The beautiful Pit Bull pictured above is one such creature. Her name is Junebug and she was adopted from a shelter by my friend, Dena, several years ago. Junebug has become the most devoted guardian to Dena's new baby, Rowan. At about five weeks into Dena's pregnancy, Junebug began to customarily sleep with her head on Dena's tummy. At five months in, when the baby began to kick, Junebug would run in from the other room and lay next to Dena while it was happening. As Dena would say "She didn't want to miss it!" Dena was away from home when she first went into labor. According to the dog sitter, Junebug had been staring at sitter intensely all day and she wasn't sure why.
The moment baby Rowan was brought home from the hospital, Junebug's mothering instincts completely took over. According to Dena, "She has been his best friend. If she hears him make a noise, she comes from across the house to check on him. She doesn't bother him. Just looks at him and licks his feet. She sits by the changing table while I change his diaper and watches him in his swing. We had to teach her that watching too close stops the swing and show her where to sit. " Dena also says that Junebug will come find her whenever Rowan wakes up. She runs in the room and runs out again until Dena follows her lead. One day when Rowan woke for a feeding, Junebug sensed he was hungry so she went to her food bowl, grabbed some kibble in her mouth, and then layed it at Rowan's feet. She knew by instinct what he needed in that moment even before his human Mommy had time to check. Rowan doesn't know it yet, but he has a friend for life. We should all be so lucky to have a Pit like Junebug in ours.
