A Bonnet Wearing Pit Bull is Named Hero Dog of the Year!
Despite her previous life of abuse, Abigail now spends her time changing the negative perceptions surrounding Pit Bulls
A Pit Bull with a heart of gold has been named the 2017 American Humane Hero Dog. Before being rescued, Abigail the Pit Bull endured unspeakable cruelty. Picked up as a stray in Miami, Florida and brought to LIFE Rescue, she was anemic, infested with ticks, and had experienced facial trauma so severe it resulted in the loss of her ear. Her “before” photos are truly hard to look at. It was clear that she had been used for dog fighting; her injuries were so severe that she almost didn’t make it. Once her wounds started to heal, her mission took form. Vets had to replace her face bandage daily and it was pointed out that she looked like she was wearing a bonnet. Soon, photos of Abigail and her bonnet bandage ended up on the Internet, inspiring people from all over the world to start sending her headbands in support. She quickly became a form of inspiration, bringing awareness to the efforts to help end dog fighting. After weeks of recovery at the vet, Abigail found her forever home. Touched by her story, Megan and Jason Steinke of Lehigh Acres, Florida, adopted Abigail. Seeing the impact Abigail and her bonnets were having on people, the Steinkes decided that Abigail was the perfect dog to help change people’s perception of Pit Bulls. To help spread Abigail’s story and encourage others to join them on their mission to end dog fighting, they entered her into the American Humane Hero Dog Awards. On September 16th—while wearing a sparkly headband, of course—Abigail was named the 2017 Hero Dog. Since receiving the honour, Abigail’s Facebook page, “Bonnets For Abigail,” has grown to over 22,000 followers. She continues to challenge the negative stereotype surrounding Pit Bulls, model forgiveness, and inspire others to help end dog fighting. Despite the cruelty she experienced at the hands of people, she has nothing but love and kisses for everyone she meets. If that’s not inspiring we don’t know what is!