Speaking for Our Dogs

It's no secret that people in the animal welfare field disagree on topics related to training, favorite breeds, preferred collars. As 'pit bull people,' we're used to having frank discussions about our breed, and we welcome respectful disagreement, intelligent debate and solution-based brainstorming. After all, the media has set a dire tone, so we recognize that we're working within a very fearful belief system. We wear thick skins and stay loaded with facts, statistics and years of experience. We've become accustomed to dissecting breed myths (Locked jaws? No. Born to turn on you? Please). We work daily to share our experiences, present our dogs, offer our perspectives. We remind ourselves: Stay patient, stay calm ... Educate by example.

Recently, I received a troubling email from someone we know and respect. She explained that she was aiming to highlight the "dark side" of pit bulls and, as a non-advocate, felt that she was in the unique position to do so. As part of her goal, she is sharing a training hand out that describes pit bulls as "undesirable" and "anti-social." Strong language; stronger opinions. Because the author is a reputable leader in her field, the statements sent shock waves in our group and out in broader circles.

Link to: The Hand Out

We had lengthy internal discussions in BAD RAP about a best response. The stated opinions have the potential to be misunderstood and to bring very negative consequences to our dogs, and at a time when they're most vulnerable to those who would wish them harm.

We made a decision to go forward with an online response, and we're opening this discussion up to the public discourse in order to educate, enlighten, and create a larger dialogue on the very important subject of pit bull behaviors and temperament. The author has been alerted and if desired, can use this blog as a place to defend, discuss, dissect the opinions offered.

Viva Public Discourse!


Donna

Gilbert & Eddy update

Many of you have read (or heard about) the harrowing story of Gilbert and his 11-year-old buddy Eddy.

Short version: Gilbert had to undergo an emergency surgery recently to save his life. As you can see from this pic, Gilbert is on the mend and home recovering with his best pal. We're still fundraising to cover it.

In any case, Gilbert hates his conehead, and his skin isn't exactly where we'd like it to be, but he's alive and thrilled to be that way and he seems to be looking on the bright side. From Angie:

"One bonus of wearing that bucket on his head is that he can steal one of Max's toys and then put his head down to surround it and seal it off as Max tries to steal it back...and he's really workin' that angle too! What a silly dog. "

You might recall that Gilbert's pal Eddy was also slated for heart surgery a few days after Gilbert's dramatic operation. We're pleased to relay that Eddy's surgery was nowhere nearly as dramatic as Gilbert's, and Eddy was able to return home the same day.

Unfortunately, the doctors were not able to repair Eddy's heart. The good news is that they will be able to try again when he gets a bit bigger and older.

In the meantime, Eddy is looking on the bright side and is just glad that his pal Gilbert is home to hang out with him. There may be no Little League this year, but there's two dog pals that aren't going anywhere.

The Center of Our Pit bull Universe

BAD RAP's Pit Ed Class was cancelled for the first time in weeks yesterday because of pouring rain. The diehard folks that did show up in rain gear and soggy shoes were understandably disappointed. For many of us, this class has become the center of our little Pit Bull Universe. We watch rowdy, ill-behaved shelter dogs transform into well mannered ambassadors and go on to find homes, we share news, celebrate newly earned CGC (Canine Good Citizen) awards, we enjoy good laughs, encourage overwhelmed new handlers and generally, get the kind of mood boost that lasts for an entire week. I love this class.




The photo above shows a recent Pit Ed 'field trip.' 15 dogs showed up on this day, ready for a new challenge. We decided it would be fun and worthwhile to test everyone's skills in the crowded, chaotic shopping district that is 4th Street in Berkeley. This high end retail area is filled with every distraction including traffic, cats piled in cages outside of a pet store, street musicians, hurried crowds, skateboarders, and the occasional off leash dog....A true test of any dog handler's skills!


As expected, everyone took the field trip in stride. Surprised shoppers got to see a mass of beautiful pit bulls showing perfect manners. No small feat considering some of these dogs were spazzy, unfocused hurricanes only weeks before. The handlers in class aren't "expert" behaviorists or even part time trainers; They're just normal people with big hearts who travel far and wide to join this very special Universe where pit bulls are trained, celebrated and adored.


See you next week, everyone.


Donna

If you'd like to volunteer to take a shelter dog through the Saturday morning Pit Ed classes, please let us know! - donna@badrap.org

From the desk of a 7th grade pit bull fan

Somebody recently sent me a school paper written by 13-year-old Sakari Turner, who also did a speech on the breed. We think that Sakari has a great future as a breed advocate. See for yourselves:

Pit Bull Ownership
by Sakari Turner

Throughout discussions of the Pit Bull breed, you will notice two words repeated over and over again: Responsible ownership. With media hysteria looming closer every day, good owners find themselves endlessly having to defend their breed. Every bad story and headline damages Pit Bulls even further. Irresponsible and ignorant owners have done almost as much damage to these dogs as dogfighters have. The Pit Bull is an exceptional breed that requires exceptional dedication and ownership. The breed's very survival depends on new owners knowing what they are doing to their dogs, and being responsible and protecting the breed's reputation. Many people think of a Pit Bull and automatically get scared, or think of all the bad things Pit Bulls do. There are numerous reasons for owning a Pit Bull. They have a good temperament, they are loyal, and they are very intelligent.

