We're very pleased to report that our Pit Ed Camps will be back in full swing in 2011, thanks to a generous grant from PetSmart Charities®. In addition to the usual hands-on work with dogs, this year's camps will hold a very special focus: Attending shelter staffers will gain the skills to create owner support programs back home so their communities can embrace pit bulls and reduce the numbers of dogs being relinquished to overcrowded shelters. That will include learning to hold Pit Ed training classes as well as the outreach work (aka the 'Shots Fairs') we love so much.Owner support programs are an important alternative to BSL and can be implemented anywhere. All you need is the right combination of go-getters who want positive change rather than the same-old spin cycle of failed dogs and political hand-wringing. It's time to change the status quo, people!
Media Alert
Best Friends Animal Society is working to identify the fifteen shelters that will travel to Oakland for this training. If you're local to the SF bay area, we'll need your help. We'll be accepting interns who can help in our rescue barn while the camps are in full swing. So keep your eyes peeled here for an announcement and call for applications.
We look forward to working with the many partners involved in this project. With many thanks to the ever-progressive PetSmart Charities and the connectors at Best Friends.
Below, a glimpse into what it will be like for the shelters who come to learn how to bring resources to families in their community. (Thank you Jasmin Singer for the video ... and the ABA Animal Law Committee for giving us a way to test-drive our working classroom with this event!)
Below, a glimpse into what it will be like for the shelters who come to learn how to bring resources to families in their community. (Thank you Jasmin Singer for the video ... and the ABA Animal Law Committee for giving us a way to test-drive our working classroom with this event!)
8 comments:
I'm a shelter volunteer who all ready leads adoption events in my town. WARL is getting a new mobile adoption truck and it would be great if we could do this kind of outreach, too.
Oh Bad Rap, you've outdone yourselves! Congratulations on the grant - so deserving. It sounds like the participants will be out-of-staters. Any chance of any of us locals serving as "trainees" for the trainees at the camps so we can replicate your efforts and use your knowledge in California?
Thanks again Bad Rap!
Lynn in N. Cal
Let's see what we can do, Lynn. I agree - it would be great to power up CA efforts with a gathering of homies.
This is awesome!!! Education is definitely the key in responsible dog ownership/companionship!
Please let us know which shelters end up participating so that I might be able to link with and join the efforts of one in my area (NYC). We are in desperate need of a good pit specific program accessible within the city so I'm crossing my fingers that one develops from this.
I'm a first time pit owner (rescued my dog about year ago) and while she has made great progress and I continue to educate myself I could really use additional hands on guidance that doesn't also cost a fortune.
I am with Lynn, I hope us locals can serve as "trainees" for the trainees at camp!!!!! We need so much guidance up here in Sacramento, please keep us informed.
Wambui Prouty
With BSL looming strong across the country, this campaign is one of the best ways to fight BSL and to ensure that it doesn't hit your area! Only by educating owners about responsible dog ownership and providing them the tools they need to excell in training their dogs will we overcome this horrid wave of prejudice against our dogs. Our dogs need to be trained and socialized to be good citizens in our communities and owners must ensure their dogs are safely contained to avoid any additional mishaps or tragedies. While we can't expect to help educate everyone - we can provide the tools to people who want to do right by their dogs. Fighting BSL after an event, is difficult at best. Providing breed ambassadors and polite, well-behaved pit bull type dogs in our communities is key to overcoming this prejudice and fear. Thanky you Best Friends, Bad Rap and Petsmart Charities. To even consider a country without our beloved dogs is unthinkable and incredibly sad...this is how we ensure it doesn't happen.
Lynn in N Cal
PLEASE consider inviting the Lee County Domestic Animal Services people to your event, Lee County, Florida. One of the euthanisia criteria that they have is "excess breed", and we all know who that means, they desperately need help in developing programs to get pitties adopted and out into the community and reducing the number that come into the shelter. Thank you so much.
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