<div><p>Thanks to the Tukwila Police Department in Washington, one less pit bull will be put down due to the breed's reputation, and countless others will be looked at differently. </p><p>Apollo the pit bull was found abandoned in Washington state and sent to an animal shelter. He waited for over a year to be adopted, with potential adopters always turning away from him due to his size and breed. Eventually, it was determined that he had too much energy to be adopted, so he was set to be euthanized. </p><p>Apollo's life was almost cut short, but there was one last option the shelter was willing to try: the police. </p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/06/tmg-article_tall.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/06/tmg-article_tall_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>The Dodo</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>The shelter contacted a police K9 trainer to see if perhaps Apollo would be a good fit for any of their programs. Usually, pit bulls are overlooked due to the perception of them being violent, but the trainer agreed to save Apollo and get him a new life. </p><p>It wasn't an immediate change for Apollo, however. It still took a year before officers beginning K9 training chose to take this eager-to-please pit bull. That is, until the Tukwila Police Department heard about him. </p><p>"No one would give him a chance simply because he was a pit bull, who often have bad reputations based on misconceptions and lack of training," the department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TukwilaPD/photos/a.1661752870740952.1073741828.1659980487584857/1774819329434305/?type=3&theater">wrote online</a>, adding: "We decided to give Apollo that chance and we are glad that we did. Apollo finished narcotics school in November of last year and did indeed finish first in his class."</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/06/tmg-article_tall-1.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/06/tmg-article_tall-1_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>The Dodo</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>Now, Apollo has a job and a place to call home. Is there anything better for a dog that was almost robbed of his life?</p><p>"He has brought great joy to all of us at the department in addition to being a very productive and hard worker," the department wrote. "He is now a part of his handler's personal family and the family of the Tukwila Police Department."</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/06/tmg-article_tall-3.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/06/tmg-article_tall-3_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>The Dodo</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>When the Tukwila Police Department shared the news of Apollo's hiring on Facebook, they received over 20,000 shares on their post. Everyone seemed thrilled this police department was saving lives, and not just human ones. </p><div><amp-facebook data-href="https://www.facebook.com/TukwilaPD/photos/a.1661752870740952.1073741828.1659980487584857/1774819329434305/?type=3&theater" layout="responsive" height="600" width="640"></amp-facebook></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>We are so happy for Apollo, and for the Tukwila Police Department! Just look how cute this guy is!!</p><div><amp-facebook data-href="https://www.facebook.com/TukwilaPD/videos/1775850255997879" layout="responsive" height="600" width="640"></amp-facebook></div></div>
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