Pit Bulls generally have great temperament. Typically docile and playful with its family, the Pit Bull is very friendly toward strangers. This dog is always great with children. It can be aggressive toward other dogs — especially those that challenge it. It is stubborn, tenacious and fearless. For the breed’s tough persona, the most important thing in life is its owner's fond attention. Like any dog, if a Pit Bull is frequently ignored or abused by its owner, its attitude can change from friendly and social to scared and antisocial. The American Temperament Test Society provides temperament testing around the country for dog breeds, and gives a passing score for the entire breed based on the percentage of passed over failed within total number of the particular breed tested. As of December 2003, the American Pit Bull Terrier has a current passing rate of 83.9%, and the American Staffordshire Terrier passes at 83.2%. In comparison, The Golden Retriever passing rate is 83.2%. Therefore, the Pit Bull’s reputation is only limited by its aggressive classification; but really, Pit Bulls are no more aggressive than any other dogs.

Pit Bulls are wonderful, loving, and loyal companions. They are great dogs to have as pets because they show a great amount of loyalty to their owners and they’re very respectable toward their surroundings. “My children have lived their whole lives around Pit Bulls and pit mixes... They have always been the sweetest most loving and loyal dogs that I have ever owned... My pits were raised with the same love as my children and not one of them turned out vicious and out of control. It's the owners not the breed that makes them what they are.” As you can see from this quote by Pamela Stricker, a Pit Bull owner, Pit Bulls are great dogs, but they are misunderstood. Some people may think that it doesn’t matter how you treat a dog, because they aren’t very important, but dogs are just like us and they have feelings, but aside from being loyal companions, they are very intelligent.

It may come as a surprise, but Pit Bulls have a constantly expanding mind. They can easily pick up and understand any directions they are given. For example, Pit bulls are commonly used as therapy dogs and visit senior care faculties and help people recover from terrible emotional accidents. Pit Bulls from around the world are taken to hospitals to warmly greet the patients. It is said that people that are sick are more likely to feel better when they are visited and talked to by ones who care about them. Pit Bulls are perfect for this job.

Pit Bulls are great pets to have, but are constantly misunderstood. You may say that it doesn’t matter, because they are just dogs, but if you really think about it, dogs are living things like you and I. Every living thing deserves a chance. If you are like me and think that Pit Bulls deserve the right to live, take a stand and tell someone. Make posters; use markers and colored pencils. You can staple one on a tree or slap one on a sign. Anything will help. I guarantee, if you put up at least five posters, someone will read one and your message will successfully get across.

The Amazingly True Story of Gilbert’s Near-Death Experience and the Little Boy Who Helped Save Him

Sometimes, rescue is about very difficult choices. When we pick a dog out of the shelter, we leave behind other perfectly deserving dogs who will not survive the system. There is nothing wrong with these dogs; there are simply not enough homes available to absorb the torrent of pit bulls pouring into the shelters due to the backyard breeding epidemic.

Last weekend, we had a very difficult decision to make about Gilbert. This is a long story, and it’s a crazy story, and it’s a suspenseful story, and it’s a puzzler of a story, and it’s a true story, and for all of these reasons it will be told organized by proper dramatic structure (because long crazy stories need some sort of organization, after all).

If you want the short version of the story, scroll to the very end of this post and look for the “The Very Short Version of the Story” section.

Now, without further ado... the long and complete version of "The Amazingly True Story of Gilbert’s Near-Death Experience and the Little Boy Who Helped Save Him"

Part 1: Exposition

Gilbert the 1-year-old brindle pit bull is in a foster - to - adopt situation in Marin with Angie (human mom), Eddy (human 11-year-old boy), and Maxine (canine sister).

A couple months back, Gilbert came down with mange rather out-of-the-blue; he’d had a gorgeous coat up until this point. After trying a variety of remedies, we decided to go the Ivermectrin route in mid-December.

Gilbert started vomiting 6 days into the Ivermec, and was quite averse to taking it. Angie stopped administering it, called the vet, and he called for a second course.

Again, Gilbert starts vomiting 6 days into the Ivermec. This time, though, he hasn’t stopped vomiting even though Angie has halted treatment.

Part 2: Complication

Flash forward to last Friday. This is the situation:

Gilbert hasn't eaten in a week and vomits uncontrollably if he’s given anything but water, and he's slowly and painfully dying before our eyes. He won’t eat, he’s so weak he can barely sit up, his muscles aren’t working right, his pupils are dilated, and he has two vets with different diagnoses.

Vet 1: He prescribed the Ivermec and has never seen anything like this related to the medication. (Neither have we, and we’ve used it before.) As of Friday, Vet 1 thinks it's a blockage and wants to open him up immediately. X-rays are inconclusive and show nothing but gas in his system, but there could be something hiding. Gilbert's abdomen is not distended. The risk here of course is that he’s very weak, and if it's something else like Ivermec poisoning, another round of anesthesia + surgery could be too much for his compromised system.

