Perceptions of the Pitbull can Change.

Posted on May 21, 2010 by JW

I have been bringing my dog Rocky (boxer pit-bull mix) to pretty much all of my son’s baseball games this year and I noticed something his last game we were at. Normally when I bring rocky to almost any public area, I get mixed results, people stare sometimes with that look like why in the world would I bring a pit-bull to where kids are right? I have actually heard people say this to their kids who want to come and pet Rocky, they usually say something along the lines of “Stay away from the dog, he’s too big and might bite blah blah blah” or whatever people say. Since he is mixed, a lot of people assume he is either a boxer, or a pit-bull and some actually get it right that he is both. I have had people come up and pet him not thinking he was a pit, and once I tell them he is a pit boxer mix, the look on their faces is priceless, the instant fear in their eyes and they dont know how to react, usually it’s just like “oh, he doesn’t act like a pitbull”. really? whatever.

Anyways, so I think most people have seen me with Rocky now at these games and all of sudden people have been coming up to pet him without any fear, adults, little kids and even older people. There was even a point where 6 little kids from another team around the ages of 5-8 were all there at the same time petting him. I also noticed how calm Rocky was, even with all these strange people coming up to him, wagging his whip of tail fast, getting the body wiggle going, which everyone seems love, how hard his tail is, it’s pretty funny.

I use to fear not that he bite anyone, but that he likes to jump up on people, and he is quick, so I was always cautious of that because he is about as tall as the little kids, especially on his back legs. I think the fact that he is out in public with all these other dogs, and people of all ages I personally can see the change in him and the people around that meet him. You can from the picture above that he is just relaxing around another dog that one of the other parents had there, normally the parent wouldn’t bring his golden around Rocky, but all of sudden he did, and they played a little bit, and I think people saw that and realized maybe my dog wasn’t a dog fighting machine that would maul you. I know, sounds stupid, but that’s the first thing people think when you hear pitbull, Dog Fighting, and Mauling. Unfortunately that’s the assumption that pops in most people minds when they are in front a pitbull type dog.

I think it’s important to show that it’s not the dogs that are aggressive, but how they are raised and trained. Obviously there is always going to be a dog that is aggressive, but for the most part, if you train your dog, socialize it around other animals and people, this will help release the fear of people and of the dog. I believe that any dog, big or small can change stereo types and preconceived perceptions that cause those fears.

Congratulations also to my son’s baseball team as well, they have won two in a row.

Dog Bites

Posted on May 19, 2010 by JW

Petey from Little Rascals

There are a lot of people out there today who have an opinion on whether specific breed targeting (“banning”) is a good thing or bad thing. Most advocates of the BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) believe that certain types of dogs should be banned, and in some states and countries this has already taken effect. Others believe in the punishment for the crime, not the breed. I believe that this debate will go on forever; you will have people on either sides that are unable to hear the other side’s point of view.

At the moment “Pitbulls” are the number one target for persecution. It usually ends being what the popular dog of the day is, and pitbulls are that dog today. Just look at Petey there to your right, Pitbulls were loved when the media showed them for something other than violent, vicious man eating dogs like they did in Little Rascals. Pitbulls were thought to be loyal and trustworthy a long time ago. Now, unfortuanetly a completely different image pops in the minds of people when they hear “Pitbull”.

All dogs bite, they all have teeth and they all are capable of biting. Obviously getting bit by a German Shepard, Pit or Rott is going to be more severe and damaging then getting bit by a miniature dog such a small Poodle, Shitzu, Pomeranian or a Chihuahua; although you are more likely to get bitten by one of the smaller dogs than the bigger ones.

Why do dogs bite?

Dogs can bite for many reasons; they may bite if they feel threatened, angry, afraid or hurt. I was always taught as a young kid to never show fear to a dog or they will bite. We never owned any dogs when I was a kid, but for some reason I remember being told that and I think maybe these days people are more fixated on what’s being told and shown on TV and through the media instead of thinking about it logically or even really trying to understand the situation.

Yes, there are dumb ass owners out there that do not know how to train or take care of a dog, and sometimes certain things can make a dog more aggressive, like being locked up all the time away from people and other animals, or getting physically and mentally abused.

Socialization is a huge part of a dog’s personality, if they are not allowed to be around people and other animals, they will bite and attack things they fear and do not know. If you socialize your dog at a young age with people and other animals, in the dogs mind they are no longer afraid of the unknown and they have a better chance of not reacting in a defensive way.

