Deaf Pit Bull Performs Shakespeare, is Saved From Euthanasia

This summer's Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival has produced an unlikely star: a deaf pit bull named Michael who narrowly escaped euthanasia.

The 6-year-old American Staffordshire terrier has turned out to be a hoot in his role as Crab the dog in the Bard's comedy, "The Two Gentlemen of Verona," festival organizers and audience members said.

Michael plays a miscreant of sorts who doesn't care to please his owner, they said, and his varied spontaneous reactions to his owner's laments on stage frequently prompt laughter.

Among other things, Michael has scratched his head, chewed on a foot or thrown apathetic glances at the audience when Crab's owner, Launce, played by Kevin Crouch, pours his heart out.

Joan O'Lear, of Tahoe Vista, Calif., remembers the night she watched as Michael spotted a tiny service dog in the front row.

"He honed in on her and whined at the perfectly timed monologue that the actor was giving about how even the dog didn't care about his plight," she recalled. "It was so funny. The Shakespeare play was good, but Mike added the crowning touch."

Michael's real owner, Michelle Okashima, of Incline Village, told the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza there's "a great chemistry between Mike and Kevin that makes their stage time together electric and believable."

Not bad for a dog who was scheduled for euthanasia in July 2006 in Reno after he was found running loose and no one claimed him.

Okashima said she's grateful for his last-minute rescue by Nanette Cronk of the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe and his selection for the play.

Michael and another dog were chosen to play Crab out of 11 dogs that auditioned. Michael appears in two or three plays a week, performing in three scenes for a total of about 15 minutes each night.

"What are the odds they would pick a pit bull?" Okashima told The Associated Press. "All the time they face rejection in our society. I was shocked he got the part. I really appreciate the fact they gave him a shot."

Michael has posed no problem other than the time he jumped offstage in dress rehearsal because a woman smuggled a Shih Tzu in her purse inside the theater, she added.

Michael also is a registered therapy dog who visits hospitals, schools and veteran's homes. He also has been used to raise money for cancer research.

"He got a second chance, and I believe in giving back," said Okashima, an employee at Scraps Dog Bakery in Kings Beach, Calif.

Unlike his role in the play, Michael aims to please people in real life. "He's a wonderful guy, real sweet. I call him my big lump of brown sugar," she said.

The festival, held on the beach at Sand Harbor near Incline Village, continues through Aug. 26.

By Martin Griffith
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/pit-bull-shakespeare_n_1746425.html

In Dog We Trust

5 reasons why dogs truly are man's best friend.

Kamerion Wimbley is an NFL defensive end and former first-round draft pick who uses his 6'4", 255-pound frame to manhunt any quarterback lining up against the Tennessee Titans. Yogi is Wimbley's dog. Stocky and affable, he's a 6-year-old American Staffordshire terrier and his owner's most consistent workout partner, joining Wimbley on distance runs three or four times a week. Here's why the partnership works so well.

1. Dogs Keep You Guessing
One minute Yogi is trotting along at a spirited clip in the woods behind Wimbley's home; the next, he's off like a hellion, bolting up a trail or doing laps around a clearing. Hard as it may be to keep up, following those canine whims can turn into an interval workout. "When we're playing football, it's not always the same tempo," Wimbley says. "Some plays are over in 4 seconds, and others extend to 15." Enrich your own endurance workouts by varying your exertion levels.

2. Dogs Don't Have YouTube
Video games. Stuff to fix around the house. Minutia brought home from work. There are plenty of reasons you can give for postponing a workout—and none apply to a dog. Tempted to spend your evening catching up on an episode of Dallas? A pooch will keep those priorities straight. "Dogs are really into routines," Wimbley says. "I get on the computer a lot—and if it becomes time to go, he'll be sitting there waiting for me. If you're not ready, your dog will let you hear about it."

3. The Focus Is Fixed
Day in and day out, a committed workout partner—human or canine-can challenge you to improve your performance. At the very least, he'll push you beyond your usual limits. "You're more likely to complete a workout if you have someone there holding you accountable," Wimbley says. "It's the same way with animals. Yogi's an athlete dog. He's built for working, so he and I feed off each other's energy. He'll motivate me: If he's going hard, I'm going to want to go hard as well." More often than not, that's half the battle.

4. His Meal Is a Model
Wimbley hopes to one day enter Yogi in dog shows. Much like playing in the NFL, that goal requires conditioning that's difficult to achieve through workouts alone. Diet is critical. As an athlete at Florida State from 2002 to 2006, Wimbley didn't just blindly raid the dining hall. "We learned the benefits of each type of food," he says. "You want to ask yourself, why am I eating this? What does it do?" He became versed in the gospel of good nutrition. "It was fascinating to find out how the quality of the energy you put into your body translates into your performance, whether it's on the field or in the classroom." Those lessons apply to Yogi too. Wimbley carefully reads dog food labels to make sure the food has quality ingredients, and he serves Yogi portions that correspond to the dog's weight and muscle mass. In the process, Wimbley reinforces his own habits. "I try to buy us both natural, organic food. No artificial flavors or fillers. No by-products for the meat source. I shop around the edges of the store and avoid the stuff in the middle—the food that has been tampered with."

5. There's No Quit
Sometimes it pays to act like a puppy. "Dogs can pretty much outrun humans, at least where distance is concerned," says Wimbley, "and they want to please, so they'll keep working." When Wimbley got Yogi in the winter of 2006, he was at a critical moment in his career and appreciated the pup's tirelessness. "At the time I was training for the combine, so we'd go for miles. We'd even do two-a-days together." After 6 years, Yogi's tenacity has become an inspiration for Wimbley, both physically and mentally. "I try to model my game after him," Wimbley says. "His unwillingness to yield when it comes to competition, and the way he has fun the whole time while doing it." Still, Wimbley is quick to warn potential owners against bringing a dog into your life until you're sure your activity levels will align. "You need to really study breeds to know which ones are the best for you and your lifestyle," he says. "Some dogs require a lot of exercise to be happy and healthy—and if you're not helping them burn that energy, they're going to find ways that may not be the most desirable."


By Neil Janowitz
http://www.menshealth.com/best-life/mans-best-friend#ixzz234dNJe4b

Kevin Bacon Takes a Synchronized Dive with Pet Pit Bull Lily

When it comes to Kevin Bacon and his dog in the water, there are no degrees of separation: In this adorable video on PawNation, Bacon and his pet pit bull Lily show off their synchronized diving-board skills.
 

In the video, filmed by Bacon's wife, "Closer" star Kyra Sedgwick, Lily and the actor approach the swimming pool as Bacon narrates the goings-on.

