Max is a one-year old pit bull terrier that was rescued from a vicious dog fighting ring in Costa Rica, and he is currently the most talked-about canine in the country. On Thursday, October 10^th, Max was rescued along with two other dogs from a construction site in Pavas, in the western suburbs of the capital city of San Jose. Unscrupulous men abused these two pit bull terriers and a mutt as they wagered on bloody fights.

Animal welfare officials and members from the American Stafford (AmStaff) Association of Costa Rica rescued Max and Black, the two pit bull terriers, and Toby, a zaguate (mutt). Max seemed to be a lost case; he had turned so ultra-violent and dangerous that his rescuers actually considered putting him down. Still, animal welfare officials were puzzled with Max: He exhibited vestiges of having been raised in a loving environment, although these shades of domesticity had been replaced with raw aggression and a general hatred towards all living beings.

According to Silvia Coto of daily tabloid newspaper La Teja, Black and Toby were rescued just in time. Experts in ethology (the zoological discipline that studies animal behavior) concluded that Black and Toby could be rehabilitated, but they were not sure about Max. They were actually leaning towards euthanasia, but first they published the dog’s photo on the Facebook Timeline of AmStaff Costa Rica. They asked their 40,000+ followers to take a good look at Max and think about pit bull terriers that may have been stolen as puppies.

According to AmStaff Costa Rica volunteer Geovanna Rueda, a man from Sabanilla de Montes de Oca in the eastern suburbs of San Jose sent a photo that matched a unique spot on Max’s pelvis. The photo arrived with an explanation of how Max had been “dognapped” when he was just six months old. When volunteers took a caged Max to the home of his alleged former master they could not believe what happened.

Max got so excited and happy to see his master that he urinated all over the place and immediately set aside his aggressive instinct. Dog and owner embraced and cried. Max’s puppy toys, blankets and food were intact at his old home. It was instant rehabilitation for a pit bull terrier on the verge of being put down.

As for the other dogs: Toby the mutt was never a fighter. He was used as a sparring dog for Max and Black, the pit bull terriers. Toby was quickly adopted by a loving family. Black’s initial prognosis was that his rehabilitation would take three months, but it’s only been a couple of weeks and you can see him “smiling” and easily getting along with a human in the picture above. In addition to humans, Black is being exposed to contact with four other AmStaff dogs, a cocker spaniel and even a cat.

For more about the battle against dog fighting rings in Costa Rica, please review these archived articles:

• VIDEO: Dog Fighting Raid in Costa Rica Identifies Pit Bulls with Bloodlines from U.S.
• American Staffordshire Group in Costa Rica Battles Dog Fighting
• New Strict Penalties Proposed to Combat Dog Fighting in Costa Rica
• Campaign Against Dog Fighting in Costa Rica