Vick's Co-defendants get high end sentence

District Judge Henry E. Hudson called what happened to the dogs "a tragedy."

Vick's co-defendants get 18 and 24 months jail time and 3 years probation.

On behalf of the beautiful dogs that suffered terribly under the conditions they were kept and the abuse they endured, Thank you Mr. Hudson. News Story

Vick will be sentenced on December 10.

Sadie is My Life

BR alum Sadie Mae did good when she left her old life and flirted her way into her new home. She wasn't content with just a great address though; she kept going until she placed herself right in middle of her people's universe.

We laughed out loud at the name of this blog, devoted to the pushy little blue dog that insisted she was special.

'Sadie Mae Crockett, my life.' - BLOG

Well of course she is... as she should be!
Great photos. Thank you Ingrid

Stella Polari

Some news about Stella Polari, our transplant from the Michigan Humane Society. She's just recovering from a spay/abort surgery, as is our practice whenever we intake pregnant females. In another life, she would've been getting ready to be an undernourished mama to eleven puppies (ACK), but instead, she's starting classes and learning about creature comforts and life as a housepet in her temporary foster home.

An update from her foster mom Katie:

"When I first heard of Stella, Donna had mentioned that this special girl gives "hugs." I was a little worried because I had just finished fostering a big American Bulldog-pit bull mix who also liked to jump up and give rude knock-you-over hugs. Little did I know what I was in store for. Little Stella likes to gently jump up wrap her paws around you and look into your eyes as if to say 'love me!'. Its difficult to say no! All this girl wants is love. She's a little insecure about the world right now, but who could blame her? She came into the program pregnant, itchy, skinny and shy. Little does she know that she is one of luckiest dogs in the world to have made it to CA. Her name comes from Stella Polari(s), the north star. The stars had to have been set up right for this special girl, because currently all other pit bulls are put to sleep in the Detroit shelter system. She is literally one in a million.

Two and a half weeks have gone by since she first arrived on the plane from Detroit. A lot has happened in two weeks! She's on a new plan towards getting healthy. When I asked the vet how old she might be the vet replied "She has the teeth of a two or three year old dog and the body of ten year old". Wow! She's had a lot of puppies and not the best care up until this point in there life. Her skin is a mess, her tits hang to the floor, and she's under weight. Time to get this girl into shape. Its only been a little over two weeks and we're already seeing so many changes. She is now spayed, her coat is clearing up, and she is slowly gaining more energy.

She had a little more energy today than usual. Saying 'a little more' is not a whole lot though. She doesn't want to play in the yard, she just wants to be glued to your side so I am thrilled whenever she opens up a little and acts more confident. This morning she played with a stuffed dog toy and ran a few more zoomies than usual, which I take as a good sign. This girl is nothing but sweet sweet sweet.

I cannot wait to report more as she progresses. Its time for Stella to get her groove back!"

Thank you, Katie!

Speak No Evil, Beagle

Turkey Week brought headlines of the nearly-forgotten beagles confiscated from the Vick property. The media (ew) is just eating it up: The poor damaged things are making their way from a shelter straight into adopters' homes. Happy news, if it wasn't tainted by the sensationalistic comparison of "gentle beagles" to "unstoppably violent" pit bulls. Our pit bulls.

Unstoppable violence is a term usually reserved for gut wrenching reports of bloody sectarian civil wars or systematic genocide in far away places - or - the deeds of evil men who torture innocent animals. But, for dogs? Dogs that have been evaluated and given a seal of approval, no less?

I like beagles. They're cute as can be with their stubby legs and floppy ears, and busy, bossy personalities. My first dog was a beagle named Casey Jones Ratdog Reynolds. But even with those Disney-ish looks, beagles are still every bit as capable of being irresponsibly owned as other dogs... Just this month, a beagle attacked a young girl in Texas, requiring emergency surgery. Her mother said, "You always think it's a Pitbull or Rottweiler. It doesn't matter what kind of dog it is, you never know when this will happen to your kid." Another reminder that stereotyping your demons can open you up to a painful reality check. Read: Beagle Attack

Don't blame the beagle, though. He didn't know that America expects more of his kind. He's only a dog.

After news came out that the kinder, gentler dogs were getting adopted in Virginia, we heard from a dog owner who wanted to share her story of Bishop, a beagle who was nearly killed by other dogs. She wanted folks to see how silly the whole good breed, bad breed campaign is. In her words:

'I had the pleasure of meeting Bishop when I took care of a barn of horses at a Hunt Club in Connecticut. A kennel of approximately 30 beagles was situated next to my barn. Occasionally I was asked to fill in for the girl that feeds them. The girl warned me ahead of time that these were all kennel raised hunting beagles, and that they were not raised as pets. She told me there may come a morning when I find a dead beagle that had been attacked by the others. Thankfully I never did!



When working in my barn, I would occasionally hear a fight break out, and would dash into the kennel to break it up. After the third or fourth time, I noticed it was almost always the same beagle I was saving. Bishop.

One day, to my horror, I found the dogs had trapped him inside, pinned him in the corner with his back against the wall, eyes like saucers, screaming his head off with approximately eight beagles tearing at his body. He had been housed with those beagles, all uncastrated males of varying sizes, ages and temperaments. The injuries were extensive, and Bishop had to be hospitalized. They tore at his stomach and his hind legs. His testicles were almost completely ripped off of his body. He needed several stitches and drains over these areas, and to be castrated the rest of the way.

