Pit Bulls and my latest epiphany

I don’t know about you but sometimes I can get really involved in my assumptions or perceptions of the way things are. Those who know me know that I’m a huge animal lover, always have been, always will be. I took on the Pit Bull mission four years ago when I purchased my first Pit Bull dog. I knew nothing about the breed, negative nor positive, but have since bought and read as many books as I could (and still do) regarding this specific breed as well as dogs in general. At first, I was an irresponsible owner. I’m not going to beat myself up over anything (although I do from time to time) because we live and we learn and we do this at our own individual pace. I didn’t have all of the knowledge back when I first adopted my Pit girl and I didn’t make all the right decisions. The fact that I wanted to learn and wanted to change and make a positive difference makes me proud of myself. I’m not going to pat myself on the back though, I’m going to continue to learn and try to do the right thing.

A month ago if you asked me what I thought about breeding Pit Bulls, my blood pressure would rise along with my excessive heartbeats and I would confidently say I felt we should put a hold on breeding Pit Bulls. Why? Because there is an overpopulation of them, shelters consist of 80% or more of Pit Bull or Pit Bull type dogs, and thousands of them are dying each year because of this. Breeding them just didn’t make sense to me. I want the killing of Pit Bulls to end. Let’s just stop for a short time and regain control over this breed I would say. Since I’m a lover of Pits, and animals, it actually depresses me to see how many of them are “put down”. 

Thanks to Facebook, I’m able to connect and learn more from other Pit Bull owners and lovers all over the world. This one particular page seemed really cool, highlighting the breed and opening the doors to conversations between people in my town. The one thing that would bother me though was that so many people on this page were breeding their dogs (whether they had papers I don’t know, some I think did, some did not) and then trying to sell these pups and then later on some of the same people are sad and upset because they have to give up their beloved dog for one reason or another and seem desperate to find the dog a home or else… I don’t know where their dogs will end up. My guess is the local shelter. The same shelter that kills Pit Bulls within days of arriving without giving them the chance or exposure to find a “forever home” or being adopted or rescued.

After one Facebook argument I had on this page I was sick of these people on here and what I felt like was their ignorance. They were oblivious as to what was going on in the real world around them. I stuck with the page because of a couple reasons. One, was that I wanted to monitor and make sure nothing illegal was going on like dog fighting. I felt like I was this undercover spy. As long as I kept my opinions to myself, nobody would suspect what I was really doing on this page. Secondly, there were some people on here that really loved their Pit Bulls but had different lifestyles, which made me curious. They entered them into shows and competitions based on their physique, their agility, and their talents and skills. I’ve seen the dog shows on tv and I know there is a lifestyle such as this and it’s not wrong to society. So why should it be wrong to me?

I continued on with my opinions (keeping them to myself while on this page) but voicing them on my own Pit Bull page, blog, and to anybody wanting to listen. The other day I was reading another argument that somebody was having with the owner of that page expressing similar thoughts and emotions that I myself possess. As I continued to read I found myself learning something new. I’m not saying I’m in agreement at all with the page owner and his way of thinking. He made a clear point that I had never realized until now.

He bred Pit Bulls. He had papers and knew the bloodlines of both the mom and the dad. So he knew the mom and dad of the bitch and the mom and dad of the stud. It was like a family tree of Pit Bulls. This didn’t seem irresponsible to me. It sounded like he’s done some research and legwork into understanding his dogs. He bred healthy, championship dogs. He argued with the passionate shelter worker/dog rescue lady that his dogs were well taken care of and placed in good homes with other people like him who would pay a nice penny for his puppies and liked to show off their dog, compete them or just have expensive animals. At that moment I realized he wasn’t any different than the Yorkie breeder or the Golden Retriever breeder. Nobody is arguing with these people trying to get them to stop breeding their dogs.

Pit Bulls do have a negative reputation. Yes, some days it seems like it’s getting better but still there is so much going against them and even the people who own them. People that breed them don’t stand a chance to avoid scrutiny. This page owner stated the difference between himself and the people that breed mixed versions of Pit Bulls, also known as backyard breeders. He wouldn’t adopt from a shelter because he felt those dogs were improperly bred and sick with issues that cause problems. He wanted to know exactly where his dog came from and that’s when I also realized that there are people like that out there who want the same. The rescue lady tried to get the facts through to him, that she encounters hundreds of dogs that don’t make it out of the shelters, most of them Pits. Her heart is heavy with sadness because she loves the dogs, just like this other guy, but she has a heart for the underdog; the sad and depressed shelter dog just wanting to be loved. Her cause is different than this breeder’s cause.

Animal ID A228074_Room#:WD33 – 3 year old white male Pit Bull located in Orange Country Animal Services in Orlando, Florida. Available for adoption!