The bond between a child and a dog can be great for that child’s emotional and physical health, but kids need to be educated on what not to do with a dog in the house as well. Young children under the age of 10 usually don’t know how to treat a dog, they think they are toys that they can do whatever they want with. As the parent and dog owner, it’s important that parents are encouraged to show their children how to treat all dogs with the greatest respect for their own personal safety.

Kids Safety around Dogs:

Teach them to never go face to face with any dog, or even going down to their level would be bad.
Dogs are protective in nature; kids need to know that even though the neighbor’s dog for instance has always been friendly to them, that dogs will almost always protect their own space and the space of their owners. Eating and sleeping areas, yards, porches, and parked cars are some examples. Most dog bites of small children are from dogs that they are already familiar with, like a neighbor’s dog or family dog.
Kids should always be taught not to approach stray dogs, you never know what the temperament of the dog is, and better to stay away than to take a chance with a stray. No different from telling them to never talk to strangers.
Sick or injured dogs may be afraid or irritable and should be avoided by children.
Most children’s dog bite injuries occur during play with a dog they know. A dog that is excited or nervous can bite by mistake. Children should be taught not to play fight, tease, yell at, or chase dogs or other animals.
Do not leave your kids alone with a dog, especially children under 10, no matter how good you think your dog is.

Dog bites can happen with any dog at anytime, in my opinion to single out one breed as more dangerous as another is irresponsible and ignorant. The reason I believe people are so quick to judge the pits, rots and other labeled “dangerous” dogs is fear, or just plain don’t understand it. The media loves dog bites involving Pitbulls and Pit mixes and they will cause more fear than good from doing so.

Now, on the other side of that is some dogs when they do bite it will hurt more than others. German Sheppards, Labs, and some other bigger breed dogs are known to bite and bite hard too, but you don’t hear about those as much anymore. When you get a specific breed that is popular, like the pitbull is currently, you get a lot of over breeding, misconceptions, and incest breeding to meet demand. It’s the oldest thing, supply and demand.

I will end this with just saying being a responsible person, whether you are a parent, dog owner, even someone who doesn’t like animals, having at least some basic understanding of dogs will help avoid potential bad situations. Hope this helps some people understand the fears a little bit more. I know some people are set in their ways and no matter what it’s all blah blah to them, but I think understanding things and how they work is better than just assuming that things should be a certain way. Have a good day

-JW

Caleb and Rocky Video

Posted on February 27, 2010 by JW

Was bored this morning and thought I would take a quick video of Rocky and Caleb together. I’ll try to get better quality ones in the future, this was just the first

I hope this video at least shows how well-behaved both dogs are.

My Veiw on Pitbulls and Parolees Show

Posted on February 25, 2010 by JW

I was checking out the Villalobos Rescue Center (Pitbulls and Parolees APL Show) website today and noticed this disclamer at the bottom of their about page.

“ Visits are by APPOINTMENT ONLY!!
Due to the increasing number of people showing up that have become obsessed fans, stalkers or that think we are a public zoo, we now have to take control of the situation. We are a sanctuary for these animals and the last thing they want or need is someone coming by just to “check them out”. We DO NOT give tours or allow the public to walk around like the animal shelter. Visitations are for those adopting, boarding or training only. This is not only for liability reasons, but for the sake of the privacy of these animals that have already had a tough life.
Please respect that.
If you are interested in visiting, you MUST call and make an appointment.For those of you, who think you’re “special” and are planning on just “dropping by”, we have a surprise waiting for you at the front gate…..
(Link was removed on their site)

It just made me laugh. I can only imagine how many people just randomly show up there now since the show aired.

Basically Pitbulls and Parolees is a show on Animal Planet, documentary type show of a Pitbull Rescue Group. From what I understand that they have around 150-200 pitbulls on any given day on a 10 acre plot of land located in the high desert in California. It’s a really good show, and they do a lot of work it seems like. Not going to dig to much into it, just wanted to share this part that is on their website that I found hilarious. They seem like a group that Works Hard and likes to Play hard as well, fun group.

Animal Shelter Post on Craigslist

Posted on February 24, 2010 by JW

Found this on Craigslist today. I normally don’t post up other people’s things, but I thought this was strong enough to do so. It was posted by someone who is anonymous. It’s a strong opinion and I should be clear it is not my opinion nor did I write this. But reading it I did find it to be a strong message and thought I would post it anyways.

“I think our society needs a huge “Wake-up” call. As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all…a view from the inside if you will. First off, all of you people who have ever surrendered a pet to a shelter or humane society should be made to work in the “back” of an animal shelter for just one day. Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would stop flagging the ads on craigslist and help these animals find homes. That puppy you just bought will most likely end up in my shelter when it’s not a cute little puppy anymore. Just so you know there’s a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it’s dumped at? Purebred or not! About 25% of all of the dogs that are “owner surrenders” or “strays”, that come into a shelter are purebred dogs.