Vet 2: He thinks it's Ivermectrin toxicity. This vet thinks that Gilbert’s vaccines + the anesthesia from his neuter are what set off the mange in the first place (which seems like a good theory - healthy dogs don't generally just get mange) and that the Ivermec was the final straw. He wants to prescribe some holistic remedies, and if the dog hasn't eaten by Sunday morning, it would be time to go to the emergency vet to possibly do an exploratory surgery to determine whether there is in fact a blockage not visible by X-ray, because that would be our final hope.

It turns out that there is no cure for this kind of poison, just supportive care. (We call Davis and have a long talk with them, and they second this.)

The bottom line is that we have a dog exhibiting a very strange collection of symptoms, making him very difficult to diagnose. Unfortunately, he’s dying while we’re trying to figure it out.

In the middle of all this, of course, is an 11-year-old boy. Eddy absolutely adores this dog. Eddy in fact has come to Angie mid-week after yet another vet appointment to offer up his life savings of $188 for Gilbert.

Sniff

(We didn’t take his money.)

Eddy has a heart condition and is slated for heart surgery the following week. So, as you can imagine, things are a little stressful all around.

Friday, incidentally, is about the time that we’re all wishing that Dr. House is a real person, that he’s a vet, and that he’s at our disposal.

So: Despite Vet #1 generously offering to open up Gilbert for free, we decide to give the dog’s system a chance to tell us definitely what’s wrong with him for the next day or so.

It’s at this point that Angie foregoes usual foster bootcamp protocol and starts letting Gilbert sleep in the bed, because he really doesn’t look like he’s going to make it.

Part 3: Turning Point

Unfortunately, Gilbert goes downhill further with an Exorcist-like purge and then spends all of Saturday without moving. Eddy gets him onto the couch and they watch "The Dog Whisperer" together all day. Gilbert is too weak to move and so they bring water to him (and food, which he refuses).

Gilbert sleeps in Angie’s bed and makes it through the night.

On Sunday, after a billion phone calls, Angie takes Gilbert to the emergency vet in San Rafael. She tells them the entire story (leaving out the detail of the 11-year-old who offered up his life savings to save his dog).

The vets decide to do another round of X-rays. This time, they find that he does have a blockage – it seems that the Exorcist-purge moved it, and not it’s visible via a big lump in his intestines.

The good news is that we have a diagnosis.

The bad news is that the surgery estimate is $4000-$7000, and that might not cover aftercare.

At this point, we stop wishing for Dr. House and wish desperately for that Back to the Future guy and his DeLorean so that we can travel back to Friday and take up Vet #1 on his generous offer. It’s also at this point that the dog’s Rep (yours truly) seriously considers finding the answers to all of this at the bottom of a bottle of Paradiso…

Unfortunately, decisions have to be made immediately. There’s no time for fundraising, for much discussion, or even remotely for a bottle of tequila.

See, here’s the thing: we can't spend that kind of money on a single dog, and neither can the foster family.

Though it’s unthinkable and the worst-case scenario, we have to discuss euthanasia here. We talk to the vet clinic to explain the situation, and we don’t leave out the salient detail of an 11-year-old boy who’s about to have heart surgery and wants his best friend home.

After a lot of phone calls and calculations and wheedling and discussing various scenarios, the vet agrees to go in and try to stay within a budget we've discussed.

Phew. Hurdle one: jumped. Now there’s just the tiny matter of a very sick dog who needs to be stabilized for surgery, the surgery itself, and recovery.

Part 4: Resolution

Gilbert is at the vet clinic all day to stabilize him (his electrolytes are way out of whack), and the surgery takes place around 9PM.

It turns out that Gilbert has some sort of plant matter in there - possibly a pinecone, they can’t tell. Unfortunately, some of his intestines have died off, and they remove 1.5 feet of his intestines and reattach them.

The best guess by everyone is that poor Gilbert had Ivermectrin toxicity and was feeling so sick that he ate a bunch of plant matter to make himself feel better, thus getting a blockage. Seems that both vets were right.

Fast forward to Monday morning at 8AM, where our bill is maxed and Gilbert theoretically needs to be moved somewhere cheaper (or free). We discuss various options (including risking it and taking him home), but eventually decide to just leave him there because it’s safer for him, though there are lots of minidramas and phone calls throughout the day about money, his health, his stress level, etc. Monday is a very stressful day for everyone - most especially Gilbert.

Monday night and Tuesday however are lots better, and he goes home Tuesday night to a very relieved Angie and an ecstatic Eddy.

The vet staff at the clinic is apparently receiving calls from everyone - all vets, and staff - that have been involved with Gilbert. They tell us they've never received so many inquiries on a single animal. We think Gilbert's pretty lucky to have so many committed fans.

Of course, even with the deeply discounted services we receive, we do cut into our bank account much more than we’d usually do, and we’re going to be doing some post-op fundraising.

