By Jeff Theman Photo by Matthew Eggert of Great Lakes Photo & Video
It's amazing how blessings are disguised, how a series of events can change your life and lead you down an unplanned path. This is how I describe meeting Preston, my American Pit Bull Terrier.
During the initial research for my documentary film about breed discrimination, "Guilty "˜Til Proven Innocent," I visited For the Love of Pits, a Cleveland, Ohio pit bull rescue, searching for answers to my questions about the "breed." I left that day having fallen completely in love with this little guy, who was saved from a dog fighting operation in a nearby city.
On July 6, 2006, animal cruelty officers found Preston with fresh, open wounds, and took him to a local humane society, where he waited for his judgment day. He escaped death once but, yet again, death was imminent. Minutes prior to his scheduled euthanasia, For the Love of Pits stepped in to save Preston, granting him another chance at life. Preston spent the next two years learning how to live in a home as a family pet in a pit-bull-fearing society. He achieved certificates in training and Canine Good Citizen. Although Preston had a rock-solid temperament, he received no interest from adopters, due to his past and the perceived challenges of owning a dog formerly used for fighting. I couldn't get him out of my mind, and made known my intention to adopt.
That was easier said than done. Lakewood, the city in which I resided in Colorado, proposed and eventually passed a ban on pit bull "type" dogs, delaying my ability to bring Preston to his forever home. I vowed I would move, and move I did, after a six-month search for a place that would allow me to have him. Since that day, we have gone everywhere together, educating people about the true characteristics of a pit bull, changing opinions with every encounter. With his contagious love of life and eagerness to interact with people and dogs alike, Preston teaches us not to judge a book by its cover.
When I leave, I can't help but stress over the idea that he needs me as much as I need him, finding comfort in knowing we have each other to get us through life's pitfalls. I've even received a speeding ticket for rushing back home to be with him! Words just can't describe the unconditional love I have for him, and I know it's the closest thing to being mutual that I'll ever experience in my lifetime. Every day Preston changes minds; he's a shining example of why dogs should be judged as individuals and not systematically killed based on past experiences or appearance. To think that Preston and I found ach other by accident, and that something so special might never have been.
The only evidence of his former life are scars across his legs, face, and body. They remind us that his beginning didn't start the way it should have. I'm honored to have the chance to provide him a life as a family dog, the way it should've been all along.
To contact Jeff about his upcoming documentary: Jeff Theman River Fire Films, LLC email:
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