The most common excuses: “We are moving and we can’t take our dog (or cat).” Really? Where are you moving too that doesn’t allow pets? Or they say “The dog got bigger than we thought it would”. How big did you think a German Shepherd would get? “We don’t have time for her”. Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs! “She’s tearing up our yard”. How about making her a part of your family? They always tell me “We just don’t want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she’ll get adopted, she’s a good dog”.

Odds are your pet won’t get adopted & how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you, your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off. Sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn’t full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies. Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it. If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers in that day to take him/her for a walk. If I don’t, your pet won’t get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose. If your dog is big, black or any of the “Bully” breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogs just don’t get adopted. It doesn’t matter how ‘sweet’ or ‘well behaved’ they are.

If your dog doesn’t get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed. If the shelter isn’t full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get a stay of execution, but not for long . Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment. If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because the shelter gets paid a fee to euthanize each animal and making money is better than spending money to take this animal to the vet.

Here’s a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being “put-down”. First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk happy, wagging their tails. Until they get to “The Room”, every one of them freaks out and puts on the brakes when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there, it’s strange, but it happens with every one of them. Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 shelter workers depending on the size and how freaked out they are. Then a shelter worker who we call a euthanasia tech (not a vet) find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the “pink stuff”. Hopefully your pet doesn’t panic from being restrained and jerk. I’ve seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams. They all don’t just “go to sleep”, sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves. You see shelters are trying to make money to pay employee pay checks and don’t forget the board of directors needs to be paid too, so we don’t spend our funds to tranquilize the animal before injecting them with the lethal drug, we just put the burning lethal drug in the vein and let them suffer until dead. If it were not a “making money issue” and we had to have a licensed vet do this procedure, the animal would be sedated or tranquilized and then euthanized, but to do this procedure correctly would cost more money so we do not follow what is right for the animal, we just follow what is the fastest way we can make a dollar. Shelters do not have to have a vet perform their euthanasia’s so even if it takes our employee 50 pokes with a needle and 3 hours to get the vein that is what we do. Making money is the issue here not loosing money.

When it all ends, your pets corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed waiting to be picked up like garbage. What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? Or used for the schools to dissect and experiment on? You’ll never know and it probably won’t even cross your mind. It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right!

I hope that those of you who still have a beating heart and have read this are bawling your eyes out and can’t get the pictures out of your head, I deal with this everyday. I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate that it will always be there unless you people make some changes and start educating the public. Do research, do your homework, and know exactly what you are getting into before getting a pet. These shelters and humane societies exist because people just do not care about animals anymore. Animals were not intended to be disposable but somehow that is what they are these days. Animal shelters are an easy way out when you get tired of your dog (or cat).

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I just hope I maybe changed one persons mind about taking their dog to a shelter, a humane society, or buying a dog. For those of you that care. “

PETA? (A.K.A. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

Posted on February 19, 2010 by JW

Found this article today. Never been a fan of any activist groups anyways, but this is ridiculous.

Click here to See the Article

“I am basically just going to go through the noteworthy parts of the article. Click on the link above to read the whole article.

From what I know of PETA, they perceive themselves as Animal Ethical Rights group that do whatever they can to help animals in need right?

Now if that’s true, how would you feel about an organization that says it’s for the humane treatment of all animals and found out that they actually killed over 21,000 (21,339 to be exact) animals in 10 years while only adopting out 3,083? Probably would think differently of them right?

In the article it claims that PETA claimed a $9,370 write-off for a huge walk in freezer. Animal rights people don’t eat meat right or Dairy products? A PETA manager testified under oath that the freezer was used to store the bodies of the animals they put down.

Why? It’s a business plain and simple. It costs money to feed and treat these animals as they are awaiting for a suitable home. PETA apparently takes in approx. $30 Million a year. Most of the money they receive is taken in from donations that are sold as helping animals. Yeah, apparently helping PETA Steal animals and put them down when they don’t have anywhere to put them. Just dumb.

They even enlist the help of Celebrities to help there “cause”. I am pretty sure they are bidding for Michael Vick to be there spokes person. Amazing to me that PETA Actually has killed more dogs than Vick than has. Probably not in as a cruel way as Vick did, but the same result.

Now, with all that said, lets look at the other side of it.

PETA claims it only euthanized animals that have no other choice. Animals that are so abused, tortured that when they recieve them that they have no choice but to Euthanize the animal. I’ll buy that for the most part, I know that some of the animals they probalby get are so far gone that the humane thing might be to put them down. Although, it’s hard to believe that in over 21,000 animals in ten years, that out of all those animals, at least half were just not in a position to be saved? That’s hard to believe.

