Pit Bulls are not the first choice for potential adopters, especially when they’re adults already. Because of this, many of them don’t have a bright future. Some end up waiting for years to find a forever family, while others have a more grim ending. Any of that could have happened to a dog later named Officer Wildflower.
The Pit Bull was picked up as a stray in South Carolina and brought to The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach. For the next three years, she waited for the perfect home for her. She got adopted at a certain point, but the dog was returned because the family said the pooch was too energetic. They couldn’t handle her.
A different road taken
Realizing that being a pet may not be the future for the Pit Bull, the shelter staff started looking at different paths to take for her. Her boundless energy and high intelligence are not a good fit for the regular family. They wouldn’t be much of a challenge for her. She will always be bored.
The shelter came across a nonprofit organization from Pennsylvania called Throw Away Dogs Project. They train and relocate dogs and make them a positive contribution to the community. The staff told them about Officer Wildflower, and they agreed to take her in. They trained her to be a narcotics detection dog.
A budding career
Officer Wildflower passed her training superbly, and she was hired by the Wetumka Police Department in Oklahoma. She became the first rescue Pit Bull that became a member of an Oklahoma K9 unit.
Immediately, the dog became an integral part of the department. Just a few days after she got on board, Officer Wildflower was instrumental in the discovery of illegal substances and the arrest of the carrier. It happened during a routine traffic stop, and the dog alerted officers when she detected something. A search yielded marijuana, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.
Officer Wildflower’s ongoing success has prompted other police departments to get their own rescue pit bulls and train them as K9 officers.
Source: Throw Away Dogs Project via Facebook