The Parable of Peanut the Pitbull

 

About a week ago we noticed a stray dog hanging around our yard. The first time I got a good look at him I felt a knot in my stomach. I was pretty sure it was an aggressive breed of some kind. My husband and I don't have a dog and don't know a lot about dogs in general so I got online to look at pictures of the breed and confirmed that our stray was a pit bull.

Woah. A pit bull? Even though I didn't have personal experience with this breed, I knew enough to have the following thoughts: This dog is going to kill my children. This dog could attack us unprovoked. This dog's bite can kill. This dog is evil. This dog is vicious.

With these thoughts in mind my husband and I decided that our kids couldn't play near the dog or even go outside to be in the general area of the dog. Animal control could come pick him up if he was contained so my husband and I set out to contain him. This was a challenge because we live on about 10 acres of land. I knew he must be hungry so I approached him with some slices of ham hoping I could trap him. When I got too close however, he barked at me and my husband. One time my husband got so close he gave him a low growl. This only confirmed our fears of the stray. Animal control came and tried to capture him but no amount of whistling or smooth talking would get him to come to us. He was smart. He could see the catch-pole the dog catcher held and knew what would happen if he got too close. So he disappeared for a little while. Animal control made plans to set a dog trap in the yard the following week if he was still around. The dog catcher left telling us that we did have the right to shoot the dog if it attacked or seemed vicious. The dog catcher wasn't the only one giving this advice. Everyone said we needed to scare it away...use a bb gun, bang pots and pans, use an air horn, target practice...I wasn't shocked at this advice at all. This dog could harm us and we needed to protect ourselves even if it meant killing the dog (I'm not quite sure how we would have done that, seeing as how we don't own a gun). I asked the dog catcher what would happen to him once he was captured. The reply was that the dog was unsafe to adopt out and if nobody claimed him within three days he would be put down. This made me sad because there was a possibility that this dog was loved by someone very much.

Animal control wouldn't be able to come around again for a few days so we were on the defensive. We watched the dog from inside the safety of our home and hoped he would disappear on his own. Instead he marched around marking his territory around the yard. He lay down under the shade of the trampoline or porch for hours at a time. It appeared to us that this dog was going nowhere so we resolved to bide our time with him around until animal control could trap him. Each time we had to go outside we tread our path carefully not wanting to provoke the dog in case he was dangerous. The dog became more suspicious of us and continued to bark at us when we came outside. It seemed he was just as uncomfortable with us as we were with him.

It was on our way home from running errands that we noticed a missing dog sign on a light post near our home. Sure enough it showed a picture of our stray pit. I immediately called the number and was greeted with much relief and appreciation from the dog's owner. They said they were going to come right over. I told them the dog wasn't around at the moment but maybe they could come call for him and he would show up. When they came we formally introduced ourselves. "What's the dog's name?" my husband asked. "Peanut" they said. "Peanut!? Peanut!? Not Killer? Not Spike or Brutus or Buster?" were my thoughts. They continued, "He's a great dog. He's great with kids and won't harm a fly. He loves to eat. Please, please let us know when he comes around again."

An entire day went by without a sign of Peanut. Now that we were assured of Peanut's harmlessness we whistled and called for him. Knowing how much Peanut's owners loved him and cared for him I was so hoping he would come back. I was worried that he had been killed somehow. I said a few silent prayers that he would show up. We checked before we went to bed one final time. I updated the owners that there was no sign of him. I was beginning to fear the worst. The next day when my husband and I woke up we searched the perimeter of our yard for him. No Peanut. At this point our 2 and 3-year old boys caught on. They would yell Peanut's name outside and my oldest asked if Peanut died. We were in our van and on our way to church when we saw a very ragged and hungry Peanut laying in his usual spot on the porch. He must have gotten there between the time we checked the yard that morning and the time we left for church.

I couldn't contain my excitement. "Get some ham!" I yelled to my husband. He came back with the ham and my camera. I called the owners and they were so joyful. While I waited for Peanut's "mommy" to come get him I noticed that he was dirty. He had an eye infection and his ribs were showing. Suddenly the ferocious dog I saw from my window was just a poor, vulnerable, sweet creature that needed some love and attention. I wished in that moment that I could have known that about him all along. How much better we would have got along!

 

When the owner showed up I was glad I had my camera. Even at the sight of their car coming down the drive, Peanut perked right up. When the owner stepped out of the car, he bounded toward her and immediately gave her a hug. I have never seen a dog look so much like a human before. He was so happy and for a moment I shared in the bliss of the owner and the dog. So much of the dog's suffering could have been eliminated if I could have seen past my fears and loved instead.

Of course I'm not saying we should trust stray dogs. Fear serves a purpose and I know my husband and I were just trying to protect our family. But I couldn't help but learn an important lesson through this experience. Sometimes our fears of the unknown eliminate the possibility for love. How many problems could be solved if instead of seeing each other through the windows of our homes, our jobs, or even our computers we could see each other face to face? If we could see people as they truly are we would probably see vulnerability and suffering. People need love. All people need love. It doesn't matter who you are or what you believe. In all the debate, the bullying, and the pride we stop seeing each other as people and start seeing each other as vicious pit bulls out to destroy what we are trying so hard to protect. We are all fighting for protection. Protection of our families, protection of our rights, protection of love itself. Is there a greater definition of turmoil than this--that what one person fights to protect is the very thing another is fighting for? There is no perfect outcome for this dilemma. Such things require great pain and suffering for both parties at one point or another. The only solution I can think of is to love more and love more easily.