Marty
10-27-2004, 01:36 PM
TORONTO -- Trouble the pitbull wasn't about to let a city ban put her breed to rest, instead she fought a stereotype by mothering a lost ferret. Trouble's owner, 26-year-old Shaun Nash, returned to his Toronto home after a walk in the park Monday with his three pits, Trouble, Khila and Kali.
Nash said he noticed Trouble, a rescued pitbull, later wandered into the bedroom with a fuzzy grey toy, which she then carefully placed on the bed.
"I just thought it was a toy and then she started licking it and I saw it move from the corner of my eye and thought "Wow!"" Nash said. "I went over and it was a ferret. It was all cold and she kept licking it to keep it warm."
That night, Nash said Trouble comforted the lost ferret.
"I put him (the ferret) in a crate with a bed and she (Trouble) sat there staring at the cage. Six hours later when I woke up she was still there. I assume she didn't sleep," he said.
Tuesday morning, Nash prepared an empty room in his home to create a "castle" for the weasel-like creature.
He then took it to the vet, had him checked out, and brought him back to his new home.
When he left his home, the three pitbulls -- Trouble and Kali weighing over 25 kg, and Khila 46 kg -- would run lose with the half-kg ferret.
Nash eventually found out the ferret Trouble doted on for two days was lost by a young deaf girl. After seeing signs posted in his neighbourhood about the missing ferret, Trouble's owner, Shaun Nash, returned it to Tara Khatri yesterday morning.
Nash said Trouble, now short a ferret-friend, is saddened and has been "subdued since the ferret left."
Nash said his three dogs, all badly abused by previous owners, show not all pits are aggressive, and a handler could break an animal of its habits.
Nash said any animal could be aggressive with improper handling.
Nash said he noticed Trouble, a rescued pitbull, later wandered into the bedroom with a fuzzy grey toy, which she then carefully placed on the bed.
"I just thought it was a toy and then she started licking it and I saw it move from the corner of my eye and thought "Wow!"" Nash said. "I went over and it was a ferret. It was all cold and she kept licking it to keep it warm."
That night, Nash said Trouble comforted the lost ferret.
"I put him (the ferret) in a crate with a bed and she (Trouble) sat there staring at the cage. Six hours later when I woke up she was still there. I assume she didn't sleep," he said.
Tuesday morning, Nash prepared an empty room in his home to create a "castle" for the weasel-like creature.
He then took it to the vet, had him checked out, and brought him back to his new home.
When he left his home, the three pitbulls -- Trouble and Kali weighing over 25 kg, and Khila 46 kg -- would run lose with the half-kg ferret.
Nash eventually found out the ferret Trouble doted on for two days was lost by a young deaf girl. After seeing signs posted in his neighbourhood about the missing ferret, Trouble's owner, Shaun Nash, returned it to Tara Khatri yesterday morning.
Nash said Trouble, now short a ferret-friend, is saddened and has been "subdued since the ferret left."
Nash said his three dogs, all badly abused by previous owners, show not all pits are aggressive, and a handler could break an animal of its habits.
Nash said any animal could be aggressive with improper handling.