Why own one?

Why own a pit bull? This slide show by Andrea with Iowa City Animal Care and Control says it better than I ever could.

Canadian Breed Ban Challenge

An appeal of a 2007 court ruling banning Pit Bulls in Ottawa, Canada gets underway today in Toronto. The basis of the appeal is that the ban is unconstitutional and too vague because the definition of pit bull is too broad. This is problem with all breed bans. In addition to stereotyping breed behaviors, these bans often put animal control officers in the unenviable task of trying to determine if a dog is in fact a pit bull or not, a decision that is ultimately a death sentence for the dog. Think it's easy to identify a Pit Bull? Take the test, and see how you do.

I'll be keepng an eye on this story and let you know how it turns out.

Vick dogs prove rehab can work!

One of the reoccurring arguments that has lead to the Death of 1000's of ex-fighting dogs is that they cannot be rehabilitated. There is this belief that once a dog has been submitted to that type of violent abuse, they will never be suitable for human contact. The folks at Best Friends are proving that wrong.

"Vicktory Kennels" is the new home for 22 of the most gravely abused dogs rescued from NFL Quarterback Michael Vick's dog fighting compound. These dogs show the physical and mental scars of years of abusive training and fighting. In most cases they would have been euthanized within days of being rescued. But Best Friends' leadership, legal staff and animal care experts worked behind the scenes to ensure the dogs’ future, even as other groups (shockingly including PETA and the Humane society) pushed for them to be euthanized.

Since taking them in, the staff at Best Friends has made great strides with the Dogs, some of which was chronicled on the National Geographic Channel show Dogtown. This should prove to be a very valuable experiment. If they can take these dogs and rehab them to the point where they are suitable for adoption by experienced and qualified owners it will go a long way in disproving the myth that fighting dogs need to head straight for the needle.

I have a bit of experience in this area. Though Bella's life before we adopted her was a mystery, her scars and behavior pointed to a life as a bait dog, one that was restrained and used to train other more aggressive dogs. When we first adopted Bella she was extremely shy and pretty dog aggressive. Through months of diligent work and loving companionship, she eventually became a well-adjusted, happy dog. She was always an animal that required a bit of extra attention, but after all she'd been through, it was the least we could do for her.

If you are interested in follwing the progress of the Vicktory Kennel dogs, stop by the Best Friends pages dedicated to them. And don't forget to DONATE!

Dutch Dog Ban Repealed

For years pit bull advocates have been arguing that breed bans don't work. Recently the Dutch government agreed, repealing the national ban on Pit Bulls in the Netherlands. Like so many other breed bans, this one was put in place in reaction to bite incidents. And like so may others, this one has proven to be ineffectual. 15 years down the line (don't let the bogus math in the article confuse you!) the dutch have show no decrease in the number of dog bites by banning Pit Bulls. In the future the government will concentrate on enforcing existing lease laws and training people how to be responsible dog owners.