11.27.19 Snack Attack!

Are you ready for a Snack Attack?! 

Meet these little ones Sunday at Prohibition Barbers, Inc from 12-2! Event details here

11.26.19 New to MPBR- Meet Haisley

Another new face at MPBR- Meet Haisley! 

She's a 15 week old Boxer/Pit mix, LOVES other dogs, and is a big hit at foster mom's office. Apply to meet this adorable girl in person at www.mnpitbull.com 🐾

11.25.19 New to MPBR- Meet the Snack Pack!

Welcome the Snack Pack to MPBR! 

You can meet Pringle, Frito, Tostito, Cheeto, Funyan, Bugle, Dorito, & Ruffles this Sunday at Prohibition Barbers, Inc during our Adoption Meet & Greet from 12-2!

 Event details here.

11.24.19 Meet the Puppies - This Coming Sunday!

ADOPTION MEET & GREET 

Join Minnesota Pit Bull Rescue at Prohibition Barbers on Sunday, December 1st from 12-2 P.M. & meet the newest members of our rescue- the Snack Pack! Who knows, maybe you’ll meet your new best friend!

•Adoptable dogs in attendance: Ruffle, Pringle, Funyon, Bugle, Dorito, Tostito, Frito, & Cheeto. Read more about each dog here

The Snack pack will be the only dogs in attendance for this event. If you're interested in meeting a different dog, please fill out an adoption application on our website & a personal meet & greet will be scheduled.

•Applying in advance is definitely encouraged! Adoption applications can be found on our website at www.mnpitbull.com. Please put that you’re interested in a pup from the Snack Pack and we can narrow it down once you’ve met all of them in person 🐾

•Minnesota Pit Bull Rescue does not do same day adoptions. This is a perfect opportunity to meet with our dogs & learn more about their personality in person. A foster parent will be available to answer any questions regarding our dogs & the adoption process. Check out www.mnpitbull.com for adoption information.

•This event is Kid Friendly!

•An important note: If you are coming with the intention of meeting a dog available for adoption & want to see how they get along with your current dog, this must be communicated prior to the event via your adoption application. We will coordinate a meet & greet outside at the event away from everyone. This setting would be the best way to setup both dogs for success.

11.23.19 Hello from Fred

This handsome boy is Fred. 

His other 8 siblings from the Annie litter have all gone to their new homes and he is ready to find his. Fred is 15 weeks old and does well with dogs & people of all ages. He hasn’t met any cats but foster mom thinks he’d do just fine. Apply to meet Fred at www.mnpitbull.com 🐾

Meet Fred

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My name is Fred and I am 15 weeks old (born 8/13/19). 

I currently weigh just under 23 pounds and growing.

I am a healthy active boy who loves to play with the 3 other dogs where I live with my foster mom.

I have not met any cats yet but am sure they would be fine.

I am crate trained and mostly potty trained. I know to sit, go to my crate and wait for short periods. I am learning to improve these and working on down and go to the door. Some of my favorite toys and games are ball and tug and I am pretty good with puzzle games. I do pretty good on leash, am very confident and the vet lady and my foster momma say I have a good temperament.

I like to chew on toys and sometimes need to remind my foster momma to keep things picked up. I have not chewed other things up but sometimes hide them under the bed.

Humans of all sizes are amazing. I love them all. I LOVE to snuggle with them very closely. It is one of my favorite things to do.
I can not wait to meet my forever family. I will work hard on training and manners and will be a great addition to the family.

Read the bio but still have questions? Email adopt@mnpitbull.com

11.22.19 Sun Control of Minnesota

❤️🐾❤️The great people over at Sun Control of Minnesota are donating 10% of their automotive sales 🚗 to Minnesota Pit Bull Rescue for the next 27 days! ❤️🐾❤️ 

The holidays are a perfect time to get a loved one some custom work done on their beloved vehicle!

11.21.19 Hopkins West Junior High School

We want to give a huge shout out & a special thank you to some of our MPBR volunteers for presenting at Hopkins West Jr High yesterday! 

The students had the option to attend a few different speakers and we had the greatest number of students attend our presentation. Yay for the next generation of Pit Bull advocates!!

