If you buy into the mainstream idea of what Pit Bulls are like, then putting one together with a bunch of young kittens must seem like a recipe for disaster. Supposedly, your average Pittie is much more likely to see the kittens as either snacks or chew toys. The entire scene can only end in carnage and bloodshed, right?
Not so much. If you have friends who are in doubt about that, have them watch the video below. Actually, have them watch it anyway. It’s adorable, no matter what you think Pit Bulls are like.
The dog is Bella, a three-legged Pit who was adopted from a shelter by writer Grace Kuhn. Bella has a history of being gentle and loving toward other animals. According to Kuhn, writing on The Dodo, Bella’s maternal instincts have benefitted a rescued cow, a bunch of piglets, and some chickens. This isn’t the first time she’s played Mama to kittens, either:
So far, Bella has helped me care for three litters of kittens, and she has always been gentle and kind. She gladly shares her water bowl, her dog bed, and her human attention. She takes turns grooming them, and they greet her every morning by curling around her legs, and cry when she comes in from her walks.
I know a lot of Pit Bull lovers who probably won’t be surprised by Bella’s behavior, but the public at large may be. Against all the evidence, Pit Bulls remain one of the favorite targets of breed-specific legislation. Many of you might remember the case of O’Hara Owens and her dog Zeus from just last December: The village of Moreauville, Louisiana passed an ordinance banning Pit Bulls and Rottweillers, and it was going to start rounding them up for what they charmingly called “further disposition.” Fortunately, the specter of the town taking a disabled girl’s dog away from her caused national outrage, and it didn’t happen. The more we show the public dogs like Bella, the less we have to fear more cases like that.
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