  

"Divers are approaching the board in the tandem canine-human diving event. Going to attempt a dual dive." He glances down at Lily. "Ready?"

And in they go! With a little luck, there'll be a new category in the next summer Olympics for them to join.

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor
http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/25/12947734-kevin-bacon-takes-a-synchronized-dive-with-pet-pit-bull-lily

Police Respond to Vicious Dog in Baltimore City

Great story from Modified K9 Blog:

Here at Mk9, we receive a lot of emails and messages about Pit Bull and Pit Bull type dogs. News reports and stories from all over. From both sides of the spectrum as well. The good, and the bad. When we find the ones we believe will do good to help further the education of the general public, we "Share" them with hopes that people will be influenced, and motivated to see Pit Bulls and their owners for what they are, and not what the Media would make them out to be.

Today, we received a rather interesting story from a gentleman in Baltimore. It was a story about a Vicious Dog call, and the Police Officer who answered it. The interesting part is, the gentleman who sent the story IS that Officer who answered the call. So here is the account, from the source;


Hey,

I'm a Police Officer in Baltimore City. I am originally from Wilkes-Barre, and I am a fan of your organization and Pit Bulls. Today I received a call while on duty about a vicious dog chasing kids. When I came on the scene, I noticed people yelling out their windows at the dog. I followed the dog into an ally to see how it was acting. Going on my own approach, being a dog lover, I got out of my car and called the "vicious dog" over to me. The dog came over with it's tail between it's legs and panting. I grabbed my water bottle and the dog sat down next to me and began licking my pants. I started giving the dog water. I brought the dog over and waited for the pound to show up. My partner was not a fan of dogs and was startled by my approach. I suggested to him that this dog cannot be put down, and should be taken to a shelter. We took it upon ourselves to take the dog to the shelter, and transported it in the back seat in the back of our patrol car. Then I decided that I wanted to keep the dog, and spoke to the shelter about the steps to take to adopt it. The dog was originally kept outside and was filthy, and now it just might have a new home. I know you like positive pictures so I have attached a few. Have a great day and keep up the good work!

Officer Dan Waskiewicz
Baltimore City Police

When we heard this story we could not help but SMILE, and maybe do a tail shake or two! :)

Then we got to thinking more about it. How awesome is this story! Not only does it have a happy ending to it, but there are also some major applause points:

Instead of assuming the dog to be vicious and shoot it dead, (as we see so many times before) he analyzes the situation, and sees a nervous dog that needs help.

Instead of letting animal control pick up the dog, and let it disappear, or be put down, he personally takes it to a shelter, IN HIS CRUISER!!!

Finally, he offers the pup a new forever home!

So we at Mk9 would like to say Thank You! Officer Dan, for taking the time to be patient and give a dog a chance. And step outside the stereo types and see this for what is was. A loose dog who was nervous, and needed someone to help. Not someone to yell at him and assume him to be dangerous.

Here is "Bo" with his new family. A perfect picture of a perfect ending or an amazing new beginning.

Photo by Dan Waskiewicz

http://modifiedk9.blogspot.com/2012/05/police-respond-to-vicious-dog-in.html

Pit Bulls by the Numbers

A look at the facts surrounding faulty pit bull ‘statistics’

(photos by Melissa Lipani) (Reprinted from StubbyDog.org)

What do you do when you read a news story that claims pit bulls make up only 5 percent of the dog population but account for a third or even half of the dog bite related fatalities? Where did these numbers come from, and are they accurate? Here, we examine the truth behind these commonly quoted studies and what the other side is leaving out.

Some of the most frequently cited statistics come from the Center for Disease Control’s Special Report on fatal human dog attacks between 1979 and 1998. The report attributes a third of the fatalities between 1981 – 1992 to “pit-bull type dogs,” but what the other side fails to include is that the report comes with many warnings about its “statistics”:

• First, let’s look at where the CDC and other studies get their information: You guessed it – largely from media accounts. Of course, the media reports on pit bull-related incidents far more than those involving other types of dogs, a fact clearly detailed in the Canine Research Council’s publication, “The Pit Bull Placebo,” and the ASPCA’s “Pit Bull Bias in the Media.” Another commonly cited source, the anti-pit bull website Dogsbite.org, also sites studies that use press accounts to compile their numbers.

• Aside from the fact the collection methods were faulty, the CDC study notes that guessing a dog’s breed is just that, a guess. And what’s more, people are influenced by a dog’s reputation and may attribute breed to a dog involved in an incident based on that rather than any real knowledge. To quote the report: “… to the extent that attacks by 1 breed are more newsworthy than those by other breeds, our methods may have resulted in differential ascertainment of fatalities by breed. … [B]ecause identification of a dog’s breed may be subjective (even experts may disagree on a breed of a particular dog), DBRF [dog bite related fatalities] may be differentially ascribed to breeds with a reputation for aggression.” It gets muddier from there, considering that “pit-bull type dogs” are not a breed at all but a type encompassing several breeds and mixes that resemble those breeds. This means you have a very loose category of dogs that it’s easy for people to miss-identify.

• Sites like Dogsbite.org like to claim that pit bulls only make up 5 percent of the total dog population in the United States and are therefore “attacking” at a much higher rate than other dogs, but the truth is that there are no accurate statistics kept on the total number of dogs in this country, let alone dogs by type. The CDC clearly states this on its website: “There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.” And while it’s anyone’s guess exactly how many pit bull type dogs there are in this country, it’s clear from looking around most cities, neighborhoods and shelters that dogs labeled as pit bulls are far more common than 5 percent.

• Of course, there are even more factors to consider. The CDC study begins at the same time pit bulls’ “Evolution of a Bad Rap” started. Prior to that, according to “The Pit Bull Placebo,” pit bulls were nowhere to be found on bite lists. “In a 10-year span, from 1966 – 1975, there is only one documented case of a fatal dog attack in the United States by a dog which could even remotely be identified as a ‘Pit bull,’ ” writes the book’s author, Karen Delise. (And there are no incidents to date of a spayed/neutered indoor family pit bull ever having killed anyone.)

• It’s also important to note which types of dogs are listed as responsible for bites or fatalities changes over time, depending on which types of dogs are popular for negative functions, such as guarding, at that time. The CDC report also discusses this: “[B]reeds responsible for DBRF have varied over time. … As ascertained from our data, between 1979 and 1980, Great Danes caused the most reported human DBRF. … [S]ince 1975, dogs belonging to more than 30 breeds have been responsible for fatal attacks on people, including Dachshunds, a Yorkshire Terrier, and a Labrador Retriever.” (It’s also key to point out that you are more likely to be killed by lightening than a dog, and dog bites are at historic lows.)
• The CDC report concludes that many factors contribute to whether a dog bites or not and recommends breed-neutral laws that focus on owner responsibility and individual dog behavior rather than breed-discriminatory legislation.

