When the Bad Guys Look Like Us

Yep. Vick is turning out to be quite the poster child for bad boy dog fighters.

Unfortunately, abuse against pit bulls has become as All-American as domestic violence, and just as hard to eradicate. We can be horrified by the indictment details and demand that Nike pull the rest of those Number 7 jerseys off the shelves, but when it comes down to it, our outrage alone isn't going to do a damn thing to slow the violence committed against these dogs

Dog fighters are the bad guys. But what about those who've made it socially acceptable to defame the breed? Ask any pit bull owner how many times they've had to defend their pet from co-workers or family based on something horrible that was said about the breed in the news. The media condemns them regularly and labels them 'unpredictable' and 'aggressive,' the city of Denver is busy hunting them down and killing them, and groups like PeTA are big on telling legislators why they should be banned out of existence. So why NOT torture them? Don't they deserve it? Aren't they just really bad animals?

Nothing will change for the better until people chill out on these poor dogs. They've become the victims of a hatred that extends far outside the boundaries of Vick's property, and the real killer is a warped bias that's made them very convenient punching bags.

We see a lot of bad stuff in this line of work, but always prefer to let the dogs to the telling. Check out this News Report
about BR's Sadie.

Sadie (right) was originally named 'Tina' by the staff of the Oakland Animal Shelter because of some horrible injuries on her front legs. She's such an awesome dog that it's easy to forget how bad they look. Finding her a home brought up some interesting reactions: At least one applicant in Marin County rejected her when he learned about the legs, explaining that he didn't want a pet that had "seen combat." (Nevermind that she's quite nonreactive and even social with other dogs.) I spent half a day feeling infuriated for her after that exchange. Would he reject a friend who'd been beaten and mugged?

Sadie on the other hand, was much better at staying positive and looking on the bright side of things. Flash to the present: She's in a fantastic new home AND she just passed her CGC (Canine Good Citizen) test this weekend. That's like flipping a double bird at the guy who fought her and the people who would condemn her for being a pit bull, much less a chewed up pit bull. You go Sadie.

Six other pit bulls passed their CGC exam in Berkeley this weekend, and we're mighty impressed. See them here at on our Pit Bull Hall of Fame page.