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Pit Bull Informational Pages
by Diane Jessup 

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ALL PIT BULL FANCIERS

Does the wholesale death of “dog fight bust” animals anger you? It does me! You can help.

THE PROBLEM

If you love the American pit bull, and wish to see it survive as a viable purebred dog into the next generation, you understand that all current ties with the illegal activity of dog fighting must be severed. To this end, any true friend of the American pit bulldog supports the prosecution of those who misuse these animals in dog matches, as well as those who intentionally raise, advertise and sell their dogs into this dead-end life. The stigma of dog fighting as well as the foolish romanticized interpretation of the harsh realities of seeing which dog can inflict the most tissue damage on another, does the breed no favor in this day and age.

Bred originally as heroic dogs who saved human lives by protecting hunters from charging big game and controlling run away cattle, the sturdy heart of the American pit bull is ever willing to please his master. This desire to please has often made the dog a victim of those who would exploit this trait; but on the flip side, it is also the reason why, at the turn of the last two centuries, the breed has found profound favor with the American public as the pet of choice.

When American pit bulls are seized by law enforcement during a “bust”, they are often summarily destroyed. Sometimes this is due to state “evidence” laws such as in Louisiana with the case of dog fighter, breeder and dog fight judge Floyd Boudreaux and his son, but more often it is because appropriate adoptive homes are not available.

Over the years many agencies - all with little to no hands-on experience with real pit bulls - have reinforced the regrettable and mistaken belief that the animal victims are - by virtue of their owner’s poor management choices - without value as family companions or working dogs. This inaccurate argument has been routinely disproven; dogs from these situations have become everything from nursing home mascots to bomb detection dogs for state police. There is no longer any excuse for these dog to be summarily destroyed by those who say they work for the “betterment” of animals. On the other hand, responsible choices must be made with these abuse victims. These animals are no more a “dog for everyone” than they are “a dog for no one”. One thing is clear, these animals should not be further victimized by humans; they deserve a real home or to be humanly euthanized. To condemn them to existence in the ownerless, pointless, soulless “life” in a “no-kill sanctuary” is unconscionable.

Today the American pit bull faces many challenges not due to any remarkable aspect of the breed but rather are a consequence of the times in which it finds itself numerically the most populous dog in the United States. The American pit bull takes the brunt of today’s unique challenges to modern dog owners; mass media flooding on even minor episodes which place the blame on the dog breed rather than the owner’s management of the animal, as well as the insidious ambition of powerful animal rights organizations to end the practice of ownership of companion animals. It comes as a shock to many people that there are “animal welfare” groups out there spending millions of dollars - donated to them by gullible supporters - to legislate against dog ownership.

It shouldn’t be a shock to anyone - for the first time in history dog ownership is being banned all over the United States - and these organizations haven’t spent a penny to stop it. In fact, ini some cases they have supported it. In some jurisdictions you can’t call yourself a dog owner - you are only the animal’s “guardian” (until the animal does something wrong, then you are the owner and liable). In other areas keeping a dog in the yard is being criminalized. Taking a close look reveals that those behind the outright bans and extinction through forced sterilization are masquerading as “dog lovers”.

In a letter I received from PETA, the organization clearly states that they embrace breed specific legislation as the first step toward stopping all dog ownership. PETA is rightly perceived by most people as a collection of nutjobs, but other “respectable” humane societies have too often failed to separate the victim (the dog) from the crime (dog fighting) and the criminal (the dog fighter).

Is this failure intentional? It is hard to tell. Those who dedicate their lives these days to animal rights often have very different ideas about animal ownership practices than the rest of us. Most are not “animal people” but rather urban dwellers with little or no practical experience with the animals they are trying to “save”. They have the money and the lawyers and the time to try and push their agendas on those who do live and work with the animals. Those donations made by unsuspecting supporters have made these organizations large enough to dictate how and what we keep as pets. Only the future will see how far down the path of anti-pet sentiment we Americans are led by these folks before we fight back. Hopefully, our dog breeds will still be all intact.

Just as damaging to our pets are the organizations which represent those who feel animals have “no rights” and, as private property, can be used and abused by their owners without censor from anyone. These groups routinely fight against pet overpopulation control measures and obvious positive steps toward enforcing responsible ownership practices, like mandatory microchipping. The best path for our canine companions obviously lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.