What’s the take home message of all this? It’s important to question statistics related to how many pit bulls there are in the United States and how often they bite for all the reasons listed above. And, if you’re in need of some positive statistics, consider this: Temperament evaluations by the American Temperament Test Society give American Pit Bull Terriers an extremely high passing rate of 82.6 percent. The average passing rate for the other 121 breeds of dogs tested was 77 percent. Pit bulls share their homes with all types of people – from celebrities to senators to everyday families like you and me. They work as search and rescue dogs, therapy dogs and service dogs, and they are our faithful companions and best friends.

Download the PDF

Related reading:
StubbyDog – Resources
BADRAP Monster – Myths
Pit Bull Rescue Central – FAQ
ASPCA – Pit Bull Bias in the Media
National Canine Research Council – the problems with dog bite studies

National Pit Bull Awareness Day – Every Day!

(Reprinted from StubbyDog.org)

Last October for National Pit Bull Awareness Day, we issued a call to action so that everyone could help make a difference for pit bulls in their community. Now, as part of our Campaign of 25,000, we’re saying, “Let’s make every day pit bull awareness day!” Here are some things you can do:

1. Participate:
• Volunteer at local adoption events or information booths, where you can talk to the public about pit bulls and hand out educational materials and StubbyDog resources. To find pit bull rescues in your area, click here.
• Or, participate in a pit bull parade, hike or other gathering organized by a local pit bull group.
• If you’d like to learn how to make a press release for your pit bull related event, here’s a sample.
• Don’t forget to follow Laura’s Blog for updates on the Campaign of 25,000 and action alerts!

2. Contact the Media
Most people only hear about pit bulls when there’s a negative media story. Let’s change that! Contact your local media, including local TV stations, radio stations, newspapers and magazines, in one of the following ways:
• Tell them a positive pit bull story, such as a story about a local pit bull therapy dog or service dog and ask them to do a story on this special dog.
• Or, tell the media about an upcoming pit bull related event you’ll be participating in, such as a parade, hike, adoption or educational event. Give them a press release or flyer if you have one (see sample press release above). Ask them to cover your event.
• Or, simply tell them about your family and your pit bull(s) and what they have meant to you (as well as how prejudice and misperceptions impact you). Challenge them to cover a positive pit bull story.
• Then, make sure to give them the StubbyDog media press release! You can download it by clicking here. This is an important step because StubbyDog can be a source of accurate information for reporters, and we can help connect them with local stories.
• Make sure to read our tips for talking to the media, as we want to make sure to help change public perceptions about pit bulls.
• Lastly, report back to us. Tell us what you did and if you had success.

If we all work together, we can make every day a pit bull awareness day!

StubbyDog Media Press Release
Sample Press Release
Tips for talking to the media

Video du Jour

For Lennox from StubbyDog on Vimeo.

It is up to us as a community of advocates to make sure Lennox's death was not in vain. Together we can bring an end to breed discrimination legislation.

Media Matters: Getting Pit Bulls Adopted

By Laura Petrolino, VP of Operations (Reprinted from StubbyDog.org)

The pit bull community is very blessed to have many passionate people and organizations filling all sorts of roles. From rescue to advocacy, pit bull lovers are out there making strides across multiple fronts. As all of you know, StubbyDog is a communications organization, our role in this quilt of advocates is to work on messaging, presentation, and really making sure that the story of the pit bull (the real one, not the media hype) gets out there to the general public.

One way where this work has continued to show a strong impact is through our very successful Rescue Dog of the Week program. Much of that is a result of the way we present the wonderful dogs that are up for adoption.

As a result we put together the following set of “Media Matters” guidelines for rescues, shelters and foster parents. We are very excited to unveil these to our community and hope you both enjoy them and find them useful! Please share with a shelter or rescue near you who could use some help with presenting their pit bull adoptees in a better light.

Special thanks to Jessica Dolce for putting these together and Aleksandra Gajdeczka for her special insight on the photography guidelines.

Media Matters For Shelters and Rescues: Creating Adopt-a-Bulls

Media Matters For Shelters and Rescues: Share Your Dogs with the World

Media Matters For Shelters and Rescues: Capturing the Perfect Pit Bull Photograph

Media Matters For Shelters and Rescues: Make them Movie Stars!

SLCo Pit Crew

Salt Lake County’s Pit Crew program takes a multi-faceted approach to helping pit bull type dogs in their community and beyond.

By Melissa Lipani (Reprinted from StubbyDog.org)

When I first sat down to write this article for StubbyDog, I had the intention of focusing solely on the Salt Lake County Animal Services Pit Crew, a shelter-based adoption program that also provides free and low-cost training, free spay and neuter for the pit bull type dogs, and outreach and education. Much has already been written about this innovative program, based out of the progressive municipal shelter, Salt Lake County Animal Services. The save rate for pit bulls has gone from 57 percent to 71 percent and counting since 2009. The program concept was simple at its inception: A good dog reflects on a good owner. The program provides resources for the community and adopters to help dogs remain in their homes and reduces intake by providing free spay and neuter, free and low-cost training, and adopts out more dogs that look like pit bulls.

Here is what occurred to me as I sat down to collect my thoughts on that program, which I have been involved with almost since its inception in 2009 through my work at Best Friends Animal Society. The SLCo Pit Crew is so much more than a shelter-based program. It’s really turned into a community movement, one that has transcended the shelter walls as well as jurisdictional lines. The Pit Crew has really become an idea that produced a group of caring individuals, foster homes, trainers, volunteers, adopters and even other organizations that collectively have really improved things for the short haired, muscular mutts in Salt Lake City.

The No-Kill Goal

In 2009, SLCoAS had a vision to see their shelter, the largest municipal shelter in the state, eventually reach a no-kill status. In order to achieve that goal, they realized that there were two populations of animals that were being disproportionately euthanized: community (feral) cats and pit bull type dogs. Shawni Larrabee, the director, decided to develop programming around these two groups of animals in an effort to help save lives. What followed has been a long and successful partnership with Best Friends Animal Society and No More Homeless Pets in Utah, a program of BFAS. Working together and teaming up to provide free and low-cost training, free spay and neuter for our community’s pit bull type dogs, as well as attending outreach adoption and educational events, and teaming up on creative events, promotions and workshops, doubled the adoption numbers for pit bull type dogs.

