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Pits in the News... There are plenty of positive stories about Pits, although they typically get passed over in the mainstream media. Here, we share the ones that cross our desk:
Family Says Dog Tried To Pull Baby Out Of Burning Home
Jul 9, 2010 BRISTOL — The Elkhart County Red Cross is calling a Bristol pit bull a hero after he alerted his family to a fire, and even tried to pull a 3-month-old baby girl away from the danger. The fire started around 3 a.m. Thursday in a hallway and quickly spread throughout the home. “It sounds like the real hero here is the family pit bull,” said Frank Connolly, assistant executive director of the Elkhart County Red Cross. “Apparently ‘Thor’ woke the family up and even tried to pull the baby and bassinet out of the house. Lately we have learned how important pets can be to a family, and this is as stark an example as I’ve ever seen.” The family says Thor barked and jumped on them until they woke up. Then he grabbed the baby's bassinet and dragged it to the front door. "He's the hero today. He's the man," said Kemper Hunter, Thor's owner. "We turned around to look for the bassinet that was at the head of the bed, and it's at the door. All we got to do is open the door and go out. [Thor's] like 'Let's roll, dad! It's time to go, I got you.'" No one in the family was injured, but their home was heavily damaged. The Red Cross is providing short-term housing as well as food, blankets, clothing and a crib for the baby. Donations to the family may be directed through the Elkhart County Red Cross. Call (574) 293-6519. (Story reprinted from wsbt.com. © WSBT TV.)
Rescued Pit Bull is now a Therapy Dog
March 7, 2009 ROCHESTER, MN -- Therapy dogs and their handlers offer a calming presence and a break from routine, social interaction. For patients in a nursing home or hospital, they can make the day a little bit brighter. According to Therapy Dogs International, a group that evaluates and certifies therapy dogs, any breed is eligible to be certified. What matters most is the dog's training and temperament. No dog is a better example of this statement than Hector. Hector, who is owned by Andrew Yori of Rochester, was recently certified as a therapy dog by TDI. He is a 4-year-old pit bull who spent the first part of his life as part of Michael Vick's dog-fighting operation in Virginia. Rescued in 2007, Hector moved to Rochester in June of last year. Hector still bears scars from his fights, but he has settled happily into his new peaceful life. "He's a big goofy dog," Yori said. Pit bulls are a very resilient breed. "Not a lot of dogs could go through what he did and still come out OK," Yori said. Hector's attitude seems to be, "It's behind me, let's go forward and have a good time." Hector's journey to becoming a therapy dog began with simple obedience training -- learning to sit, stay and show other good manners -- and passing the AKC's Canine Good Citizen test. Working to become a therapy dog seemed like a natural next step for Hector. "He really enjoys anybody who will give him some attention," Yori said. "Nothing seems to phase him too much, so it seemed like a really good fit. And because of where he came from, it would really shatter a lot of stereotypes." In order to be certified, each dog and handler team must pass a rigorous, 15-part exam. "We try to mimic what some of the encounters might be like," said Marcia Fritzmeier, a TDI evaluator who administered Hector and Yori's test. TDI's exam tests each dog's manners, obedience, ease around people and reactions to situations such as loud noises and meeting other dogs. Fritzmeier was aware of Hector's background before his test and paid special attention to his temperament, extending some of the tests to be sure Hector would be a good therapy dog. "I could not believe the degree of excellence he passed this test with," she said. "He never stopped wagging his tail. He just enjoyed every second of it." Once the paperwork is processed in a few weeks, Hector and Yori will begin making visits to nursing homes. Yori says bringing a bit of joy to another dog lover is the best part of the job. "You really see the people who had dogs and love dogs, their eyes just light up," he said. (Story reprinted from The Post-Bulletin. © Post-Bulletin Company, LLC.)
