And can I sing to him? Enjoy this pittie who discovers "someone" in the mirror and wants to chat with him!
Showing posts with label pit bulls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pit bulls. Show all posts
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Friday, January 30, 2015
Don't Want You Or Your Dog Stereotyped? Support #TheMajorityProject!
This post is sponsored by The Animal Farm Foundation and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the The Majority Project, but Bocci's Beefs only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Animal Farm Foundation is not responsible for the content of this article.
Just because I don't appear to be one of the several "pit bull" breeds (although I am clearly part terrier), doesn't mean that I'll just stand by and watch my fellow dogs and their owners be stereotyped. Hey, some of my best friends are pit bulls! All of us—both humans and canines—want to be treated as the individuals that we are, not lumped together under a collection of negative characteristics. Unfortunately, that's exactly what's happened to "pit bull" breeds in the last few decades.
Enter the Animal Farm Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation that has been rescuing and re-homing animals since 1985. It's central mission is to secure equal treatment and opportunity for "pit bull" dogs. In an effort to challenge the negative stereotypes about pit bulls and pit bull dog owners, the Animal Farm Foundation created The Majority Project, a fun, honest way to declare your support for pit bulls and their owners, the vast majority of whom are responsible, caring pet parents just like Parental Unit and all of our pet blogging friends. The Majority Project is a photo collection designed to call attention to the countless, responsible pit bull dog owners that are part of the fabric of our communities, and who care as much about keeping their families and towns safe as every other pet owner.
Pit Bull owners (and those that love them) can join this campaign by visiting themajorityproject.com, printing and personalizing an "I am the MAJORITY" sign and submitting a photo with their dog.
WE support #TheMajorityProject!
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), which often bans pit bull breeds (just because of their DNA, not their behavior) from entire communities has a poor track record. In fact, it has never been effective in reducing dog bites or enhancing public safety. Rather, educating and empowering all pet owners to be responsible, and creating and enforcing non-discriminatory Responsible Pet Ownership Laws, are the most effective ways to build safe, humane communities for all of us. And isn't the collective goal a safe, non-discriminatory community?
Whether you're a pit bull owner, or simply an admirer of these beautiful bully breeds and their parental units, please stand with celebrities like actor and pit bull dog owner, Jon Bernthal, and show your support of # TheMajorityProject. And don't miss this cool, PSA video!
Enter the Animal Farm Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation that has been rescuing and re-homing animals since 1985. It's central mission is to secure equal treatment and opportunity for "pit bull" dogs. In an effort to challenge the negative stereotypes about pit bulls and pit bull dog owners, the Animal Farm Foundation created The Majority Project, a fun, honest way to declare your support for pit bulls and their owners, the vast majority of whom are responsible, caring pet parents just like Parental Unit and all of our pet blogging friends. The Majority Project is a photo collection designed to call attention to the countless, responsible pit bull dog owners that are part of the fabric of our communities, and who care as much about keeping their families and towns safe as every other pet owner.
Pit Bull owners (and those that love them) can join this campaign by visiting themajorityproject.com, printing and personalizing an "I am the MAJORITY" sign and submitting a photo with their dog.
WE support #TheMajorityProject!
Fabulous photo of Parental Unit and me by Rachel Lauren Photography
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), which often bans pit bull breeds (just because of their DNA, not their behavior) from entire communities has a poor track record. In fact, it has never been effective in reducing dog bites or enhancing public safety. Rather, educating and empowering all pet owners to be responsible, and creating and enforcing non-discriminatory Responsible Pet Ownership Laws, are the most effective ways to build safe, humane communities for all of us. And isn't the collective goal a safe, non-discriminatory community?
Whether you're a pit bull owner, or simply an admirer of these beautiful bully breeds and their parental units, please stand with celebrities like actor and pit bull dog owner, Jon Bernthal, and show your support of # TheMajorityProject. And don't miss this cool, PSA video!
The Majority Project with Jon Bernthal from Animal Farm Foundation on Vimeo.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
The Numbers Behind Animal Abuse And What You Can Do To Help
A hearty thank-you to K9 of Mine for putting together this nifty infographic with statistics provided by the Humane Society of the United States. The idea is to raise awareness of animal abuse so that together, we can take steps to finally put an end to animal cruelty. We can all help by sharing this infographic, for starters!
Although we were aware of the relationship between domestic violence and animal abuse, we didn't realize the correlation was so high— 71% of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted their pet. And we also didn't realize that the most common dogs abused are Pit Bulls, which likely starts the cycle ending in their high death rate at the hands of their abusers or in shelters.
One key to ending animal abuse is to have tough animal cruelty laws. You might consider signing up for the ASPCA's Advocacy Brigade, so you'll be notified of important animal cruelty legislation in your area and can take action. Every voice counts!
