"A breed of satin and steel. Pit bulls are a mixture of softness and strength, an uncanny canine combination of fun, foolishness, and serious business, all wrapped up in love."

-D. Caroline Coile




Friday, July 22, 2011

Why I Love Pit Bulls

Why do I love Pit Bulls? Maybe it’s that big, beautiful head, just begging to be rubbed. Maybe it’s those soulful eyes, leading me straight into a wounded heart. Maybe it’s that childlike spirit… full of innocence and hope… despite the harsh realities of the world. Maybe it’s that joyful smile, saying to the critics: “I know you think I’m mean. I know you don’t trust me. But even though you hate me… I still love you.”

Maybe it’s the loyalty… the unwavering devotion in the face of cruelty, neglect, and abuse. Maybe it’s the fact that this very loyalty… this precious gift of allegiance…
is exploited every day by evil humans with sadistic motivations.

Maybe it’s the undying will to please their master, the drive for praise at any cost, or the endless desire for compassion of any kind. Maybe that’s what makes them so special…

Maybe it’s the love… the love that waits… often for an entire lifetime… to be given. The love that dies… in the dogfighting ring… on the end of a chain… or at the pound. The love wasted, the lives forsaken, the beauty forgotten… Maybe that’s what I see in them…

Maybe it’s because the media has inaccurately and wrongfully demonized one of the most loving, loyal, and incredible breeds on Earth—the Pit Bull. Maybe it’s because the public believes these mistruths and joins in the bashing. Maybe it’s because Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) has enacted laws banning these amazing creatures… laws that seek to destroy every last living, breathing Pit Bull in America. Maybe it’s because, for the lucky few Pit Bulls in loving homes, BSL rips them away from their families and sentences them to death. Maybe it’s because these precious souls can’t understand why this is happening to them… as they cry out for their families, just before they are killed…
Maybe that’s why I fight for them…

Maybe it’s because Pit Bulls are the most abused breed in existence… and the most highly euthanized breed in shelters. Maybe it’s because, in many American shelters, strict policies prohibit the adoption of bully breeds, eliminating all hope for these dogs. Maybe it’s because, even when given the chance for a family, no one wants to adopt them. Maybe it’s the heartbreak of knowing, that after a lifetime of suffering… and then being dumped at the pound, their only way out… their only chance for mercy… is death. Maybe that’s why I care so much…

Maybe it’s because, even in no-kill shelters, Pit Bulls often spend their entire lives waiting for someone to take them home. Maybe it’s because, for so many, that adoption day will never come. Maybe it’s because, while waiting on that unlikely chance for a family, many of these dogs will slowly lose their minds living in a tiny shelter kennel. Maybe it’s because, due to the stress of shelter confinement and the lack of socialization, their already small chances of adoption are soon reduced to no chance at all of ever getting out. Maybe it’s because, for bully breeds, the never-ending dream of having a family of their own… is only a dream…

After weeks, months, and years of waiting in a shelter for a family who will never come for them, all hope turns to despair… all desire turns to depression… all joy turns to anguish. Across the country, millions of these beautiful, amazing dogs are simply living each day… waiting to die.

So why do I rescue Pit Bulls? Maybe my drive to save them is because I’ve never known a breed more deserving of life. Maybe my will to help them is because they have no other hope. Maybe my advocacy for the breed stems from my desire to fight injustice… to right the wrongs and stand up for the victims.

Maybe it’s the fact that 2 of the most incredible dogs I have ever known are my children, Rudy and Riley (below), both Pit Bulls. Maybe it’s because many of my amazing rescue babies are Pit Bulls. Maybe it’s because I would do anything for my children, because my children would do anything for me. Maybe it's because they have no reason to trust me, or anyone for that matter, and yet... they do. Maybe it's because they have no reason to forgive, and yet, they have.

Maybe my love for them is a reflection of their love for me… unconditional, unwavering, and infinite. Maybe I want to change the world for them… to end the unspeakable suffering… to tell them that they matter… and to return the love they so freely and unselfishly give. Maybe it’s because I realize that I possess the power to do all of these things. Maybe it’s because I know that can use my life to fix this for them.