(The group is better known for its public condemnations of everyone from fashion designer Donna Karan for her use of fur to the National Cancer Institute for its animal research.) In defense of its policy PETA has insisted that euthanasia is a necessary evil in a world full of unwanted pets. But while the group has some well-known allies, including the Humane Society of the United States, a growing number of animal rights activists claim to have found a better, more humane way.) Quote from Newsweek in 2008“

I think I will stick with Rescue organizations. Even the the Humane Society still puts animals down. Make your own opinion based on evidence, but activists people always will come off nut cases to me. I think if you are going to advertise your self as a organization that helps others in need, whether it be people or animals, then be true to what your write. Instead I see PETA as a bully, someone who gets in your face an tells you how to act and be, but does the very thing themselves they tell you not to be. And you know what, there will always be people who are blind to facts, and only believe the words that roll off of a real good salesman’s tongue. I think euthanizing a dog or cat because they ran out of room is just ridiculous, they are alternatives, but usually take the easier way.

Anyways, enough ranting from me, Hope everyone is having a good day. Thanks for reading.

Rocky’s Status

Posted on February 17, 2010 by JW

So if you read my earlier post (Rocky’s Visit to the Vet) about his Ear hematoma, still not better. Took him back to the Pet Clinic last Saturday because he decided it was better to eat his cone collar than to let his ear heal. Anyways, they had to drain it again, and bandaged it again. Well, they told me to look at it today and it’s actually worse then when i brought him in on Saturday. Guess I’ll have to take him back and see what they say. Hope it’s not surgery because I really can’t afford that right now. I’ll post pics up in a couple of days on here, so be sure to check back if you want to see the pics.

Pitbull Ban in Denver? O_o

Posted on February 12, 2010 by JW

This is an old story, but I think if you read it, you will see how dumb it is to ban a breed of dog for how it looks instead of judging the owners and dogs itself, not the breed. My comments will be in red and at the bottom. Enjoy.

Here’s a link to the full article

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8644998/

July 29, 2005

DENVER - A few weeks ago, two police cars and two animal control vehicles pulled up at the home of Stef’ny Steffan looking for her beloved 4-year-old pit bull, Xena. Seven officers hauled the animal off to the city shelter, putting her on death row.

Xena became an outlaw after Denver won a court fight and reinstated one of the toughest pit-bull bans in the nation. Since May, more than 380 dogs have been impounded and at least 260 destroyed — an average of more than three a day. <– That is just sad, 260 Destroyed just for looking like a Pitbull, that is just disgusting to me. Not sure what the number is today, but I can guarantee it’s a lot higher than 260 since this article was written almost 5 years ago.

Dog owners are in a panic. Some are using an underground railroad of sorts, sending their pets to live elsewhere or hiding them from authorities. City officials would not estimate how many people might be violating the ordinance.

Some owners, like Steffan, have won a reprieve for their pets with help from a rescue group. The group got Xena released by signing an affidavit stating that the animal would never return to Denver. The group took the dog to Mariah’s Promise in Divide, an animal sanctuary that has accepted more than three dozen pit bulls from Denver.

Many dogs living ‘underground’
For Steffan and her partner, Gina Black, leaving Xena 60 miles from home was a lousy option but the only one they had.

“It’s safer than animal control. Safer than keeping her underground — at least she’ll be able to play now,” Steffan said. “But she’ll miss us. We’re her pack.”

Denver is one of three major metropolitan areas, along with Miami and Cincinnati, to ban pit bulls, according to Glen Bui, vice president of the American Canine Foundation.

Pit bull typically describes three kinds of dogs — the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Denver’s ban applies to any dog that looks like a pit bull. The animal’s actual behavior does not matter. <–How stupid is that?

David Zalubowski / AP

Xena, a 4-year-old pit bull, sits in the back of a vehicle as she is reunited with her owners Gina Black, Tom Hubbard and Stef’ny Steffen outside the Denver Animal Shelter June 23. Xena was released from the shelter to a pit bull rescue group in Colorado Springs, Colo.

City Councilman Charlie Brown said that in his judgment, “pit bulls are trained to attack. They’re bred to do that.” <– Obviously and Idiot.

Critics of the ban use words like “annihilation” and “genocide,” and the city shelter has received e-mails likening animal control officers to Nazis. <– remember how that turned out?

