Most abused dogs will never know what happiness means, but for a pup named Gilbert life did a 180-degree turn and now he’s so spoiled he gets hand fed takeout on a week night.
A viral TikTok video shared in December under the username @gilbert.the.pit, shows the American pit bull terrier from Chicago chilling on the couch wearing his pink pajamas and blanket cape, while his owners hand-feed him the same meal they’re having for dinner.
“Two years ago he was tied up to a shed and fighting to stay alive. He is now being hand fed pad Thai on the couch with his blanket cape on,” reads layover text in the clip. A caption adds: “He thinks he likes this little life.”
While life turned out to be amazing for Gilbert, many dogs like him, survivors of abuse or abandonment by the people who were supposed to love them, don’t get as lucky.
It is estimated that over 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters each year, an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and while most of them are rehomed, almost a million end up being euthanized.
This often happens because shelters are so overwhelmed that they have no place to keep animals, and those who don’t get adopted fairly soon after their arrival get put down to make space for new entries.
Pit bulls are among the dogs that suffer from this the most. Rescue Dog Home says on their website that this breed ends up in shelters a lot more than any other, and they are euthanized in the greatest numbers as well.
Their statistics show that only one in 600 pit bulls in shelters will find a forever home, even though at least 33 percent of all pups arriving in shelters are pit bulls. Moreover, about 75 percent of municipal shelters euthanize pit bulls immediately upon intake.
The Humane Society of the United States explained that when euthanasia is carried out the right way, the drug kicks in after about three to five seconds from injection, however, this is not always how it happens.
Many shelters, including many local and underfunded ones, still use gas chambers, putting pets in small, dark boxes, where they’ll be locked in alone for as long as 20 minutes before losing consciousness, and sometimes their organs start failing before it even happens.
That’s why, if you’re thinking of getting a pup, you should consider adopting one, saving not only their life, but the life of the next dog, who will take their place in the shelter.
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The video went viral on social media, and it has so far received over 254,400 views and 21,700 likes on the platform.
One user, Cvfitchick, commented: “That’s how dogs should be treated—with LOVE!!!”
Baker said: “Thank you for showing him humans can be kind.”
RickinNYC added: “I work hard, so my dog can have her best life.”
Newsweek reached out to @gilbert.the.pit for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