Note from the Service Coordinator- Students are in the early stages of the Community Project here at West. The community project provides an important opportunity for students to collaborate and pursue service learning. The project encourages students to reflect on their learning and the outcomes of their work – key skills that prepare them for success in further study, the workplace, and the community. The community projects are student-centered and age-appropriate, and they enable students to engage in practical explorations through a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection.

11.20.19 HELP- The Puppies are Coming!

HELP 🚨 The puppies are coming! 🐶🐶🐶 

We have 1️⃣ bag of dog food left and lots of mouths to feed SOON! Can you help? 

Please see our wish list here for non grain dog food options. Stay tuned for more info on this litter!

11.19.19 Featured Foster of the Month- Meet Danielle

OCTOBER 2019 FOSTER OF THE MONTH-

Meet Danielle!

Kai

Terra

Who was your first foster?

Kai.

Who is your current foster?

I am currently between fosters but we just had Terra and are getting a new boy next week.

When your friends/family find out you volunteer with MPBR, what do they say or ask?

They usually ask me how I can fosters all the adorable puppies and dogs and let them go. They tell me they would want to keep them all. I always tell them I am just a temporary home to make sure that the fosters I have are in the best condition to go to their forever home. 

How long have you been volunteering with Minnesota Pit Bull Rescue?

I have been fostering just over five and a half years. I’m now up to over 50 fosters!

Do you have any pets?

Hank

Zuri

Between my boyfriend and myself we have three dogs and a cat living in our house. 

Kiara- MPBR Alumni

Dallas- MPBR Alumni

When you're not surrounded by dogs, what can you be found doing? 

I like to travel a lot, visiting family and trying new places to eat.

Do you have a favorite memory with one of your fosters? 

I have had a few fosters who have come to me completely shut down, scared, didn’t want to come out of their crate, didn’t know how to play with toys, etc. I've even had to carry them outside to go potty. But watching those girls come out of their shell and become amazing dogs and flourish while they were with me, was the most amazing feeling ever. It totally made all the struggles worth it. 

Do you have a special ritual you do for your foster pups? 

I usually send a toy from my house with my fosters as they go from my house so they have something familiar to go with them 

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Each month one of our foster pawrents receives a gift card as a thank you.This is our small way of showing appreciation for the dedication our volunteers have to this rescue. Minnesota Pit Bull Rescue is 100% volunteer based- no shelters here! Each dog we are able to save is because a foster is willing to open their home for us 

Interested in becoming a Foster with MPBR? Click here for more information. Would you be interested in helping us by donating a gift card? Click here!

11.18.19 New to MPBR- Meet Tenzig

Hi everyone, I’m Tenzig 👋🏻 

I’m 4 months old and have all that puppy energy! Foster mom says I’m such a good boy because I know sit, to sleep in my kennel, and don’t have any accidents overnight. Plus I’m so close to being potty trained! I play well with my two foster dog siblings but I haven’t been around cats or kids much. I’m easily redirected so foster mom thinks I’d do well with both. Yesterday I went to Bentley's Pet Stuff to get some yummy treats and the employees thought I was so adorable. Meet me in person by filling out an application at www.mnpitbull.com to see for yourself 🐾

11.17.19 New to MPBR- Meet Sansa

Hi, I’m Sansa 👋🏻 I’m just over 3 months old and just a little peanut 🥜 I LOVE other dogs and would be happy playing all the time. I had a rough start (more on that in the comments below) but I’m doing so well now. I’d love to meet you! Apply at www.mnpitbull.com so my Case Manager can schedule a meet & greet 🐾

11.16.18 New to MPBR- Meet Huxley

Hi, I’m Huxley 👋🏻 

I’m 6 months old and made my way to MPBR from Texas. I love other dogs and get this, I’m crate trained AND know to potty outside. Interested in meeting me? Apply at www.mnpitbull.com and I’ll show you how handsome I am in person 🐾

11.15.19 Recap- Give to the Max Day

Today we find ourselves in awe and truly humbled over the support you all showered us with during Give to the Max Day yesterday. A goal that felt like a "stretch" was somehow met and even exceeded! We cannot thank you enough for the faith you put in us, with your financial support in this case, to help the dogs in our care and continue the mission of helping pit bulls become ambassa-dogs and family dogs who are treasured, trained well, and nurtured by their people (yes, and some beautiful mixes thereof, and some who aren't pit bull at all, we love them all!).