If you’d like to help with Gilbert’s surgery and aftercare costs, please donate via PayPal, or send a check earmarked for Gilbert to:

Bad Rap

P.O. Box 320776

San Francisco, CA

94132~0776

We’ll keep everyone updated on Gilbert’s recovery, and we may even sneak in an update about Eddy as well. For now, rest assured that both dog and boy are doing just fine and are overjoyed to be back together.

Funny irony point:

Gilbert’s coat actually looks great. The Ivermec did its job - too bad it almost killed him, in a roundabout way.



We’d like to offer heartfelt thanks to Dr. Ray, Dr. Todd, Dr. Zumpano and everyone at the Pet Emergency & Specialty Center of Marin for giving us so many price breaks on treatment and taking such good care of this dog. Without everyone working with us throughout the long ordeal, we would not have been able to save Gilbert.

The Very Short Version of the Story:

Gilbert had to undergo an expensive and emergency treatment to save his life, and we’re fundraising to cover it. Your help is, as ever, appreciated.

Pit Bull Hall...One volunteer's experience

BAD RAP is so fortunate to have the most dedicated group of volunteers at Pit Bull Hall. Their weekly visits are so important for all the dogs and we couldn't thank them enough. Here is one volunteer's take on her volunteer experience at Pit Bull Hall. Thanks, Katie for sharing this with us. And sharing your time with the dogs.

Volunteering at Pit Bull Hall is one of the most gratifying experiences I have had in my entire life. Not only do you get to work with incredibly adorable pit bulls but you also learn so much about the breed in the most hands-on way possible. Each dog has its own story prior to arriving at the Hall. Some were treated unkindly and just need a lot of love and attention. Others need stronger guidance in order to truly be their best. They are each unique and all carry different characteristics that the breed has to offer. You learn really quickly which dog may challenge you and which dog you will happily challenge.

My favorite part of working with the doggies is watching them grow and learn. I visit weekly and I swear they are more socialized and responsive each time I visit. Sara is the official Pit Bull Hall trainer. Each volunteer is thus a teacher to the dogs under her instruction and guidance. Whenever I have questions or concerns about a particular situation or dog, there is an incredible support network waiting for me, ready and willing to answer any question I may have.

Not everything at the Hall is about structured training however. Trust me, there is a lot of room for cuddling, snuggling and down time which the dogs need and appreciate too. In fact, there is a couch specifically devoted to spending down time with the pups. Sometimes I bring a book or a magazine and cuddle with someone on that couch. Gotta love snuggle-bull pitties! The dogs need attention, lots of exercise, and basic training and guidance from you. You may have time for all three activities or just one. Luckily, volunteering is a lot of fun! Even though there are a lot of rules to get to know (who can play with who, who gets treats, what dogs know what commands), you still get to make up your own plan for the day. One time I dressed up Chickie Sue in Christmas clothes and had a photo shoot! Some dogs are allowed ‘play-dates’ with other dogs, which is a great way to socialize them (and also get them really tired!!!). If you get attached to a particular dog you are allowed to take them home for a night or two in order to spend extra time with them. It’s a great way to get to know them even better (And you get to have a super cute pit bull in your home!).

I get attached to each dog that comes through the Hall and I know I am not alone! We all get attached to them. Every time a dog leaves I miss them a lot, but I am also SO HAPPY for their new chapter in life, a forever home! The good news is that when the dogs do find their forever homes you still get to see them and hear about them. BAD RAP does a great job of posting bulletins about where the dog is going and who their new people are. If you have the time you can always drop by Pit Bull Education classes on Saturday morning’s where each recent Pit Bull Hall graduate is required to attend. Just last week I saw Pema (once named Darla Star), Choco (Sputnik), Chickie Sue, Choncho (Firkin), Gulliver, Sadie and Jolee in class. What a treat to see some old faces! It is also great to see them behaving so nicely when you know they weren't always so well mannered when they first came in. ;-)

I have a crazy busy schedule but I always manage to find time for a trip to Pit Bull Hall because it is so worth it. The dogs appreciate it so much. Nothing cheers me up more than the smiling pit bull faces that greet me every Wednesday between 2pm and 4pm. Really!

Here are some of my favorite dogs from the Hall! Beanie and Firki have been adopted, but Chickie Sue (all dressed up for Christmas) is still looking for her forever home. - Katie, BAD RAP Volunteer and Pit Bull Hall Team Member

Pit Bull is his co-pilot

Some of you may have seen this pit bull t-shirt on the Bad Rap shop.

We love vintage photos of pit bulls, and this particular photo is from Horatio Nelson Jackson's famous 1903 cross-country journey - the first cross-country journey taken via automobile. Bud the pit bull was his co-pilot, as was Sewall K. Crocker, a young mechanic. Bud became more than a travel companion for these two; he was the true gentleman of the bunch, for, as his owner noted, Bud was "the one member of our trio who used no profanity on the entire trip."

I was reminded of this journey when I ran across a blog written by another pit bull owner with serious wanderlust. Ara is traveling the country via motorcyle, and his pit bull Spirit - traveling via sidecar - is his co-pilot. They've been on the road for about 3 months now.

