Seven years ago, the Dutchess County SPCA took in a large brindled Pit Bull and named him Van Gogh, since his ears were chopped off with a kitchen knife. He and his buddy Pinky, both large and impressive Pit Bulls, were in the shelter for months. No one wanted them. Then, one cold night in January, the dogs were stolen from the shelter. The staff was distraught. The police searched for the dogs for weeks. Much to everyone's amazement, both dogs were discovered three months later and returned to the shelter. They were starving and covered with cuts and sores. Van Gogh was in particularly bad shape and hospitalized. At this point, Cydney Cross and Mary Allen, two local animal rescuers who had mostly focused on Greyhounds, decided to take both dogs in, nurse them back to health, and find them good homes. Van Gogh had what Cyd called an "all-knowing" expression in his eyes. Mary described him as a dog who "not only represented his breed magnificently, but had a dignity that was almost spiritual."

Pinky was adopted first and eventually Van Gogh was placed in the Bulger household where he was loved by an extended family of children and grandchildren. When Lydia Bulger, age 77, fell and broke her hip, Van Gogh became her constant companion and guardian. A fire broke out in the house when only Lydia and Van Gogh were home. Lydia, due to her broken hip, was still an invalid. "True to the legendary loyalty of his breed," writes Mary, "Van Gogh was with her to the end." This tragedy took both their lives. Van Gogh never moved away from Lydia's side.

This heroic dog did not live and die in vain. Van Gogh was the original inspiration for Cydney Cross (president) and Mary Allen (vice president) to create Out of the Pits, Inc., a sanctuary for Pit Bulls in New York state. Cyd, who took this photograph of him, adds, "He was an extraordinary dog, who deserves our recognition and respect."