Bishop survived his injuries, and found a loving home with me. He lived to be 13 and a half, and I am pleased to say, as the least likely to survive, he outlived every one of those dogs! He passed away a couple of weeks ago of old age, I miss him terribly.

I believe Bishop was attacked not because of his breed, but because he was raised as a hunting dog kept in a survival of the fittest atmosphere.

The photo attached is of Bishop and his pit bull friend Gentle Ben, whom we fostered. Both dogs are now sitting side by side in heaven where ignorance, prejudice and abuse do not exist.' - Beth Connelly

Thank you Beth for that reminder. And rest in peace, Bishop and Gentle Ben.

A Slam Dunk for the Dogs

Our entire crew got a triple espresso shot in the arm this week when writer George Dohrmann nominated BR for the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Award for helping the Vick dogs.

YO!

He told us that he wanted readers to remember the dogs, especially as we get closer to Vick's sentencing date. Nice. Thank you George.

Unfortunately, we're only at half time with this bigger project and weren't able to give him the score on the dogs. (Darnit!) Talk about integrity; once he knew we were limited in what we could say, he never tried to squeeze dog details out of us. That's a rare breed journalist. I'm only sorry that he speculated that the dogs might not fit the description of gentle. Seems the naysayers hold heavy influence. But, Soon enough. Patience grasshopper.

Sophie Update!

While we wait for the opp to share some of their stories, Miss Sophie is more than happy to answer the questions that America's been asking about the Vick dogs. And now...She's going home! I love her new movie, made by foster mom Stephanie, to help her remember this special little houseguest. Watch: Sophie's Dance

The Good Guys

Last week was a crowded blur of workshops, demos, field trips and gab when a group of eight shelter workers flew in to attend our fourth Pit Ed Camp of the year. They represented shelters in San Diego County, Philly and Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS). ACO Dave Walker (right) from Spokane got his fill of pit bull love. We had a great time. Pit bulls have good friends in their corners in these towns.

Once Camp let out, we grabbed a quick flight back to Florida to meet friends fromthe Animal Farm Foundation and to see how folks in the Tampa shelters were doing with their pit bull adoption programs.

Hillsborough County Animal Service staff was proud to show us three new kennels designated for breed ambassadors in their brand new adoption wing. They had just adopted out a favorite pit bull to a great home the night before we arrived.

Further down the bay, we tipped our hats to the crew at SPCA Tampa Bay. They have such a common sense approach to pit bull adoptions that we wanted to kiss them. Okay, we did kiss them.

When asked how they handled pit bulls from cruelty busts, they looked puzzled. What else? Every dog is treated as an individual, no matter their background. They receive kennel enrichment, exercise, love and - if they pass their evaluations - they're eventually adopted into loving homes. Brava, Brava

Photo: SPCA Tampa Bay staffers Donna, Connie and friend.

CALENDARS! are finally going out the door. If you've been waiting for yours - thank you - Look in your mailbox starting this coming weekend.

A calendar's worth 12,000 words

Kids and pit bulls - what's the big whoop? They're just dogs.

Somehow, the media monster has created a climate wherein perfectly nice folks can be out enjoying a perfectly nice day with their perfectly nice pit bull, and they suddenly receive an unsolicited editorial from someone with kids.

Or worse, they're with their own kids, who suddenly get an earful from a perfect stranger criticizing their parenting skills - and their best pal! What gives? This kind of rudeness doesn't happen to folks who have other large-breed dogs with children, but somehow society has decided that it's entirely acceptable for a perfect stranger to provide his or her own unsolicited and ill-informed public service announcement to anyone who will listen whenever there's a pit bull out and about and anywhere near a child.

At a local festival, my own dog Gunther had just been set upon by a group of rowdy toddlers (he rolled around on his back for belly rubs in the grass - his favorite thing), when my trip for a first beer led to him almost being run down by yet another wee human on an out-of-control Big Wheel. Being the cool cucumber Gunther is, he just sort of looked at me like, "Um - Mom? I think that kid needs some help." So I put my foot out to prevent the toddler from taking a tumble off the curb, and as I was doing so some random guy walked by with his wife and, very loudly to everyone (but not looking directly at me), said, "Yeah, that's a GREAT idea, having a dog like THAT around CHILDREN!"

Snappy retorts and actual education escaped me at that moment, I'm sorry to say. I did manage to fit in something not fit for print (or young ears, regrettably) - hey, we're only human. (And the young ears in question were being commandeered by Mom, who'd suddenly realized that her youngster's motor skills might not be honed enough to maneuver his fly plastic ride through the madding crowd...)

In any case, the simple fact of the matter is: normal pit bulls adore children. And, we're pleased to say, lots of children adore dogs - and pit bulls are just dogs, after all.

So, for everyone who's had to endure a lecture about endangering their children or someone else's simply because of their choice of family pet, we have the perfect holiday gift for you, which we tentatively entitled:

Bad Rap's 2008 Unsolicited Rude and Unwelcome Editorial Eliminator / A Picture's Worth a Thousand Rude Hand Gestures and/or Snappy Retorts / Gift for the Naysayers / Pit Bulls and Their Favorite Kid Pals Calendar Extravaganza 5000!


That was the working title, anyway. It didn't fit on the cover particularly well, so we went with Pibbles 'n Kids.