THE SOLUTION

There has been much misinformation spread about concerning the role of the Humane Society of the United States in dog fight cases across the United States. In order to help our dogs and our breed, it is important that every American pit bull owner understand the role the organization plays, and how, working together, breed advocates and dog fight investigators can help these animals.

First, the HSUS is not a law enforcement agency. They do not conduct “busts”. They do not seize dogs. They do not kill dogs. They act as advisors to law enforcement agencies who investigate and perform the actual arrests. Most local animal control and police departments know little to nothing about animal fighting. They look to the HSUS for assistance in these cases.

Like almost all humane groups over the past three decades during which the American pit bull has been a fad with the worst types of owners, the HSUS has made its fair share of “official” inaccurate and harmful statements about the breed. This is regrettable and has in my opinion had devastating consequences for the animals. One of these statements has been that seized fighting dogs are - all - unsuitable as pets.

As you may know, quite recently there was a very important “bust” of long time dog fight advocate and “gamedog” breeder, “Pat” Patrick along with three other well known “dog men”. Over one hundred dogs were seized from conditions which in some cases were appalling. There has been a great deal of misinformation put out about this particular case, by persons “not in the know” who wish to discredit the agencies involved. This is unfortunate, and blurs the point of saving as many of these dogs as reasonably possible.

The Humane Society of the United States was involved in this case only as advisors. They do not have charge of the dogs nor their fate. This power belongs entirely to the jurisdictions involved with the case. The lead agency charged with the dogs fate had invited me to evaluate the dogs, but after being badgered by others who felt they were more qualified, the agency retreated away from the pressure (I don’t blame them at all) and will now be using in-state “experts” to evaluate the dogs. Depending on the rulings in the case, I suspect that if the time comes, they will allow rescues to have an opportunity to adopt some of the dogs. I hope so.

The fate of future fight bust dogs depends on two things. First, the ability of the American pit bull community to offer appropriate homes for these dogs. These bust dogs range from the blue American Staffordshire taken from the Vick case to “real deal” dogs with the finest of the attributes of the real pit bull. No matter what the color, size or breeding, if they are temperamentally sound animals they deserve to be helped. To this end, I have created an email account for those interested in signing up for adoption of a bust dog. This list will be sent to agencies which contact me regarding homes for dogs which have been saved. I will not be screening or contacting these people, simply creating a list of those who wish to be contacted if dog fight bust dogs becomes available. Obviously, the adopting agencies will screen heavily, for the protection of the animals. If you are interested in helping out these animals, and offering one a safe, appropriate home, please list your contact information at: PitBullHero@comcast.net I will be posting more information on this subject on my site later.

Second, I have set up meetings with J.P. Goodwin (Head of the Animal Fighting Section) and others in the Humane Society of the United States to see if a dialogue helpful to the breed can be established. I have high hopes that those who are working to stop abuse of the American pit bull can come to agreement on how to better help this breed into the future. If you have questions or comments you would like to have brought to the table with these folks, email them to me at: NoCurs@comcast.net. I will also be able to report on the progress from these meetings in the future.

Thank you for reading this. The future of our breed is in our hands. Whether it is by the careful breeding of a breed steward, supporting a local rescue, signing up to rehome an animal seized from a fighting bust or helping in dialogue with those who have a large impact on our animals, you can help!

Canine Genocide
By: Marc Cavigioli

One of the great unheralded tragedies of the last decade has been the wholesale abandonment and slaughter of bull terriers throughout the country. This to a dog that for the first half of the twentieth century was considered the darling of America. Buster Brown, the Little Rascals, RCA, even WWI mascot posters all paid tribute to this beloved family member. The breed was valued for its loyalty and gentle forbearance with children, for its plucky gameness and comic panache.

Yet today it is almost universally reviled as an untrustworthy demon in domestic dog's clothing. The breed has been destroyed in the inner city. And while there are certainly responsible members of the hip-hop community, it would be tough to deny that rap, drug/gang culture has altered the way we view this breed.

What do we do with these thousands of unwanted bull terriers? The answer is as simple as it is difficult to achieve. We learn to want them, to value what they have to offer. We must recognize that media-hype entails only a small minority. Many attacks attributed to pit bulls are in fact committed by dogs of indeterminate origin in some cases entirely unrelated to bull terriers. We must also realize many “pit bulls” have been mixed with other breeds to make them larger, more people aggressive.

