Do you know any Pit Bulls? The shelters around the country are overflowing with them — and you could probably make a case for Pit Bulls being the most misunderstood and the most often euthanized of any shelter animal. For this reason alone, the breed captured my interest. Did you know Pit Bulls are BANNED in 14 states? If you own one, you may even have trouble getting homeowner’s insurance –and forget about finding a place that will rent to you. All because of a few ugly news stories about dog fighting and a certain pro football player.
So I’m launching my own personal campaign to give the breed a better ‘face.’ I’m not alone in this. Many Pit Bull (you can call them pibbles) owners have started working on the public to give these dogs a fair shake. Remember Cesar Milan’s ’Daddy’? What a sweet loving (and yes, scary looking) pibble! He is gone now but there is a foundation set up to help abused animals in his name.
Basically, I would ask each of you to go to your facebook page and remove any images of mean or threatening pibbles. Just hide them! Starting today, let’s only show them with humor and grace. They are beautiful, loving dogs and if we can just show them that way, the tide of public opinion will start to turn. Every generation seems to have it’s breed prejudices. When I was a kid, everyone was afraid of Dobermans. Everyone, that is, except me –because I grew up listening to my father’s stories about Rex, the wonderful doberman that he grew up with.
So until we can get everyone in America to personally meet a Pit Bull and change their pre-conceived ideas about them, let’s take beautiful photographs that show how loving and smart they are! Deal?
I just love your article. My life was changed by a wonderful pibble that I was originally terrified of…..he died last July and because of him I want to promote this breed just as you do.
have wonderful photos that I cherish of my Mugsy.
Thank you for writing and sharing the idea of showing these wonderful animals in the best light because there are no bad dogs….only bad owners.
Hi Teresa,
I thought you might like to know about Ashley Owen Hill, if you haven’t already heard about her. She is an advocate for Pit Bulls: http://luckydogrescueblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Pit%20Bulls
-Jennifer
Thanks, Jennifer! I will read her blog
We rescue pibbles from the south and west into the northeast, and taking photos of them can be challenging – any tips to soften their look for photos?
I always think that anything silly or sweet will soften the look…. I use pearls and tutus on pibbles, but you could also use party hats, sunglasses, feather boas! It sounds ridiculous but what we really want is for someone to REMEMBER that photograph so that they will adopt the dog. So anything that sticks in their mind is fair game. Even just a toy in their mouth!
I see so many at the shelter and what is sad is the type of people that seem to flock to them. I have had my five year old pose with one, which he naturally hugged. The caption? I need a hug not a thug. Pibbles need hugs not the thugs that seem to want them. I have seen small chihuahuas with worse attitudes.
I agree that they seem to attract a certain “tough guy” crowd….unfortunately. And you are SO right about chihuahuas!
Bravo! I love pittypats. I have had several and a wonderful mix that wouldn’t hurt a fly. In fact,
he was our dog (and we always have eight to ten dogs in our family) that everyone wanted to
take home when they came to visit. A sweet,, gentle dog who was set to be euthanized but
thanks to a kind vet, instead came to live with us. I have volunteered in shelters for twenty years
and have seen very few really bad pibbles. If raised with love, I find them to be very sensitive
and loyal to their humans. I took Gracie, my current pbt through basic obedience training and
she was the hit of the class of 30. (and the best behaved) Anyone with a dog has a responsibility to make their dog a good canine representative. When the dog is a pbt, the responsibility is much greater. We never hear about the positive just the negative and
most shelters do not make pbts available for adoption but euthanize instead. Anything we can do to help this breed be restored to the position of beloved family dog as it was during Victorian times must be done. People forget that Petey the Little Rascal’s dog was a pit bull as was Buster Brown’s dog. So again, I say “Bravo!”
I had to share this post: http://inbetweentheblinks.blogspot.com/2012/04/super-pit-bulls-to-rescue.html
We have a Pit Crew at the SPCA of Wake County in Raleigh, NC. We do “glamour shots” with the crew each month! You can check out the facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/SPCAPitCrew