How A Rescued Pit Bull Saved Laura Morgillo’s Life

Thanks to our amazing Star Dog Contest sponsor Adaptil!

You never know what seemingly “no big deal” decision is going to set your life on an entirely different path. So it was for 45-year-old Laura Morgillo and her husband Joseph. The couple, both residents of Islip Terrace, a small community on Long Island, New York, found their path changed—and their passion—when they decided to take a chance on a rescued Pit Bull needing a home.

Laura was scrolling through PetFinder.com, the site featuring rescue dogs up for adoption (searchable by breed, location, and a host of other specifications) when she saw this “sweet looking little Pit Bull” named Hailey that a rescue group had pulled from a kill shelter in Virginia. Laura and her husband were hesitant but had recently read a slate of stories online testifying to the good nature of the breed. They decided to take the leap and see for themselves. “Hailey totally changed our perception of the breed,” Laura says. “She is the sweetest, most loving dog we have ever had the pleasure of knowing.”

Smitten, Laura heard of another Pit Bill rescued off the streets of the Bronx with a broken leg and a severe case of mange. He almost didn’t make it—he was scooped up from a local kill shelter a mere hour before he was to be euthanized. The rescue group that pulled him posted that they were looking for a foster home, and Laura and Joseph rose to the challenge. Laura named him Titus and devoted two months to tirelessly training him and posting cute photos in order to find the perfect forever home. But after a promising placement fell through, the Morgillos realized they’d already found the perfect home for him: theirs.

They haven’t looked back since.

“If I could only say one thing about Pit Bulls, it would be that no home should be without one.” Laura enthuses. “They are loving, loyal, smart, silly and just all around clown dogs—no need for the comedy channel with a Pittie in the family! After having dogs that have never seen the inside of a shelter and then having dogs that have…the difference in personalities is amazing. I have never been loved more than by a dog that had once had nothing.”

Since her experience with Titus, Laura has become the President of a rescue group, Peace Love -N- Rescue Angels. She cannot overstate the importance of foster homes in saving shelter dogs: “A foster parent is one of the most important parts of rescue. Without them, we cannot pull an animal from a shelter as it would have no place to go. And I can tell you that fosters are very hard to find. Too many dogs are dying in the shelters daily due to the lack of fosters. Fostering is one of the most rewarding experiences.”

It’s a true passion project; the Morgillos are tireless in their rescue work, fundraising efforts, and bully breed advocacy—and they’ve met with some pretty amazing successes. “I think aside from Titus and Hailey’s wedding day, (a fundraiser that raised over $5000 for rescue), the proudest moment in this journey was the Monster Elf Drive we did this past holiday season,” Laura recounts. “We were able to raise over $5000 in toys, treats, and much needed shelter supplies for one of our local shelters. The look on the shelter staffs’ faces when we pulled up with five SUV’s filled with stuff was indescribable.”

Another proud moment, one that happens often, is when one of Titus and Hailey’s fans sends Laura a message letting her know that, through Titus and Hailey’s Facebook page, Titus and His Girl Hailey, she has changed their opinion about Pit Bulls and they have either adopted or decided to foster.

“When we started this page it was really just for fun but has turned into so much more,” Laura says. “The amount of people we have been able to help in some way is astounding and makes my heart smile every day.

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