Although we were aware of the relationship between domestic violence and animal abuse, we didn't realize the correlation was so high— 71% of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted their pet. And we also didn't realize that the most common dogs abused are Pit Bulls, which likely starts the cycle ending in their high death rate at the hands of their abusers or in shelters.
One key to ending animal abuse is to have tough animal cruelty laws. You might consider signing up for the ASPCA's Advocacy Brigade, so you'll be notified of important animal cruelty legislation in your area and can take action. Every voice counts!
Sunday, June 15, 2014
"Living With Your Pet" Tips: Sometimes It's About The Dog
We've written many times about how to prevent dog bites, most recently during dog bite prevention week a few weeks ago. The main idea is to prevent harm to humans, which we agree is a laudable cause. No one wants to suffer the physical and emotional scarring of a dog bite, including other dogs.
But we thought this recent post from our friends at DogTime Media was important to share because it puts a different angle on dog bite prevention: the dog and his or her feelings. And as the article points out, it's not just children who should be taught to always ask before petting a strange dog, it's adults, too.
The author's dog, Lill, wearing her "Please ask first to pet me" vest.
Parental Unit, for example, doesn't think twice about letting all humans pet me, because she has never seen me be anything but embarrassingly friendly. I go crazy with joy when anyone pets me on our walks, and in fact, Parental Unit considers that extra lovin' a part of my daily "enrichment" and socialization. Just yesterday, Parental Unit and I stopped in a local store for a look-see, and a guy knelt down and petted and hugged me for a good few minutes—and we both got lots of enjoyment from our encounter. But she still thinks it's polite for all humans to ask first—and very few do.
That's why we think these vests are important for at least some dogs to wear while walking—it gives some warning to approaching humans that not every dog should be fussed over, most importantly without asking first. As this post emphasizes, some owners would prefer that their dogs not be approached and petted during their walks: they could be in training, shy or easily startled, or recently rescued, for example, and the owner doesn't yet understand their personalities. Whatever the reason, all humans, no matter their age or size, should ask the owner of a strange dog permission to pet that pooch...for the dog's sake as well as their own.
But we thought this recent post from our friends at DogTime Media was important to share because it puts a different angle on dog bite prevention: the dog and his or her feelings. And as the article points out, it's not just children who should be taught to always ask before petting a strange dog, it's adults, too.
The author's dog, Lill, wearing her "Please ask first to pet me" vest.
Parental Unit, for example, doesn't think twice about letting all humans pet me, because she has never seen me be anything but embarrassingly friendly. I go crazy with joy when anyone pets me on our walks, and in fact, Parental Unit considers that extra lovin' a part of my daily "enrichment" and socialization. Just yesterday, Parental Unit and I stopped in a local store for a look-see, and a guy knelt down and petted and hugged me for a good few minutes—and we both got lots of enjoyment from our encounter. But she still thinks it's polite for all humans to ask first—and very few do.
That's why we think these vests are important for at least some dogs to wear while walking—it gives some warning to approaching humans that not every dog should be fussed over, most importantly without asking first. As this post emphasizes, some owners would prefer that their dogs not be approached and petted during their walks: they could be in training, shy or easily startled, or recently rescued, for example, and the owner doesn't yet understand their personalities. Whatever the reason, all humans, no matter their age or size, should ask the owner of a strange dog permission to pet that pooch...for the dog's sake as well as their own.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Deaf Shelter Dog Learns Sign Language
Sweet Rosie, a deaf shelter pooch finds her forever home.
Thanks to our friends at DogTime Media, we learned about this heartwarming shelter success story out of Nebraska. Although it's not easy for any dog to find a loving home once in a shelter, it's particularly hard for dogs with special needs. Take Pit Bull Rosie, for example. She had at least two strikes against her: She's a Pit Bull, and this breed is more likely than not to be euthanized at shelters because of laws, breed stereotyping or failing to properly temperament test these dogs. But four year old Rosie is also deaf and didn't have much confidence- shelter workers watched her get passed by day after day.
Thanks to our friends at DogTime Media, we learned about this heartwarming shelter success story out of Nebraska. Although it's not easy for any dog to find a loving home once in a shelter, it's particularly hard for dogs with special needs. Take Pit Bull Rosie, for example. She had at least two strikes against her: She's a Pit Bull, and this breed is more likely than not to be euthanized at shelters because of laws, breed stereotyping or failing to properly temperament test these dogs. But four year old Rosie is also deaf and didn't have much confidence- shelter workers watched her get passed by day after day.
