RIP Diesel: The One Puppy Pajama Party
All dogs go to heaven and, for one brave pup who is gone too soon, there’s a pajama party over that rainbow bridge.
Amanda Sherrod is no stranger to tough cookies in dog fostering so when she was tagged in a post featuring a sun-burned and hairless young Pit Bull pup, it turned out to be a match tailor made in heaven.
Diesel, as the Corso Pit Bull would come to be known, at four or five months old had already had a rough start. Without anyone willing to adopt him and local rescues stretched too thin to provide the medical care the pitiful pup so desperately needed, his photo was shared on social media in hopes that someone would be available, and willing, to step in. And someone did.
“I was tagged in this post, of this pitiful looking, I mean, no hair, crusty dog.” said wife, mom, and dog foster mom Amanda Sherrod. “Just the thing I’m a total sucker for.”
Once moved in with Amanda and wife Casey, fellow foster mom and member of the United States Army, along with a whole gang of foster dog siblings, Diesel quickly opened up with energetic tail wagging and a dazzling smile. But there was still the issue of Diesel’s medical issues which Amanda recognized as mites, yeast, and mange.
“I love that- those are my type. Give me the gross, dirty ones that nobody wants to look at.” Smiled Amanda.
Immediately recognizing Demodex Mange, Diesel was set on a traditional medication regimen, that works great for clearing up mange, and ironically itches while it does. And this was where Diesel went from pitiful pit to fashionista.
Casey and Amanda had Diesel dressed up in a set of jammies, specifically to deter the understandable scratching during the healing process and after sharing a photo of him looking his best, suddenly the crusty Corso had a whole new identity. Enamored with the pajama party mascot, jammies for Diesel flooded in from well-wishers across social media. From space to dinosaurs, he had a jammie for any event in his closet. Fetch? There’s a jammie for that. Met Gala? There’s a jammie for that.
With support from Catie’s Foster Fam Rescue, and a full closet of the season’s hottest pajamas, Diesel was able to showcase his true personality. As his skin grew clear, his grin grew wider, strutting through the house with a confident bounce.
“His demeanor when you put an outfit on him, it was like he took on whatever he was.” explained Amanda. “It was like he never felt complete unless he was wearing clothes.”
Diesel passed in December. While his foster moms believed he may have had an autoimmune disorder on top of everything else, losing a buddy that has endured so much early trauma is sometimes just what happens. But that possibility should never deter fostering or adopting a dog that saw more time on the bad side of the tracks than napping in a lush yard. While Diesel’s life may have been short, it was beautiful.
In the end he went from the pitiful pit that no one wanted to a dog with a home, a family, toys to tear up, pals to paw around with, and love. And, of course, some slick threads to strut in. His strength and gratitude inspired thousands with just that big, goofy grin.
Every dog deserves a chance and Diesel is proof that even a short life, lived happy, is worth every second.