Vick's Pit Bulls Improving,
February 7, 2009 KANAB, Utah -- There are the perky, high-energy sorts like Lucas, all wagging tails and let's-go-play vivaciousness. There are the runners like Curly, who never saw a fence line or dirt trail they couldn't wear down. And there are the divas like Georgia, who go on publicity junkets and stay at the Beverly Hilton, wearing rhinestone-studded collars and hot pink tank tops that say "Biscuits are a girl's best friend." They could be your dog, your neighbor's, even one of those you see in a magazine being doted on by a celebrity owner. These, though, are Michael Vick's dogs. Fourteen months after some experts left them for dead — in fact, said they should die — they are alive and thriving at the Best Friends Animal Society in the rocky red hills of Utah, rewriting the book about what pit bulls really are and what they can be. Most of these dogs will find homes someday. None of their ilk, however, will be welcomed next week at America's best-known dog show, Westminster, at New York's Madison Square Garden. The American Pit Bull Terrier is the country's iconic and most divisive breed, but it isn't on the American Kennel Club's list of accepted breeds. The AKC recognizes a cousin, the American Staffordshire Terrier, instead. "I don't really have anything to say about pit bulls because we don't deal with them at all," said David Frei, the director of communications at Westminster. "But AmStaffs are great dogs. I make the same blanket statement about them as any breed. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners. If someone gets involved with pit bulls and isn't bright enough to be the alpha dog in the relationship, there can be problems." American Pit Bull Terriers — a quintessentially American breed once best represented by the dog staring quizzically at an RCA Victor phonograph — are bred to be exceedingly kind and deferential to humans. But that trait has largely been lost among the thousands of stories about pit bull bites, maulings, fights and anti-pit bull legislation. Those stories have helped make the dog Public Enemy No. 1 among the 400-plus breeds, 170 of which are on the AKC registry. "Often, the media gets it wrong," says Michelle Besmehn, the dog care manager at Best Friends, who acknowledges that part of the Vick project is to restore the reputation of the American Pit Bull Terrier. "They'll say a person was mauled by a pit bull, and it's not a pit bull, it's a Mastiff or something else," she said. "It's frustrating because they get a bad rap, and it's based on a general misconception." Tim Racer, co-founder of BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls), puts it more bluntly. "If an AmStaff bites somebody, it suddenly becomes an American Pit Bull Terrier, because that's what people want to do, is blame these dogs for all dog bites," said Racer, whose group also saved 10 of Vick's dogs. The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback is serving a 23-month sentence at the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan., for his role in a dogfighting conspiracy. He is scheduled for release July 20 but could serve the last few months at a halfway house in Newport News, his hometown. One of Vick's former dogs was euthanized because of health — not behavioral — problems, and 21 remain at the Best Friends sanctuary. It's on 3,700 acres near the Zion National Forest, with a canyon outside the lunchroom and enough reds, browns, greens and pinks to keep a painter at his easel for life. These were the toughest cases, the most neglected of the 47 dogs rescued from Vick's Bad Newz Kennels in Virginia in 2007. The Bad Newz dogs lived terrible lives, chained in dark, dank basements, electrocuted if they didn't produce. The ones treated the best earned that treatment because they could fight and win. Some, like Little Red, had their teeth filed down so they could be used as "bait dogs" to spar with the champions without hurting them. "When she got here, her whole face was one scar," said John Garcia, the manager of Dogtown, the dogs-only section of the sanctuary. Initially, the dogs were so skittish that the trainers actually slept with them at night. Today, they don't need such attention, but that's not to say they're neglected. A full-time staff of 60 cares for the 438 dogs, and the Vick dogs get special attention. They have spacious dog runs that connect to indoor living spaces inside pod-shaped buildings scattered about the grounds. They go on long walks and hikes, traverse agility courses set up around the sanctuary, learn to ride in cars, eat like kings and queens. (The brand name of their food: Canine Caviar.) Half the Vick dogs adapted well enough to other dogs that they're allowed to have playmates. The others are being slowly introduced to other dogs. They're all being prepared for their Canine Good Citizen tests — a 10-step exam that measures things such as the ability to mingle with other dogs, deal with strangers and behave on a leash. The test, which ultimately helps determine whether they can go into permanent homes, was developed by the AKC for all breeds. "Centuries ago, pit bulls were used for bull baiting, dog fighting, things like that," said Lisa Peterson, director of club communication for the AKC. "When those activities were outlawed, there were a lot of lovers of the breeds that wanted to save them. They do make excellent pets and great dogs." When Vick's dogs were first seized, the courts received advice from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals and other humane societies, which said the animals should be euthanized because their chances of living normal lives outside a shelter or sanctuary were minimal. In stepped Best Friends, where thousands volunteer and many full-time employees tell stories about leaving their city jobs to come to Utah and take care of dogs (along with 790 cats, a few pigs, some sheep and a handful of horses including one, Riley, who was recently fitted with a prosthetic leg). Best Friends, which runs on a $30 million to $40 million budget funded by charitable donations, is a "no-kill" sanctuary, meaning