Sweet Pea the Dog who Went From the Dump to Super Stardom

Four years ago, I got a desperate prayer request from a young pit bull. The pretty girl was begging to live. I was able to locate her by using the Global Prayer Search.

I was stunned by what I found.  The unfortunate pittie had deep wounds on her head and legs. She could barely stay conscious long enough to pray.     She told me that, since birth, she had been used as a bait dog, until she was too severely injured to continue, and the monsters who owned her left her to die in a dump in Camden New Jersey.  

I looked at her injuries and accessed her memories. Her life had been hell. I suggested that passing to the Bridge might be the better course for her.  She had suffered too much, and a heavenly reward awaited her. But, she begged me for one more chance at life.  She was put on the Earth to love a human, and, despite the despicable way she had been treated, she was sure if, given the opportunity, she could delight a family. I told her I would do what I could. Still, the injuries were severe, and I did not know anyone who would spend the money for the many surgeries and lengthy rehab the dog would need. Nor did I know who would want to take the chance that sharing their life with a dog who had lived such a violent existence would not end in tragedy.

I checked all the rescues in the area and found a woman named Kathy McGuire.  She had been rescuing dogs since she bought a house in the woods and learned that the previous owners had staged dog fights on the property.  The scales used to weigh the dogs were still there, as was a makeshift kennel behind the house, treadmills, and there were numerous bloodstains on the floor. There was an abundance of paperwork from which Mrs. McGuire learned of the terror that occurred at the house before they bought it.  On it was listed the names of the dogs, their owners, weight, win/loss records, breeding information, and other horrific details. From that point forward, she dedicated her life to saving dogs from hell the humans inflict on them.

I knew if this dog was going to be given a chance to live and to find a family to love, Kathy McGuire was the only one who could do it. 

I slipped into the animal control officers’ dreams, told him where this sweet pittie could be found, and once that was accomplished, how he could contact Kathy. It went swimmingly. The other rescuers thought it was best to put the poor dog down, but Kathy insisted she is saved.

Slowly, the dog, who Kathy named Sweet Pea, physically recovered.   The next step was to see if she, who knew nothing but the horror of life as a bait dog, could thrive as part of a family.  She adapted quicker than anyone could have anticipated. She is a gentle, playful pup. Those who encounter her are unable to detect any sign of her horrific past.

More people will get to know Sweet Pea, and learn her story when she is introduced as ASPCA dog of the year later this year. A large part of the award goes to Kathy, who started the Sweet Pea Fund to raise money for rescues and is still fighting the good fight against the evil forces who seek to hurt my precious brethren every day.

Kathy saved Sweet Pea, and the pittie has paid her back with a lifetime of love, and by being an inspiration for at-risk rescues everywhere. 




Most of all, Kathy made Sweet Pea’s dream of having a human to love come true. To Sweet Pea, that means more than all the awards in the world.