Please continue to cheer on these dogs and know that YOU are a part of it, YOU have invested in their success. If the dogs could reach you all with a doggie handshake or high five, we know they would! In the meantime, please accept our heartfelt gratitude for your generosity this year.

11.14.19 It's Give to the Max Day!

HAPPY GIVE TO THE MAX 2019!!!

We turned TEN years old this year! In July we celebrated with many of our fosters, adopters, volunteers, and donors. It was an amazing day! 2019 has been the year of the greatest number of intakes and the worst for medical expenses. We have rescued 127 dogs to date in 2019. However, with that many intakes and our inability to say "No" to medical cases, we are at over $44,000 in medical bills alone. This is hands down our most expensive year in the last 10 years. During today’s Give to the Max Day, we will focus on sharing some of our medical cases from this past year. These dogs mean the world to us and we are so grateful to have fosters who were willing to open their homes and help them along in their journey of healing, blossoming personalities, and eventually going to their forever home! Be sure to check back tonight around 8 P.M. where we share one of the happiest adoption stories of this year of not only a super deserving dog but an incredible foster parent!

*Donations of $100 or more will earn you a one of a kind Give to the Max Day '19 hoodie as a thank you.*

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First, we have our crew of dogs that all came to us with higher medical needs than our average dog (pictured left to right, top to bottom):

🐾Sasha came from a shelter in TX with a fracture. It was determined that she would need FHNO/hip replacement surgery. Sasha recovered from surgery and was adopted soon after. It is reported that she LOVES car rides 🚗 We think it must have been that ride from TX to MN that solidified how great car rides can be!

🐾Sansa came from a shelter in TX with a hernia and possible pneumonia. When she arrived at the vet it was determined that she needed immediate surgery as all of her internal organs had shifted due to the hernia and was in respiratory distress. Sansa is still searching for her forever home and is recovering perfectly!

🐾Calloway came from a shelter in TX with a deformed leg. Once he got here, he was seen on referral by AERC. They suspected he had an injury to his leg that caused abnormal growth and rotation. He has had multiple follow up visits and x-rays with his doctor as they continue to monitor if he has elbow pain and increased lameness. Calloway is also being monitored for arthritis in his wrist. If he develops pain in the wrist in the future, they can surgically straighten the wrist. His foster turned adopter is doing physical therapy with him to hopefully avoid surgery in the future. So far so good, fingers crossed for this guy! 🤞🐾Zero Tilt came to us as a local owner surrender at only a few days old. Zero Tilt got his foot stuck in the bars of the metal crate his litter was being kept in and his foot got ripped off. The owners did bring him to the emergency vet and it was determined that they could not give him the around the clock care he needed. Not only were the medical bills high, but feeding would also be tricky as he was not able to be reunited with mom and the rest of the puppies. We were lucky enough to have our medical savvy foster turned adopter take him in and give him the care he desperately needed. Zero Tilt is a flourishing boy who still has his leg and will keep it as long as his “nub” doesn't give him any issues in the future.

🐾Donny came to us from a shelter up north. It was thought that he had possible arthritis and a corkscrew tail. After he got into his foster home, it was determined that he had an ACL tear & would need TPLO surgery. He went in for surgery and was doing well recovering when unfortunately, a few days later he died while he was asleep at his foster home.🐾Clover came into the shelter with a large softball size lump on her neck. They drained it multiple times and it kept refilling so it was decided that it needed to be removed. Once removed, it was sent off for biopsy and it was determined that she either had a foreign body inside the lump or she had a vaccine reaction.

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Next we have our PUPPY LITTERS!!

SO, SO, SO cute but oh so much work for our foster parents! And laundry, did we mention laundry? We love the smell of puppy breath, we love the excitement that these little pups bring to our rescue, and we love meeting all the potential adopters who are looking for their next family member. Every litter needs to be fully vetted including fecal checks, vaccines, microchips, and spay/neuter.

