I think we're all in need of some heartwarming good news right about now, and that's exactly what we've got coming up as, this week, we have seen the first pit bull in Denver to be adopted after a breed ban that has spanned decades.
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It's the happy ending this poor pooched so desperately needed.
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Following the repeal of Denver's decades-long breed ban, the pit bull, Gumdrop, has become the first in the city to be adopted in over thirty years.This is incredible news...
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Because, these days, far too many dogs of all breeds are living out their days in animal shelters.It's a real issue...
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According to statistics by the ASPCA, approximately 3.3 million dogs are surrendered into animal shelters nationwide every single year.A dog isn't just for Christmas...
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But sadly, too many people don't realize this, and they are quick to give up their pooches once they've grown bored and tired of them.And, even more heartbreakingly so...
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Around 670,000 of these pooches end up being euthanized every year, as a tragic result of never finding a fitting home.An animal shelter is no home for a dog...
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The permanently unsettled, chaotic, and overcrowded environment of a shelter can cause great stress to our poor pooches.So this is why it is of the utmost importance to adopt rather than shop.
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Puppies are cute, I know... But older dogs need love too!In the last couple of years, adoption has actually been rising in popularity...
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And more and more people are opting for animal shelters over pet stores every year.However, despite this boost in popularity...
Shelters still need all the help they can get in order to rehome all of their 4-legged residents.Because some dogs struggle to find homes more than others...
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And this brings us to the sorry tale of Gumdrop.Gumdrop, not pictured below, is a 3-year-old pooch who has made history for being the first adopted pit bull in Denver in a very long time.
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Gumdrop was first found as a stray back in December last year, People reports.He was taken to VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, where it was found he did not have microchip identification...
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Before been taken to Denver Animal Shelter for 5 days to see if anyone claimed him.But sadly after the 5 given days, no one came forward for Gumdrop...
And so, on January 2nd, he was put up for legal adoption.An important moment in history for Denver...
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As, until November last year, the city had seen a decades-long ban on pit bulls.Voters recently passed a ballot to repeal the long-standing ban on these dogs...
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Meaning that pit bulls like Gumdrop are now legal, providing that owners have a restricted license and have their dogs microchipped.Gumdrop has now been adopted by a family from Colorado Springs.
Denver Department of Public Health & Environment spokesperson Kyle Wagner told PEOPLE that Gumdrop, who has been renamed Odin by his new family, is the first pit bull to be adopted in Denver since 1989.He went to his new home last week, which reportedly has no other pets, but one small child.
We're sure they'll become best friends.The Denver Animal Shelter announced the good news on their Facebook page.
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They wrote, "We are so excited to celebrate the first Pit Bull adoption since the new breed ordinance!"