Saturday, March 23, 2013

The view from inside my head....


Pit Bulls have such a stereotype of being vicious and mean, I hear this every day, but do not understand it. This is the side that I see, I see my sweet babies cuddling with their Aunt Penny, because she didn't feel good. I see DOGS that just want attention so bad that they will cry just to get my attention. I see dogs that when we are playing ball, or with rope toys, or with any other toy that are SO careful about getting my fingers in their mouth. In fact if I put my hands in any of their mouth, they will try to spit it out with their tounge and act like it was the most horrible thing ever. The biggest worry I have with mine, is that they will knock me down when they are running around playing, and I accidentally get in the way.

I know it is because the media has vilified these dogs as being beasts with horns, 2 heads, no soul, and as killing machines. YES they have been used as fighting dogs by sadistic, mean people, and during that time the human aggression was bred out of them.... feel free to visit Diane Jessup's website HERE, you can find history on temperament AND modern temperament testing information.

It just frustrates me SO much that people can be so ignorant, and can not see past the tips of their noses. I'm tired of walking down the street with my sweet, sweet Bam Bam, that would literally not hurt a fly, and people move to the other side because they "see" a vicious dog. If only people would open their eyes that he is wiggling his back end so hard because he sees people, and then he cries just a little when he isn't allowed to see them.

What can you do to prevent breed prejudice? We as Bully Breed owners have to be more responsible than any other breed. We must train our dogs, and make sure that when we go out in public, that our dogs are safe.... meaning that we can not give the public ANY reason to vilify our dog. We ALL know that if another dog starts a fight, and our dog simply defends themselves, then it is our dogs fault no matter what.

The media completely infuriates me, with their quest to a sensational story! When I hear of a "Pit Bull Attack", I want to see a picture of the dog, I want to know the back story, AND I want to know how the dog was treated. Is this a dog that lived their life on a chain and never had ANY attention? You do not hear of spayed/neutered family pets that are well behaved and owned by RESPONSIBLE owners having issues out of the blue. Dogs show signs, and unfortunately when the dog shows a sign, we as responsible owners must deal with it, including euthanizing a dog if human aggression is present in any way....

And of course, you have a look at dogs such as Lennox, you can read about it here on the Facebook page dedicated to Lennox. Lennox was a dog that was taken from a loving family and put in jail for more than 3 years, then killed just because of what he looked like, EVEN with public outcry all across the world. The family was not even given his collar, or allowed to visit him the entire time. This family owned Lennox from the time he was a puppy, he was a threat to no person or animal. Yet, because of his looks, he was murdered. This kind of thing happens because of media hype, we never hear of other breed dog attacks, OR they are labeled as "Pit Bulls" no matter what they look like.  Then there is the heartbreaking story of a puppy named Fudge that was killed before she was even old enough to cause a problem, she was killed based solely on what she looks like and what she "might do" as an adult. Seriously? What kind of logic is that? The light bulb in the bathroom might burn out, but you wait until it no longer works before you get rid of it, right? It is only common sense!

Ok, enough of my rant for the day, I really just want to make a difference. I try to educate, save lives, and walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Do you have anything to say about BSL or breed temperament? Feel free to comment in the comment section.

Thanks for reading, and , "Have a Bully Day"! ~Jennifer



Take a look at our rescue on Petfinder and help us spread the word about these wonderful puppies that are looking for their furever homes. They deserve a family of their own, and just by simply sharing a page, you are helping to save a life! 

Don't forget to browse the rest of the shelter, Coal has litter mates, a Mother, and many other rescue buddies that would LOVE to have a chance at a happy family! 

"Please don't shop, Adopt...until all have homes"

Monday, March 18, 2013

Small acts make a big difference!

I found this picture as I was perusing Facebook and ran across the Four Legged Barkery....you can visit them on Facebook here....

I agree SO much with this picture.
There are those that that tell me my endeavors in Pit Bull Rescue are fruitless...this picture is how I feel. I save lives, I make lives better, and I help educate to keep others safe.... that includes humans, Pit Bull Rescue is as much about keeping the animals safe as keeping the humans safe.Education, Education, Education! What more reward is there?

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

I choose not to be silent....I choose to speak out.....I choose to act....I choose to be able to look in the mirror every morning and know that I am trying my hardest to make a difference.

To make a difference, one does not have to live and breathe rescue, there are small things that can be done that can have a huge impact and really make a difference. If you see abuse, report it, stop it, speak up for those that can't speak for themselves! 

~Donate newspapers to your local shelter if they use them
~Donate a bag of dog or cat food to your local shelter or rescue
~Sponsor a spay or neuter, at most low cost places it is well under $100, and its tax deductible
~Spay and Neuter your own pets, if they are not show dogs, they do NOT need to reproduce. (In some cases even the show dogs don't need to reproduce, and hopefully the responsible handlers will make sure they dont')
~Volunteer one day a month to walk dogs that won't get out of their pens if volunteers like you don't give them attention. You help get them socialized, and get their extra energy out so they have a way better chance of being adopted. 
~Donate used collars and leashes to the shelter or rescues....those dogs own NOTHING, give them a small glimmer of hope. If they look like pets, instead of strays they have a better chance of being adopted!
~If you shop online, you can go to iGive and the store you shop at will donate  a small amount to the charity you choose....or you can simply use the search engine and generate a penny for every legitimate search...those add up! Click here to check out iGive for North Texas Bully Rescue. You don't HAVE to sign up, but you can, and it will help even more. Honestly, I have had the button on my computer for a while, and it is not intrusive...it will pop up in the corner and alert me to a site that donates, then I can dismiss it. It's that easy!

