Tess Rushton happened to be interning at Best Friends at the time and decided to adopt Layla.“She turned out to be absolutely lovely,” Rushton told TODAY.
The “clumsy goof” adapted well to being spoiled by her new mom, who cooked organic food to mix into high-quality kibble, and made toys with hidden treats to help stimulate the clever dog’s mind.
Over the next six years, they enjoyed taking vacations together and volunteering at the Teen Tracks program of the Arizona Animal Welfare League. Each Saturday for many summers, Layla would meet with teenagers learning how to care for and treat animals. Many of the young people lived in marginalized families and loved meeting Layla and hearing her story. Layla, for her part, reveled in the attention.For Safety Keep Your Dog Restrained in the Car. I know that dogs love sticking their head out car windows – but it’s a dangerous habit. They’re at risk for being hit with debris, damaging their ears & there’s always the risk that they’ll see something & jump out. If you’re going to be driving over 20 mph it’s always recommended to have your dog restrained in the car.
“We played it pretty low-key in our lives because I really did just want her to be a dog and stay in her comfort zone, and just live her life,” Rushton said. “But I also didn’t feel like I’d pass up an opportunity to help educate people about dogs that experienced the kinds of things that she did.”
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“It’s really, really tragic and sad,” Rushton said. “But she’s out of pain, and wherever her little spirit went, I’m sure it’s better than the way that she felt in that poor, aching body.”
Even after death, the legacy of Vicktory Dogs like Layla lives on.Before the Michael Vick case shone a media spotlight on dogfighting issues in 2007, the prevailing opinion of most animal welfare organizations — and the law — was to euthanize seized fighting dogs. Best Friends Animal Society lobbied against the summary execution of the dogs rescued from Bad Newz Kennels in Virginia, and a federal judge appointed a special “guardian” to help determine the dogs’ fate.After about eight months isolated in custody kennels, 22 of the most challenged dogs went to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for rehabilitation. Caregivers customized training and care for each dog depending on their unique needs. For instance, Layla reacted negatively to other dogs, so she lived for several years not in Dogtown but in the Parrot Garden. (Despite one parrot learning to squawk “Layla! Layla!” it proved to be an excellent living situation for the pooch.)Make a Tug Toy From Old Clothes. Does your dog love to play tug? Got some extra t-shirts lying around? Make your own toy by braiding one of your old t-shirts into a tug toy rather than throwing them out.
Erin Menard, Dogtown team lead at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, said Layla was the first Vicktory dog she met when she started as a caregiver nine years ago.“She had such a zest for life and always wore a permanent smile on her face,” she told TODAY in an email. “Whether it was zooming around as fast as she could and taking her caregivers out by the knees, or snuggling up close on a golf cart ride, all my memories of Layla are perfect.”Vicktory Dogs helped sway public perception of fighting dogs and pit bulls through their popular social media accounts and the documentary “The Champions.” Some went on to be therapy dogs, agility champions and ambassadors.
Several states, including California, Florida and Wisconsin, changed state laws stipulating that dogs seized from dogfighting rings be immediately labeled “vicious” or “dangerous” — and therefore subject to euthanasia — and the Humane Society of the United States now supports rehabilitating former fighting dogs.Limit treats to training rewards. This is an excellent way to make sure your dog views treats as special rather than expected. It’s also helpful in keeping your pet from becoming overweight or obese. Feed a species-appropriate diet, and partner with a holistic or integrative vet to maintain your pet’s well-being.
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“No group of dogs should be just summarily killed, and this particular group provided the opportunity to demonstrate in the public eye, and to our peers in the movement, and to law enforcement, that dogs like this deserve an opportunity.”
Three Vicktory Dogs — Mya, Meryl and Curly — still live at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, and several more continue to thrive in their forever homes, though naturally, these pets are all getting old. Like Layla and others who have now passed on, the special dogs inspire hope and create change.It’s not so black and white. It’s a myth that dogs only see in black and white. In fact, it’s believed that dogs see primarily in blue, greenish-yellow, yellow and various shades of gray.
“I think it’s hard to overstate what a watershed moment that was, and what an emblematic victory it was for these dogs to demonstrate what their advocates had been claiming all these years: that regardless of the abuse they’d received, that they needed the opportunity to respond to kindness, to respond to contact and attention, and to build trust,” Battista said. “They did.”
For more information or to get involved, visit: https://bestfriends.org/