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Pit Bull Abandoned in Fort Greene Park Needs New Home

By Janet Upadhye | February 24, 2014 6:45am
 Neighbors found the dog tied to a fence with a TV cable in Fort Greene Park.
Handsome the Pit Bull
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FORT GREENE — Handsome needs a home.

Fort Greene residents are seeking a family to adopt a young pit bull found abandoned and tied to a fence in Fort Greene Park across from Brooklyn Hospital Center earlier this month.

The emaciated pooch was found on Feb. 7, said Rachel Bowers, the owner of a local dog-walking company. The black-and-white puppy had scars on his front and back legs but it was unclear what had caused them.

"It was terrible to see him like that — tied up and standing on ice on one of the coldest days of winter," said Bowers, owner of Brooklyn Bark.

A group of Fort Greene neighbors spotted the dog tied so tightly to a fence with a TV cable that his front paws did not reach the ground. The cable was icy in the freezing temperatures.

Cathy Fendelman — a Brooklyn Bark client — called Bowers for help. The pet CPR instructor quickly headed to the park and used her training to safely untie the pit bull and carry him to her van, where she turned up the heat.

"He was so cold he could barely shiver," said Bowers, who named the shivering pup "Handsome."

"The best thing to do was get him warmed up and get his body temperature up."

She then called Veterinary Emergency Referral Group, where the staff were happy to accommodate the young pup. They cleaned his open wounds, clipped his ingrown nails, neutered him and nursed back to health during a two-week shelter stay.

Anthony Newman of Calm Energy Dog Training assessed Handsome's personality and found him to be "super-sweet, social, friendly, loving, sensitive dog who has never known a comfortable, stable home and who will thrive and relax with lots of daily exercise, socialization and obedience work."

Handsome is currently being fostered by a Brooklyn Bark dog walker.

Staff at Brooklyn Bark are looking for a permanent family for him and plan to keep locals updated about his progress on their blog.

The approximately year-old dog is affectionate, Bowers said.

"Handsome is just very loving and eager to please. He would make a great pet."