Heartfelt thanks go out to all the families that so generously donated their time - and kids! - to this calendar project. Most the dogs in the calendar are Bad Rap alums, but there's a couple shots sent in by some supporters that were so amazing that we just had to use them.

So, for those of you who want a G-rated pit bull calendar for next year's date-keeping, this one's for y'all. We think it makes a great stocking stuffer for anyone who's ever given you grief about your best pal - and yes, that includes your mother-in-law.

Teflon Tuff

Oh my aching head. On the heels of a fantastic evening last night (see notes below), we're reminded just how tuff we really have to be to own and enjoy our pit bulls. Not tuff as in, "Wow am I tres cool and muy macho," but tuff enough to teflon biased opinions such as those in: Vallejo Times Herald's weekend piece on 'pet psychology.'

The headline of the article reads, "Pet Psychology What does your pet choice say about you?" Although I propose a different headline: "Pets and Armchair Psychology. What does your personal prejudice say about you?"

Apparently pit bull owners, we've been diagnosed. The tens of thousands of us who own and enjoy pit bulls in the bay area, specifically in Solano County, are merely fine tuning our bad boy macho image. Oy vey. If we REALLY meant to have "family member type pets" according to clinical psychologist Dr. Kelly Horton, we'd be by-passing these fat head dogs up for labrador retrievers.

Baby Clare is much too busy enjoying her friend to care what people think about her parent's breed choice.


The article suggests that our income and even our EDUCATION level may have something to our breed choice. "Income and education level and where they live may dictate why some people have certain kinds of animals," one north bay shelter worker said. Presumably, the less educated we are, the more attracted we will be to pit bulls. More: "Terriers have a strong prey drive, which can be a problem with kids going by on skateboards or on bikes, or the postman or pizza delivery guy gets bit."

Whoa! Wait a minute. The last time we checked, responsibly owned pit bulls weren't chasing the pizza guy any more than responsibly owned labradors - the supposed ideal family pets. In fact, two irresponsibly owned lab-mixes made the paper this spring when they chased and bit up a passer-by in the North Bay. Lab Attack, Of course, we would never blame the breed or the income level of dog owner. But rather, we would look at the circumstances. Prior history? Yes, the dogs had been at large before, barking scarily at some neighborhood kids. Containment problems? Absolutely.

Solano County pit bull owners, you have a right to be pissy at your local paper today. Yes, yes, we know there are irresponsible pit bull owners out there as well as irresponsible lab owners, but generalizing and supporting stereotypes is sooo 1950's. Not to mention, it's sensationalistic and smacks of tabloid journalism. Kudos though to Darlene Jelonek, who does animal control for the Benicia Police Department. She said most of the dogs she picks up in town are loose running labs and retrievers. She rarely encounters an aggressive pit bull, and said. "We got the friendlier, family dogs here, I guess," she said. Thank you Darlene. Score one for Benicia.

Speaking of Tuff Love

Last night's event exceeded all expectations. The tasting room was packed, the guests were dressed to the nines, the sake was flowing, the music was jamming and atmosphere was all about love and appreciation for the breed. Sales were good and everyone seemed walk out the door with an auction score, a BR Exposed Calendar and/or an original work of art.
We'll post a link to fun photos when we unfog our brains, but for now, THANK YOU to everyone who came out and showed so much generosity and kindness.



Photographer Anne Truitt had good reason to celebrate. Her Exposed calendar photos were a hit and her framed prints nearly sold out. Congrats Anne! and thank you again.

Cheap Thrills, Fine Art & a Detroit Transplant

Some may be coming out to see the naked butts in our BAD RAP Exposed Calendar this Saturday, Nov 10, at the Tuff Love Show, but the real stars will be the many works of art that will be on display.

Petal (left)- a life size portrait carving by Tim Racer - will be prancing across the gorgeous spaces of the Takara Sake Factory, and will be surrounded by quality art pieces for sale, such as these. (Hm. I may to have to get ready to fight over that mosaic piece!)

Great art is showing up in the Silent Auction, too. So bring your checkbook and get ready to jot down your best bids. This lovely print was kindly donated by the dog lovers of Fifty Crows Gallery and is part of the 'In the South' series from the Mother Jones International Fund for Documentary Photography.



For 25 years, Adams has been documenting the people of Appalachia. His affectionate portraits of individuals and families speak to us with tenderness and sincerity. Adams has received two NEA fellowships and has published 'Appalachian Portraits' and 'Appalachian Legacy.'
Beautiful. Valued at $500.

Other items to shop at the silent auction:
- A week's stay in a vacation home in Jackson Hole WY
- A week's stay in a vacation flat in Cole Valley, SF
- Two night's stay in the sweet Hopland Inn
- Numerous gift baskets full of dog products and other goodies
- Tickets to shows at Freight & Salvage, Giant's Games & more
- Too much more for my bleary eyes to list...Just bring your checkbook!


Our Detroit Mama is Here!
Mandatory exercise for reading this blog:

1. Open this LINK
2. Put on your dancing shoes.
3. PUT YOUR HANDS UP for Detroit!...AND, Stella Polare

Our Newest Transplant

Stella just scored a spot in our program after making goo-goo eyes during a visit to Michigan Humane Society's Detroit Shelter at the end of October.

She was confiscated in a drug bust and has lived some adventures in her day, but she told us that she's more than willing to leave those days behind her.

She'll be spit-shined, polished up, spayed and tutored before finally making her way to our adoption program.



