WILBUR - UP CLOSE AND FURSONAL

It's time to get UP CLOSE AND FURSONAL with our calendar dogs!  We introduced you first to Cane back in December because that handsome boy is still in a shelter (Stray Rescue of St. Louis) and needs a home!  Cane has some training classes under his collar now as well as  some new glamour shots on his shelter page and he's ready for his forever home!

Today we're going back to the beginning and our inspiration for the whole Pit Bull Frogs Calendar idea - WILBUR!

We first saw Wilbur's handsome self when he was featured on Two Pitties in the City's blog series "How to Be A Tourist with Your Dog: Boating to the Bahamas with a Pitbull" in the summer of 2011.  

We fell in love with Wilbur's adorable frog pose and the exciting adventures aboard his boat. One thought led to another and, as they say, the rest was calendar history!  

Wilbur's Mom tells his story:  

We adopted Wilbur when he was about 4 months old.   All I know is that Wilbur was originally purchased as a future stud but his career was cut short at the age of 11 weeks when he was attacked by a pregnant pit bull.  I have a feeling back yard breeders were at work here.  And don't worry, we really ruined his career as a stud when we had him snipped at the age of 8 months! 

Wilbur suffered a fractured skull (we love to pat his crookedy head), torn ear, pulverized eye (which now looks normal except the pupil doesn't dilate properly), multiple puncture wounds including his throat, which is why he grunts like a pig (hence the name Wilbur), and he snores like crazy.  We also discovered a few months after we adopted him that his jaw must have been broken also because he can't open his mouth more than a couple of inches.  Luckily this doesn't interfere with eating but we can't give him rawhide chews as he chokes on them!  

 Anyway, his owners couldn't  (or wouldn't) pay for his treatment so they relinquished custody of him at the emergency clinic where my daughter is a vet tech.  Sadly, no one wanted him even after he'd recuperated from his injuries.  Then, during the weekend that it was my daughter's turn to keep him she brought him up to our apartment.  Two days later he was ours!   

This was last March and a year and a half later our life totally revolves around this dog. I grew up in a family of animal lovers and we had many dogs over the years but not one can ever compare to Wilbur. He is such a sweet dog and just wants to love us and be loved.  

 

As I write this he is lying tight up against my leg and kerfluffling away (our word for the gusts of breath he pushes through his jowels when he's sleeping)!

You can see more adorable pics and read lots more about Wilbur and his family's adventures aboard his boat on his blog Knotty Cat Tales.

Thanks Wilbur and cheers to you, for being an awesome Pittie ambassador and for inspiring the Pit Bull Frogs Calendar!   

Looking forward to more Knotty Cat Tales featuring you!

Wilbur calendar page!