Being an animal lover, I obviously watch those channels that are devoted to my personal passion. And one such show that was a huge hit with me was Animal Planet’s Pit Boss starring Shorty Rossi. I never missed an episode, and when the show went off the air after six seasons, I was upset not knowing what happened to the characters and Shorty’s Rescue.
So when I heard that Shorty was coming to town, I was beyond excited and knew I had to make an interview happen and share it with my readers. On Friday, April 22, I was able to make it all come together, with the help of Shorty’s local friend and hostess, Diane Gubbiotti. Shorty was scheduled to have his new sidekick, pit bull service dog Francis, in for a spa session at the Pawsitively Perfect Pet Salon in Pittston. So I arranged for a one-on-one interview during the time that Shorty would be waiting for Francis to be groomed.
Above, left, Pets columnist Judy Endo with Pit Boss star Shorty Rossi and his pit bull service dog, Francis. SUBMITTED PHOTO / JUDY ENDO
I walked into the salon at 9 a.m. and immediately saw Shorty speaking inside with a gentlemen. For that moment, I could pretend I was on his reality show! I was very excited and had to maintain a professional demeanor as opposed to acting like a gushing groupie, although I did tend to mix it up a bit at times. The owner of the salon, Diane Milazzo, and her staff were extremely gracious and welcoming to me during my visit. Adorable cupcakes were brought in that looked just like blue pittie Francis, courtesy of Purple Squirrel Bakery in Pittston
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After Shorty was assured that Francis was being well tended to (doting dad) we sat down to chat. Shorty (Luigi Francis Shorty Rossi) is currently residing in Mexico. Francis is eight months old, and a rescue off the streets of Tijuana. Shorty stated that stray dogs are a big problem there. Francis was approximately six weeks old when plucked off the streets to begin training for the Pets, from page C1 important work of a service dog to accompany Shorty as he travels doing his presentations. The trip to Pennsylvania was Francis’ first flight, and he did great!
I want to assure the readers that former service dog, pit bull Hercules, Shorty’s co-star on Pit Boss, is doing well and living large in retirement in Mexico. Hercules was recently ill with an infection and high temperature. Shorty was terrified that he would lose him and even broke down during his presentation when discussing this. Thankfully, Hercules responded well to antibiotics and was soon on the road to recovery.
Shorty is a man with an interesting past, having left home at an early age, and being imprisoned for 10 years. Shorty acquired his first pit bull at age 14, developed a love of animals, and turned his life around by devoting his time and energy to his heart breed, the pit bull. In Mexico, Shorty currently resides with nine pit bulls in all! And yes, Valentino and Athena, both featured on Pit Boss, are two of them. Shorty explained the process of trying to find a successor for Hercules. Valentino did not like crowds. Another pit bull decided that his primary goal was to protect Shorty. And another did not like children and would growl. All of these traits were obviously undesirable for a service dog. So far so good with Francis, a very sweet and friendly boy who is calm, cool and collected, obsessed with laser lights and shadows on the wall, and convinced that the big door in the ballroom at Mohegan Sun is evil and threatening.
Francis had a couple of confrontations with that door during Shorty’s presentation, and Shorty stopped talking to remind Francis “Hey Einstein. It’s a door!!!!!” Ha ha. Francis is still young and discovering the world, and this trip to Pennsylvania was a BIG deal for him. Francis wore his finest to the presentation, looking absolutely adorable in his tux.
Shorty’s message is clear. He wants to promote the misjudged and misunderstood pit bull and speaks of breed awareness, animal rights, and breed legislation. Shorty stated that one problem we have in Pennsylvania is that insurance companies will not cover home owners if they own pit bulls or other breeds deemed dangerous such as Dobermans, Rotweillers, and German Shepherds. Shorty defines pit bulls as being high maintenance, highly intelligent, and very strong and encourages people to do research and educate themselves about the breed before making the commitment to rescue one. Shorty said that pitties were known as nanny dogs and starred on shows such as Little Rascals. Their bad reputation was brought about by bad people who opted to breed and use them to do battle in the horrible sport of dog fighting, which caused their bad reputation to escalate. In actuality the statistics of people being bitten by pit bulls is very low.
Shorty has traveled extensively, visiting 42 cities in the last year as well as other countries such as Latin America. Two caretakers care for his pitties at home while he is on the road. Shorty stated that all but two are very friendly. He stated that you could walk out with the TV. Then after contemplating this statement, Shorty corrected himself and said that you would be hurt by the stampeding herd as they raced to greet you and ran over your a@@. And I would absolutely believe this to be true. So in addition to his two protectors, I would not plan on entering Shorty’s residence unannounced anytime soon.
Shorty spoke of the discrimination and judgment that he faced throughout his life as a little person. When you look differently, or in my own personal case, sound differently than the “average” person, people can be quick to judge. Lack of facts and wrong conclusions can be extremely damaging to that person. I loved Shorty’s message to follow your dreams and ignore opposition from others. Great advice.
For all you fans of Pit Boss, Shorty said it was his decision to end the show although Animal Planet wanted to renew for another season. The demands of the show were so great. Working 14 to 16 hours a day, they had no life. Shorty moved permanently to Mexico, and Ashley and Ronald no longer work with animals, nor are they in touch. Shorty said that Sebastian is still “his man” and is involved in production and animal welfare. As mentioned previously, Hercules is a couch potato.
Left, cupcakes were delivered decorated to look just like blue pittie Francis, courtesy of Purple Squirrel Bakery in Pittston. SUBMITTED PHOTO / JUDY ENDO
A big thank you to Shorty, Diane Gubbiotti, Diane Milazzo, and of course the Luzerne County SPCA for sponsoring this wonderful event. Hey, did you know that Shorty lived for one year on Glen Lyon??! Yes, in 2002. Hey, I can’t make this stuff up! In conclusion, in Shorty’s words “You believe you are saving the dog’s life, but they are saving yours.” Thanks Shorty, for all that you do. I was thrilled to meet you!
Dog bless
Judy Endo is a lifelong resident of the Wilkes-Barre area. She has been a professional dog trainer/competitor since 1980. She is a member of the Wilkes-Barre Dog Training Club, DogHouse Dancers Freestyle Club, and Therapy Dogs International, for which she is also a certified therapy dog evaluator. A lifetime animal lover and strong supporter of animal rescue, Judy currently owns rescue dogs and cats.
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