Meet our Litters of 2019:

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Third, we have our Demodex Mange dogs.

Some more severe than others (the longer it is left untreated, the worse it gets) but the treatment all the same. One pill by mouth (that tastes pretty nummy) every three months until the mange is clear and it usually takes 1-2 pills. And baths... LOTS of baths. We use a special shampoo, Espana Antiseptic, to help the skin heal and for the dog to be more comfortable as they can be very itchy! The dogs also tend to have an underlying bacterial infection that is treated with a round of antibiotics.

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Parvo, our #1 most expensive medical bill to date.

Parvo affects mostly puppies. It comes on suddenly and the dog declines rapidly. The dog needs 24/7 medical care which unfortunately means the emergency vet. It is an uphill battle. The vet will call every 12 hours to give us an update and every minute we are on pins and needles hoping for the best. Every case is different, and you just have to keep putting money toward their bill to keep them there until they are well enough to come home (hopefully). These are our amazing Parvo survivors- meet Topanga, Belize, and Cory.

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Fifth is our group of Tripods AKA Tri-Paws. 

All three of these dogs came into the shelter in TX with a known medical diagnosis but not a treatment plan. Asher (broken elbow), Zaria (broken elbow), and Tillie (multiple fractures). We took them on not knowing the treatment plan for each of their diagnosis' until they arrived at the vet under our care. We then learned that all three would need an amputation. These three are proof that having one less leg can’t slow them down. 

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The dreaded heartworm disease. 

We had three cases this year- Bacon, Hazy, and Coolio. All adult dogs who came from Texas. Heartworm disease is expensive to treat and is painful for the dog. We don't often see heartworm disease in our MN dogs, so this was a higher expense for us this year. Bacon and Coolio also both had dental issues that needed repair as well. Hazy is now doing well & is still in search for her forever home!

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Our last story for the day...

Tonight, as we wrap up another great Give to the Max Day, we’re bringing you a special story of one of our adoptions this year. It’s a story that highlights something crucial to rescue that can’t really be monetized, and that is the human capital that drives what we’re able to do for these dogs. The funds are critical, but the humans are the heart and Marshmello’s special journey illustrates it all too well.

In February of this year, we were contacted by a shelter in SC who had young, female pit bull who they believed to be deaf and who was not thriving in the shelter setting; she had been with them since the November 2018. Her behavior with volunteers and staff was becoming troublesome and they were feeling desperate to get her into a rescue setting, in hopes it might help her flourish and reach her best potential. “We have contacted well over 50 rescues in hopes of finding somewhere willing to give her a chance,” they wrote. 

Thanks to folks like you, our supporters, and our amazing volunteer base, we were able to bring this southern belle to Minnesota. In April, she made the journey first to TX, then to MN. We agreed with their assessment about her being deaf, and with her energy level, it was clear she needed some manners to better match her inherently good nature. Thankfully, her experienced and caring foster Joan was up to the task, as always. What might have caught Joan by surprise though, after near countless fosters through her door--she has helped rear many, many litters, both with their doggie Mommas and without, in addition to other fosters--was how much this little lady would end up stealing her heart in the process. 

In Joan’s words, “We had an instant connection and we had a lot of work ahead of us and would need some strict structure, training and some bonding time. Each day offered many Ah Ha moments, challenges and successes. She would need a family willing to put in the work and understand her quirks. She had a bit of a following on the MPBR page and it seemed everyone was rooting for her. You see, Marshmello is the definition of happy and loves life so very much. As with many fosters I have had, I grew to really love her and she seemed to fit right into our home.” Even so, Marshmello did end up getting adopted to a lovely couple, but as fate would have it, the match wasn’t quite the right fit and she came back to Joan’s house…this time to stay. By this time, none of us who had seen Marshmello and Joan together were surprised, but we were all so delighted for them!

So yes, today we are asking for your financial support, for all the ways it enables us to care for and nurture these dogs, but we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to highlight the boundless possibility of humans who care, and who turn that caring into action, and Joan is an outstanding example to demonstrate that. Please consider donating today, if you haven’t already. And a very big THANK YOU, if you’ve made your contribution. We are humbly in your debt and will always strive to do right by the dogs in your honor.