Neighborhood Terror Turns Over a New Leaf 

Wednesday, August 8, 2001 - UK

Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now
Married life done changed him somehow
He's the man the town used to fear
Now they all call him sweet pappa Willie dear...

Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now
   (Doing the dishes)
Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now
   (Mop up the floor)
Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now
   (Cha........Yeah!)

Van Halen

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND — What does it take these days to mollify the masses of their "pit bull" prejudice?  Try a puppy.

This week, the UK's Ananova News service reported the story of "Conan the Barbarian", a Staffordshire Terrier who allegedly held a town in the grips of terror.

The one-year-old, brindle and white dog with a fierce look used to scare children at a park near Edinburgh.  In actuality, it was Conan's playfulness and ebullient charisma that had been mistaken for aggressive behavior.

But when Conan's only pal, 23-year-old Sandra Downie of West Calder, took in a box of abandoned puppies, the solution presented itself.  Conan suddenly took on a gentle, motherly role toward the mutts which was enough to impress even the most paranoid park-goers. 

Said Ms. Downie, "Before, whenever I used to walk him, parents would pick up their kids, afraid of him. Conan was very bouncy and playful, but he has become a totally different dog—everything a mother should be, apart from the suckling. They have quieted him down."

"I was very shocked by how calm he was and how he has been so gentle. If they fell off the mat, he would nudge them back on with his nose."

The puppies, who had been dumped at the doorstep of the National Canine Defence League's rehoming center in West Calder, are all lucky, in that they will soon be placed with families.

So are Conan's mothering days over?  Don't count on it.  As assistant manager of the rehoming center, Ms. Downie expects to see many more abandoned pups this season.

Conan, it looks you've found yourself a career... and a lot of new friends.

Below is a picture of the "transformed" Conan.  We decided to run it through the MuttComputer to see what he looked like before.  To view the results, click on the image.

(Photo credit: Ananova.com)

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