The good news is that all it takes is one person to take an interest in giving a pooch a little extra help. A shelter volunteer taught Rosie basic commands in sign language, and within weeks she learned "good girl", "sit" and "outside". This helped her to blossom, and to become more confident and outgoing...just in time for Cindy Koch, a deaf woman searching for a new pup, to take a shine to her. Happy update on Rosie: She's learned many new signs (she's a super fast learner, says her new mom), and Koch plans to teach her many more. Yes, it just takes a little extra effort from one person to save a life...
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Negative Press And Laws Against Pit Bulls Start To Soften
This story from the Washington Post had us crowing with joy! For the most part, it seems that "well-funded and well-organized lobbying efforts" have paid off for those seeking to overturn state and local breed-specific laws. In fact, 18 states now have laws that prohibit communities from adopting breed-specific bans.
But as always, there are two sides to the story. Pit bull (and other powerful breed) owners rightly claim that their dogs should not be stereotyped and blamed for something they didn't do. And the American Bar Association and National Animal Control Association agree.
Proponents of breed-specific legislation, on the other hand, assert that pit bulls " are a volatile breed whose genetics drive them to kill more than two dozen people in the U.S. each year, many of them young children." And here's something we didn't realize: The Marines, Army and Air Force have all banned what they characterize as "dangerous dogs- including pit bulls and Rottweilers- from their bases because of the 'unreasonable risk' they pose to safety."
Despite the current state of disagreement, the overall trend is to overturn existing breed-based bans and to not consider new ones. While we are vehemently against banning certain breeds of dogs from communities, and against labeling certain dog breeds as inherently aggressive or vicious, we do think its important for the human owners of Pit Bulls and other powerful breeds to adequately train their dogs and be super careful when their dogs are around others- including other dogs! We have seen and experienced owners who not only didn't train their dogs, but let them run without a leash in areas where they are supposed to maintain "direct control".
Those attacks that have happened are needless tragedies, and we feel for the victims and their families. What to do? We'd love to hear your opinion!
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
National Pit Bull Awareness Month!
You know how we're always announcing that it's "this national something month" or "that national something month"? In fact, we just wrote that October is National Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. Well, people keep creating perfectly good reasons to dub a month for their favorite cause, and we've only got 12 months!
But this gorgeous month of October is a perfect overlap of two causes dear to our hearts: the plight of both shelter animals and the maligned breed of the moment, the Pit Bull. And yes, October is Pit Bull Awareness Month! Unfortunately, these two issues, shelter dogs and Pit Bulls, overlap so nicely because shelters across the country are filled with Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes, and so many of these beautiful dogs are euthanized each year. In fact, the statistics from our local shelter show that Pit Bulls and Pit mixes have the highest euthanasia rate of any breeds taken in by the shelter.
We're guessing that to fix this problem, we'll have to figure out why so many Pitties end up in shelters, and then work to educate the public about the "facts versus fiction" surrounding this breed. And that's what National Pit Bull Awareness Day (October 26th) and National Pit Bull Awareness Month (going on right now) aims to help us do.
As you know, Cesar Millan is a longtime Pit Bull owner and aficionado, and writes eloquently about the breed, and what can be done to combat its bad rap and breed specific legislation that has followed. He also writes about one very special Pit Bull, Elle, who won this year's American Humane Association Dog Hero Awards!
We hope you enjoy reading this information about the Pit Bull and what you can do in your community to help this beautiful breed regain its good standing.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Maryland Pit Bull Legislation Softens Court Ruling
In today's Washington Post, there's an article that details a new Maryland law involving pit bulls and all other breeds, that overturns an Appeals Court ruling from earlier this year. The case stems from the tragic mauling of a 10 year old boy by his neighbor's pit bull. The parents of the boy sued both the dog owner and their landlord, and the Maryland Court of Appeals eventually ruled "that owners of pit bulls are automatically liable for attacks by their dogs because the breed is 'inherently dangerous'". And that has been Maryland law since April 2012.
This is interesting from a legal perspective because in most cases, say of a dog biting or otherwise harming someone, if the injured person files a lawsuit, that plaintiff must prove the full circumstances of the case, including whether there were mitigating events, and all sorts of other legal stuff. And the owner of the dog could appropriately defend himself. But if a pit bull injured someone in Maryland after the court ruling, the injured person didn't have to prove much of anything-it was "strict liability for pit bull owners, landlords and "third parties", and the dog's owner literally had no defense. As we know, this type of overreaching law regarding pit bulls has not been uncommon in recent years, and causes a flood of folks turning in their beloved pitties to shelters, and in turn, the euthanasia of perfectly good canine companions skyrockets. We say this with all due deference and empathy to anyone injured by a dog not under full control of its owner, and most certainly to this young boy attacked by his neighbor's dog.