Creative events, such as the Hollywood themed Pawscars, the shelter-based Furry Frenzy adoption events, marching in Pride Parade, Pittie Pride and Neighborhood Pit Bull Days (which brings free vaccines and spay/neuter to at risk communities with high intake numbers for the shelter) have increased visibility for the shelter and its adoptable dogs. This year, the program, teaming up with No More Homeless Pets Utah, hopes to provide 1,000 free spay/neuter surgeries to decrease the shelter’s intake of pit bull type dogs.
 
                    

This vision has also brought the community together. A small but dedicated foster parent network supported by SLCoAS has helped numerous long term, medically fragile dogs or dogs needing some behavioral work by offering them the opportunity to learn and grow in a home environment, increasing their chances for adoption. Dedicated volunteers help at all outreach and tabling events, participate in shelter photography and attend specialty workshops of interest to help the shelter’s animals. The shelter’s non-profit arm, Utah FACES, has helped fund special projects like the Pittie Pride event, as well as structural improvements to the outdoor play yards, and has helped to administer the shelter’s Injured Animal Fund and other special donations for projects and equipment.

Beyond the Shelter Walls

But what really stands out, though, are the efforts that go beyond the shelter walls. SLCo has collaborated with Best Friends Animal Society and No More Homeless Pets in Utah in partnership with the Pit Crew effort, as well as Animal Farm Foundation, Longmont Humane Society, Bill Bruce of the Animal and Bylaw Services for the City of Calgary, and has even hosted shelters from around the country at workshops through a grant from PetSmart Charities and their Shelter Partners for Pit Bulls project to learn and share ways to improve the lives of shelter animals and increase adoptions.

Some of these relationships have been the key to their success, says John Coulter, adoptions and outreach supervisor at the shelter. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” he said. “There’s no need to re-invent the wheel when it comes to developing your own program, and these groups have a lot of experience and resources when it comes to media, education, networking, marketing, behavior modification, volunteer base, etc. The support from these groups/partnerships has been critical to our success, as have social media platforms and, most importantly, volunteers, who like being part of a movement. Volunteers know that in some way they are contributing to positive change. We have volunteer vets, groomers, photographers, behaviorists, shelter volunteers, event volunteers, etc. – and in different ways, they’re all critical to our success. Our volunteers are our biggest advocates and our voice in the community.”

In an effort to help the dogs’ quality of life while they are in the shelter, the staff implemented daily playgroups in 2010 after visiting Animal Farm Foundation and hosting Aimee Sadler from the Longmont Humane Society. These daily playgroups, coupled with kennel enrichment activities such as stuffed Kong toys, have visibly reduced kennel stress and improved social skills for all of the shelter dogs, reducing the number of dogs that may have been euthanized due to serious kennel stress and deterioration.

The Big Picture

Recently, SLCoAS, for the first time in their history, was able to hit the no-kill mark for 2011, a tremendous achievement for a large, municipal shelter that intakes 10,000 strays each year. This brings challenges as the number of animals the shelter houses increases, and the challenge becomes balancing the shelter population and the emotional health of the animals that are kenneled there longer term. Pit bull type dogs represent 25 percent of the shelter’s intake for dogs, however, they account for up to 50 percent of the dogs on the adoption floor for reasons including longer holding times while waiting for adoption, public perception of dogs that look like pit bulls and, often, the sheer numbers of dogs that look like pit bulls on the shelter floor.

Although we, as animal advocates, push the public to view pit bulls like any other dogs, until they are leaving the shelter alive at the same rates as their non pit bull type counterparts, we will still need programs like the Pit Crew to help close the gap said April Harris, acting director.

                   

I asked April if she envisioned a day when this type of outreach programming wouldn’t be necessary. “I am optimistic, but it will depend on the continuance of programs like the Pit Crew,” she said. “A major factor will be whether all jurisdictions within Salt Lake County develop programs to manage the abundance of pit bull type dogs in the community and the shelters. While we are making strides in our areas, we know that animals know no boundaries. If another jurisdiction has a problem, it will impact us still, as we have no jurisdictional authority or programs to help manage that problem. We need the entire community to implement programs like the Pit Crew.” She also points out that in order to remain a no kill facility, “We are constantly looking at innovative programs and ideas that help us in our no-kill mission. The staff at SLCoAS will continue to rely on the support of the community, rescue partners, volunteers and foster homes to help us ensure that we remain a no-kill facility.”

This brings me back to the concept of community and the movement that we have seen come out of this program. Last year, the Pit Crew adopted, rescued and fostered out a total of 245 dogs, with a save rate of about 99 percent for adoptable pit bull type dogs, which was similar to the two years before. Prior to the program, only about half of that number was leaving the shelter. What has been perhaps the most rewarding statistic is the number of foster and adoptive parents who have now adopted and fostered multiple dogs and built ongoing relationships with the shelter and the community.
Frequently, former adopters send photos, cards, post on the SLCo Pit Crew Facebook page and volunteer at events. Recently, two Pit Crew alumni dogs and their guardians became registered therapy dogs with the Delta Society’s local affiliate, Therapy Animals of Utah (which, by the way, now boasts eight Pet Partners teams with rescued pit bull terrier type dogs). They often attend community council meetings in neighboring jurisdictions to eloquently speak out against any proposed breed-discriminatory legislation. They are extended family in a sense and continue to express their gratitude to the shelter and the program for offering support, training and interest in their dog’s successes. All of this happens in a large, government-tax-funded shelter, where, only five years ago, things were so very different.

Roma’s Story

One adoption story that exemplifies the shelter’s commitment to their animals is Roma. “Roma, now Mercy, had been overlooked for months,” said Pit Crew Program Specialist Kiera Packer. “We had just begun playgroups, and Roma was one of the first dogs who was able to attend. I began to see just how smart and sweet she really because of being able to have her in playgroups. Still, no matter how many potential adopters there were for Roma, (photo right) no one had decided on her. She began to deteriorate in her kennel and she was at risk. One day her new family walked through the door and gave me some specifics about what they were looking for – it was if they were describing Roma to me! She is now a happy and healthy member of their family who goes everywhere with them. I still get regular updates about her, and they bring her to adoption events so I can still see her.”

In most shelters, dogs like Roma all too often might be the first one to be euthanized, but, as part of the Pit Crew program at SLCo, they are given the opportunity to shine. Kiera is excited for 2012. Events like the shelter’s Pittie Pride event, which provides free vaccines and spay/neuter in an at-risk community, marching in the Pride Parade, attendance at several of Best Friends Animal Society’s Super Adoption events, Furry Frenzies and Mini Super Adoption events, as well as continued outreach adoption events and fundraisers are all on the horizon.