What a ham. Stella poured out of her crate at the airport with a big fat smile on her face, ready to go. The air cargo crew gaped at her hanging boobies and messy coat, but we assured them that our girl had a standing date with Spa Katie. Katie Moyer is her new foster mama and is set to devote many weeks of TLC and training to get her in good shape and ready for adoption. She's had good practice: the bouncy Harvey and Princess Sadie both found their manners in her care.

Big thanks to Katie, and to Kristy Grasak and her many helpers at Michigan Humane Society for all you did to get Stella to CA.

Here's a little YouTube Movie of Stella giving hugs to her new friend Tim.

A Place to Lay Their Weary Heads

We received a wonderful note from the good folks at Hillsborough County Animal Care Services today. They've been hammering out the start of a brave new breed ambassador program for pit bulls. Brave, because they intake so many dogs that the shelter is forced to euthanize dozens every day due to space constraints. Despite this daily heartache, they're finding time to get their best dogs to outings where they can be seen by the public and enjoyed for the good dogs that they are.

This is quite a U-turn from just months ago, when adoptable pit bulls didn't stand much of a chance. As some readers may remember, Little Man landed in this shelter after HCAS staff rescued him from a neglectful home. He was on his last day when we spied him, and the rest is history. He's now in Orange County living the life of a spoiled pet and demo dog deluxe. Great dog, and great team effort to get him to this ending.

Now, all attentions are turned towards the Hillsborough County dogs that are still waiting for their lucky break. Their ambassador program is modest and realistic: three hand-selected pit bulls go up for adoption at a time. (The staff was trained in BR's Pit Ed Camp to select the very best candidates) But change takes time, so even three very special dogs have to wait and wait for good adopters to see their worth. In the meantime, shelter staff is carving out spare moments every day to keep them exercised and sane.

Good deeds deserve to be rewarded.

If you know someone in the Tampa area who's looking to adopt, please tell them about this shelter. And if you want to help their pit bulls, consider buying a bed so the dogs can enjoy a good night's sleep off of the cold floor. Well-rested dogs are better able to handle the stress of the shelter and attract that good home with a bright, tail-wagging happy smile.

Kuranda's Donation Program will accept your donation and ship a bed to Hillsborough pronto: Beds for Dogs ... Easy-peazy, and such a good way to show that you support what they're doing to help the dogs.

For more information about HCAS breed ambassadors, or to learn other ways that you can help them reach their goals, please contact the ever-busy-always-hopeful Kelly Bigsby

Nekid is as Nekid Does

So, we decided to get naked for our calendar this year.

There - I said it. No big deal, right? It sounded like a good idea at the time: Draw attention to the fact that pit bull owners are so used to being stared at that we just don't give a damn anymore. Once we got closer to the date of the photo shoot, we all started caring a little more than we thought we would. 'Oh god, my stomach!' 'My vericose veins!' 'Don't shoot my butt!'

Well, pit bulls don't care what you look like as long as you look like you're having fun. So we rented a house on Stinson Beach in Marin County, packed up way too much food, way too many dogs and plenty of drink. We wished we would've packed tomato juice, because within hours of enjoying the salt air, no less that three dogs and one human were sprayed by a beach combing skunk. And so went our adventure. It was, actually, one of the happiest weekends I've had in years. Dog bless margarita inspired brainstorms!



The calendar includes BR's core group: which includes police officers, a fire fighter, a teacher, business owners, artists, account execs, lawyers and more. We may be showing butt cracks, but we ain't thugs. We hope you like the results. And even if you don't, we truly hope that - if you do own a pit bull - you're able to enjoy many moments without caring anything about the stares you get. After all, when you own a wonderful pet, you've got absolutely nothing to hide. (And, what you do need to hide is easily covered with a wee bit of foundation.)

BAD RAP Exposed will be officially launched at our Tuff Love Event this coming Saturday. For those who can't go - You're missing one hell of a good party! - but you can order your copy of the Calendar Here.

Thank you!




New Videos Worth Getting Choked Up About:

1. Wallace the Purina Flying Disc Champ and Roo, singing the National Anthem (Check out Wallace's other videos while you're at YouTube)

2. And, this News Report from East Lyme, Conn, of a pit bull that sat by his injured owner's side after a bad car wreck. *Sniff*

Motor City Mojo

Detroit. Scrappy, messy, unrelenting, unapologetic. I love it as much as I hate it: It's where I was born and raised until my early twenties and a big part of my heart is still there. We just returned from a visit as part of a trip to the MPAW Conference in Lansing - a gathering of bright animal welfare minds hosted by the Michigan Humane Society (think: Animal Cops).



MHS wants to re-visit their policies that now ban pit bull adoptions. Right now, their pit bulls don't leave their Detroit shelter alive and the shortest coats you'll see in their surburban shelters belong to beagles. We were greeted with smiles after our morning presentation on lessons learned in BAD RAP. Many of those smiles were wearing suits; a good sign. We told the audience that Oakland is a lot like Detroit. Same gritty spirit...maybe a little less messy. If Oakland can make things better for pit bulls that need help, so can greater Detroit. After all, adoptable dogs are counting on us.

Later, we left the sweetness of the MSU conference grounds to take a peek at two of their three shelters. The newer facility in Westland was impressive, although a very lonely place for a pit bull nerd...None to be found in their cheerful kennels. We couldn't wait to hop in the car and take off to our old stomping grounds in da ghetto of their downtown facility. This shelter looks like a building from modern day Baghdad. But the people inside are warm and ... real. I always think of Detroiters as the ultimate urban pioneers. We got the hec out of that city years ago, but the people that stay somehow make it work.

