Not every dog is lucky enough to start their life in an idyllic environment – a warm home and a loving family. In fact, many of them are forced to spend their lives on the street, in a shelter, or with an owner who neglects and abuses them.
In those circumstances, many of them become very traumatized, which has long-lasting consequences on their emotional well-being and even their health.
Dogs who, due to stereotypes, have been rejected by humans know this best, and these are usually Pit Bulls.
This example of a Pittie from Atlanta, Georgia, who has not yet recovered from the trauma most likely caused by human malice, shows this perfectly.
A Traumatic Past
A Pit Bull named Chico lives in a warm and loving home in Atlanta, Georgia, with Alexis Brianna and her mom Christine.
Christine found Chico on September 17, 2024, left tied under the tree. Her heart broke when she saw the condition he was in – ants were all over his body.
However, the fact that he started wagging his tail when she approached him meant that his spirit wasn’t totally broken. Because of that, this woman was determined to help him, so she brought him to her office.
Since he was a Pit Bull, sadly no one was interested in him, but when Christine saw how friendly he was, she decided to take him home with her. After a few days of care, she and her daughter fell in love with him. They named him and their house became his forever home.
Christine and her daughter didn’t know what he had been through, but they assumed that his life wasn’t easy. They were best convinced of that when they saw his heartbreaking reaction to loud noises.
Alexis decided to record it and shared the video via her TikTok account: @aalexis_brianna.
Although they assumed that it was a consequence of his traumatic past, they wanted to hear the opinions of other people as well.
Viewers Reactions
This video attracted a lot of attention as many people wanted to share their opinions on why Chico behaves this way.
Among many reactions, we highlighted a few interesting comments.
“Oh sweet baby 😔 he probably associates loudness with violence or something negative,” one user wrote.
“He was surrounded by people who screamed at him and now thinks you’re yelling at him and he’s nervous ❤️,” another added.
The third said: “He may have been abused. My rescue dog does that.”
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, this is most likely true because “single, traumatic experiences or repeated exposure to frightening stimuli can cause reactions ranging from mild fear to extreme phobic reactions.”
Fortunately, there is a cure, and its official name is LOVE!