2012 is already shaping up to be a great one for the dogs, with big victories against breed discrimination ahead across the country. Here in Salt Lake City, we are excited to be on the brink of taking our whole city to no kill, and we know that with the continued support of the community, in partnership with our area shelters, we will get there. Let’s declare 2012 “The Year of the Pit Bull” and feature them in shelters everywhere!

                      
(all photos by Melissa Lipani)

Video du Jour

Sophia Bush Adopts Pit Bull Puppy

Sophia Bush knows what she's going to be toting around town – her new puppy!

The actress, who launched a market bag of her own design for Apolis, dropped by the brand's Los Angeles boutique earlier this week with her new addition, a blue pit bull rescue named Griffin.

"He's the sweetest, most mellow little guy," Bush tells PEOPLE. "He just wants to snuggle and kiss everybody. And his feet are so big that he trips over them when he runs. We call him dinosaur paws."

Seven-week-old Griffin was one of a litter of eight puppies born to a stray that was set to be euthanized. The pregnant dog was pulled out of the shelter by Wags and Walks, a pit bull rescue.

Bush has always supported adoption, and has two other pit bulls, Penny and Patch.

Griffin joins a happy household. "They're the loves of my life," Bush has said of Penny and Patch. "Rescue dogs are always nicer than purebred dogs, anyway."

With reporting by Jessica Wedemeyer
http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/article/0,,20600444,00.html?xid=email-peoplepets-20120604
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2012/06/04/sophia-bush-rescues-seven-week-old-blue-pit-bull/
Second photo credit: Featureflash / Shutterstock.com, Sophia Bush’s Twitter

Dog Breed Legislation Is Inherently Dangerous

The April ruling of the Court of Appeals of Maryland has many people trying to calculate the impacts of the Court's declaration that "pit bulls and cross bred pit bulls are inherently dangerous." Those of us in the animal welfare field are discussing and debating what this means, and how to best move forward.

In my role with the Washington Humane Society (WHS), I have a front row seat to what could turn into a debacle. However, there is reason for optimism that this short sighted ruling will be overturned. Legislators and leaders throughout Maryland are beginning to grasp that the Court's proposed solution has little bearing on the problem at hand -- and is profoundly unpopular with the voting public.

Much of the conversation focuses on the fact that discrimination against dogs based on appearance is wrong. I agree wholeheartedly, and my first decision as CEO of WHS was to change a long-held, breed-based policy that had resulted in the unnecessary deaths of thousands of dogs. Discriminating against a dog based on what he or she looks like is just as wrong as discrimination against people based on their appearance. These broad paintbrush strokes sweep up many innocent individuals. There is no place for such beliefs in an enlightened, compassionate society.

In the nation's capital, WHS worked in partnership with our City's leaders to establish an approach that is sensible -- and effective. Dogs are deemed dangerous or potentially dangerous based on a set of observed, concrete behaviors and criteria.

Another major flaw with breed-based selection is that it is tremendously difficult to determine whether a dog is a pit bull or a cross bred pit bull. I've been in this profession for 15 years. Tens of thousands of dogs have passed through shelters on my watch, and I would be considered well placed to make this determination.

And yet the longer I work in this field, the more I doubt our ability to determine a dog's genetics based on her appearance. I've seen too many puppies born of mothers who looked like a pit bull but who themselves would be described as beagles, or Labradors, or other breeds. The only definitive answer comes from the crossbreeding of papered purebreds, or DNA tests, which have proven controversial and ineffective.

Yet for all of the robust and legitimate arguments about why discrimination against a particular breed is wrong and fraught with difficulty, I believe we must focus our arguments on the singular issue that has caused the majority of attempts at breed specific discrimination to be overturned -- the economic impacts of implementation.

Breed specific laws have been reversed in communities across the nation because they are simply too costly to enforce, and because the true budgetary impacts were not considered in the decision process. Once the legislators and the voting public of Maryland fully analyze and appreciate the financial impacts, they will look for a way to overturn the decision.

As long as the ruling stands, veterinarians and emergency hospitals will have to pay exorbitant insurance rates in case a dog that resembles a pit bull comes to them for treatment. Anyone in canine businesses -- groomers, day care and boarding facilities, pet sitters -- will have to do the same. Pet-friendly businesses of all types will be similarly impacted. Lay people will be put in a position of determining which dogs are "pit bulls" and "cross bred pit bulls" -- a verdict seasoned professionals decline to give -- and then sued for getting it wrong.

The economic impacts on landlords, renters and homeowners will be devastating. Most significant will be the costs borne by cities and municipalities who have to care for the vast numbers of dogs who are surrendered because of what they look like. The aggregate costs of all of these impacts will run in the tens of millions of dollars.

Maryland voters and animal welfare advocates must put pressure on their legislators now to overturn this decision. We must do so for these incontrovertible reasons: discrimination based on appearance is inherently wrong. Better solutions based on concrete criteria are working effectively in thousands of other communities. And, the people of Maryland cannot bear the economic burdens that will undoubtedly result from this decision.

By Lisa LaFontaine, President and CEO, Washington Humane Society
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-lafontaine/dog-breed-discrimination-_b_1554090.html

The Pit Bull “Problem”

Dr. Seuss had one.

Helen Keller claims they’re one of the best therapy dogs.

Jon Stewart has two – and they watch over his young children.

But these aren’t the stories you hear when you hear about pit bulls.

“I think it all started back in 1987,” says Ken Foster, author of numerous books on dogs, “[when] Sports Illustrated ran a snarling photo [of a pit bull] with a caption ‘BEWARE OF THIS DOG.’”

If you believe rumors, pit bulls have brains that are too big for their heads and jaws that operate like sharks’. Only criminals and gangsters own them; and don’t even think about getting one — they’re known for turning on their masters.

I think Cesar Milan put it best: “In the ’70s, they blamed Dobermans, in the ’80s, they blamed German Shepherds, in the ’90s, they blamed Rottweilers. Now, they blame the Pit Bull.”

These misconceptions are what led Ken Foster to start the Sula Foundation, an organization that provides affordable vaccinations, free spaying and neutering, and basic education and obedience training for pit bulls.

Foster recently raised a hefty sum to help Spartacus (the gorgeous white dog that slept on my lap while we talked), whose leg had been blown off by a shotgun blast. The funds didn’t just pay for the operation that saved Spartacus’s life; they also covered his stay at a local “resort” for dogs, where he could rest, recover, and get used to life on three legs.

