How to Participate in National Pit Bull Awareness Day

Brie, a Pit Bull Up for Adoption at It's the Pits Dog Rescue, San Diego, CA

Each year at the end of October, a date is designated as "National Pit Bull Awareness Day." In 2009, for instance, it will be celebrated on Saturday, Oct. 24.

It started in 2007 when a woman named Jodi Preis, founder of Bless the Bullys, a pit bull rescue in Cookeville, Tennessee, felt it was "time for responsible pit bull owners to take a stand and band together to show the world how wonderful this breed is." Says Jodi, "Pit bulls are not the problem. Bad owners are the problem. And we are the solution."

Pit Bulls are easily the most misunderstood and mistreated breed of dog in the world. They have a reputation for being vicious, yet are no more prone to viciousness than any other breed. Only difference is: they are stronger than most breeds. They are also one of the more loyal and loving breeds, which unfortunately makes them better candidates for being trained to fight, as they want to please their owners.

According to Wendy Fisher, a pit bull guardian who works at the Canine Adoption and Rescue League in Ventura, California, pit bulls do extremely well on the "Canine Good Citizen" test.

"From my years' experience, pit bulls are the most people-friendly, children-friendly, human-social and passed temperament tests higher than most breeds," she says.

And tragically, because of their undeserved reputation, shelters are filled with pit bulls, most of which will never make it out to loving homes. They are often used to fight or breed, and when their owners are done with them they simply discard them. Often, the types of people who think it's "cool" or "tough" to have a pit bull don't make the most caring, responsible guardians.

Pit bulls are also often victims of breed-specific legislation (banned in certain areas), not permitted in most rental properties and cause their owners to be charged higher insurance rates. All of these factors contribute to the high abandonment rate and destruction of innocent pit bulls.

It doesn't have to be this way, however, when all it takes is some education and awareness about the training, socialization and care of the breed.

Here is how to participate in National Pit Bull Awareness Day.

Instructions

1. Attend events related to Pit Bull Awareness Day or host one of your own. Activities are planned throughout the United States and Canada, including bully breed adoptions, free spay/neutering for pit bulls and pit bull mixes, free training sessions for bully breeds, bully breed pet fairs featuring trainers, agility demonstrations and costume contests, peaceful gatherings/sidewalk marches--and if you're in the Seattle/Tacoma area--you are even invited to pamper your pit with a free indoor swim at a doggie spa.

2. Educate yourself about pit bulls and learn more about International Pit Bull Awareness Day. Bless the Bullys website is a good place to start (see Resources below). Visit other pit bull rescue sites as well, especially ones in your area.

3. If there is legislation in your area that bans pit bulls or a pending ban, educate as many people as you can about why this is unfair and discriminatory. Leasing companies, property managers and realtors are important people to target for discriminatory practices against specific breeds of dogs, including pit bulls. Start petitions and letter-writing campaigns aimed at your local legislators to ban breed-specific legislation.

4. Educate your children and other children about pit bulls. Read "Max, the Shelter Dog" by Nicole Rivera to your kids. This is a story for young readers about a pit bull named "Max" who is abandoned at a shelter by his family. The story is told from Max's perspective as he endures his journey through the shelter system in hopes of finding a new family. Through Max's ordeal, children learn about animal shelters, compassion, hope and the urgency of adopting pets. They will be leaders of the generation that will hopefully put an end to animal shelters for good.

5. Visit the Kids for Pits website, which is sponsored by "Max, the Shelter Dog" (see Resources). Children that live with pit bulls can share stories of their pit bulls and post photos. You can also purchase copies of the book through the website, and for an indefinite amount of time if you buy one book, you will receive another copy for free to donate to your local library, elementary school or child's class.

6. If you have a pit bull as a pet, blog about your pittie, subscribe to other pit bull blogs, post stories and photos of your pitbull on forums and websites dedicated to the breed. Share videos of your pittie on YouTube, Facebook and MySpace.

7. If you're looking to add a dog to your family, consider a pit bull. They are a loyal, loving and fun breed. And lord knows, they need rescuing. You might also want to consider fostering a pit bull until he/she is placed in a forever home. There is always a shortage of fosters, especially for pit bulls, since there are so many that need homes.

Tips & Warnings

• Famous people who have lived with or live with pit bulls include: Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire, Fatty Arbuckle, Mel Brooks, Jon Stewart, Alicia Silverstone, Michael J. Fox, Brad Pitt (makes sense), Madonna, Linda Blair, Jan Michael Vincent, Ken Howard, Mary Tyler Moore, James Caan, Barbara Eden, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Jamie Foxx, Vin Diesel, Rachael Ray, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Shannon Elizabeth, Bernadette Peters, Pink, Usher, Kevin Federline, comedian Sinbad, Cesar Millan and Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker Joey Porter. Oh, but then there was also John Steinbeck, James Ellroy, President Woodrow Wilson, General George Patton, Helen Keller and Thomas Edison (inventor of the light bulb, not too shabby).

• "Petey" from "The Little Rascals" was a pit bull and so was "Buster Brown's" dog "Tige."

• Actress Linda Blair founded a well-known organization outside of Los Angeles called Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation that rescues mainly pit bulls from overcrowded shelters and the streets (see Resources).

• A former gang counselor named Tia Torres founded Villalobos Rescue Center, a 10-acre facility outside of Los Angeles tended by ex-prisoners, that is devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating and placing abandoned, neglected and abused pit bulls in loving homes (see Resources).

• Exercise caution when approaching a pit bull that has been abused or raised to fight. It's best to seek the help of someone more experienced or an organization dedicated to animal rescue. Most abused or neglected dogs, including pit bulls, can be rehabilitated to experience the life and love they were never given.

Resources

• National Pit Bull Awareness Campaign
• Kids for Pits
• Max, the Shelter Dog
• Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation
• Villalobos Rescue Center