no animal brought to the facility will be euthanized because it can't find a permanent home. Best Friends offers these dogs time. In many cases, Vick's dogs sorely need it. Many of them arrived at the shelter with no idea how to interact with people. No dog, regardless of breed, could be expected to bounce back quickly given that kind of treatment, Garcia said. "The way I personally present the dogs is, `They're dogs,'" Garcia said. "It's not necessarily a specific breed, per se. It would be nice to get some specific definition of what truly is an American Pit Bull Terrier and not just a `pit bull.' If people got away from the `pit bull' thing, it would be a lot easier." Two of Vick's champion dogs, Georgia and Lucas, have been ordered by the court to live permanently at Best Friends because of their violent pasts. They hardly seem violent now, wagging their tails, licking visitors and rolling over for belly rubs. But there are unmistakable vestiges of the lives they used to lead. Lucas, a one-time grand champion, has scars on his face and sides from fights. Georgia has no teeth and the sagging belly of a dog that has been bred many times. It appears her teeth were surgically removed by a veterinarian, who likely didn't care that he was doing it to make Georgia less threatening to studs who were brought in to forcibly breed with her while she was tied to what's known as a "rape stand." Maybe the saddest part is that the dogs have always been bred to be extremely loyal to people — so eager to please that they'll fight to the death to make their master happy. Denying the fighting gene in a pit bull would be like denying that the sun rises in the east. It is, quite simply, a fact of life. How the breed's history is interpreted, however, is where the stories diverge and where the controversy about pedigree picks up. One widely accepted history is that the AKC, in the 1930s, began calling the American Pit Bull Terrier the American Staffordshire Terrier as a way of ridding the breed of the stigma of the word "Pit." The United Kennel Club, meanwhile, has always accepted American Pit Bull Terriers on its registry. Since the split, subtle differences in breeding have been implemented. "I can recognize it, but not 100 percent of the time," Racer said. "Basically, the whole thing was done to get away from the negative connotation of pit bulls as a fighting breed." Peterson at the AKC calls it mainly a difference in semantics. She says she knows of no American Pit Bull Terrier group that has asked for the breed to be registered with the AKC, so that hasn't been an issue. She notes that the Westminster Best of Show in 2006 was a colored bull terrier named Rufus — much smaller than an American Pit Bull Terrier, but the kind of dog that could conceivably be targeted in breed specific legislation that is the bane of the AKC and almost all pit bull enthusiasts. Dozens of cities and counties have banned pit bulls by law. Insurance companies refuse to cover homeowners with certain kind of dogs. Frank McMillan, a vet at Best Friends, is doing a genetic study on the Vick dogs to determine what, exactly, makes up a pit bull. The "genericizing," as Racer calls it, of all dangerous dogs into one catchall term — "pit bull" — is troubling to many enthusiasts. McMillan also is tracking what works and what doesn't in the rehabilitation process. The idea: To be able to present to other rescue operations some training methods that have been scientifically proven as successful. McMillan hopes some success stories will help the next group fighting breed legislation or trying to dissuade a judge from putting a group of pit bulls to death. "We want a judge to be able to look at this project and say, `This is encouraging,'" McMillan said. "All they have now is the occasional friend-of-the-court brief. Anecdotes are good. But it's not science." Neither, of course, is the Westminster Kennel Club Show. It is, in many ways, a beauty contest, one the American Pit Bull Terrier will not be part of when it starts Monday. Is that such a bad thing? "Nobody agrees on these things," Racer said. "But if one of those American Staffordshires bites someone, nobody's going to know the difference at the shelter where it gets sent. So what I would say is, pit bulls are competing at Westminster. They're just calling it something different." (Story reprinted from The Star Tribune. © Star Tribune, Associated Press.)
Canine Cops Help Police
January 26, 2009 CHICAGO (WLS) -- When we think of police canine units, the breed that most commonly comes to mind is the German shepherd. But rookie canines on the job now are anything but ordinary. The two newest members of the Cook County Sheriff's K9 unit are unique and are already performing beyond expectations. A big bloodhound puppy named Melanie helped police rescued a suicidal man from a forest preserve earlier this month. "The point of starting her on the trail where this individual had come into the woods...she solely hunted out that odor by her abilities," said Jim Pacetti, Cook County K9 Unit. Melanie found the man in the nick of time. He was semi-conscious and partially submerged in a creek. The K9 unit consists of a variety of dogs, including bloodhounds and German shepherds, but the most recent member of the force is a very loving, very friendly pit bull. A pit bull named Elliot Ness is anything but untouchable. Loving and friendly, these traits keep most pit bulls from being good police dogs. "The main problem we're finding with pit bulls is that they're too darn nice. All they want to do is just sit at your feet or crawl in your lap. They're very nice dogs," said Deborah Thedos, Cook County K9 Unit. Police officers main contact with pit bulls is when they break up dog fighting rings. When encountering these dogs they found that they were anything but vicious. "We knew from the get-go that these dogs, they aren't made this way," said Sheriff Tom Dart, Cook County. For Elliot Ness's partner the pit bull is much more than just a dog. "He's my best friend. He's my friend. He's my baby and he knows it," said Thedos. (Story reprinted from WLS. © WLS-TV/DT.)