Spirit's blissed-out look in this pic sums up their ongoing trip - open road, open skies, and nothing but adventure ahead.

That's one lucky dog.

Chickie Sue bags a younger man

It was a cloudy Saturday morning.

The perky girl had spent the morning flirting with all her Pit Ed pals, and was relaxing with her human buddy Steve.

In trotted the dark handsome young man, fresh from a crack performance in CGC class.

Their eyes met... their tails wagged...

It was love at first sight.

Though Chester is at least 6 months younger than the worldly Chickie Sue, we felt it wasn't our place to judge.

And so, a chance meeting turned into the ever-important First Playdate.

These two spent the entire afternoon wrestling, chasing, tugging, pulling, running, resting and doing it all over again. The series was captured by the requisite chaperone, who was exhausted just from watching all the rambunction.

Both dogs ended the day with baths - after all, there's nothing that kills a good First Playdate faster than some after-play funk. It may have dampened their fur, but it didn't dampen their spirits.

Tank's first snow

Folks have been asking about our wee orphan. Tank is doing just fine and has been moved to an experienced Momma dog, and also has an older sister and a 14-year-old Jack Russel to teach him some ropes. Thanks to Stephanie of Kadillac Kennels for taking in this wayward pup so that Betty can give him some Mom lessons.

We took some photos last weekend of Tank's first snow experience... which may or may not lend credence to his foster Mom's initial observation that "He also *cough* seems a bit spoiled about being held/carried."

*blush*

Tank takes a bath

One advantage to 6-week-olds: they're too wee to escape the tub.

Project Puppy

Whoever said "ignorance is bliss" must have been in animal rescue.

Last week, we received an e-mail from a low-income family that had found an abandoned 5-week old pit bull puppy, begging us for help:

"the pup is now living here in my apartment with me and my family but here we cant have dogs because the manager won't let us. also we live under low-income so we can't afford his shots, we are just helping the pup with whatever we can but sooner or later.. we will run out. i have asked people if they want him, but they all say that they have a bad reputation so i cant give him off to adoption. please i REALLY need your help, i don't know what to do with the puppy, he is only 5 weeks old."

Some of the Steering Committee members were fortunate enough that the photo attachment didn't come through on the e-mail. These lucky few were the blissfully ignorant in the group. Oh, how I envy them...

The rest of us however did open the e-mail, and as much as we hate the developmental risks involved with underage pups away from Mom, this puppy was alive and out there and in the hands of a kind-hearted family in desperate need of help, and turning away wasn't going to make the situation disappear.

It drives us absolutely crazy to see breeders peddling off 5-and-6-week-olds without a care in the world, and here we were confronted with one of these underage victims of the backyard breeding craze. What to do?

The risk factors:

• You never know what dog is going to grow out of that cute pup
• We don't know who Mom and Dad are or what their temperaments are like
  
• The pup was separated too early from his Mom and littermates and missed out on some really important socialization
• Though he looks like a pit bull puppy in the pic we received, we hadn't seen him in person

The risk that bothered us the most, of course, is that puppies that are separated from Mom and littermates too soon can develop temperament issues. That would mean that we'd have to take the pup, put him with an experienced Momma dog ASAP, socialize the holy heck out of him, and watch him like a hawk for several months to make sure he develops correctly.

We tossed around a variety of ideas for this young tyke, assuming that he was in fact 5 weeks old. We did discuss immediate euthanasia as an option, because after all, who's willing to take the risk of spending several months raising a puppy only to find that early separation or crappy genetics (or both) have created an unstable dog, and have to perform a heartbreaking euthanasia in that circumstance?

Well...

Again, this pup was alive and not a theoretical "Is this a good idea?" And he was in the hands of a teenage Good Samaritan that was apparently skipping meals to keep the puppy fed.

And, as it turns out, we do actually have a few foster spots that have experienced Momma dogs, and are available specifically for puppy projects. (We call them "Crazy People.")

And so, that is how Project Puppy has begun this time around.

The teenager who rescued him did ask me one favor, and that was to name the puppy "Tank."

That favor has been granted. And we did answer a few questions after meeting him:

• He does appear to be 6 weeks old
• He does appear to be a purebred pit bull (this has been seconded by a breeder)
• He does have the requisite skunky puppy breath, needle-sharp teeth sure to make you squeal, and walleyed pit bull puppy gaze
  

Stay tuned for frequent updates on Tank's progress. For now, rest assured that he spent a delightful weekend with me. (Well, maybe not delightful the whole time, from his point of view...)

Pit Ed Class is Hard Work

Just a few dogs from class today taking a break...


Bali


Borman


Gulliver


Lady

Contact@

As a BADRAP outsider, I had always heard rumors about how crazy the BADRAP contact@ inbox was. You see, contact@BADRAP.org is where the general public can send questions, comments, and concerns to BADRAP. The steering committee, a group of pit bull loving volunteers, answers them. From time to time, they would share a sweet letter or interesting situation with the other volunteers in BADRAP. They were usually heartwarming or showed some cute pit bull. They gave a little taste of what the steering committee handled on a daily basis.