While some unwanted bull terriers have soft, gentle personalities and are ideal family pets what of the others? What of the intense athletes that though sound with people, may be animal aggressive or just too driven for the average household? Such high-energy individuals have much to offer an owner who appreciates their unique requirements and talents.

Yet according to statistics those who adopt from pounds are most often families with little children, folks with little or no dog expertise. In this age of overburdened families, soccer mom's who both work and raise a family, executive dads who hardly have time for their human families let alone canine ones, intense bull terriers fit like a burr under saddle.

Most popular with adopting families continue to be the retriever breeds who, no matter how energetic in their youth, often settle to calm, quiet demeanor in adult years. Dogs are desired with show-bred, watered down personalities to provide the ideal non-presence for busy homes. Talk to and read about today's dog owner and it's clear many folks are more interested in a living stuffed animal "for the kids" than a true, contributing family member who has needs.

Intense pound pits are up against a culture that cannot and will not accept their dynamic, even if gentle, personalities.

We as Americans are not a war-like people. We value life above all else. In more primitive times when life was lived close to the edge, when the ability to physically defend oneself was part and parcel of everyday life, physical prowess enjoyed a more respected position in the panoply of personal attributes.

On my gym wall hangs a quote written in the 1300s by someone named Forza (Italian for strength). I framed it because of its appropriateness in a place where physical excellence is pursued. It also shows how far culture has shifted from the glorification of physicality.

Prowess is so noble a virtue that one must never pass over it too briefly for it is the mother-stuff and light of noble men and as the log cannot spring to life without fire, so the noble man cannot come to perfect honor or to the glory of the world without prowess.

Only the lower socioeconomic classes ensconced in our cities, classes whose lives are more tenuous than the comfortable middle class, seem to value the indomitable spirit of the driven bull terrier. Is it any wonder these dogs are bred within this culture?

For us middle class Americans to make room in our busy lives for such an energetic dog, we must once again value what the bull terrier represents. Even if our lives are not lived on the edge we can still appreciate the tenacity for which bull terriers are famous.

Consider the Ogalala legend taken from The Journey of Crazy Horse, A Lakota History by Joseph Marshall III.

Long ago a hunter heard strange noises on the prairie. He cautiously searched for it’s source pausing to listen to growls and roars of pain and rage and to the sound of trees and shrubbery apparently being torn apart. Then there was silence.

Curious, the hunter continued to search until he came to a scene of mayhem and death. A grizzly bear and a badger lay dead. The ground, trees and grasses all around them showed signs of a great struggle, a battle to the death. But it was the dead combatants that fascinated the hunter. The badger’s jaws were still clamped to the bear’s snout. Thus they were locked together forever. The hunter could only surmise that although the bear had shredded the badger’s body, the smaller animal did not relinquish his hold. In turn the badger had torn out the bear’s eyes and inflicted deep wounds on his head causing the bear to bleed to death.

The hunter walked away impressed by the tenacity of the badger and vowed to emulate him. To the very last the badger had remained true to what he was.

While this story may seem violent in our softer culture, like the hunter of the story, we need to focus on the laudable qualities made clear: courage, tenacity and being true to oneself. These qualities stand in good stead in any culture, even one as safe and tranquil as our own. That pit bull terriers have these qualities in spades gives them value.

Whites have long claimed the Ogalala Sioux were a war-like people. But it is unfair to judge a people who are defending their land, families and way of life as war-like. If those were to be taken from me, I too would wish to be seen as war-like. Nonetheless I would guess that the Lakotas, whose way of life was dependent on physical courage and prowess, valued these qualities in a way we can't even begin to understand.

The qualities the Lakotas valued are embodied in the badger. But in our liability conscious, soft, protected lives, I don’t think a badger would make a fun-filled companion. Who would want to sleep with a badger under the sheets? Wild animals deserve their dignity, belong in their homes not ours. Our domestic bull terrier though is a living embodiment of tenacity yet is gentle enough to be a therapy dog for the elderly …and my bully sleeps with me.

Without courage there is no tenacity. John F. Kennedy was reported to have valued courage above all other personal qualities. What does it say about a nation and its people if they no longer value courage? As a culture we need to reduce the superfluous in our lives. We need to cull the "deadwood" thereby giving relevance to things we’ve lost sight of. Though we no longer need rely on physical prowess to survive, the beauty of physical supremacy strikes a chord in our hearts.