And maybe, just maybe, you will join me…


By Ashley Owen Hill, Founder of Lucky Dog Rescue
http://luckydogrescueblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/why-do-i-love-pit-bulls.html?showComment=1311381076695#c2977248243776121430

18 comments:

  1. So very well said! Thank you for being a hero.

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  2. lI have to share this love it..

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  3. Wow you nailed it, as I read this I was emotionally enthralled and felt like it was my own words... you said what I feel and I thank you for that... :)

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  4. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for being you! My two girls are both previously abused rescues. They are the most wonderful, loving, caring dogs I've ever seen. I would love to one day be able to start a rescue for these beautiful babies. So again.. THANK YOU!

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  5. brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for being a wonderful person.

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  6. Couldn't agree more. I am praying for the day they overturn the pit bull ban here in Canada. My next dog will be a rescued pit without a doubt.

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  7. Thank you so very much for what you do. You are a true angel for all of these beautiful amazing babies!

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  8. Thank you so very much for what you do & what you have written!! I love my pitbull baby boy!! I have had them all my life & I love this breed! They are beautiful, loyal,loving,kind& gentle. I raised my kids with my pitbull son Turbo- he was here first & he loved all 3 kids!! He was 13 when we lost him to bad health -he is now buried in our back yard. Now we have a pitbull son Chance - my kids now know he is my baby boy since they are 21, 20 & 16. We go everywhere together!! I love my pitbull with all my heart! I have called the Maryland govenor to overturn the BSL ruling in Maryland! Again thank you for what you do!

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  9. Thanks so much for writing this. You wrote what I know is true! It's just so sad that people have this negative stigma against the bully breeds, when really it's the human counterparts that are often abusive toward this type of dog. <3

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  10. thanks for writing the words from my heart. I have a pit mix rescue for 6 months now and cannot find a proper home. He is luckily in the best foster home ever but it runs out in June. Because of his foster home he is a sweet loving well rounded 3 year old, the opposite of what I rescued 6 months ago, a sick near death, abused and abandoned animal. How can so much love shine from his eyes.
    thank you for giving your life for them. They deserve it

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  11. Well said. This breed is truly amazing and most are just to ignorante to realize it. Thanks for writing this....

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  12. If only we could make mpre people feel the same way there would be no reasin to feel sad when reading this. Great job. Your a Pit Bulls hero

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  13. I just wish I could take everyone of them home and love them like they love us. I am a proud owner of 5 Pitbulls and would love to have more. Thank you for loving and caring about the best breed of dog i have ever known.

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  14. This is perfect....I only wish I could have more than one where I live (I rent) and have considered adding to our family. It seems I may just cave and buy a home so my pup can have a couple of siblings :)

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  15. I am getting ready to adopt my first pit-bull, french mastiff mix and I have to say she is incredible. We started fostering her 3 weeks ago and she has turned into such an amazing pet and companion that there is no way I can let her go. I have done quite a bit of research and pit bulls can be amazing companions. I am proud to own one and for the opportunity to show others that have been misinformed, how wonderful they truly are!

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  16. very well said. I love my pits for all the reasons you stated and more. I grew up with animals, mostly mutts, but the best has to be the pit. I would surely be heartbroken if I lost my (big girl) Amy.

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  17. I want to start a rescue so bad. I love my three pit bulls. No one will ever take them away from. If they try, I will go down fighting. They love more than people do

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  18. Thanks so much for saying such kind words about these precious animals. I rescued one last year and she was my first one after owning rescues my entire life. (I am 46) I will ONLY rescue PITS from now on. She is the most loving animal I have ever had. She loves my son who has Down Syndrome. She loves being around all kids and sleeps in all of our beds. They are so mis-labled. It brings tears to my eyes. Please adopt one of these animals from a shelter. 8) Thanks for this post.

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