Rescued Pit Bulls Working in Law Enforcement Winter, 2009 -- To some, it may be suprising to hear about Pit Bulls being used in law enforcement. Not only because it's a role traditionally identified with breeds like the German Shepherd, but because the public is used to hearing about Pit Bulls in another light - unjustly characterized as being dangerous when it's criminally exploitative humans that are at fault. But organizations like LawDogsUSA - who train Pit Bulls for use in law enforcement - are helping to shatter that stereotype. What's even more impressive about the efforts of LawDogsUSA, perhaps, is the fact that many of the dogs they use were recruited from shelters and rescue groups, some having been abused or forced to fight. Saved from the vicious cruelty of dog-fighting rings, these Pit Bulls were not only able to be rehabilitated, but re-trained as canine cops - truly a testament to the resilience and character of this magnificent breed. We tip our hats to LawDogsUSA, and present the profiles of some of their dogs below, all of whom were rescue cases. (The rest of their dogs are profiled here.)
(Profiles reprinted from LawDogsUSA. © LawDogsUSA.)
"Why I Use Only American Pit Bulls"
Renowned Police Dog expert explains her choice of Pit Bulls: "I've spent a lifetime with working dogs; I earned my Police Dog Instructors Degree in 1977 at the famous California police K9 source, Mandelyn Kennels. I have worked and titled German shepherds, malinois, Dobermans, rottweilers, labradors and several other breeds. I have been utilized as an expert witness on behalf of several large police K9 units and have been featured in hundreds of print and TV media events concerning dog training and behavior. I can honestly say the American pit bull offers a package not matched by any other breed. American pit bulls offer a superior work ethic, trustworthy nature, short coat and no drool, medium sized agile body with a minimum of health issues, long working lifetime and - best of all - a rock steady, people friendly attitude making them suitable for public demonstrations." (Reprinted from LawDogsUSA. © LawDogsUSA.)
Pit Bull Saves Family From Intruder
January 6, 2009 SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― A single mother and her five children were saved from an intruder by their pit bull, which attacked and chased off the suspect. According to police, 29-year-old Jeremiah Taylor broke through a glass door into the room of 13-year-old Emanuel Sosa at around 10:30 p.m. Monday. Taylor acted violently, striking Emanuel and the walls of the bedroom, when Baby, the Sosa's one-year-old pit bull, jumped into the fray. "I hit him back… and that's when my dog jumped up on my bed and attacked him," Emanuel said. "I said, 'Get him Baby.'" Emanuel's mother, Aurora, confronted the intruder and told him to get out, and Taylor reportedly took off, bursting through their fence and scrambling down the streets. Sacramento police officers spotted a man matching the description from the Sosas – and was also suffering from a number of bite wounds. Police arrested Taylor, who didn't get any valuables from the house. The Sosas say they're moving out of their house, but they have to give Baby away, because the place they're moving to won't allow pets her size. (Story reprinted from CBS. © MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc.)