You'd imagine that the dogs from Detroit would reflect their surroundings - beaten down and edgy. But just the opposite: We were greeted again and again by beautiful tail-wagging bullies, pressing into their kennel bars, smiling and ever-hopeful. Amazing. It was too hard to walk away knowing all were lost, so we asked if we could take home a lovely chocolate brown female. A tiny gesture in the middle of an enormous problem. They said yes!

It turns out the chocolate girl was a staff favorite. (I love that they even have staff favorites, since opening your heart means you're going to be disappointed in the end.) We just got word today that she passed her health check, so is ready to fly. Stay tuned for news and photos as our Detroit Lady gets her muscley butt on a plane and heads to Oakland to start her new life. We can't wait.

In case any of the Detroiters we met are reading: Thank you for not giving up. We so admire your cautious optimism for better days. You're a lot like your dogs -- and I mean that in the very best way.

Thank you to Dina for sponsoring our Detroit Girl in Gary's name. You've got some heart, girl.

Eye See You

Big thanks to Sophie's foster mom, Stephanie, for taking such good care of Soph and for snapping these new post-surgery pix. Our girl is all brand new without her icky damaged eye to bother her anymore.

For those who may have missed her intro, Sophie was bred and fought most of her 11 years but found happier days once she landed in the Oakland Animal Shelter, and then to our program. I especially like the shot of her blowing little bubbles out of her pursed lips.

Halloween, Recycled

CBS recently decided to re-run this oldy moldy video report on scary pit bulls from 2005. (Pit Bull Restrictions Debated) CBS Redone

Why? My best guess is because it's a collection of Halloween-ish gore, including some sensationalistic quotes from a person-who-should-know-better at a south bay shelter. Scare tactics are perennial, so it seems - and so convenient during times when abused pit bulls, ghouls and UFO sightings make their way to into October headlines.

What bothers me the most, besides the fact that a few of us and our ridiculously friendly dogs are IN this report (Fools-R-We for participating in this trash piece) is that it's running adjacent to a report on the Vick dogs - Wha? - Despite the fact that only ONE of the Vick dogs was sketchy with people, and she was put to sleep, as was the responsible thing to do.

I know, I know. What can we expect? The media is known for acting like a bunch of scared little old ladies chittering about bogus insurance scams, and no one with any brains really cares what they have to say. But dammit! watching reports like these is like watching school bullies kick the crap out of your little brother. How do we make them stop?

Speaking of a burn, we were taken aback by a highly unethical exchange with a staff member of our own local paper, the San Francisco Chronicle. Seems Mr. Rose didn't like the fact that we were placing an an ad to promote our fundraiser Tuff Love in his paper. His out-of-left-field response to our request for ad space....

Pit Bulls can be fine animals. But I find it alarming that your organization dismissed the numerous maulings that result from seemingly sweet dogs that come from a line of dogs bred for fighting. As a journalist all my life (I'm 60 now), I can't count the number of times I've read reputable news reports about a pit bull family pet which, after a number of years with the kids, suddenly mauled one of the family.

This is not urban myth. This is a real problem.

I'd love to see a certified line of pits that can demonstrate several generations of tame breeding so that the animals could truly be trusted. I've found everything I've ever heard from the "religious" pit bull owners to be true — that they are truly beautiful and loving dogs. But until such a line can be established, they cannot be trusted.

Many pit bull owners point to the fact that other breeds have a greater history of biting. However, pits don't bite — they maul. And there's a big difference.

I think if you folks own up to the fact that there are difficulties with the breed, you might make a lot more headway. And the problems don't stem from responsible pit owners — they stem from the Michael Vicks of the work. And unfortunately, there are big numbers of these people.

Jim Rose
Production, Ad Lay Out Manager
San Francisco Chronicle

Geez. And all we wanted to do was attract people to an event that celebrates great dogs and their loving owners.

Outside of the fact that the Vick dogs were found to be people-safe (and many are A-Okay with dogs), his bigger mistake was letting the media educate him about dog maulings. Research from the National Canine Research Council comes in so handy during times like these.

I wrote to Jim and pointed out that, according to the NCRC ...

"There have been 58 fatal maulings in CA since 1965 -- an average of 1-2 deaths a year. At least 14 different breeds/types of dogs have been identified as participating in a fatal attack in California. The breeds include small and medium-sized dog (Pomeranian, Schnauzer) -- up to large and giant breed dogs (Malamute, Presa Canario)."

And, "California leads the nation in having the largest number of criminal, negligent and abusive owners receiving felony convictions after encouraging or permitting their dogs to exhibit behaviors which resulted in a fatal attack." And further, they outline ways that the media's portrayal of pit bulls has contributed to the unrelenting assassination of this one breed's reputation. (Pssst: Bookmark this website!)

Tuff Love was created, in part, as a response to media biases such as Jim's. I never heard back from him, by the way. But maybe he's busy checking his facts.

Speaking of Scary Ex-Fighting Dogs

Sophie is back in her foster home after a surgery to remove her bad eye....Thank you UCDavis. She has a permanent wink now....How fitting! (I picture her winking everytime a naysayer slanders abused pit bulls as 'ticking time bombs.')

