A Real Pit Bull

Picture from: Miami Pit Bull News and Awareness Facebook page

http://www.unitedagainstbsl.org/

Ruby's Tale: A True Rags to Riches Story!

Found like unwanted trash in an empty house, Ruby went on to achieve the impossible. Ride along with her on the stunning, wild and wonderful odyssey that has been her life. A real doggie epic!

Ruby is both a certified therapy dog (TDI) and a certified service dog. Trained and tested to meet ADI standards, Ruby was inducted into the Minnesota Veterinarian Medical Association Animal Hall of Fame, is the veteran of stage plays including “Cheaper By The Dozen,” appeared in newspapers around the world, and worked at a radio station as a co-host- her occasional snoring bemusing guests and listeners alike.

Meet the fascinating people, celebrities, and dogs Ruby has worked with, lived with, and helped along the way. Wait for help with Ruby and her family in the blistering South Dakota Sun when the motor home broke down (only to wish they hadn’t been rescued when the tow truck operators turned out to look like twins to those cannibal woodsmen from the movie “Wrong Turn.”)

Follow Ruby as she was swept up in a national contest for Milk-Bone. It was all about the votes as she ran a tough, clean campaign. Out of the thousands of dogs entered, Ruby made it to the top three finalists. The little diva became a media darling; flying to Hollywood to appear on “The Bonnie Hunt Show” (Bonnie loved Ruby!) Then Ruby flew off to Chicago for a photo shoot (always inside the plane with her dad.)…Once again it’s a driver, a limo, and a four star hotel. Not too bad for a dog left to die.

But the kindly canine found "all that glitters is not gold" in corporate America. Then cancer came a calling. Yet, with the help from a mysterious angel, Ruby rallied her indomitable spirit to survive. There’s more, much more. So, come and share her adventures!

This book will make you laugh, cry, and feel every emotion in between. Pet Parents of rescue dogs will stand up and cheer! But her journey is not over…not by a long shot!


The book will be available for purchase at this website on August 1st.  Also, check out the photo galleries of Ruby!
http://www.rubystale.com/

Later on, Ruby's Tale will be available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and other book stores as well. The book will include lots of color pictures and will come in at around $16.95

Responsible Pit Bull Owner Pledge

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http://www.hellobully.com/

Hello Bully's Facebook page

Pit Bull Family Rescued From L.A. Golf Course

Birdie, the Golf Course mommy

Golf is a popular pastime, even with our four-legged friends.

It seems that for more than a year, an entire family of Pit Bull terriers has been living in the lush surroundings of a golf course near South Central Los Angeles. Mom, dad and seven puppies. One might think this story would follow the lines of other Pit Bull-themed media reports—dogs go on rampage, dogs snarl at golfer, dogs chase golf carts down the green.

Nope. Not here. Not at all. In fact, the case of the Golf Course Family is proof that Pits, for as bad a rap as they often get, are very, very often kind, forgiving, compassionate creatures so ready to be loved. Doubt it? Check out the videos below.

This family of Pits lived quietly on the golf course, hiding most of the time and rummaging through trash. The staff at the course would provide food from time to time, and the golfers kept quiet about the tenants. No one wanted the dogs hauled away by animal control, especially after the babies were discovered.

That's when Karma Rescue in Los Angeles stepped in. A few weeks ago, the group got a call alerting volunteers to the dogs' existence, and a plea for help was issued. Since the pups were basically feral (they'd never been touched by or positively exposed to humans before), it was imperative they were caught as soon as possible so they could have a great chance at a normal life.

Jack Leslie, a Karma volunteer, headed out to the golf course in search of the family. "Catching the puppies was actually incredibly hard," he said. "It was the toughest rescue I've ever done."


Karma.Rescue.Golf.Course.puppies from Carmen Bosley on Vimeo.
 
The area the dogs called home was extremely dense, almost wooded. Many nooks and crannies existed for the dogs to hide. But Leslie and others at Karma persisted, traipsing through the brush and trees in search of the dogs.

"I caught the first one, Kathy, because I stumbled on the parents and puppies sleeping in the sun, and I managed to grab her before the rest disappeared into the woods."

The first thing Leslie noticed was how gorgeous the puppy was. The second? She was blind in one eye. Quickly after Kathy was safe, Leslie found another pup, Healthcliff.

"They both screamed like banshees when they were caught," he said.