Foster says he gets somewhere between 12-20 calls a day to come pick up a pit bull. “Every year in New Orleans, over 2,000 are euthanized,” he explains. “That’s a little more than five a day.”

I ask why the rate is so high, and the answer is complicated.

“People breed them poorly and don’t have the means to take care of them. People move and don’t want to take the dog with them,” he says. “Or, lately, a lot of people are into this ‘moving to New Orleans’ thing for a year to work on their art, adopting a pit bull, ‘cause that’s what everyone does here and then a year later are like, ‘I’m moving back home now, so can you take my dog?’”

Foster air-chokes that imaginary person and laughs a bit, but you can tell it’s an issue – one of many.

“In a place like New Orleans, stigma is a big thing,” he says. “People have preconceived notions of what someone, or something, is supposed to be like and they subsequently get judged based solely on that.”

And as I get viciously attacked by an army of wet kisses and a powerful violent tail, I kind of start to see where he’s coming from.

by Aric S. Queen in The Good Traveler on May 25, 2012
http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2012/05/25/the-pit-bull-problem/

Charlize Theron: My Dogs Help with My Baby

It was love at first sight, says Charlize Theron, for her four-legged best friends and her infant son Jackson, whom she adopted in March.

"It was the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed," the Oscar winner, 36, tells Ellen DeGeneres on Thursday's The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "From the moment this baby came into our home, those two dogs have never been more in love."

Theron happily considers her brood to be her family – no matter what others may think. She calls her dogs "her boys." They are, she says, "Berkley, a terrier mutt, and he's actually the pacifier thief ... He'll just lay there with the [baby's] pacifier in his mouth," and a pit bull named Blue, who help keeps the actress running on schedule.

"People keep saying, 'Oh you're a single mom,' and I'm like, 'Actually, I'm not. I got two boys helping me out.' It's incredible."

Blue serves as her alarm clock. He "woke up with me for every feed, for every change, and whenever the baby would cry the pit would start crying," says Theron. "He'll do anything for that baby." It's no wonder Theron calls Blue her Prince Charming.

As for Theron's adopting Jackson, DeGeneres says to the actress, "Everyone thinks since you're from South Africa, that he's from South Africa, but he's not."

"He's American," says his mom, who also says she brought him home when he was nine days old.

"What's that like to, all the sudden, have a nine-day-old baby in your life?" asks the TV host.

"You know, it took me a while [to finalize the adoption]," says Theron. "The process ... took around two years. My mom said the most beautiful thing." Recalling the sentiment, Theron said, "I'm going to cry."

Quoting her mother, Theron said, "It took me nine months to fall in love with you [while you] were growing in my stomach," then added: "She's like, it took you two years to fall in love with this little baby. It really took two years of just waiting and then one day it's finally there. It just feels exactly how it's supposed to feel. I don't know how to describe it. It just feels right."




By Stephen M. Silverman
http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/article/0,,20598122,00.html

Video du Jour

Great video from our friends at Stubbydog!

Video du Jour

Faithful Dog Refuses to Leave Side of Companion

A heartbreaking picture of two pit bulls posted on Facebook caused a stir over the weekend among animal lovers. After his companion was killed by a car, a faithful dog is seen keeping watch over her body.

A local news affiliate said the female pit bull was hit Friday night, and lay dead on the side of a Phoenix, AZ road. The male pit bull refused to leave her, so a sympathetic nearby business brought him food and water.

He remained at her side throughout the night, nuzzling her, staying close until the city came to remove her body Saturday morning. He had spent 14 hours protecting his fallen friend.

The dog is currently being held at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, and if unclaimed, will be available for adoption pending health and behavioral screening.



http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2012/05/faithful-dog-refuses-to-leave-side-of-fallen-companion/

A Pit Bull Goes From Shelter Reject to World Champion Disc Dog

This month we're helping pet parents get -- or keep -- their pets fit for life. (Check out our expert pet-diet and weight-loss tips and videos.) But regular exercise with you pet can have mental benefits, as well as the physical ones.

For Wallace the Pit Bull, regular exercise helped turn him from a shelter resident with behavioral problems to the 2006 Cynosport World Champion and the 2007 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge National Champion for Freestyle Flying Disc. Wallace's dad Roo tells their story in the video above. Watch it -- then share this post -- to help us spread the word about the importance of getting off the couch with your pet.

Learn more about Wallace the Pit Bull: https://www.facebook.com/WallaceThePitBull

By Jane, associate producer
http://www.petfinder.com/blog/2012/05/17/video-a-pit-bull-goes-from-she

A Pit Bull Named Daisy

A young girl meets a shelter dog and falls in love, changing her family’s view of pit bulls forever

By Cheryl Westfall (Reprinted from StubbyDog.org)

My children, Jesse and Dillon (girls), worked at the animal shelter in San Luis Obispo since they were 12 years old. (They are now 18 and off to college.) One day my little 12-year-old daughter called and told me that there was the best dog in the world at the shelter, and she wanted us to come and see this dog. I asked her what kind of dog it was, and she casually said it was a pit bull. Most of me at the time believed it was just the people who owned pit bulls and mistreated them that made the news, but there was a little part of me that was a skeptical and might have believed pit bulls were bad dogs.

We went down to see the dog, and the people who worked there said, “Watch this.” They put one dog after another in the kennel with her, and all she wanted to do was play. We got the dog, of course, because she was wonderful. She gets along with our other dogs perfectly and is as sweet as can be.

About two weeks later I got a college assignment to write a research paper on whatever I wanted. I looked around and saw beautiful Daisy sitting there and decided right then that I was going to write the research paper about her and all other pit bulls.

I did many nights of research and actually had to try to find situations where they were accused of causing harm to people. It was hard to find that information, especially when they were not mistreated. I did find that they have a higher than average passing rate from the American Temperament Test Society and are great pets and service/therapy dogs in libraries, hospitals and convalescent homes. I also learned all about Sgt. Stubby; he was a big part of my paper. I learned about how this pit bull was a military mascot, won metal after metal, was invited to the White House twice and many other facts.

I also learned that the media is ridiculous in the way it tries to terrify everyone about something every night, but they really try to stick it to pit bulls all the time. For example, one of the gentlemen I researched had gotten attacked by a dog, a Lab. He called the local newspaper and reported the attack. They asked him if it was a pit bull, and he said “No.” They wanted nothing to do with the story. This really irritated the gentlemen, so he called a different paper and said he had been attacked by a pit bull, and in no time there were eight different news agencies at his house. Unbelievable.

