Many people think pit bulls are too dangerous to keep as pets, but one nonprofit hopes to break the stereotype for the next generation.
The Love-a-Bull nonprofit introduces pit bulls to children at area learning centers. Volunteers with the group hope that meeting the friendly pups will teach them not to judge a book by its cover.
"If you have a closed mind to a subject, and close your mind, open your mind and try to learn about it," founder Lydia Zaidman said.
Zaidman says both the dogs and their owners are teaching by example.
"I find that most of the time the misconceptions come from neighbors, or stories in the papers, just like anything else, it's like Internet myths. So when they actually meet a dog, it's amazing how quickly it can change their minds," she said.
The dogs in the program, known as “The Pit Crew,” are used for animal therapy. The canines show kids pit bulls are indeed friendly by nature, and it is actually people that teach them to be mean.
"First of all there are dogs dying in the shelters, and they are dying every day,” Zaidman said. “And they're dying because people don't understand the truth about these dogs."
Love-a-Bull was founded in 2008 and offers a variety of programs, services and information for people who own pit bulls.
"Our mission is to educate and advocate on behalf of this breed. Just one person at a time, change their minds,” Zaidman said.
If you'd like to get involved you can order some love-a-bull gear or become a member, click here.
You can watch the news story here.
By: Jennifer Borget
http://austin.ynn.com/content/279670/life-in-action--nonprofit-works-to-bust-pit-bull-stereotypes
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