It is only now, that I am helping answer these emails, that I truly understand the nature and frequency of them. They come fast and often. The range of questions and comments is as broad as they are deep. They break your heart, touch your soul and drive you crazy. They are desperate, generous, and sometimes entertaining.

You can't understand unless you receive them, but I thought I would share some with you. Here are the subject lines of some from the last week. This is, indeed, a small sample of what is received:

Small Rescue Needs Advice
Leash Laws
Two Dogs Need Help
Craigslist pit bull breeding
Adoption Agreement and Contract?
If my pit was stollen...
Bully Help
East Coast Seminar?
Help for BADRAP
Interest in Jolee
Dog in Need in Santa Cruz
Any pits?
Pit Bull in Desperate Need
Ortho Surgery Suggestions
Please help me Save my 2 loving pit bulls
Pit needs a home

Don't judge a Booker by his colors

Though we don't generally like to draw attention to the color of our dogs, what with the consumerism that surrounds the breed leading folks to focus far too heavily on coat color as a selling or buying point (no reputable breeder uses coat color as a marketing tactic), we have had the interesting fortune to have two chocolate tricolors in the program in the past year.

Tricolor means: three colors. Pit bulls also come in "tanpoint," which means the dog has the tan eyebrows, etc but doesn't have white splashes as the third color. Tanpoint/tricolor is a coat pattern, and pit bulls come in black, chocolate and red tri, and all the dilutions therein (blue, etc).

I'd never seen a tricolor pit bull in person before this year. In addition to the two in our program, I also met a nice older black tri gentleman at the East Bay SPCA, and another chocolate tri at one of our shots fairs.

In any case, what's interesting about the tricolor pattern (over and above the genetics that cause it), and the reason this post is being written, is the reactions from folks in and out of the breed.

Booker, for example, is routinely mistaken for a Rottweiler mix. In fact, a trainer at a local shelter mentioned that he was a Rottie mix in front of his owner, who in turn explained that he's purebred.

This trainer snorted at that, turned away and rolled her eyes at this suggestion, letting everyone in earshot know that he was clearly a Rottweiler mix, but that she was vaguely humoring his new naive owner.

This breed mis-ID happens routinely on walks, with strangers voicing their opinions as to his heritage. Never mind that Booker is much smaller than a Rott and not remotely shaped like one, or that he doesn't have any behaviors consistent with a Rottweiler - everybody else knows best.

Sidenote: Booker actually came to us via an e-mail that was entitled "Red Rottie?" from a very confused shelter staff trying to figure out what the heck their favorite dog was. Fortunately for Booker, we confirmed that he is in fact a purebred pit bull, and we had space to take him.

The second dog to show up was Gus, who with a bodyfull o' puppyfat and incorrect houndy ears, gets mistaken for a Lab/Rott mix quite often. We all think Gus is quite handsome, and he's a big hit in public, but nobody outside the breed seems to think he's a pit bull.

Here's the rub: because Joe Q. Public doesn't think Gus is a pit bull, he seems to carry zero of the stigma normally associated with walking our pets down the avenue. Mothers don't shepherd their children out of the way (which is nice for Gus, who adores them), there are no snide comments about the breed, and people are inexorably drawn to him because he's so handsome. In short, Gus is a serious babe magnet.

Gus' public popularity would be great for him, were Joe Q. Public looking to adopt him. Unfortunately (and here's the rub I mentioned), the look that makes the average pedestrian stop and pet him is also preventing pit-loving potential homes from applying for him.

I most recently was asked to provide "proof" to a potential home that Gus could be purebred. While, again, I ask that folks be much more concerned about temperament than beauty, I nonetheless decided to be a good sport and forwarded on a lengthy article about tricolor genetics, sure to entertain anyone who actually finds discussions of coat patterns and genes to be interesting. (That may or may not be you, so don't feel pressure to read the article.)

Unfortunately, the article was not enough to convince the potential home that Gus might be purebred, and the adoption was not pursued. Ironically, this home was much more interested in Gulliver, who had in fact just decided to grow into a probable pit mix right before our very eyes. (We think some American Bulldog may have snuck its way in, and Gulliver's new owner is doing research on AB's just in case. Gulliver's new dad, however, couldn't care less what his new buddy is or is not mixed with, and is just ecstatic to have his new best friend home.)

The biggest indicator that Gus is a pit bull, of course, is that Gus acts like a pit bull. In fact, Gus is a sublime example of the breed - he has a rock solid pit bull temperament, and will require an owner who isn't a pushover. He's a rough and tumble play buddy who nonetheless is ruled mercilessly by a terrorist Chihuahua bitch in his foster home. If Gus were human, he'd be captain of the football team and the Prom King.

Now, here's the thing: it really shouldn't matter what color the dog is, or what may or may not be mixed in at some point in his/her lines, as long as the dog's behavior and temperament is consistent with the breed label applied to that dog.

So: does Gus have another breed down the lines somewhere? At the end of the day, nobody knows. We know he came from a pit bull breeder, and we know that pit bulls come in chocolate tricolor, and we know a little about coat pattern/color genetics. Most importantly, though, we know what his temperament and behaviors are - and those are aaaallllllll pit bull. So, if a Lab did in fact sneak its way into great-grandma's dog house, do we really care?