 But quickly, the pair settled and calmed. The next day, more volunteers congregated at the course. The doggie parents—a small brown and white Pit mix and a blue/brindle Pit mix—ran from rescuers, and the search-and-rescue mission became more difficult. But after a few hours of digging through the brush, the volunteers spotted more puppies hiding under a log. Nike, Pixie, Tess and Brandon came out screaming, but safe.

On Day 3 of the mission, Leslie ventured out to the course again and got the last pup, Twitch, as he sunbathed. All pups went into foster care at Leslie's house. Then, things slowed down. Karma rescuers didn't want to get the parents if there were still pups out there. So observation began. Once it was determined all pups had been rescued, humane traps were set up for the parents. First in, the dad. Chester, followed the next day by mom Birdie, the petite brown Pit. (See the video below for the heartbreaking separation of the two, and then the amazing reunion.)

"The parents are actually great," said Leslie. "[Chester] was very hungry, but he didn't try to bite or escape. I took him home and gave him a bath, and he has been lying on my couch ever since. He seems like a very mellow, laid-back dude"

Birdie, while more nervous than Chester, allowed Leslie to put a leash on her and carry her to his car. Not a single problem. Once home, she completely blossomed.

"She was reunited with Chester, although I'm keeping them separate for now because neither of them is fixed," Leslie said . "She is nervous, but extremely friendly, and constantly wants to get in my lap. I think both parents are very adoptable."


Golf.Course.Rescue.Full.V.2 from Carmen Bosley on Vimeo.

Although they've both had tough lives, Leslie says the dogs are very resilient and really like being around people. In fact, they readily accepted handling and seemed to immediately crave affection from humans. Who knows when—if ever—these dogs experienced kindness at the hands of people? But despite being scared, inexperienced and unsure, they didn't bark, raise a lip or growl at the Karma rescuers. In the video, the bathtub scenes are heartbreakingly sweet.

"If this wasn't a Pit Bull, I wouldn't be doing this," said Leslie as he lifted Birdie into the shower and held her under the nozzle to wash off the soap and hundreds of fleas feasting on her.

"Many people think that adult rescue-dogs will most likely have issues, but I find them to be the best dogs because they are so appreciative of having permanent families," he said. "It often takes a couple of weeks to get a true picture of a dog's personality, but because they have adapted so quickly, I think Chester and Birdie will be ready for new homes very soon. They are also both beautiful dogs, which doesn't hurt."

The puppies, too, are ready for new homes. In fact, six have been adopted, with an application pending on No. 7. Kathy, the first one rescued, needs to have her eye surgery before she can go home, and Karma is busy raising funds to help her get off to a great start in life.

"Of all the puppies that I've fostered, these are some of the sweetest, and they hardly make any noise, don't chew, etc.," Leslie said. "It also helps that they are cute as hell."

Karma Rescue is hard at work finding funding to help not only with Kathy's surgery, but with Chester's as well. He has an eye condition where his eyelashes and lids are basically inside-out. It can be fixed, but it will require surgery. Also, all the dogs need to be vaccinated and sterilized, and Chester and Birdie need funding for boarding costs until they find forever homes. A target of $5,000 is sought, and more than $1,500 has so far been received.

According to Karma Rescue's website: "Scared, homeless, hungry and pregnant is where Birdie started this journey with Chester by her side. Now, thanks to the help of many selfless and kindhearted individuals, Birdie, Chester and their family will now get to experience the joys that life has to offer."

For more info: Those who wish to donate to help this family finish their journey to happily-ever-after can log on to http://www.karmarescue.org/ or the "Golf Course Family Fundraising Page" here.


Article by: Kyra Kirkwood
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-21890-Orange-County-Dogs-Examiner~y2010m7d17-Pit-Bull-parents-and-seven-pups-living-on-golf-course-in-LA-are-saved-by-Karma-Rescue

Rescued Pit Bulls Make the Big Screen

Usually, when Hollywood comes out with a movie that features a breed of dog, rescue groups cringe and brace themselves. Films such as 101 Dalmatians, Beethoven and Beverly Hills Chihuahua resulted in increased sales of Dalmatians, Saint Bernards, and Chihuahuas. This in turn leads to an upswing of these breeds at animal shelters because many new owners surrender their dogs after realizing their lifestyles aren't conducive to owning a specific breed.