There are many people out there that want to adopt a dog and don’t care where they came from. Most behavioral issues can be easily fixed and help is out there more than ever. They want to bring this furry dog into their home and make them part of their family. That’s extremely noble and kind-hearted. That’s where I would put myself if I were to categorize. Maybe it’s because I was adopted as a baby and my parents had no idea what to expect from me. They had no idea what issues lurked inside me but they brought me home and into their family and never made me feel different or unwanted.

Then there are people who want to pay big bucks to buy a dog from a reputable breeder (hopefully). I could never see myself spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a dog, but that’s me. Just because I wouldn’t, doesn’t mean it’s wrong for others to do so. It’s not my place to judge.

The only problem I have now with this page owner is that although he is kind of contributing to the problem, indirectly, he seems oblivious to other important issues regarding this breed. He’s in the position where he could help out a lot with educating people and helping the cause but what he’s concerned with more is breeding awesome dogs and making some money off them (through selling the pups or showing his dogs in competitions). We can’t force anybody to do what we feel is the right thing. Our hearts break every time a dog is euthanized but this page owner isn’t concerned with what he feels are weak mixes of the breed. He wouldn’t even compare his dog to one from a shelter. I want to explain my comment that this guy indirectly contributes to the problem. The people that are interested in his puppies would never rescue a dog from a shelter. They want the same thing this guy wants, a good, solid bloodline. There is less chance of medical and behavior issues if you know your dog like they know theirs.

So I wouldn’t approach the argument by telling him to stop breeding as long as he’s doing it appropriately but rather ask for his help to stop other types of improper breeding rather than ignoring the problem. Some people just don’t care about what goes on in the world as long as it isn’t happening to them or involving them in any way. Personally, I don’t feel this is the right way to roam the earth. I enjoy helping people and animals. I love seeing dogs finding loving homes just like I love seeing children finding loving homes.

I know that we don’t always learn about things until they directly affect us. Why would you care about BSL if you own a Poodle, Beagle or Labrador Retriever? Why would you care at all about the agony and struggle Pit Bull owners go through on a day to day? Maybe you don’t have to if you own a Border Collie, Maltese or a Chihuahua. But this page owner owns and breeds Pit Bulls. BSL and breed discrimination can and will affect him. When he moves to a new place or his town decides that they want to ban all Pit Bulls maybe then he’ll take a stand and fight for what we are all fighting against; Irresponsible breeders, irresponsible owners and breed discrimination.

What I discovered with reading this argument was that both sides love Pit Bulls. Both sides want to enjoy life with their dogs without worrying about discriminating laws, negative attitudes, and false myths hyped by social media. We all want to be happy. There is no reason to stop breeding Pit Bulls in the proper way. After all, we don’t want them to become extinct. But we do want to put an end to irresponsible owners and irresponsible breeding. There are plenty of dogs in the shelters looking for good homes and have good bloodlines. Bloodlines as good as any backyard breeder can provide. The fight needs to focus on eliminating these types of breeders and we can do this by creating harsher laws and consequences that will prevent this from happening again.

Fighting for this cause will not hurt the page owner if he is following the laws of breeding which I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is. There needs to be a common ground of understanding and respect for this to play out right. Joining forces, both sides (pro-breeder and anti-breeders) can work together to eliminate the “real” problem and come to a happy compromise. The anti-breeder lady is not in the right by trying to convince this guy to change his ways and place the guilt of thousands of killed Pit Bulls on his conscious. Nor is the pro-breeding page owner right for ignoring the truth as to what’s going on and not offering any assistance with fixing the problem when he benefits greatly from indirectly helping it.

Both sides are passionate, good and right. What it comes down to is money, ignorance, how blind to the world you want to be, and how close-minded you’re going to remain when in fact these same problems that rescue groups and individual animal lovers are fighting for do indeed affect you. I’m not saying the pro-breeder should to take up a new cause, (even though he will be thankful when he doesn’t have to worry about laws interfering with his business; i.e. banning Pit Bulls means no more breeding Pit Bulls) but as the dedicated rescuers know, all it takes is a little bit of effort from everybody to eradicate the problem.

Backyard breeders and irresponsible owners lead the way to an overpopulation of unwanted Pit Bulls, some of which have medical and behavior issues due to their unknown, cross-bred heritage due to improper breeding. Behavior issues and irresponsible ownership of Pit Bulls leads to human and animal injuries/fatalities. Human and animal injuries and fatalities, mixed with skewed media coverage and false myths, leads to the banning of the breed or BSL. Therefore backyard breeders and irresponsible Pit Bull owners lead to the deaths of thousands of dogs, excessive government and taxpayer expenses, and the discrimination and legalized banning of Pit Bulls. 

Seems pretty clear to me. We need more education, training, awareness, and some positive reinforcement. Let the pro-breeder’s champion dog be a mascot for eliminating backyard breeders. Maybe he can even make some money off endorsements. I say, whatever it takes, because we all want the same thing. It’s not about who has the bigger, badass dog or about who is right and wrong with how they choose to live their life. It’s about doingwhat’s right and not discriminating any person or any breed of dog. Punish the ones responsible for causing the problem and leave the others alone. Let’s focus on eliminating the source of the problem while we work on educating the world about the truths of the Pit Bull.