And happier news yet ... Our little miss is going up for adoption. She deserves a home that can give her all the creature comforts a senior citizen like her has earned. We've been honored and privileged to know this dog and we look forward to seeing her relax into retirement. Her adopters should line up the toys, though....This girl is making up for years of neglect by enjoying lots of silly, happy, wiggly-butt play.

Dog bless you, Sophie. And kind thank yous to everyone who's sent toys, donations and good vibes to help her in her new life.

The Art of Dog

And finally, a slideshow of our Pit Bull Hall dogs, compliments of PBH Team Member, Maria Graizer. She sure has an eye. Enjoy.

PBH Slides

Hurricane season keeps us hoppin'

What busy times. We call the autumn months our hurricane season, since, for the past three years, they represent our busiest, craziest season. Larger rescue projects, our conference at home as well as others that we attend, and big events like Tuff Love all seem to come crashing in at the same time. ACK. Somebody throw us a lifeline.

The bigger news of course, is about the Vick dogs. Although we're not at liberty to discuss details, we can report that BR's Tim Racer flew back to VA to assist attorney Rebecca Huss in re-evaluating the dogs in order to create solid placement recommendations, and, we helped organize the transfer of 16 Vick dogs that were deemed foster care candidates to warm and ready foster homes for TLC and observation. News Report: V-Dog Updates

Rebecca is now collecting applications from 501(c)3 organizations who wish to take custody of one or more dogs. Interested orgs must jump some pretty big hoops; a good thing for the dogs.

More News and Updates
On the home front, good news and sad news. First, the good news: Dogs Dango and Harvey both found new homes this week, and Ruckus has an interested suitor already. Next step: shopping local shelters for their replacements, starting with the Oakland Animal Shelter. Shopacholics that we are, we love looking for new dogs. More...

In the Lap of Luxury
Big Headed Boris - once abandoned because he couldn't leave the shelter without his balls - traveled to his forever home this month, with new parents Jim and Patty. We always wait on those photo updates, and this family has not disappointed. Our Bubba friend has landed in the lap of laps, the home of homes, with the heart of hearts. Waddayathink - Is he happy?





Little Man, the Refuge
Little Man, our heart-throb rescue from Hillsborough County Animal Control in Tampa, FL, was evacuated just as he was settling in to his new Southern CA home. His proud person is Mike Kaviani, a Pit Ed Camp graduate and Senior Animal Care Specialist at Irvine Animal Care Center. Mike had to overnight at his shelter, ready for instructions on how to help local pets displaced by the fires - and Little Man's job was to entertain the staff and keep everyone happy during those tense hours....A fitting job for a natural clown. Go Little Man! We're happy to report that all are safe.


Gary - My Angel
I'm very sad to report that we made the painful decision to put Gary to sleep. He was our compassion case who came to our house after suckering us in with warm brown eyes sunken in a starved, skeleton frame. Gary grew to love his new life and greeted us with 'thanks' and happy woo-woo's. Unfortunately, the world outside of our home was too scary for 'Scary Gary.' We let him go to peace under a waterfall of tears.


Our final movie of Gary. We were actually saying good-bye to Little Man the day this was filmed, not realizing it would be Gary's good-bye as well. Rest in peace, my love. You were our good, good boy.

Soundbite inhibition

Everybody loves to talk about dogfighting.

Heck, people who have never met a pit bull love to talk about dogfighting, especially if talking about dogfighting is going to get them on TV or bring in some donor money or make a headline or keep viewers watching an uninsipired television show.

We're not really sure why people love to talk about dogfighting so much, but in the wake of the Michael Vick case people keep on talking. And talking.

There was a big fight bust in Missouri this week - and kudos go to the teams that made that happen. One nice thing about the initial article is that the reporter did include relevant and positive quotes by Stoddard County Sheriff, Carl Hefner, who noted about the dogs:

"They weren’t aggressive to us at all," he said. "You could walk up to them, and they’d jump up and lick you."

Those of us who work with pit bulls regularly - often rescued from abusive or neglectful situations, including fighting rings - are never surprised to hear that dogs from these circumstances are fantastic with people and grateful for some human attention.

What is a bit disappointing, though, is that people (especially reporters) tend to try to exaggerate a "bred to be fighters" angle, as though any dog can be specifically bred for a single activity and forget that it's a dog. This isn't new - but it's getting old.

Because we've had so much success living with dogs that have come out of horrendous circumstances - including fighting situations - imagine our chagrin when a followup article came out about the Missouri situation that included inflammatory and just plain untrue quotes from the Humane Society of the United States:

"When we are talking about dogs that have been bred to kill other dogs, you can't really rehabilitate them," said John Goodwin, manager of the Human Society of the United States' Animal Fighting Campaign. Advertisement

And, Goodwin and other shelter operators say, don't let the Michael Vick case fool you.

All but one of the more than 50 dogs in that case have been tentatively spared, in large part because the millionaire NFL quarterback is paying for the dogs' rehabilitation as part of his plea agreement.

Sigh.

There are so many things wrong with these statements that it's hard to know where to start, so we'll just start at the beginning. And by the beginning I mean the very beginning.

Pit bulls are dogs, and dogs are domestic animals. 15,000 years of evolution cannot be undone because some random idiot and his friends decided to purchase or breed a bunch of dogs and abuse them. All pit bulls come from the same lineage, whether we're talking about Petey and the Little Rascals or the little tan dog that was photographed after a fight bust. This doesn't make them monsters or weapons, any more than the Jack Russel (bred to kill rats!) or the Ridgeback (bred to hunt lions, the King of the Jungle!) are monsters or weapons. They're just dogs, folks.