With the opening of Hotel For Dogs, instead of cringing, rescue organizations are applauding. The main difference between this movie and other dog movies is that Hotel For Dogs is about rescuing dogs. Specifically, it's about kids rescuing dogs.

Movie Producer Is Devout Pit Bull Lover
Movie producer Ewan Leslie is a devout pit bull lover who works with Karma Rescue in Los Angeles. Says Leslie, "When we started working on the movie, I told Mark Forbes, our head trainer from Birds and Animals, Unlimited, that we had to have some pits in the movie."

Film producer Ewan Leslie insisted that the movie Hotel For Dogs include pit bulls. Here Leslie poses with his two rescued pit bulls Mack and Luka.

Film Crew Rescued Dogs During Movie Shooting

"Chelsea," the three-legged pit bull, who appears in the movie, is actually the very first pit bull that Karma ever rescued who happened to be adopted by a dog trainer for movies. During production, Karma rescued Pearl, a young blue pit bull who was abandoned in a parking lot. Leslie brought Pearl to the set everyday. Pearl soon became the set mascot and was adopted by two crew members. Pearl's floppy ears and wrinkled expression appear on the movie poster.

Pearl, a blue pit bull, appears on the promotion poster for the movie Hotel for Dogs and was adopted by a film crew member.

While shooting for two days at the West Valley Pound, the cast and crew chipped in and sprang six dogs—five of whom were pit bulls. According to Leslie, a crew member adopted a brother and sister duo, and Karma Rescue found homes for the rest.

Best Friends Attends Opening In Vegas
Hotel For Dogs includes pit bulls, many types of pure breed dogs as well as some mixed breeds. Says Danielle Aymar, adoption manager for Best Friends Animal Society, "It's great to be able to support the basic premise of the movie and to see something come out of Hollywood that embraces the rescue movement."

A group of Best Friends volunteers and some adoptable dogs will be attending the opening this Saturday at the Rainbow Promenade Theater in Las Vegas from 1:00–4:30 p.m., located at 2321 N. Rainbow Blvd. on the corner of Rainbow and Lake Mead. Says Aymar, "We were invited to attend the opening by the Rainbow Promenade Theater. We'll have lots of information about adoption and reminding people to consider their lifestyles before adding a dog to their family."

How You Can Help!

• Help homeless animals by becoming a member of Best Friends Animal Society.
• Adopt a purebred dog: One out of four dogs in a shelter is a purebred.
• Kids can make a difference! Learn ways you and your friends can help animals.
• Spread the word about humane education with teaching materials and information for educators who want   to include humane education in their curriculum.
• Get involved by joining the Network.
• The Power of One: Tips from simple fundraising ideas to finding a home for an animal.


By Cheri Moon
Images courtesy Ewan Leslie, producer Hotel for Dogs
http://network.bestfriends.org/groups/nmhp/news/archive/2009/01/14/rescued-pit-bulls-make-the-big-screen.aspx

Fighting Breedism and Giving Good Pit Bull's a Fighting Chance

Pit Bull’s are only as dangerous as their owners neglect or maliciousness.

So much emphasis is placed on political correctness these days. Racism, bigotry, sexism, all hot topics that spur on debates as to what is appropriate in order to rid the world of these selfish ignorant claims. Yet one place where no such dialogue takes place, where biases run rampant with no repercussions and a limited push for awareness is breedism towards dogs.

Specifically I mean Pit Bulls of course. There is so much fear mongering towards Pit Bulls, it makes me nauseous. Now, before people start freaking out about how vicious they are, let me concede that yes, they can be very dangerous dogs, and owning one should not be taken lightly. They were bred specifically for power, fearlessness, and tenacity. These are NOT the only things they were bred for however. Loyalty is probably the most overwhelming aspect of their personalities. This is also what makes them so dangerous; they will do anything for their owners. If you want a Pit Bull to be vicious, it will be incredibly vicious, because that is what will make the owner happy.

Numerous towns, counties, and states have either passed, or proposed legislation to ban Pit Bulls from communities. This I feel unfortunately, fits our American sensibilities of attacking symptoms, and not root causes. Raised properly, Pit Bulls are actually great family dogs. Remember the show ‘Our Gang’ (or the Little Rascals)? Yea, well Petey was a Pit Bull. You know those dog owners who have a Chihuahua that constantly barks while nipping at people? That is the same root problem as nasty Pit Bulls… bad dog owners. Now granted there is a large degree of difference between an annoying ankle-biting Chihuahua and an ill- trained Pit Bull, but it is poor care from the owners that is responsible for the behavior, not the breed. If a child is running around in the streets swearing and breaking things all day, you don’t blame the kid, you blame the parenting. It is the same with dogs.