Dog Bucks the Stereotype
January 2, 2008 Ruby takes her love to senior homes and has taken a turn on the stage, all part of her owners' campaign to try to convince people that pit bulls aren't innately bad. It took a few minutes for Herb Isakson, 81, to smile as he sat in the hobby room at Croixdale with about a dozen other senior citizens last week. But his face split into a huge grin when Ruby crawled into his lap and snuggled in. Ruby is a pit bull. She also is a certified therapy dog. Those two statements seem incongruous, but Ruby's owners, Pat and Lynn Bettendorf of Scandia, are trying to change all that. While the very words pit bull evoke images for some people of dog fighting and brutal attacks on humans, the residents at Croixdale, an independent assisted-living and memory care facility in Bayport, visit with Ruby every other week and certainly seem to relish the cuddles and kisses from the 56-pound pooch. "He reminds me of the dog I had," said Irene Kreutz, who turned 94 on Christmas Day. "He's a wonderful dog. "Look how he listens," she said as Ruby cocked her head at another resident as if to say, "What?" Mary Jo Ducklow, activities director at Croixdale, said she doesn't have any concerns about Ruby's breed. "When they're a therapy dog, they've gone through all that training," she said. "I mean they're trained with wheelchairs running over their paws, for goodness sakes." And the residents? "You can see them relax when they're petting the dog," she said. Pit bulls as dangerous dogs The public perception of pit bulls as inherently dangerous is fueled by news reports such as the Aug. 16 death of a 7-year-old Minneapolis boy who was killed by the family's pit bull, which previously had bitten two people and was kept chained in the basement. In the wake of two severe dog attacks in St. Paul, DFL state Rep. John Lesch said last June that he will introduce legislation next year to ban five types of dogs in Minnesota -- including pit bulls and Rottweilers. Minneapolis is considering placing more restrictions on dangerous dogs, and Apple Valley has proposed restricting some breeds to industrial areas. Pit bulls don't belong to a particular breed. The American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier all are often called pit bulls. Watching the Bettendorfs with Ruby, it's easy to see why they insist the problem is bad owners, not bad dogs. The Bettendorfs own "a number" of dogs, including another pit bull, Tiger, and another certified therapy dog, Venus, a not too bright but awfully sweet Rottweiler. "Ruby is not the exception," Pat Bettendorf said. "There's a lot of good pit bulls out there. "We're not saying these breeds are for everybody, but it's just training and socialization, training and socialization," he said. "You do have to be the alpha, but with any dog, really, you have to be alpha. It's not a light responsibility." Ruby was just a puppy when she was found three years ago, abandoned and starving in an empty house in the northern suburbs. Most of her fur had fallen out. She spent three weeks at an animal hospital before her rescuers set out to find her a foster home. She makes herself at home The Bettendorfs weren't in the market for another dog, but after being asked three times, they agreed to take her "just for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend." After Thanksgiving dinner, she crawled onto the loveseat and fell asleep in a guest's lap. She is trained and socialized at least once a week at Total Recall, a dog obedience school in Hugo run by a retired St. Paul police officer and his wife. Ruby underwent rigorous testing to be certified by Therapy Dogs International. Last February, she received the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association Animal Hall of Fame Companion Award. Recently, she was given an achievement award from the Animal Farm Foundation in New York. Ruby's a drama queen Senior centers aren't Ruby's only turn in front of an audience. A year ago, she auditioned for the play "Cheaper by the Dozen" at the Lakeshore Players in White Bear Lake, Pat Bettendorf said. She did well but was rejected because of her breed, he said. Two weeks later, when the dog that was cast didn't work out, the Bettendorfs got a call: "Is Ruby still available?" They canceled a vacation to make her available. As a therapy dog, Ruby visits Croixdale and the Margaret Parmly Residence in Chisago City. Bettendorf said he's talking with officials at Gillette and Children's Hospitals in St. Paul about taking her there, too. As Ruby's visit to Croixdale neared its end last week, she climbed onto an empty chair and fell asleep with her head on Myrtle Judkins' lap while Ruth Neumann scratched the other end. It wasn't long before loud snores could be heard. One of the residents? Nope. It was Ruby. (Story reprinted from The Star Tribune. © Star Tribune.)
Stray Pit Bull Saves Woman, Child from Attacker
November 5, 2008 PORT CHARLOTTE, FL -- The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her "guardian angel." The dog successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon. The Florida woman, who authorities simply identified as "Angela," was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements. Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child; a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled. "I don't think the dog physically attacked the man, but he went at him and was showing signs of aggression, just baring his teeth and growling and barking. It was clear he was trying to defend this woman," Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse. The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend. "You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid," Jones said. "He was like her guardian angel." After the alleged thief ran away, Angela quickly placed her son, Jordan, in the car and tried to drive off. Before she could though, the dog jumped into her backseat, waiting with her for the police and animal control officers to arrive at the scene. The dog was transported to a local shelter and if his owners don't step forward within five days, Jones said, Angela and her family plan to adopt the savior she named "Angel." Animal control officers and shelter workers believe Angel is lost, and not a stray, because of his good health, sturdy weight and mild temperament. For Angela, it doesn't matter where the dog came from, just that he was there when she needed him most. Pet Pulse reporter Amy Lieberman and NBC-2.com contributed to this article. (Story reprinted from Zootoo, edited for length by SAB. © Zootoo.)
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