But today, the Maryland legislature was expected to announce what appears to be a much more fair modification to the court's ruling: Dog owners will still be held responsible for damage or injury caused by their dogs, "but it would allow them to defend themselves in court instead of automatically being liable. And it would apply to all dog owners, not just owners of pit bulls."
So what do you think about Maryland's new law? Does it make the court ruling more fair, or should certain breeds, because of their immense power to cause physical damage be deemed "inherently dangerous"? Let us know!
This is interesting from a legal perspective because in most cases, say of a dog biting or otherwise harming someone, if the injured person files a lawsuit, that plaintiff must prove the full circumstances of the case, including whether there were mitigating events, and all sorts of other legal stuff. And the owner of the dog could appropriately defend himself. But if a pit bull injured someone in Maryland after the court ruling, the injured person didn't have to prove much of anything-it was "strict liability for pit bull owners, landlords and "third parties", and the dog's owner literally had no defense. As we know, this type of overreaching law regarding pit bulls has not been uncommon in recent years, and causes a flood of folks turning in their beloved pitties to shelters, and in turn, the euthanasia of perfectly good canine companions skyrockets. We say this with all due deference and empathy to anyone injured by a dog not under full control of its owner, and most certainly to this young boy attacked by his neighbor's dog.
But today, the Maryland legislature was expected to announce what appears to be a much more fair modification to the court's ruling: Dog owners will still be held responsible for damage or injury caused by their dogs, "but it would allow them to defend themselves in court instead of automatically being liable. And it would apply to all dog owners, not just owners of pit bulls."
So what do you think about Maryland's new law? Does it make the court ruling more fair, or should certain breeds, because of their immense power to cause physical damage be deemed "inherently dangerous"? Let us know!
Monday, November 12, 2012
DogTime Media's Adoptable Animal Finder: Adoptable Dog And Cat Of The Week!
As we mentioned last week, the fine folks at DogTime Media are trying even harder than usual to get dogs and cats get adopted from shelters and rescues, so they've reached out to bloggers that belong to their network to help spread the good word. Each Monday, we'll be featuring one dog and one cat from shelters across the country that are featured on DogTime's, adopt.dogtime.com and adopt.dogtime.com/cats, that need to find their forever home.
So here we go with our second week's featured dog...
Introducing...Kia, an American Pit bull Terrier. Check out this lovely lady's full profile here: http://adopt.dogtime.com/kia-american-pit-bull-terrier-dog-rochester-ny-14624
So here we go with our second week's featured dog...
Introducing...Kia, an American Pit bull Terrier. Check out this lovely lady's full profile here: http://adopt.dogtime.com/kia-american-pit-bull-terrier-dog-rochester-ny-14624
Kia is a Parvo survivor and a real people person, 'er, dog! She loves to cuddle! Ki is currently doing well in a foster home with another dog and kitty, but it's recommended that she be introduced to any resident dogs in her potential forever home through a formal meet and greet. Three cheers for Kia!
And here's this week's adoptable cat...
Meet Smoki, a gorgeous domestic long hair kitty who's nine years young. Read all about this feline beauty here: http://adopt.dogtime.com/smoki-domestic-long-hair-cat-bedford-nh-03110
And here's this week's adoptable cat...
Meet Smoki, a gorgeous domestic long hair kitty who's nine years young. Read all about this feline beauty here: http://adopt.dogtime.com/smoki-domestic-long-hair-cat-bedford-nh-03110
Have you ever seen such gorgeous eyes? Poor Smoki is a bit confused and timid right now-she's lived exclusively as an indoor cat with one owner, but he was not able to take her with his most recent move. Smoki doesn't seem to particularly like other cats and dogs, so she will probably do best in a home with adults and as an only pet. We hope you'll consider giving this gal her forever home!
We'd love it if you share Kia's and Smoki's profile along with other adoptable dogs and cats from DogTime's site on your blog and/or your Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. Thanks so much!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Petfinder's Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week!
Hey, did everyone know that this week, September 17-23 is Petfinder's "Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week"? We're a bit late in getting the word out ourselves, but there's still time to spread the word-and do a good deed and even adopt a "less adoptable pet" yourself!
What does that exactly mean, "less adoptable"? Gee, it can be anything from big black dogs to pit bulls, senior pets, pets with special needs, black cats, even pets that need to be "only pets". And according to Petfinder's recent survey, pets deemed "less adoptable" wait for a home nearly four times longer than the average adoptable pet does-sometimes more than two years!
So check out your local shelter or Petfinder.com to see if you can spot and even adopt, a "less adoptable" pet. And if you can't adopt right now, why not pay a visit to your city's shelter in person and volunteer to take that big black dog for a walk!
As always, thanks for your support.
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