So how bad is this dog? Not very....
Go figure.
Theresa Sardisco is just one of probably hundreds of dog owners who will submit their misbehaving dogs to be featured on the upcoming season of Cesar Millan's Dog Whisperer show when the program's producers are in San Pedro Thursday. (See our earlier post Got bad dogs? for the details on that.)
So we decided we'd go over to her house this week to see just how bad Willie (the dog under Theresa's arm -- Sherman is her other pooch in the photo) really was.
"He runs like a psycho dog," Theresa promised us, whenever anyone walks by her fenced front yard. "You'll see people walking way out in the street (just to avoid him), it's so embarrassing."
But when Daily Breeze photographer Scott Varley and I showed up earlier today, Willie became, well, pretty much the perfectly-behaved dog.
A jogger ran by -- twice. Willie watched quietly.
A woman walked by. The 70-pound, 2-year-old bulldog lumbered toward the gate. Slowly.
The trash truck rumbled past the house, a sure-fire provocation. Willie did nothing.
Theresa, meanwhile, had asked a friend to come by to take the required video of Willie's bad behavior for the Dog Whisperer's producers.
"Oh, he's killing me," she said when Willie refused to be bad. "I cannot believe it. He's so good."
That's a dog for you, being bad when they're supposed to be good and good when they're supposed to be bad.
Scott and I finally left, wishing the video camera guy, Lucas Valenzuela, better luck.
Theresa, by the way, is with Southern California Bulldog Rescue. She also helps coordinate volunteer efforts at the new animal care center in San Pedro.
Willie is the only rescue she decided to keep after he was confiscated by LAPD Animal Cruelty Task Force officers a little over a year ago. With a microchip that indicated he originated from Columbia,
He was being used as "bait" in a Harbor Area dog fighting ring and required thousands of dollars in medical treatment for cuts and acid burns.
But Theresa didn't mind. After fostering Willie, she tried adopting him out to a woman in Northridge. But neither Willie or Theresa could stand the separation.
When she came to reclaim Willie the next day, the woman told Theresa, "It's a good thing you're taking him back because he just cried and moaned all night long."
"So did I," Theresa told the woman. "So did I."
3 Comments
Leave a comment
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
he is a nice loving dog
What a incredible story!!
That dog was meant to be with you Teresa :)
what a wonderful story....