Meet Charlie. The red-nosed red pit bull is the new mascot of Guardians of Rescue, and the compelling face ofthe group’sbold national anti-dogfighting campaign.
“For a long time, Charlie has been subjected to every type of abuse imaginable, with not a single person ever showing him love,” says Robert Misseri, president of Guardians of Rescue. “He was constantly thrown in dogfighting rings as bait, as his scars clearly tell. His body is a map of battle scars; some of his teeth were knocked out, and the others were filed down.”
Yet despite the cruel treatment he received, sweet Charlie kept hoping something better would come his way – and he’s very thankful that it did. He has the heart of areal champion: True to his pit bull nature, Charlie remains gentle, loving, and trusting of people, showing only gratitude for human kindness.
Sadly, despite his sweet nature, many people would be afraid to adopt a dog with Charlie’s rough-looking exterior. So the Guardians have adopted him, and are proudlyintroducing him to the publicas the face of their national “Kill Dogfighting” campaign.
“Most bait dogs never make it to this stage,” Misseri says, “but Charlie has an enormous amount of will to live. Somehow, he made it through and still maintains a tremendous personality toward people. It’s amazing. This dog licked the people who saved him! We will give Charlie the good life he deserves.”
Lucky Charlie is already enjoying the good life he deserves, and just in time for the holidays too. He’s been receiving lots of rest and relaxation at home with Guardians member Craig Fields.He’s soproud to wear a Guardians of Rescue black bandanna – just look at that smile! Because of what happened to his teeth, Charlie eats only soft food and plays with soft toys (his favorite is a squeaky vinyl hamburger).
The Guardians have announced they would give a $5,000 reward for information leading to the criminals that cruelly tortured Charlie. “Guardians members John Collins and Biagi are working togetherto see if Charlie has the potential to be a therapy dog,” Misseri says. “Regardless, he will be a happy dog, and he will help change lives for the better.”
Just by being himself, Charlie speaks volumes about the horrors of dogfighting, and why it must be stopped, once and for all. “No dog should ever have gone through this kind of torture,” Misseri concludes, “but it’s happening every single day across our country and abroad.” That’s something the Guardians plan to change, with help from their strong, silent new member Charlie.
Baltimore Bully Crew, Charlie’s rescuer, couldn’t be happier that Guardians of Rescue have taken Charlie under their wing. In a statement, the group said, “There is no better organization in this country to adopt Charlie and take this mission forward.”