Unfortunately for Gus, as evidenced by his experience thus far it would seem that he is being judged by his colors. Ah well - I'm sure his people will show up. In the meantime, he'll just have to settle for being fawned over at public appearances by folks who may or may not even like his breed. But Gus can handle it - and maybe change a few minds here and there.

We are a FAMILY

My husband and I had our first child this summer. A sweet little girl named Piper. Like all families we decided that we needed a family photo; and what better time than Christmas.

One Saturday morning in early December, we packed up the whole family and headed into San Francisco for our appointment with the photographer. There were toys, treats and games. We spent a few hours there and had a great time. Doesn’t sound like a typical photo shoot to you? It seemed perfectly logical to me – family photos with me, my husband, my infant daughter and our pit bull. Yet when people see the pictures, they often have a strong response.



I expect the occasional comments about how strange it is to have a dog in the family photo; usually from non-dog owners. I smile and explain that we are a FAMILY, Spencer included.

Non-dog owners are often outraged and explain to me that it isn’t safe to have ‘that’ kind of dog around children. I gently explain that Spencer is a stable and temperamentally correct pit bull which makes him the perfect dog to have with a child. While no dog should be left unattended with children, because he is a pit bull, not in spite of it, I do not worry about Spencer hurting our daughter. He is patient, gentle and very tolerant of her occasional pull at his ears (kids are so fast!). The same cannot be said for my mother’s Bichon’s. These cute, fluffy dogs need to be kept away from Piper as they are not as patient with any pulling and they don’t like to share their toys. After telling them all of that I add, we are a FAMILY, Spencer included.

I must say, the times that I am most surprised are when ‘dog people’ tell me that while I have a beautiful dog I really need to re-home him for the safety of our baby. These people are often the most adamant. They ‘know’ about dogs. They have never owned a pit bull, they don’t know the breed’s history as the all American family pet, they’ve never heard the of the breed’s nickname ‘nanny dog’ for their excellence with children and they definitely don’t understand that dog – dog aggression is different from aggression towards people. Sometimes they are interested in learning these things, other times they are not. The conversation always ends with me saying “we are a FAMILY, Spencer included”.

After each of these interactions, I walk away angry and hurt. Then I think of Piper and her ‘brother’ Spencer, of the fun we had getting our pictures taken, of the way she now smiles whenever she sees him, the way that she giggles as he licks her toes and the way that he likes to rest his head up against her while we sit on the couch. I think of the joy that she will know growing up with such a wonderful dog and the tolerance she’ll develop for people’s negative comments. It makes me proud and makes me smile. We are a FAMILY – me, Chris, Piper and Spencer.

Bambi @BR

Special thanks to Pat Boyd for being extra excited when I told her that I was also bringing my pit bull for our family photos. http://www.patboydphotography.com

The Girls Club - Words from a Foster Mom

Rachel is one busy lady. She volunteered to take a recent rescue case (Jolee!) home to help her get ready for her big debut at Pit Bull Hall. Move over twins! - a pit bull's moving in. In her own words:

As an employee at the East Bay SPCA, I've fostered hundreds of animals. From kittens and cats to dogs and puppies. From healthy animals needing socialization to sick ones needing time to get better. From tiny day old felines to large epileptic canines needing observation. It is always a different experience and so far I have only adopted one of them: my beloved Kelly, who is no longer with us and who I miss every day. Everyone always thinks I am going to adopt the foster animal du jour, but those that know me well know that I will not. I like fostering. I like getting them ready for adoption. I like helping them out. But I like giving them back and seeing them in their permanent home much, much more.



I just finished a short foster period with a great dog named Jolee, a current Pit Bull Hall resident. BADRAP pulled her from the Martinez shelter when I said I could foster. They said they would find one "that is a good fit for my household" and boy, did they. You see, I have two cats, one 2-year old son, 3-month old twin girls and one grumpy, but accom- modating, husband who doesn't like dogs. Jolee was a delight. She was excellent in her crate, was housebroken, was fabulous with all the kids, and only disliked the cats because they were "scary". She was a fast learner, did excellent in the Saturday Pit Ed classes that foster parents take their dogs to, and recovered quickly from her spay surgery. I really could not have asked for a better dog.

She is a lovely dog that might not have made it out of the shelter alive. But thanks to BADRAP, their foster program and Pit Bull Hall, she has a chance to find her perfect forever family. I'll send her my good thoughts and well wishes while she patiently waits for them to show up. Any family would be lucky to have her.

Yes, Chickie Sue, there really is a Santa Claus

You've been so kind, and Chickie Sue is feeling your good vibe....Chickie Sue Happy Dance!

News of this orphan's predicament has brought out the holiday spirit in everybody....One reader is donating a wire crate so she can view her surroundings better in her week-time foster home (she's in a slightly stuffy vari-kennel now) and another was inspired to double her holiday donation to help with her care. And look at the fun new friends we made who want to help spread the word.

