Hi to all my Twitter/bulldog family.
My
name is Anna and I am Olive and Mizani's mom (@AnnaWillett). Many of
you have heard that something tragic and heartbreaking happened in my
family. I want to share my story in hopes that it might help someone
else. It has taken me a while to compose my thoughts and to process what
we have been through.
Two weeks ago tonight I was out to dinner celebrating my 40th
birthday with my best friend, Mel. We went to a late dinner and then
started to drive around looking at Christmas lights. There were not a
lot of homes with lights on so we decided to just head home. We were
almost home and I remembered that my mom asked me to get a loaf of bread
on the way home so we drove past the house and went to the store. My
mom lives with me and my best friend and has for the last 5 years. After
we went to the store we came home and as I came up on the porch I
looked in the window and saw that my mom was sitting on the floor. She
has had quite a few falls in the past year so I was worried that she was
injured but I never imagined what I was getting ready to walk in on.
Mel rushed in ahead of me and as I came in the door I remember
thinking, "how did the dogs get into red kool aid?" There was blood all
over the floor and on two of the walls. I then realized that Mel was
yelling for me to help her. She had pulled the dogs away from where mom
was sitting on the floor and together we drug them out to the back
porch.
I then ran back in to my mom and it wasn't until I saw her leg that
I actually realized that they had been biting her. Before I actually
saw her leg, I was afraid that it was one of our chihuahuas that the
dogs were attacking. Mel called 911 while I applied a tourniquet to my
mom's leg. The paramedics came and bandaged mom's leg and took her to
the trauma center.
Once we arrived at the hospital and I learned that mom was in
stable condition, we were sitting in the hallway in our blood-stained
clothing trying to make sense of it all. I contacted my siblings and our
close friends for prayer and support, but I knew that I needed to talk
to my bulldog people. I knew that they would be the only ones who would
understand the heartbreak of losing my babies. I went on twitter and
Sam, Diesel's mom, was on the top of my timeline. So at 2:45 am,
I sent her a private message telling her very briefly that my bulldogs
had attacked my mom and that they would be put down the following
morning. I sent a few more messages throughout the night. I knew she
wouldn't get them until the morning but it was comforting just knowing
that someone was there who cared.
My mom had to stay in the hospital so Mel and I headed home about 3:30
in the morning. The dogs had remained in the back yard and I opened the
back door to let them inside for the night. As soon as the door was
opened and I looked at the dogs I realized that they were not my babies
anymore. When I looked into their eyes, they were blank. There was
nothing there and there was no recognition of me. They were not my
girls. I slowly closed the door and thanked God for the unseasonably
warm weather.
I laid in bed listened to the dogs outside and wondering how I would make it 3 hours until the vet opened. We got up about 6:15
and got ready. We went out back to get the dogs and still they were
totally different animals. Olive had been my baby... she LOVED me. If
you have a bully, you know what I mean. But that morning, there was
absolutely no recognition from her. Her entire personality was
different. A bulldog who only 2 days before begged to ride in the car,
had to be forced into the car that morning. It was like something had
clicked in their brain and they were not our girls anymore. We took the
dogs to our vet who was kind and compassionate and allowed us to come
into the back of the clinic. We left the dogs in the capable hands of
our vet of many years who assured me that he would take care of the
situation personally.
Sam messaged me back in the morning and let me know that she had
reached out to Gunner's mom (Kym) for help and that Kym was willing to
talk to me. Kym and I texted back and forth a bit while I spoke with
doctors at the hospital about plans for my mother's care. About mid-day I
was able to talk about the situation without breaking down so I gave
Kym a call. She was so kind, patient and understanding. We talked at
length about Olive and Mizani and asked about our history together.
After our talk I realized that the dogs would have to be euthanized.
They were not my babies. I would not be able to live with wondering
if/when they would hurt someone else... or worse.
My mother had a 3 hour surgery to clean out and close what wounds
he could. He used over 100 stitches and staples to close up her wounds
with the exception of a large wound on her shin. It was about 8 inches
long and 3 inches wide. She was in the hospital for a week and is now
home. She has a wound vac on her leg in hopes that the wound will close
up so that she can avoid having a skin graft. She has been brave and
strong throughout this entire ordeal. The first thing she said after
surgery was that she was sorry about the dogs. She loved them as much as
we did, but said that when they were attacking her she looked into
their eyes and there was nothing there. We are all heartbroken over
losing our girls, but we feel that they were gone that night.
I think the hardest thing is that we didn't get to say goodbye. It
is almost as if they are at daycare and then I remember that they aren't
coming home.
I truly hope that no one ever has
to go through this and that is why I want to share my story. I want
other bully parents to learn from my experience. So, what have I
learned?
1. Bloodlines and breeders DO matter. If you are getting a puppy,
know where they are coming from. Ask to see papers and family trees. If
you can, visit the breeders homes. Get recommendations from other bully
parents.
2. Don't get a puppy from another country unless you know the
breeder or you have researched them thoroughly and spoken to someone who
has one of their puppies.
3. Educate yourself about common
bulldog traits and characteristics. And if your dog has traits that are
atypical, find out why. Don't make excuses for behavior that is not
typical to the breed.
4. Ask other bully parents for help. Be specific about your
concerns. Be open and honest - even if you are afraid or embarrassed or
scared.
5. Get help at the FIRST sign of any aggression. Do
not give up if you reach a dead end. Persevere until you find someone
who will help. If you can't get the help you need, find someone who can.
6. Don't be afraid to lean on your Twitter friends for help and
support. Sam and Kym were a lifeline for me as I went through all of
this.
I will be sending out my Christmas cards tomorrow
to those of you who were in the card exchange. The photos on the card
are my girls. Olive LOVED the beach. She would run and jump in the waves
for hours. Mizani is asleep in her photo and that is what she loved
most. She was a loving girl who never missed an opportunity to nap.
I cannot express how much I appreciate all of the messages and encouragement. I am so thankful for my Twitter bully family.
Thanks for all the love and support, friends.
Anna
The first picture is Olive, their mom Luna and Mizani. They were 2 months old.
The second is Olive in the foreground and Mizani in the back. This was just from earlier this month and they were 5 years old.
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