Saturday, Oct. 23, is National Pit Bull Awareness Day,
an event founded in 2007 by Bless the Bullys to rehab the image of the breed once seen as the epitome of the all-American
dog.
Unfortunately, today Pits have been so vilified that rarely a week goes by without someone telling me that they "just don't trust" Pit Bulls.
Last week I received a reminder of Pit Bulls' true nature.
Gail is a 2-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier who was found wondering the streets of the Bronx, covered in cuts, ribs and vertebrae sticking out, fur missing in patches and bloody blisters on her paws.
I first met Gail last week when I went to pick her up from New York City Animal Care & Control's Manhattan shelter. Rescue group Zani's Furry Friends had worked with the shelter to move Gail into a foster home because she'd come down with kennel cough (which, in a crowded shelter, often means euthanasia). I'd volunteered to foster her.
Unfortunately, today Pits have been so vilified that rarely a week goes by without someone telling me that they "just don't trust" Pit Bulls.
Last week I received a reminder of Pit Bulls' true nature.
Gail is a 2-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier who was found wondering the streets of the Bronx, covered in cuts, ribs and vertebrae sticking out, fur missing in patches and bloody blisters on her paws.
I first met Gail last week when I went to pick her up from New York City Animal Care & Control's Manhattan shelter. Rescue group Zani's Furry Friends had worked with the shelter to move Gail into a foster home because she'd come down with kennel cough (which, in a crowded shelter, often means euthanasia). I'd volunteered to foster her.
Found as a stray, Gail is very underweight and missing fur.
At the shelter, everyone I talked to agreed there was
something special about Gail. She was sweet, loving and wanted nothing more
than to sit with her head in your lap. She was also not aggressive toward cats
(she ran away from them) -- a vital trait for any foster dog in my home.That night, Gail won my household over. She followed us from room to room, ignored the cats and showed zero signs of aggression. Underweight at 41 lbs., she was still bigger than any of our previous fosters (we live in a small apartment), but she was calm and simply happy to be around us.
In fact, Gail seemed unhappy unless we were there. When we turned in for the night, she scaled a baby gate to get out of the living room and into the bedroom. The cats were not pleased. So we crated Gail, but she broke out -- three times.
Gail, it turned out, had severe separation anxiety. When she couldn't be near us, she would have anxiety attacks, destroying our belongings, soiling the house (she is otherwise housetrained) and injuring herself. (Learn more about separation anxiety in dogs here.)
Gail relaxing at my apartment
I called Zani's Furry Friends and explained the problem. We
thought Gail might do better in a foster home with another dog, and it turned
out one had just become available. Gail is there now, and having a foster
brother (who himself overcame severe separation anxiety) seems to be helping
her a lot. Gail, to me, represents all Pit Bulls: Yes, she's a big, strong dog. But more powerful than her physique is her desire to be close to a loving human companion -- even though humans have caused her so much suffering in the past.
Just as people have not done right by Gail, our society has let down the Pit Bull breed. Pits were once known as "the nanny dog" for their patience with children -- Petey from the Little Rascals was a Pit Bull (Pit Bull Rescue Central has a good history of the breed). But irresponsible owners, exploitation by dogfighters and sensationalized media coverage have given the breed such a bad reputation that a gentle dog like Gail will have a hard time finding a forever home, even with the help of rescues like Zani's Furry Friends. (Meet Zani's other adoptable dogs here.)
But you can help: Tell your friends about Pits, add an adoptable Pit-Bull search widget to your blog or Web site, volunteer with Pits at your local shelter or, even better, adopt a Pit Bull yourself. (Find out more ways you can help Pit Bulls).
Together, we can change the outlook for dogs like Gail.
Blog: National Pit Bull Awareness Day is this Saturday
ALL PIT BULL BLOG POSTS ON THE PETFINDER BLOG
Add an adoptable-Pit Bull search widget to your Web site
Article: Pit Bulls: The Myths, the Legends, the Reality
Article: The Truth About Pit Bull Adoption
Article: Things to Consider Before Adopting a Pit Bull
Article: Adoption Stories: A Tale of Two Pit Bulls
Article: Dog Adoption Checklist
Best Pit Bull Videos
More Pit Bull resources:
Bless the Bullys
Best Friends Animal Society's Pit Bulls: Saving America's Dog campaign
BAD RAP
Pit Bull Rescue Central
Animal Farm Foundation, Inc.
