Learning about Grace from Shorty on Pit Boss

My new favorite TV  Reality  show is Animal Planet's Pit Boss.  It's about Shorty Rossi, and his adventures as a talent agency for Little People and Pit Bull rescue.  If that sounds like an odd combination, well that's all part of the charm of the show.  

Shorty is a tough guy, a Little Person who grew up in the projects, got in trouble as a kid and spent ten years in prison.  He turned his life around and got into show business.  And he loves Pit Bulls.  He has a soft spot for Pit Bulls because they suffer a stigma and a bad rep just like Little People do.  So he lives to give little people a chance in life and to give Pit Bulls another chance. 

He's crazy.  If he sees a dog in a yard that is mistreated or malnourished, he just breaks in the yard and takes the dog.   When he hears about a dog fight, he doesn't call the police, he just goes there and checks in out and just barely escapes without getting beat up. 

But in that episode he recognized a guy he saw in a dog park with a pit bull so he goes and meets him and tells him he needs to turn his life around and not mistreat dogs like that.   The man tries to excuse himself by saying he's just trying to make a living.  And Shorty in a tough guy but caring way just holds firm "I know but you gotta do what is right.  I turned my life around and so can you"  The man makes no promises but he does take Shorty to a dog the gang has abandoned and Shorty takes the dog and finds a home for her.  It's all a little corny but despite all the tough talk, grace and love just oozed in that scene.  Yea the right thing would have been to call the police, arrest everybody, and have animal control collect all the dogs.  And all the dogs would probably have been killed because animal shelters just don't have the time to deal with fighting dogs nor do they believe they can be redeemed.    Of course it's been shown that they can.  Pit Bulls are not good for fighting because they've been bred to be vicious.  They are good for fighting because they are exceptionally loyal and eager to please.  And so they will subject themselves to the horror of fighting if that's what pleases their owners.  There's got to be a lesson about grace in that.  Just like this episode where an abused three legged abandoned fighting dog got a home and a scarred man got the chance to do one right thing.  You gotta start somewhere. 

Pit Boss - a  crazy show about second chances for misunderstood people and dogs.  What's not to love?