Needless to say, no matter what my Daisy went through before we got her, she is my all-time favorite dog. Daisy is 9 now (she was 3 when we got her and had just had puppies). She was abandoned on the streets. I believe that the reason I say she is my favorite dog is because she has broken all stereotypes I have ever had about pit bulls. Anyone who comes to my house gets to see who wonderful she is, and it helps them with their stereotypes. I have four dogs now: two Labs (one is a guide dog puppy I am raising), one is a German Shorthaired Pointer, and then there is wonderful Daisy.

My husband Chris plays fantasy football, and the first year Michael Vick came back to football Chris got him on his team and benched him. He would not let him play and he would not trade him for anything – a small but grand gesture.

PS – I got an A on that paper.

5 Reasons So Many Pit Bulls Love Kids

StubbyDog investigates why dogs adore children

(Reprinted from StubbyDog.org)

1) Kids are the perfect height for kissing.

2) Sharing is easy: Multiple dogs and kids can all fit on the couch together!

3) Children are soft and squishy for cuddling – and so are pit bulls!

4) Kids love to play as much as dogs do.

5) Little ones and their pit bulls can speak without saying a word.

Editor’s note: It’s important to teach children proper dog etiquette, and always supervise their play (this is true for all breeds!). Here are some tips from the ASPCA.

(Fan photos from top to bottom by Jolene Hempel, Janet Podczerwinski, Matt Preston, Summer Voth and Darreena Harding)

Pit Bull Struck by Freight Train While Pulling Owner Away from Tracks

Just after midnight on May 3 the engineer of a westward-bound freight train witnessed an extraordinary scene as he barreled toward a railway crossing in Shirley, Mass.—a dog was frantically pulling an unconscious woman away from the tracks. The engineer made every attempt to stop the train but was unable to avoid striking 8-year-old Pit Bull Lilly before she could clear herself from the train’s wheels. 

Lilly’s human companion was unharmed but the dog was not nearly as fortunate. The train’s wheels sliced through her right foot, fractured her pelvis in multiple locations and caused other internal injuries. Critically wounded, Lilly lay down next to her companion, who remained unconscious until help arrived.

Lilly Stays Calm Throughout Calamitous Scene

The train’s engineer later told first responders that he witnessed the dog pulling the woman—Christine Spain of Shirley—off the tracks as the train drew near. The engineer, who asked not to be identified, was convinced the train had struck both Christine and the dog, and realized only after stopping and rushing to their aid that Christine was unharmed but Lilly had suffered a catastrophic injury to her right front leg.

Dr. Kiko Bracker of Angell Animal Medical Center tends to Lilly before her right front leg is amputated (credit: Angell Animal Medical Center)

The engineer immediately called emergency services, who arrived to find Lilly standing guard over Christine, who had collapsed alongside the train tracks while walking home from a friend’s house. Lilly’s calm and composed demeanor—despite the wail of sirens, flashing lights and frantic din from first responders struggling to make sense of the scene—is all the more remarkable given her life-threatening injuries, which by now were bleeding profusely. A Shirley animal control officer immediately drove Lilly to an emergency animal hospital in Acton where Boston Police Officer David Lanteigne, who adopted the once shy and anxious dog five years ago from an animal shelter, recovered her and rushed to Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston.

David had adopted Lilly three years ago as a companion for Christine, his mother, who had suffered from alcoholism nearly her entire life. Lilly became the center of Christine’s universe—and Lilly’s presence provided Christine a comfort she had never known. Said David of the bond between the dog and his mother: “Lilly means the world to my mother, who doted on the dog from the moment she came to live with her. Lilly has also played a crucial role in helping my mom drastically reduce her drinking. Lilly’s recovery from this horrific ordeal is my top priority right now and I’ll do everything possible to get her back home to us.”

Upon arriving at Angell’s Emergency and Critical Care Unit, Dr. Alice D’Amore immediately took charge of Lilly’s care. The administration of sedatives and pain medicine calmed her enough to allow the veterinary team to determine the extent of her injuries, and plan for the emergency surgery and ongoing treatment she would require. Lilly’s right foot had been completely “de-gloved”—its skin, muscle and connective tissue torn clear away. Multiple fractures to her left pelvis were especially troubling because, should she survive surgery, she could be permanently unable to bear weight or walk without assistance.

Angell’s World-Renowned Surgery Team Tends to Lilly

The veterinary team concluded that Lilly’s right front leg could not be repaired and the only option would be to amputate the entire limb. Lilly braved this surgery on Saturday, May 5. After a short recovery she endured a second surgery to repair her pelvis and rear left leg—which is now supported with steel plates. Lilly’s life will never be the same as she will be unable to bear weight or walk without assistance for the first few months after her surgery. Still, the veterinary team at Angell is optimistic that the spirit she showed as she rescued Christine may be just the trait that sees her through this new phase of her life.

Said Dr. Meg Whalen, a staff criticalist at Angell’s Emergency and Critical Care unit: “As a 24/7 emergency care hospital it’s fair to say that we have ‘seen it all’ with respect to companion animal emergencies. However, Lilly’s selfless bravery has captured the hearts of our entire staff. Her injuries are very serious and her road to recovery will be long. But she’s got the character and spirit that sometimes trumps all of our medical advances when it comes to recovery. I think she’s got what it takes to get back to her former self.”

Donations Sought to Offset Lilly’s Care

Because of the severity of Lilly’s injuries and the extensive treatment she required, the MSPCA-Angell has provided financial aid through its Pet Care Assistance program to help cover the cost of Lilly’s care. In addition to supporting other MSPCA programs, Pet Care Assistance provides financial aid to families whose animals need emergency, intermediate and critical care at Angell. Readers who would like to donate to Pet Care Assistance can navigate to www.mspca.org/helplilly.

Hero Dog Challenges the Public’s Perception of Pit Bulls

At a time when Pit Bulls are maligned and erroneously stereotyped as violent or unfriendly, Lilly’s bravery is testimony to the true nature of these amazing dogs. Far from being aggressive, unfriendly or indifferent, Lilly is a bona fide hero and an ambassador for Pit Bulls everywhere. The MSPCA-Angell’s Advocacy, Law Enforcement and Adoption Center teams have worked for years to challenge the notion that Pit Bulls are innately dangerous. It is only recently that Pit Bulls have been cast erroneously as villains. At the height of the breed stature in the early 20^th century they were often seen as the most decorated heroes in the U.S. Lilly has demonstrated the unconditional love and loyalty that is a hallmark of Pit Bulls—and many, many other dogs as well.

