And when he was met a group of abandoned shelter dogs in Kirby, Texas, there was one pup in particular caught that his eye. Croft decided to take her home to San Antonio and see if she could cut it as a police dog.

Kiah was shy, but strong, a pit bull recovering from a massive head injury. Croft was told she was hit by a hammer shortly before she arrived at the shelter.

“From what I saw, I just couldn’t believe that she survived it, but she did,” Croft told CBS News. What impressed him even more was that Kiah didn’t seem to hold a grudge. He called her miraculous.

That said, she wasn’t easy to train. But Croft found her to be a fast learner and after eight weeks’ worth of schooling, Kiah was pronounced ready to work.

“If we were to have some kind of contest, she would outwork [the other dogs] all days of the week,” a confident Croft said. “This dog is crazy good.”

And so when the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department reached out to Croft in hopes of finding the perfect K9 officer, he had Kiah ready for service.

Now, nearly two years later, Kiah works alongside her partner, Officer Justin Bruzgul, as a narcotics and missing persons detection dog.

What’s more, today she’s set to receive the ASPCA Public Service Award in New York City as the first pit bull police dog in the state of New York.

“These awards recognize not just the heroism of particular animals, individuals, and organizations, but the incredible bond between people and their animals,” said ASPCA president and CEO Matt Bershadker in a statement. “That connection between people and pets is so strong that when you commit to helping one, you’re almost certainly helping the other.”

Since rescuing Kiah, Croft, in partnership with the Animal Farm Foundation, a nonprofit that helps rescue and re-home animals, has helped place 20 pit bulls in police departments across the country.

“They’re just good, good dogs. The Achilles heel is the stigma,” Croft said, referencing the misconception that they are naturally aggressive and/or violent.

Croft points to Kaih as a perfect example.

“She’s so friendly, she wouldn’t hurt a fly,” he said.

The post First New York Pit Bull Police Dog to Receive Honors appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Last week, the ASPCA posted a terrible story on their blog – a malnourished pit bull mix was found zipped in a suitcase in the South Bronx, New York by New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers.

According to their post, “The approximately three-year-old male dog was abandoned behind a housing complex. The NYPD transferred the dog to the care of the ASPCA.”

As can be expected, Fraggle’s recovery is slow.

“Fraggle was in very serious condition when he came to us, and ongoing, life-saving medical treatment was necessary to address his extreme malnutrition and several other issues that arose from his compromised health,” the ASPCA said in their last updated post.

Luckily, he is showing signs of improving at the ASPCA Animal Hospital. He has begun to eat on his own and can walk a short distance without assistance.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-577-TIPS or going online to submit a tip to Crime Stoppers’ website. NYPD Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips.

The ASPCA also encourages New York City residents to call 311 to report suspected animal abuse and to call 911 to report crimes in progress. To learn more about the ASPCA’s work to end animal suffering, please visit our Fight Cruelty section.

The post Breaking News: ASPCA Offering $20,000 Rewards For Information Regarding Dog Left To Die In Suitcase appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.