Take a look at this article to see all about heroic Pit Bulls, like the most highly decorated animal in the history of the U.S. military. The article also mentions the lack of acclaim for good Pit Bulls, via the Readers Digest article they reference. The Understand-a-bull site is great too, a couple of the stories had me in tears. To try and tell the owners of any of these dogs that they should be banned is a tragedy in itself. Oh, and did I mention the Pit Bull that is a finalist for the 2nd annual Dogs of Valor Award? The New Encyclopedia of the Dog goes so far as to call Pit Bulls ‘gregarious fawners’ when raised properly. Also, Michael Vick received tons of scrutiny for his behavior with maltreatment of his Pit Bulls, and rightfully so. Rarely reported on however, is that now over a year after the dogs were taken from him, dogs that were conditioned to fight for most of their lives, mostly all of them are in new homes and great pets for those willing to take the responsibility seriously. Great job by SI.com on a couple of their follow up articles.

I read the Caesar Milan's (the Dog Whisperer) book before getting my puppy, and was very rigorous in my training of him from the day I brought him home. You can’t even wrestle with my dog, because he is so conditioned not to harm people, he just falls down and looks at you sadly waiting for you to stop. What I did do, was understand my dogs energy level and needs. He has become an amazing Frisbee player, and will do anything to play fetch until he passes out from exhaustion. This is a video of my 4 year old Pit Bull’s incredible leaping ability, a fun game for both of us, and a productive way to channel his attention and energy.

Owning a dog is a major responsibility, Pit Bull or not. Powerful breeds need special attention and care to make sure they behave properly, and become a wonderful family addition, and not a nuisance or catastrophe waiting to happen. I’ve known some really vicious Cocker Spaniels over the years yet most all the Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Chows, and Doberman Pinchers I’ve known have been wonderful and loving dogs. So let us start persecuting the real problem, bad dog owners, and raise awareness for those easily swayed by one experience or the media distortion of the breed. Ignorance and fear are unworthy qualities of people today, and someone has to speak for the well-behaved dogs against this breedist stereotype.

Article by: poeticartifacts
http://gomestic.com/pets/fighting-breedism-and-giving-good-pit-bulls-a-fighting-chance/

Every Pit Bull Needs Someone

Photo from: http://pbrcpitterpatter.blogspot.com/

Campaign to End BSL: Operation Denver

The Goal:
The objective of Operation Denver is to collect one mile of postcards that will be delivered directly to the Mile High City’s mayor, John W. Hickenlooper. Though the state prohibits municipalities from passing BSL, Denver’s breed ban was sort of grandfathered in, so we’re targeting the city itself.

The Postcards
To meet USPS’ regulations for the cheapest postcard, they have to be 4 x 6″ which means we need to collect 10,560 postcards for them to stretch one mile, end to end! And I know we can do it!

All postcards should be emailed to operationdenver@gmail.com. If you’d prefer to send a handmade card via U.S. Mail, please send an email to operationdenver@gmail.com to get the mailing address!

Here some examples:

Visit this website for more information and a template to help you get started creating your own postcard!

http://ohmydogblog.com/campaign-to-end-bsl-operation-denver/

To view more postcards:

Oh My Dog! Facebook page

Video du Jour

Layla trying to pick up her frisbee

Vicktory Dogs Wine Collection

• Each Vicktory Dog wine label comes on a bottle of red wine unless otherwise noted.

• Compliment your Vicktory Dog wine with a:
Vicktory Dog art print,
Vicktory dog label customers
Vicktory Dog Wine Label collection art print
 Original paintings by Cyrus Mejia, click here.

    

#14 of 22 Handsome Dan         #7 of 22 Oscar White

Vicktory Dogs Collection              Labels 1-11

All Vicktory dog purchases benefit Best Friends Animal Society exclusively.

The Vicktory Dog Wine Collection is in no way associated with football player Michael Vick. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Vicktory Dog Wine Collection will be donated to Best Friends Animal Society for campaigns to help strengthen laws against and penalties for dog fighting, and for campaigns against legislation to ban specific breeds of dogs.

Dog Lovers Wine Club Vicktory Dogs website