Belfast, Ireland : A city that judges as if they were some god, while lacking any godly qualities

Sometimes I just don’t get it. We have countries where families are purposely aborting and murdering baby girls because they’re too expensive to raise, we have countries taken over by drug mafia organizations and dumping bodies on the highways, we have countries making money off enslaving and trafficking young women for sex, we have countries torturing their citizens until they obey some higher authority.

There’s a lot of negativity out there and it’s all over the news and media resources. These are important and serious issues and should be a concern.

So when I’m reading one of the many dog stories that passes through my inbox I’m completely disgusted as to why this particular city in this particular country is purposely creating negativity when the world has come forth to promote a healthy and positive alternative where no injustice is done.

Belfast, Northern Ireland is where this injustice is located. All because someone thought they knew more than they did and the result cost a family, and now thousands of people worldwide extreme heartache.

Lennox is a family dog. He was 5 years old at the time Belfast City Council Dog Wardens seized him from his family’s home. He is an American Bull Dog-Labrador mix, up to date on his shots and vaccinations, neutered, never had any complaints, never showed signs of aggression since they raised him as a pup. But because of the size of his muzzle and rear legs (measurements taken by a non-professional dog anything) he was taken from his family to be put to death by the Council.

Two years later, Lennox’s human family, including the family’s 11-year-old disabled daughter who didn’t understand why they would want to kill her best friend, still haven’t been allowed to see or visit their beloved dog and are still fighting the fight to save his life. One court battle after another.

I’m not going to go into all of the details like the contradicting stories from the Belfast Dog Wardens about Lennox’s aggressive demeanor and testimony that one particular warden states she is terrified of this dog when photos surfaced of the friendly dog licking this same warden’s face. I’m not going to go into all of the details about how this story has reached numerous countries and tens of thousands of educated dog trainers, owners, rescues and advocates, all offering assistance any way they can. 

Lennox has been offered a home in many US states, several countries, other parts of Ireland that aren’t stuck in ignorant and foolish ways of thinking. Cesar Milan from the Dog Whisperer and his organization has offered to help, Victoria Stilwell, renowned dog trainer and author has offered her help. People from all over the world, with an actual education in animal and dog studies have come forth to support this current problem, that shouldn’t even be a problem.

It’s one thing when you have problem issues like cancer, a disease that we don’t have a cure for and aren’t exactly sure how we contract it. If a cancer expert came up to a cancer patient and said, I’ve found a way that makes the disease go away, wouldn’t you give it a try?

Or would you prefer the chemist major that created a new drug that hasn’t been tested or the sales rep that wants to make a quick million by covering the symptoms temporarily with a special pill?

What exactly is the point Belfast City Council is trying to make? Why are we going through heartache and using up all of our energy to fight for something that should be common sense. It’s bigger of a person to own up to the mistake and admit they’re wrong than continue to follow through and create more wrongs along the way. But cowards don’t usually act that way. Ignorant minds either. Sociopaths as well for that matter. 

In this case, Belfast is wrong. They didn’t have qualified dog experts to say that this dog is or is not a particular breed. They didn’t give a warning or alternative to killing a family dog. There is nothing educated at all behind Belfast’s City Council’s actions and I’m sorry I ever gave them any credit for anything.

There is a problem according to Belfast City Council. They don’t want any Pit Bulls, or dogs they consider Pit Bulls, in their city. I won’t say I understand but I’ll respect their rules. What doesn’t make sense is that there are alternative solutions to this problem at hand. Solutions that won’t break an 11-year-old’s heart and inhumanely kill her best friend. A solution that wouldn’t cost this family, and the huge group of supporters, heartache, money, and time.

Why can’t Belfast City Council take one of the many alternatives with re-homing the dog out of the country with one of many rescue organizations? Why can’t Belfast allow experienced, professional dog trainers assess the situation and re-habilitate or help re-home Lennox?

The only educated answer to their actions leading up until now is power. Somebody in Belfast has got a hard-on for wasting time, energy, and money as well as making the lives of even it’s own law-abiding citizens completely miserable. I can name a few other leaders in history that acted like this. Their evil beliefs caused nothing but damage.

It starts with Lennox. Next is you and me. Please stop the ignorance. Swallow your pride and deflate your ego because there are other more serious battles out there with no solution. This one has a plethora of non-violent solutions if you simply act like a human with a heart.

Let’s wake up and notice what’s really going on. Let’s punish the right people and leave the responsible citizens alone to enjoy life with their family, including the furry four-legged kind. The discrimination must end. Haven’t we learned ANYTHING from history?

My heart goes out to you, Lennox, and the Barnes’ family!