There are tons of other ways to make a difference, no need to dedicate every single day, just do something small....if enough people do something small, that makes a HUGE difference. Besides, even if you just walk a dog once a month, you gave that sweet soul a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark world....isn't that worth it? Not to mention what it does for your self esteem and perspective on life when you help improve the lives of others. 

*Please feel free to contact North Texas Bully Rescue at adoptabull.org@gmail.com if you have questions or comments. PLEASE visit our website here to check out what to do if you have a Pit Bull you found, or you have a dog that you need help rehoming.  


Thursday, March 14, 2013

Sweet pup with no name, but a bright future!

I called and talked to Humane Society North Texas (HSNT) to check on the little pup that got hit. As she tried to find the puppy I thought I was going to receive bad news, it was taking an awful long time and my list of dogs that I have turned into the shelter is quite short! I turns out that the person that input my name mispelled it, so we figured it out and the little guy has already been adopted. I wish I knew his name, or his new owners names so I could tell them what he has been through. All I can do is hope that a sweet little guy like him will have a good life ahead of him, and will NEVER be in the position to get run over again.

There are so many bad things that happen in rescue, it can quite frustrating. We face sick dogs who have been mistreated in every way possible. It seems to be insurmountable odds to find good homes that will treat them right. Not to mention, we deal with a maligned breed of dog, so we also face discrimination on top of that. To have good news is always something we cling to, the good news drives us through all of the bad news.

Can you make a difference, even in some small way? YES you can. Here are some easy ways...
~donate your newspapers to your local shelter, they use them in the pens, especially with pups
~Pick up an extra bag of dog or cat food and drop it off.
~Drop of your used collars that are still usable...your used collar might be the ONLY possession of a homeless dog, and might help them get adopted because it makes them look more like a pet than a stray.

And most of all, DON'T look the other way, speak up for those that can't speak for themselves. The pup might not have a name to you, but that does not mean they are not an individual that deserves a loving home, and deserves NOT to be abused, neglected, or mistreated in any way. A name doesn't mean much, but a moment of your time to make a difference, that means a lot.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Small glimmers in a dark world.

I was at a mechanics shop on a busy street, when I saw a little dog, no bigger than about 10 lbs, trying to cross the road. The shop is situated just a half a block from a busy intersection, with the road directly in front being a 3 lane going both directions to the right and left. The little guy was coming from the bus station a few yards down the sidewalk, while 5 of the 6 people at the bus stop just sat and watched. The person that brought the unfolding events to mine and the mechanics attention, was yelling "NO" at the top of his lungs, so we turned around and looked. A car was slamming on their brakes in the lane closest to us, but the car in the middle lane could not possibly see the wee puppy and slammed right into him. He was pitched at least 30-40 feet, he rolled then the car passed over him, and the car never even slowed down. I know I screamed pretty loud, I thought for sure the puppy was dead, or close to dead. It really was like I was watching this unfolding in slow motion, and the feeling of being helpless was totally and completely devastating. 

The man at the bus stop that yelled, ran out into the street to stop the cars as I got to the puppy, we both saw him lift his head at the same time, and realized he was still alive. I scooped him up in a towel that I grabbed from the shop....I didn't ask, oops!....and ran out of the street to the shop. He was shaking and obviously very scared, but I saw no blood, and he never once made a sound, nor did he try to bite me...I thought he was just in shock. I thought for sure he had horrible internal injuries, so I jumped in the car and ran him to the Humane Society North Texas knowing that if he was severely injured they would at least humanely euthanize him. 

When I walked into the lobby I immediately told the desk clerk that he had been hit by a car, and explained that I did NOT have enough money to take him to the vet, but I couldn't just let him lay there. The desk clerk called the vet down, the vet took the puppy and ran off to the back with him. I was spooled up to the point of a panic attack, I thought he was surely going to have to be euthanized. I filled out the paperwork and left feeling very sad.  

Fast forward to the next day....we have a puppy that has distemper that the vet suggested euthanasia because of the intensity of the disease. This was a sad day, this would be the second puppy in two days that was going to die, and I was now feeling very, very sad because it is horrible when a life ends. As I was in the lobby talking to the same clerk as the day before, I happened to ask about the puppy. I NEVER expected what she told me next, the little guy didn't have any broken bones, no internal injuries, and just some minor road rash on his hip. If we had not stopped traffic he would have surely been hit again, and most certainly would have died! I felt so guilty because I was actually happy, even though I was there to have a puppy euthanized that was waiting in the car with another volunteer. The clerk even told me that the two off site adoption centers were both very excited to take him, so he could find a home. Apparently he has a wonderful temperament, and only has to wait until his "stray hold" is up to go to the off site adoption center. 

On a day that we had to do such a horrendous thing, we got a small glimmer of good news. We will watch him and make sure that he is indeed going up for adoption, and hope that he will now find a good home. It is mind boggling that such a little puppy could survive such an impact!

R.I.P. dear little Sapphire, you  fought hard and we will miss you. It is always a sad day when a puppy passes away. Distemper is a horrible disease....she was too young to have been completely vaccinated, but she is a perfect example of why everyone should vaccinate their dog as soon as the vet suggests and make sure NOT to expose unvaccinated puppies to ANY other animals until they are fully vaccinated. 

Well, that is enough for today, thank you for reading, and don't forget, "A rescued pet is love recycled, don't shop, adopt until they all have homes".