Adorable Video of Homeless Pit Bull Making His Own Bed Inspires Adoption
— -- Thanks to an adorable video capturing a rescue puppy making his own bed as he awaited adoption, Rush the pit bull has found a new home, and a family to love.
"The family had seen the video, came and met Rush and fell in love," Nora Vondrell, executive director of SICSA Pet Adoption Center in Kettering, Ohio, told ABC News.
"There are a lot of negative stereotypes about the American pit bull. If we were able to highlight the cute cuddly points of Rush, then we can help people look beyond the pit bull label."
Vondrell said Rush, an estimated one-year-old terrier-American pit bull mix, was brought into SICSA earlier this year by Animal Control.
A few months later, he was adopted by a family that ended up returning him to the shelter Sept. 4.
"They weren't just casting Rush away," she said. "They really did try some things, but it wasn't a good fit for their family. He is a high-energy dog that really wants to be with you, but he likes to play and run."
Vondrell said staff at SICSA began training exercises in an effort to make the pup more desirable for adoption.
Whenever Rush would return from his runs, Vondrell said volunteers would witness his making his bed on a daily basis.
"Day after day the staff would watch Rush make his bed and one day, one of our marketing interns got it on video," she said. "We put it on social media to encourage people to come in and adopt the animal"
Since posting to YouTube Oct. 1, the video of Rush has racked up over 500,000 views.
Vondrell said the footage caught the attention of a local couple who took the puppy home a week later.
"They said Rush is just a wonderful dog and they're very much in love with him," she said. "The message we are saying now [is] there are hundreds of thousands homeless animals in your community. We are trying to get past all kinds of labels. People believe shelter and rescue animals are misbehaved, unwanted or have diseases. The reality is they are wonderful and healthy.
"What we are asking is for you to visit your local animal shelter," Vondrell added. "See if there's an animal that you can love and find a forever home.
"There are lots of Rush's out there."