What do they say? With every crisis comes opportunity.



We hope to update the blog soon with other BAD RAP news items, but until we do, I asked Chickie Sue's friend Steve to write a little something about his buddy. Steve is a pilot, btw, and while everyone wants this man & dog to be together, a pilot's demanding schedule won't allow it....Just thought I would get that out of the way!

This is one happy-go-lucky, fun, optimistic, wiggly, and if I do say so myself VERY cute girl. She falls into a daily routine with ease, and happily adjusts to spur of the moment diversions. She draws a crowd wherever she goes, and people love her. She even managed to form a line of kids in Montclair the other day, all waiting to have their faces licked by a very happy Chickie. She rarely barks, she is crate trained, house trained, tolerant of other dogs (actually gets along well), and has the ability to settle down and either snuggle with you or entertain herself with a toy or her own tail!

What else would anyone ever want in a dog? I can’t figure this one out. (BTW, if those little ears worry anyone they do come with the benefit of not blocking the TV when she is sitting on your lap!!)

The Village Gets Busy

Since leaving kennel life, Chickie Sue's world has gotten much bigger. As promised, here are pix of our orphan girl with her friends passing time while waiting for her permanent home to find her. (Confused? See Blog below.)

Driving under the influence of Chickie Sue.


A fun visit at 'the office' with her friend Steve.


Don't tell the passengers, but....


How much do we love these ladies!


Berenice's kids have dubbed her 'Chickie Soup.'
Nice downstay, girls!


Come back soon for more pix and updates!

It Takes a Village

Rescue work is the ultimate roller coaster ride; one day you're sailing on the best high ever because a dog found a home or earned his CGC title, and the next day, a new challenge crops up to poke big fat holes in that optimistic glow.

Miss Chickie Sue, the Queen of Optimism herself, has been one of those dogs that's kept us up worrying late at night. Not for something she's done, but for the dumb luck that's so far kept her from getting a real home. She came into our program waaay back in July, and before that, lived at Oakland Animal Services. A diehard resident of Pit Bull Hall, she's endeared herself to everyone. But she's watched so many dogs come and go to new homes that we have to wonder if she thinks her life is supposed to be lived in small one hour snippets during her out time. The fact that a former home cut her ears short has hurt her. What hurts US is that, like it or not, looks DO matter to people when they shop for pets. And with so many pit bulls competing for homes, a dog like Chickie Sue - no matter how charming - is bound to wait longer.

Recently, it became clear that months in confinement were wearing thin on Chickie Sue's spirits. She's a trooper, but really, enough is enough. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, we had no where to put her. I tossed and turned and wondered: How do we possibly give this dog a quality life when no one will take her into their home? At this point, asking Chickie to live for hours on end in a crate or even a cozy kennel run is unacceptable. Since dogs live in the moment and have no concept of future adoptions, we owe them our best to make sure that their 'Now' is acceptable, and even enjoyable.

I brought the dilemma to the volunteer crew for a frank discussion about limited resources and quality of life issues. (Note According to Wikipedia, "a dilemma is a problem offering two or more solutions, neither of which is acceptable." - How true!) I wasn't looking forward to our talk, especially since zero solutions might lead to difficult and painful decisions.

What the crew came back with reflects the dedicated soul of this group: Together, they decided we would ALL give Chickie Sue a life out of the kennels by sharing the responsibilty of caring for her around with everyone until a permanent home could be found. No small feat. So, a volunteer who was short on time would house her, while others who had no room but extra time would commit to fun weekend get aways. Others raised their hands to take her on field trips, and another built a daily schedule to record her new social calendar. I have no doubt that this group is going to give Chickie Sue a very happy life while she waits for that golden application. This is a dog that THRIVES on adventure, variety and fun.

We learned a lot about each other and our collective commitment to these animals through this dog. It takes a village to help a pit bull like Chickie Sue find a home...And what a fantastic village it is.

Check back for new photos and reports on Chickie's new adventures. And of course! - if you're interested in meeting her, please contact donna@badrap.org

Pandora's World Domination

Pandora, Bad Rap alumni and Pit Mix extraordinaire, is a finalist in Dogster's "World's Coolest Dog and Cat" contest with the ever-happy muddy smile photo that I call "The Pig."


She is very pleased with herself. If not with being compared to a pig. She's nominated as a Jumper too, but Dogster doesn't aggregate votes for Best in Show.

Pandora would like to inform everyone that playing soccer with her head is a favorite pasttime, which is why she's both so muddy and so dang happy in this pic. Dirt + slobbery soccer ball = muddy, happy dog.

Funny thing about this picture: Dogster received complaints when it was first up that a "fighting dog" was one of the site favorites. Some people were mistaking the large amount of mud and grass stains for gore. The media sure has done its job getting "dogfighting" into the public consciousness every time the word "pit bull" is mentioned, now hasn't it?

UPDATE: Pandora did indeed score the honor of "coolest dog" in Dogster's online contest. While we all know the very coolest of dogs is ALWAYS the one that's sitting at our feet, Pandora is still very pleased to accept her important new title. She promises not to abuse her celebrity.