By freeing our schedules and making the time to adopt an abandoned bull terrier we open the door to possibility. When we put down the remote control and, as a nation, become more active and explore the natural world with our canine companions we re-engage with life. By saving the life of an unwanted courageous athlete and by following through with our responsibility of daily exercise we not only save a life, we regain and enrich our own.

Until we can return to the appreciation of the "antiquated" values of courage and tenacity, we will lose out on the loyalty, paradoxical gentleness and comic relief of the bull terrier. In squandering these potential best friends to the incinerator and trash bin we turn our backs on athletic genius. And countless thousands of bull terriers, our beloved breed of yesteryear, will be losing out on the one thing we as a culture claim to value most.

Life.

With Friends Like These...
By: Diane Jessup

I’m convinced the grand ole’ breed will, ultimately, save itself. They’re just that kind of dog. I’ve seen more than one confirmed “pit bull hater” end up owning the breed after meeting just one typical bulldog whose leash was held by a half way responsible owner.

Our breed has been through tough times before, and probably will again, in some distant future, and one thing I know is this: the pit bull will continue to save itself, and that’s a good thing, because we pit bull owners aren’t doing a very good job.

Hunters face a tremendous challenge in the newly formed anti-hunting wing of the HSUS. The HSUS wants to outlaw hunting - and they have 92 million dollars at their disposal with which to make sure their personal beliefs become the laws of the land.

But I’m not all that worried about the hunters. Hunters of every persuasion have organized. Like any group of humans, they have their riffs—deer hunters hate coon hunters and so forth, but they have put aside all that and have presented a united front. A well spoken, well financed front. And they win more than they lose when it comes to legislative fights.

Pit bull people? We can’t stop fighting amongst ourselves long enough to look up and see we are being swept right off the map. We have no organization. We have no central core. No united front. We are the breed’s worst enemy
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Take for example the following groups:

The Rescues: the rescue people are hard working, dedicated and deeply committed people. They also alienate just about anyone else involved in the breed with their strident calls to never breed again. A newbie who wanders into their range who, gawd love ’em, is stupid enough to admit they did what most of us did and got their first dog from a less than politically correct source, will quickly be heaped with contempt. Rescue people fail to realize that they are not God’s chosen people—rescue is not for everyone. Until they chill a bit, and realize that they are a small (important) part of the overall breed picture, they will continue to trip themselves up. And that’s too bad, as I have found that the most dedicated, hard working and eloquent of the breed’s friends are in the rescuer’s ranks.

The Dedicated Breeders: There are, of course, two kinds of breeders, good ones and poor ones. These are the good ones, the ones trying to steward the breed through to the next generation intact. They aren’t trying to breed to fads, or produce giants, or change the shape, color or temperament of the pit bulldog.

Sadly, these folks are so few and far between, and generally so involved in “doggie politics” that they can’t side up with anyone. They sure as hell are not able to work with the rescue folks, so they flounder about, doing their part in a small way, well intentioned by powerless.

The Backyard Breeders: The breed’s number one problem... the folks who haven’t got a clue. Generally they deny (or have no idea) that there is an overwhelming overpopulation problem in the breed. They produce litters so they can trot off to dog shows with the latest “hot prospect”, or because they can make several thousand dollars a litter by producing “rare blues”, “short and lows”, “giants” and other American Staffordshire/pit bull hybrids. These people make a lot of money peddling pups, and could easily support a good frontal attack on the forces aligned against our breed—but most don’t even know there is a problem.

John Q. Public: They have (and love) a pit bull or two, but just don’t have a clue about the state of the breed. They are vaguely aware that “some cities ban them” but that’s about it. A powerful force for good, could they be tapped into.

The Hard Core Breed Lovers: There is a group of breed advocates which spend their time and money fighting for the life of the breed. But some spend just about as much time fighting against other advocates which don’t fit their image of “the perfect pit bull owner”. Should they ever set aside their differences and work together, they could probably change the Earth’s rotation. We can only hope that day comes. Soon.

We need a leadership. We need a single core. We need, like the hunters, to put our energies into a single, unstoppable fire - instead of a thousand powerless sparks flying uselessly up into the dark.