Said Jean Weber, the MSPCA’s director of animal protection: “Lilly’s story has moved us all beyond measure. I hope her actions will underscore the truth about Pit Bulls—that they are amazing animals and are as devoted to their family as any other dog.”

Once Lilly fully recovers from her surgeries she will go home to live with David, his girlfriend and their two Golden Retrievers (whom Lilly adores). Christine has moved in with David to help with Lilly’s convalescence. Lilly’s recovery will be monitored regularly by the veterinary team at Angell to ensure she has every chance of returning to her former self.

For more information about Angell Animal Medical Center’s Emergency and Critical Care Services click here.

**Update:

Lilly’s family wanted to share this with everyone – and to say thanks for the overwhelming response to her story. David Lanteigne says Lilly will bounce back soon. “Very sad but with her strong nature she will be back to her ol’ self doing her spin moves running up and down my front yard!

Because of the incredible generosity of people all over the world, the
cost for Lilly's initial hospitalization has been covered, and Lilly's
family is profoundly grateful. However, this is just the beginning of a
long and expensive road to recovery for this hero dog, who will need
extensive physical therapy in the months ahead. I've created this video
in hopes that Lilly's story will move you as much as it's moved us. And
if you would like to donate to a special fund we've created to help her
family pay her ongoing medical expenses you can do so by sending donations to the address below.

Please send donations to-
"Lilly the Hero Dog Fund"
c/o Fidelity Bank
9 Leominster Connector
Leominster Ma. 01453

Thank you for your continuing support and your thoughts and prayers for Lilly throughout her recovery. We are so grateful!

Contact - LillytheHeroPitbull@hotmail.com

http://www.mspca.org/about-us/press-room/2012/pit-bull-struck-by-freight.html

Goodbye to Barky, Who Perhaps Never Knew She Was a Pit Bull

I did not know that Barky was a pit bull when I got her, in the fall of 1998, as I was going -- ignorantly, in so many ways, as it turned out -- into my second year of law school.

The people who'd found Barky in New York's Riverside Park told me she was a Staffordshire terrier. I'd grown up with golden retrievers in the Rhode Island suburbs; I did not have the Internet in my apartment. I brought home the wiggly 10-month-old orange dog with the huge ears.

The guys who kept up the all-night underground pharmaceutical market on my corner whistled when they saw Barky. "Nice pit bull," I kept hearing.

I'd correct them. "She's a Staffordshire terrier."

Finally, I went to the library and looked at dog books. Staffordshire terriers, I learned, are a type of pit bull. Pit bulls, the plodding 1998 Internet told me, when I finally got to it, were likely one day to snap and bite me on the jugular.

But it was too late; I loved Barky already. Over the next years, she went on long walks around New York with me. She was a regular at the law school (my mother later said Barky was Columbia Law School's first pit bull graduate). When my ill-advised boyfriend and I broke up, in the middle of winter, then over and over again during various other seasons over the course of several years, Barky took to sleeping under the covers, with her head on the pillow. I'd never known a dog with funnier ears. My life had problems, to be sure -- I loathed being a lawyer; I was irresistible to terrible men -- but my jugular was fine.

In early 2002, with itchy feet and a deep fear of a terrorist attack on the subway, I took a one-year legal job on a small tropical island near Guam. The island had a four-month quarantine. My parents agreed to take care of Barky while I was away. One year turned into two. Barky's head got used to my parents' pillows; her tummy got used to my parents' home cooked meals. Then she came down with a blood disease the vet said would kill her within months. We were devastated. Barky lived. She was then diagnosed with cancer and was given another death sentence, that she again defied.

"She loves eating chicken too much to die," my mother told me on the phone.

By the time I came home from the island, five and a half years after I'd left New York, I was through being a lawyer and my parents were too attached to the now somewhat grey, still wiggly dog they'd nursed back to life, twice, to give her up. Barky had officially become the sweet, spoiled and beloved family dog, which she has continued to be for going on 98 dog years now -- which might be shocking to the judges of Maryland's Court of Appeals.

This court issued an unprecedented ruling in late April, finding that pit bulls are inherently dangerous, and people who own them are strictly liable for any damage they cause. Owning a pit bull at all, the court ruled, is itself negligent.

This is different from how most dogs are treated under the law. Owners are usually given what's called a "one free bite" -- meaning, that they essentially get a pass the first time their dog hurts someone. (The second time, they're liable, since by then they know their dogs' dangerous propensities.) Maryland's pit bull owners are now supposed to presume their dogs' dangerousness.

Pit bull advocates make a number of arguments for why the Maryland court's ruling makes no sense. They say there is, actually, no such thing as a pit bull; even if there were, pit bulls are in fact no more dangerous than any other breed. (Some advocates like to say that statistically speaking, golden retrievers are more dangerous than pits.)

As both a (former) lawyer and a person who has spent many nights sharing a pillow with a pit bull, I'm inclined to think the advocates are right. For one, even if there is such a thing as a pit bull, and even if they do bite more often than golden retrievers, they still don't bite often. The most alarmist, anti-pit bull statistics show that fewer than 30 people in the United States are killed every year by dogs (and no one is even suggesting that pit bulls are responsible for all of those 30 deaths, even). There are, meanwhile, almost 80 million dogs living in U.S. households.

This doesn't sound like inherent dangerousness to me. Then there's Barky, who hates cats and who has always barked like crazy when other dogs seem to be having too good a time (my dad calls her the police of the dog park). But no one seems to have told her she was supposed to have spent her life being actually dangerous; after a youth of walks, chasing squirrels, law school and barking at neighbors who talk too loudly, she's spent her dotage sitting in my mom's garden, eyeing squirrels, eating chicken and barking at the neighbors.

Barky's even used her legal education, going with my father to his law office, where she begs treats from clients.

That undramatic, chicken-filled life is almost over now, for real this time. On today, my first wedding anniversary to a wonderful man, I am on my way to Rhode Island, so that I can be with Barky as she leaves us, on Tuesday. After surviving blood disease and cancer, Barky is now having heart failure; my parents, my brother and I think it's kinder to ease her out of life with a shot from the vet than subject her to the heart attack or stroke that is otherwise inevitable. We've been very lucky to have all these years with the now almost completely white pit bull whose big ears now look cauliowered like a professional boxer's -- 14 human years, half of which have felt like borrowed time. It's hard to look back over these years and think that keeping Barky as our treasured pet would seem like negligent behavior. It's seemed like a gift.

Of course it's possible Barky simply never realized what she was. Maybe she just spent all these years thinking she was a Staffordshire terrier.


By Arin Greenwood
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arin-greenwood/maryland-pit-bull-ruling_b_1495108.html