robert’s heart slowly opened to the once poor and now adoptable dogs. He took them home with him, gave them names, and Ellabelle and Ladybug became his confidants.
He provided a warm and caring home for them, and the pit bulls proved to be gentle and good-natured dogs.
But in a recent incident, the dogs revealed their true character.
One night Robert was in his garage when he was assaulted by four strangers. They punched him and gave him a black eye, and were intent on stealing his car. But the dogs intervened, barking and biting at the attackers until they fled; saving Robert’s life in the process.
The burglars demanded the keys from Robert, who told them they were inside the house. Unbeknownst to the criminals, they would find much more than just keys once they entered.
Unexpectedly, the two pit bulls came to their owner’s rescue by barking and chasing away the attackers.
“They chased them out,” Robert told The Dodo. “My girls then ran into the garage and stood over me to make sure I was safe.”
“The four people took off as the dogs barked ferociously, conveying that I was under their protection now and no one would lay a hand on me again.”
Though the breed is often seen as aggressive, Robert’s dogs are docile and gentle. However, they will become defensive if their loved ones are threatened.
Robert’s story is a shining example of the loyalty and love rescue dogs are capable of. It’s easy to imagine how Robert’s life would have been different had he not adopted them, but thankfully he did. Robert closed his story by urging people reading it to adopt themselves.
He wrote, “Rescue dogs are often unwanted by other people, but they saved my life. Think about adopting a rescue dog–they might just save your life too.”