This is Brutus, Brutus saved my life in more ways than one over the years. Brutus would have been put down had I not adopted him. I just wanted to say: take a chance on those shelter odd balls! I've attatched his story!

Brutus was a very interesting story I never get sick of telling!

He was at a local shelter in my hometown for about a year, unable to find the right fit to meet his needs. His background was shakey, he was rescued as a young dog from a rough area in my state as part of a dog fighting ring. Brutus wasn't a fighting dog perse, he was a bait dog. He was chained to a tree or pole while the fighting dogs would essentially "practice" on him, truly horrifying as he was born into this situation.

Fast forward to me as a 19yo at the humane society: Upon entering the dog housing area I immediately lock eyes with Brutus. He was crying to be let outside while licking the glass so obsessively from anxiety they had to put a towel under his kennel for the drool. I was smitten the moment I saw him. I found a worker and let them know he obviously needed to relieve himself but they were too busy so i said I wanted to meet him (my excuse to get someone to let him outside).

As soon as I went on the yard he charged me, put his paws on my chest and knocked me on my ass, he was about 100lbs of solid muscle from his former owners walking him with weights attatched. He sat on my lap and wouldnt move, he claimed me. I was told he was on 2nd chance for dog/people aggression (understandably) and I immediately filed adoption paperwork and in 2 weeks I took him home.

He was the most loving creature to us I've ever experienced. He was fiercely loyal and saved my wife when an unleashed, unattended dog aggressively charged her Brutus grabbed the dog by the head and clamped down to the point we had to physically remove his mouth from the other dogs head. We quickly learned about his aggression and mistrust towards other dogs and we worked through it over the years. He was finally able to make a friend (the love of his life, Dixie; a wirehair pointer).

He alerted us when my son was a newborn and having trouble breathing due to the flu. We had fallen asleep around 1am after finally getting our son calm and an hour later Brutus sniffed his crib and wigged out. Crying, barking, and jumping around us to wake us up quite possibly saving my sons life.

He kept me from continuing with my drug addict and dangerous lifestyle because I didnt want to go to jail or die with him wondering where I was.

Unfortunately Brutus was later in life diagnosed with Megaesophagus and we exhausted ourselves and our finances over the next 2 years to keep him healthy until he physically had no more fight to give (and he had a lot!!). I finally made the call when he was out of options, losing weight, and unable to keep food or water down. After all his protecting of us I couldnt stand to see him suffer any longer.

I wouldnt have changed a thing about adopting him and my life would have been completely different if I never had Brutus in it. Please take a chance on those unwanted and forgotten shelter dogs.