Save Our Breed

I hate the fact that a dog born as a pit bull has been born into a life of prejudice, fear, and abuse. People are so scared of Bruno- which makes him scared of them. He lives his life in fear of people because he knows they can and have hurt him. We have recently stopped allowing him to sleep in the bed with us (he is a big boy now)- but he still sits by the bed and whimpers for human contact- to snuggle under the covers and keep us warm.

These dogs have so much loyalty, bravery, love and forgiveness for humans that they should be heroes- they have the potential other breeds may not to do search and rescue, bomb sniffing, to save people, to comfort people, to change lives. They have a spark of life and a gift of strength and loyalty that a lot of breeds lack. Unfortunately, they are also the most likely breed of dog to endure animal abuse and the number one breed killed in animal shelters.

This first video is hard to watch but it really helps show how abused this breed really is- how these dogs didn't ask to be born scary and used for sport- they were born soft and cuddly like any dog. They deserve so much more from the people that bring them into this world.

Pit-bull ownership is not easy- having a dog that looks anything like pitty means you often can't rent an apartment (more on this later) or get home-owners' insurance or can't even live in certain jurisdictions- see the varying and ridiculous definitions here. (When else does a "I know it when I see it" description really hold up legally?)

But it is worth it-I would never abandon my dogs so that I could live in a specific place- they are a part of my family now and all I want for them is to be accepted enough that they don't have to be scared of strangers.



Looking forward to this Documentary:

Lobby for Change

If you are a resident of NYC or concerned about the shelters here, please consider sending your thoughts to the City Council members who may just hear us, if they receive enough emails.

This ShelterReform.org summary of Tuesday's ACC Board Meeting was helpful to me in understanding where the ACC thinks it is succeeding, but is really failing. (For example, intake and euthanasias have gone down, but that is actually because the ACC stopped picking up stray cats.)

This is what I sent today, please feel free to copy the email list below to send your own message:


To: gbrewer@council.nyc.gov, chin@council.nyc.gov, comrie@council.nyc.ny.us, fcabrera@council.nyc.gov, ecrowley@council.nyc.gov, Edilan@council.nyc.gov, jferreras@council.nyc.gov, mathieu.eugene@council.nyc.gov, garodnick@council.nyc.ny.us, foster@council.nyc.gov, jgennaro@council.nyc.gov, LFidler@council.nyc.gov, Sgonzalez@council.nyc.gov, dhalloran@council.nyc.gov, Ignizio@council.nyc.ny.us, rjackson@council.nyc.gov, ljames@council.nyc.gov, pkoo@council.nyc.gov, Koslowitz@council.nyc.gov, lander@council.nyc.gov, slevin@council.nyc.gov
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:27:47 -0500
Subject: Shame on NYC ACC

I rescued our dog on the day he was to be put to sleep FOR A COUGH and he only needed antibiotics and a week to recover out of the filthy shelter environment. We are writing to today, to plead for your assistance. NYC is killing it's homeless animals for reasons such as merely having a cough. Is this the example we want to set? We need to be a model for the rest of America, not an embarrassment. The NYC ACC is in shambles. The budget has been slashed to levels that are unheard of. We need reform yet every elected official is turning a blind eye. We want to see change come for the animals in NYC, no.... WE DEMAND IT! Other cities have already gone No Kill. Why is NYC not able to do the same? These animals deserve more and we hope that you will take a stand for those that have no voice. They need you now. Will you help them?
In addition, New York City has to recognize its problem with Pit Bulls- back yard 'for-profit' breeders need to be stopped- either trough mandatory breeding licences or fines for refusing to spay or neuter pit bulls. These animals are coming into the world only to live 6 months to a year, provide profit for the 'breeder' and overwhelm the shelter system with unwanted dogs. The real enemy here is the back yard breeders that are making money off of innocent lives and the New York city taxpayers that pay to support the shelters that they fill with unwanted dogs. Please help legislate to stop this or at least educate people about the problem.
Thank you,
Jessica
Resident, Battery Park City, Manhattan