There is a difference between temperament and behavior, and that difference is the reason that BAD RAP and other pit bull rescuers and owners have had so much success rehoming discarded dogs as family pets.

We at BAD RAP specifically evaluate all our dogs on their core temperaments, and that includes dogs that come out of fighting rings or have obvious scars from incidental fights. By and large, we find that this resilient breed retains it's wiggly-butted-love-slut nature with people, and what that means is that sparking off with other dogs is something that will become less important to a stable, normal individual dog than pleasing its handler is.

This really and truly isn't rocket science, and it isn't "rehabilitation" either. It's simply a matter of understanding normal breed traits, evaluating individual dogs and their temperaments, and putting dogs into situations with handlers who can show them what's expected of them. They're dogs, not robots.

The other ironic thing about John Goodwin's soundbite is that he's made it without mention of HSUS's fundraising activities - including an eBay auction of Michael Vick's apology speech - that brought in tens of thousands of dollars (if not considerably more) on behalf of the Vick dogs.

Thing is, the HSUS has nothing to do with the Vick dogs. So where is this money going? If money is the true concern of HSUS and it's the gating issue preventing them from stepping in to help the Missouri dogs, why not use the funds brought in by the Vick dogs to help out?

HSUS has a fund that specifically states that it will:

• Provide care for animals seized in animal cruelty and fighting cases. Without this assistance, police are often reluctant to pursue cases involving large numbers of animals.

HSUS also has 200 million dollars in the bank. $113 million of their money came from contributions, grants and bequests.

Somehow, money does not seem to be the real issue here. And that is because money is not the real issue here. BAD RAP has been operating on a shoestring budget since its inception, and we still manage to find wonderful homes for around 50 deserving pit bulls a year - some of these dogs have been in fights, others abused, still more neglected. The commonality: they all retain the solid pit bull temperament.

The other commonality: there are people around willing to do something for the dogs - and that can-do attitude can start with a single shelter worker, administrator, or volunteer.

So: what about those Missouri dogs?

We recognize based on our experience with these types of cases that it would be very likely that dogs in that Missouri group may be quite fine around other animals. Every dog deserves to be evaluated as an individual, and America has said so much by making large donations to groups like HSUS on behalf of the victims.

Wouldn't it be great if those donations could be used to actually help the victims? Perhaps then, we would be able see something good come out these tragic situations.

Soundbites make newspapers, but action makes a difference.

Honey Still Works Better than Vinegar

This weekend, hundreds of pet owners from a low-income Oakland neighborhood will be lining up in a park to receive free shots for their animals at the East Bay SPCA Shots Fair Clinic. Young men like this will be greeted warmly by the diehard BR volunteers. If he needs one, his dog will be fitted with a collar and leash. After all, pit bull owners who care enough to give up part of their Sunday to do right by their dog deserve to be treated with respect.

Guys like this will also get free training tips and a chance to talk with other pit bull owners about ways to be a good steward. His dog will probably get a hug or two, and before he leaves, he'll get an invitation to free training classes and a voucher to get his pet neutered for free. If he's like more than half of the people who come to these fairs, he'll follow through and we'll run into him again at the East Bay SPCA's spay/neuter clinic.

In just two years time, over 1700 pit bull owners in the east bay have fixed their pets without needing to be coerced, shamed or threatened via mandatory measures. Instead, they get Oakland-style support, encouragement and education. We like that about the east bay; it makes us proud to call it our home.

One of the movers and shakers behind organizing BR's troops to action at the Shots Fair is Kim Ramirez. Kim's work with pit bulls and their people is a true labor of love. We were happy when Fetch the Paper asked Kim for an interview....They picked a good'un. Thank you Fetch, and thank you Kim!

Read about Kim here: "Making a Difference"

Let's Talk About Dog Aggression

Dog aggression - or, dog-intolerance as we like to call it - is a hot topic whenever pit bulls come up in a conversation. Aren't they a dog aggressive breed? Well, some individuals can be...in the same way that people can be violent. Some of us are nasty bastards, ready to pummel loved ones or the guy who offends by stealing the last parking space. You know the type.

Maybe the warrior types had a bad upbringing, or maybe they have mean genes, or a combo of both. Your guess is as good as mine...


Thankfully, most of us are better at biting our tongues and kicking the wall instead of our co-workers. Although let's admit it - many of us enjoy amping ourselves up by watching violence. We scream and yell and jump out of our stadium seats like a leash-reactive dog spittin' fire at his neighbor. Woo! Get'em!...Hollering is such a gratifying way to charge up a life-affirming adrenalin rush. Yep, many unschooled dogs would agree.

I have a theory that some people despise pit bulls (usually, without actually having met one) because the dogs mirror us so faithfully: Our very best sides, our most outrageous sides, and in the case of the naysayers, the side of us that can be lured into battle. We are them; they are us.

At the end of the day, most of us learn to manage our hot-buttons and to suppress our warrior instincts so we can enjoy a quieter, happier life. Same is true for dogs. Especially those with good (human) parents.



Before you assign dog aggression to any one breed, take this quiz and fill in the blanks.

Which breed is being described? Link to the source of the quotes to find your answers. I think you'll be surprised.

