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 “They cost $850 at very least,” my dad would always reason. But I didn't care. I wanted a pit bull more than anything in the entire world. I had been asking for one since I was 10 years old when I discovered the beautiful, majestic, very misunderstood and unfairly judged breed.

 

Ever since that day I was obsessed with pit bulls. I researched them discovering that they aren't inherently bad or malicious animals. They were bred as fighting dogs, created for the sole purpose of battling wild steers in arenas for entertainment. They need a strong master who shows dominance over them. They have to be put in their place at an early age and I knew I could be a good owner.

 

I took out books and studied exactly how to train pit bulls. I spent night after night watching videos and doing research trying to completely understand and familiarize myself with this intriguing breed. I was determined to prove that pit bulls are wonderful family dogs, and I believed I would do this by owning one. I begged and pleaded for a dog from my parents all year round.

 

“We don't need another dog, Matt,” my dad said to me. “One is plenty enough.” I didn't take no for an answer though, and I kept bringing up getting a new dog as often as I could.

 

It was drawing nearer and nearer to Christmas and my parents were still unchanged in their decision regarding a new dog much less a pit bull. As Christmas rolled around I tried my best not to get my hopes up as I looked at all the presents under the tree. I opened them and although I was grateful, it was yet again a Christmas without a new dog. We were cleaning up all the wrappers and finishing eating breakfast when my mom noticed a stray pit bull puppy sitting on our front porch in the cold looking for a new home.

 

Shadow has been a very important part of our family since then, and we are all looking forward to spending a 3rd Christmas with our sweet family-friendly pit bull. 12/12/16