A pit bull's best friend
Animal Management Officer Dylan Walton and his dog Lennox are the faces of Auckland Council’s menacing dogs amnesty campaign. Before Dylan joined Animal Management he found and adopted Lennox. This is their story.
Lennox came into Dylan’s life one day when Dylan heard about a pit bull at a friend’s house that wasn’t getting looked after properly.
“I went around to the property to find that he was covered in mange, all skin and bone, living in his own dog business. So I offered to take the dog off the guy’s hands; he happily handed Lennox over and since then I’ve been training him intensively.”
Today, Lennox is a happy, contented, well trained dog, an important part of a happy family.
Pit bulls are classified under the Dog Control Act 1996 as menacing by type, regardless of the behaviour of individual dogs. They are also over-represented in dog nuisance and dog harm calls to the Council. However, Dylan insists a well trained and controlled pit bull can be a loving companion.
“Pit bulls need a strong alpha - a strong pack leader – to feel secure in their role in the pack,” says Dylan.
“The thing to remember is that a dog is not a person, it’s a dog, and a dog like Lennox likes to have a purpose. My dog’s job is to look after the family when I’m not there. When I’m there, I’m the boss.”
Dylan and Lennox are a testament to the powerful bond between dog and human that can turn a scared, neglected pit bull into a well behaved family pet.