Dog Aggression Quiz: Name the Breed

1. __X__ are often aggressive with other dogs. Same-sex aggression and aggression towards other breeds of dogs is well documented with this __X__. It is strongly recommended that no more than two __X__ (of opposite sex only) ever be permitted to stay together unattended.

2. They require a great deal of socialization as puppies, and obedience training is very important as __X__ are dominant dogs and tend to be aggressive towards other dogs, especially of the same sex.

3.When it comes to other dogs, however - especially dogs of the same sex - __X__ are not so likely to get along without incident. Dog aggression seems most common among females, although un-neutered males can also fight. Once two __X__ have had an argument, it's never over. They hold a grudge, and they will be enemies forever and can't be trusted to be together.

4.__X__are often aggressive with other dogs, for pretty much the same reasons. They tend to be picky about their friends and pack and not really like anyone who isn't part of their normal circle.

5. Some __X__ are dominant or aggressive toward other dogs of the same sex. Some have strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures. If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, handling, or management of this breed, it is capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals.

6. Some __X__ also exhibit considerable aggression toward other dogs, and prospective owners must be willing to socialize and train their terriers to curb this tendency.

Hmm. Will the real pit bull please stand up?

For info on creating healthy dog-dog interactions:

Living Peaceably in a Multi-Dog Home
Understanding Dog Tolerance Levels
Socializing Tips
Monitoring Dog-Dog Interactions

Woo Woo! Gary

A little update on our Skeleton Man...

Finally, Gary has enough energy to show us some personality. His body is starting to repair itself and a his gums are a pale shade of pink.

The first thing he said about his fate was:
Woo Woo Woo!
Roughly translated, we think that means, "This is all so crazy! I like being alive. Can I eat now?"

Check Out:
Gary's Lil Movie

We've started considering the possibilty of finding him a foster-to-adopt home, which is a big step. A few weeks ago, we just wanted him to die in peace. But, fate might have other plans.

Gary is a simple kinda guy. He's not quite a pit bull; he seems to be his own special brand of leggy, backyard bred ghetto hound....Not that there's anything WRONG with leggy backyard-bred ghetto hounds. But, hey.

He's a bit of a Wimp and he has some learning to do: Ladders are scary and so are digital cameras (we're working on it). Strangers are happy and dogs are A-Okay, but a person carrying a phone might be worth avoiding. Clapping your hands so he doesn't lift his leg on the patio table is WAY scary. Yeah - Our boy has been around some rough people and he's got some Worry Wart baggage. Not surprising.

Stay tuned while we ruminate on the Future According to Gary. Woo Woo!

They Said It First...

We were surprised to see this leak (leak?) out into the press, but there it is....

Vick Dogs Evaluation News

For an insider's scoop on how this is even possible - Abused pit bulls with placement potential? - we'll have to refer you to Sophie: Blogs below.

Once again, doG bless the ASPCA for organizing the evals and for believing in the right for every companion animal to be treated and evaluated as an individual.

Turn Up the Volume

I'm dreaming that I'm in a world class hotel...and it's full of pit bulls and their friends...People are smiling at us...and well dressed valets are holding the door for us as our wriggly dogs glide in like movie stars over polished wooden floors...
Wait...Not a dream. We were really there, at the Claremont Resort with our pit bulls, for the third annual Turn Up the Volume BAD RAP Conference. *Pinch me.



Last weekend's event really did have a dream-like quality. Overlooking the gorgeous San Francisco bay, we discussed pit bulls non-stop for two days with movers & shakers from around the country. Heaven!

Bambi and the crew pulled off a seamless event full of great food and new inspirations in a top notch setting. Claremont staff was more than welcoming, and only one person freaked out at the sight of our dogs. ...There's one in every crowd, I guess.

A hot topic this year was Marcel Harnois' (Solano County Humane AS) presentation on American Bulldog history and particulars. More than a few animal welfare professionals were shocked to realize how easy it is to misidentify ABs as pit bulls. To help illustrate the futility of trying to identify breeds, Leslie Nuccio (BR) marched several dogs up to the front for a live version of the 'Find the Pit Bull' game. Not easy! A small bull mastiff stumped more than a few people by pretending to be a funny looking brown pit bull.

ASPCA's Ledy VanKavage roused everyone awake by pointing out some of the media's bigger fiasco's in 2007, and Sergeant Cronin from the OPD gave us his sage advice on ways to curb animal cruelty in our cities. There was so much more ... Loads of video of dog intros and rowdy play sessions; dog evaluations and kennel enrichment.



Conference goers watched a demo of 21 pit bulls at our Pit Ed Class training grounds, then, handlers turned their leashes over to our guests and they practiced what they'd learned. One guest actually teared up at the sight of so many well loved pit bulls in one place -- a good reminder that what's commonplace in our corners is not so common in other towns.

It was one of those weekends when you feel something bigger happening just beneath the surface of the calm goings-on; sort of like realizing a mild earthquake is rumbling beneath your feet while you're absorbed in doing the dishes. We look forward to watching the ripple effects of this event and are grateful to everyone who added their fire so this special gathering could come to life. Thank you!


Update: Sophie

The Queen of our Hearts enjoyed her first weekend with the comfort of warm blankets, good food and - luxury! - a pedicure. Her foster mom Stephanie tells us that she's so happy to have a cozy bed that she's reluctant to leave it. Can't say that I blame her.