Oklahoma therapy pit bull has stuffed animal made in his honor
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A pit bull that is bringing smiles to faces across Oklahoma now has a stuffed animal that was made in its likeness.
When he was just 4-months-old, Petey was hit by a car and left to die on the side of the road in Chandler. Although he suffered multiple traumatic injuries, veterinarians realized his left rear leg suffered the most damage.
Petey suffered fractures to his pelvis, ribs and tail, but his left rear leg had to be amputated.
Despite all the injuries, rescuers say Petey never lost his happy disposition and love for people.
Although Dena Newlun didn’t want another dog after just losing her first therapy dog, she said there was something special about him.
“He was just a 4-month-old broken puppy. I was a woman with a broken heart. The rest is history. I took him home that day and together we rescued each other,” Newlun told KFOR in an email.
He was adopted and continued to spread love to everyone around him.
Newlun says that Petey has been a bright spot in the house. Even though he may look like a tough dog, he raised “his” kitten from the time it was just 6-weeks-old.
Petey soon became a Canine Good Citizen at 13-months-old, and became a registered therapy dog with Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Now, Petey spends his days visiting hospital patients throughout the metro, along with veterans and hospice patients.
Last year, Newlun submitted Petey’s story for the Pibbafori Hometown contest. Pibbafori is a toy company that designs children’s toys after real-life rescue dogs.
“When Petey’s forever-family submitted him for entry, we took one look at his story and were overcome with emotion,” Darrin Wilson, Dog-Person-In-Chief of Pibborafi Inc., told KFOR in an email.
Participants in the Hometown contest were vying for votes on Instagram to become the next toy sensation. The winning dog will have a toy designed in their likeness, and a shipment of the toys will be donated to a rescue of the winner’s choice. The rescues will then be able to sell the toys in order to raise funds to help other rescue dogs in their care.
The company received so many votes in the contest that it decided to go ahead and create stuffed animals for the dogs that placed in the top three of the contest.
Organizers said that it would take months to release Petey's stuffed animal, but that date has finally arrived.
Now, you can purchase your own mini-version of Petey for $15.95.
Proceeds from the sale of the stuffed animal will help fight breed specific legislation in Denver and will also benefit Oklahoma Alliance for Animals.
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