“Breed bans are just a knee-jerk reaction to something that happened in the community,” Bui said. <– Agreed

Breed-specific ban criticized
Denver banned pit bulls in 1989 after dogs mauled a minister and killed a boy in separate attacks. The Legislature passed a law in 2004 that prohibited breed-specific bans, but the city sued and a judge ruled in April the law was an unconstitutional violation of local control.

Critics of the ordinance say that a blanket ban on an entire breed is misguided that the law should instead target irresponsible owners and all dangerous dogs.

“If anyone says one dog is more likely to kill — unless there’s a study out there that I haven’t seen — that’s not based on scientific data,” said Julie Gilchrist, a doctor at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who researches dog bites.

The CDC, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Humane Society of the United States examined 20 years of dog-bite data and concluded that pit bulls and Rottweilers caused the most deaths. <– That may be true, but since they base all their data on the looks of the dog, and not necessarily if it’s really a type of pit, I would have to say it’s hard to believe that all the data is accurate. Also, I didn’t see them put Rotts in there ban.

But the researchers also noted that fatal attacks represent a small proportion of dog-bite injuries and that the number of bites per breed simply seems to rise with their popularity.

At the city shelter, pit bulls are cordoned off from other dogs in what has become death row. Nearly 100 pit bulls have been released to live outside the county. A nonresident must guarantee the dog will never return to Denver.

Sonya Dias, who is moving out of Denver because of the ban, said she was a little intimidated by her pit bull when she first saw him. But “when I said, ‘Hey little doggie,’ his whole body just started wagging.” Gryffindor is staying at Mariah’s Promise until Dias sells her home. <– I love the body wiggle that pits do, if you haven’t seen it, it’s really funny

“He’s been dangerous to a couple of pairs of shoes and some mini-blinds,” Dias said. “But otherwise he’s a jewel.” <– Nice answer

My Thoughts on the article:

Ok, well, I believe people are entitled to their own opinion, but I think specific breed bans is just not right. I love my dog to death, and if someone came into my house and told me that because some pencil pusher decided to pass some law that they were allowed to come in my house, take my dog, and DESTROY him because he looks like a Pitbull to say the least would be horrible. My dog is like my child and how would you feel if someone came and took your child? You tell me, don’t you think that’s a bit ridiculous and unconstitutional? Doesn’t that sound like some other things in history? Oh, how about the Germans rounding up the Jews? Or, how about even here, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, We decided to round all the japanese up ( even the ones that looked Japanese) and lock em up, just for being a certain race or look? Does that sound right to you?

Think about it, especially if you are one of those so called supporters of the ban across the US, whether or not if you have owned one of these dogs or not, the underlying text there should make you sick.

I am sure someone out there will say they know someone who was attacked or killed by a Pit and this is how they justify killing and banning a “dog breed”, which is understandable; but I am sure there was a German out there somewhere that could say the same thing about a Jewish person killing or attacking someone they know, would it make it right to round all the Jews up and kill them off at the time of the Nazis? I don’t think so.

You may think my comparisons are extreme, but if you think about it, how are they really different? These dogs can not say how they feel on the subject right? So whether you like dogs or can’t stand them, the idea of killing these animals (because virtually sending them to the pound is a death sentence), is just wrong and someone needs to speak for these animals that can’t help being what they are.

Anyways, that’s my thoughts the “Denver” Breed Ban. Obviously the fact that they classify a dog based on looks is funny in itself.

Caleb needs a home to call his own :)

Posted on January 29, 2010 by JW

Caleb was born without a home to call his own. He was born on February 8th 2009, and he is a Pitbull mix, not sure what he is mixed with, but is a great dog with a great personality to boot.

His mom was found pregnant abandoned in one of the foster home’s neighborhood. The foster home took her in and asked the rescue to help her and the pups. She gave birth to Caleb and his siblings and was raised with his mom in the foster home until they were around 7 to 8 weeks old. The pups then went to foster homes until they were all adopted.

Caleb was the spunky one of the litter and very smart. He loved to play in the back yard with the kids. He even did a photo shoot for Purina dog food. He did very good job, listened very well, and did what he was told.

He was previously adopted to a family that had him for around 5 months. They then called the rescue to say they wanted to return him because he was to hyper for their children. The rescue explained to them he would need a lot of exercise and to be stimulated due to him being so smart. I personally don’t believe he is too hyper; he does need exercise as do most dogs, and he is a very loving dog. So Caleb is back in the rescue and in my home until he finds the right family for him.

Caleb is a very spirited dog, and loves being around people and other dogs a lot. He is great with kids. From my experience with him, he has been a great dog with my son and my other dog Rocky. He does need a family who is active, and possibly a family with another dog already that is as playful as he is. He is great with cats as well.