How YOU can Help

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• BOYCOTT ANIMAL PLANET CHANNEL. This station airs the extremely anti-pit bull show "Animal Cops". The Michigan Humane Society and Houston Humane Society each week shows their ignorance, lack of compassion and down right stupidity where the American pit bull is concerned. The misinformation put forth by their "humane officers" is very damaging to the breed. Please, please take the time to watch an episode, write down the sponsors and then contact each one and tell them that you will no longer support their product or watch the channel until Animal Cops is removed from the air. This is important folks. Animal Precinct, also aired by Animal Planet, offers realistic and unbiased information about all breeds.
   
• TAKE OUT AN AD IN THE LOCAL PAPER. Please consider taking out a small ad in your local paper asking people to support adoption of rescue dogs, and not to support breeders at this time of crises. I run ads in the local "Little Nickel" paper, the kind given away free at stores. My typical ad states: "Pit bulls are dying in shelters every day. Don't support breeders - adopt a rescue pit. www.workingpitbull.com" (You can put in the website address of a local rescue or Pit Bull Rescue Central.) Other ideas are: "Shelter pit bulls are dying for your attention." "Don't buy while shelter pit bulls die", etc
   
• DON'T BREED RIGHT NOW! The number one problem facing our breed right now is simply this - overpopulation. The breeder who produces multiple litters right now is the problem, plain and simple. These people are pumping more dogs into inappropriate homes, more dogs into rescue, more dogs into the headlines. The pit bull should be a breed of moderate popularity, not the exploited victim of a fad craze as he is now. Please do the most important thing you can do right now to help our dogs - spay or neuter your dog. If you want another pit bull, obtain one from rescue. If people like your dog and want one "just like it" encourage them to adopt a homeless pit bull as well. For a listing of pit bull rescue organizations, click here.

• BECOME ACTIVE IN YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER/CONTROL. Volunteer or get on the board of directors. Work for positive changes, especially where pit bulls are concerned. Make SURE the "shelter" does not sell dogs to research as a means of money. Educate yourself about the intellectual fraud of the "no-kill" movement. Work to steer your local shelter away from this cruel fad. Explain to them that warehousing dogs is cruelty, and that "no-kill" is really more about people feeling good about themselves, then about doing right by the dogs. Get in and help! It is very easy to criticize shelter workers - much harder to really realize what they have to deal with day after day... Shelters clean up after "dog men", show breeders and pet owners who pump out litters of pups. It is disheartening work, and a kind word for their efforts goes a long way.

• BOYCOTT AIRLINES WHICH DISCRIMINATE AGAINST DOGS. It is now almost impossible to fly a pit bull (such as rehoming a rescue dog) on a national airline. It is VERY important that you NEVER fly any airline which discriminates against bull breeds or, in some cases, all dogs. If dog owners would unite against these discriminating airlines, they would soon by forced to change their policies. Even if you have to pay a little more for a ticket - DO NOT SUPPORT THESE AIRLINES! Take the time to send the following e-mail to these airlines, asking them to reconsider their position and stating your intention to no longer support them. Click here to go to form letter and addresses of discriminating airlines.
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• DON'T SUPPORT ANTI-PIT BULL "HUMANE" GROUPS. Be very, very careful in your support of "animal rights" groups. While I am a very strong supporter of many animal "rights" issues, I have found that some groups have strange, anti-dog agendas which they keep well hidden. The two worst are PETA (People For Ethical Treatment of Animals) and a magazine called "Animal People". Both of these organizations support the destruction of any breed they consider scary. PETA advocates the outlawing of keeping ANY pets. They see BSL as a first step in banning all pet ownership, which they see as contrary to the rights of animals. Sound crazy? Hard to believe? It is sadly true. I was an ardent PETA supporter till they took this regrettable stance - primarily due to Ingrid Newkirk's fear of pit bulls. PETA has done good work in the past in the area of animal research and factory farming, yet sadly now, because of Ingrid's personal vendetta against pit bulls, dog lovers must turn away from supporting any of their work. PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk, claims she "loves" pit bulls, yet in a recent article in which she called for the destruction of all pit bulls, she stated "I have scars on my leg and arm from my own encounter with a pit." This one encounter with an unsound dog has left a lasting hatred for the breed evident in this callous remark concerning her call for the destruction of all pit bulls: "People who genuinely care about dogs won't be affected by a ban on pits. They can go to the shelter and save one of the countless other breeds and lovable mutts sitting on death row through no fault of their own." Nice, huh? Write PETA and tell them you will not support them, and will encourage all others to not support them at: Peta@peta-online.org I hope that someday Ingrid will step down and let PETA return to a respectable and sensible organization I can once again be proud to support.

• MICROCHIP all your dogs and any puppies you breed. Make sure your dogs wear a collar with ID as well. There is NO EXCUSE for any breeder to fail to microchip their puppies. Microchips are the only way to trace where all these dogs in rescue are coming from. Could that maybe be the reason why most breeders don't want to do it? After nearly two decades in the animal control field, I can say with authority that microchips mean the difference between life and death for lost pets. Unlike collars they cannot be removed. If your local animal control does not have a scanner, consider holding an event to raise funds for one. It will be money well spent.
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• IF YOU MUST BREED A LITTER, consider donating the price of one pup to your local pit bull rescue group. Most are flooded with pit bulls. They could use the help. To find a local rescue check Pit Bull Rescue Central.
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• MAKE SURE YOUR OWN DOG IS: always licensed, controlled and a good citizen.
   

• SHOW THE PUBLIC YOUR WONDERFUL DOG! If you have a well mannered pit bull, get it out in the public eye. Don't hesitate to tell people that your dog is a PIT BULL. If you hide behind silly names like St. Francis Terrier, or Am Staff, or American Terrier, or other such, you are NOT doing the breed any good. People need to know that the dog they just admired was a PIT BULL. Our dogs are their best ambassadors. Be aware of public perception: DO NOT take your dog in public on a prong collar, shock collar, head halter or any other device which makes it appear the dog is dangerous and difficult to control.
   
• KEEP YOUR EYE ON LOCAL POLITICS. Get involved. If you see anti-dog legislation of any type on the horizon, work to get informational packets to the appropriate people.

• SUPPORT FAIR AND FIRM DANGEROUS DOG LAWS.

• SUPPORT PIT BULL RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS. These tireless people need your support! Seek them out. Offer to foster a dog or two. You can really make a difference! Click here for a listing of great rescues.

• TURN IN ABUSERS: Don't be afraid to turn in those you know are abusing their dogs. If you know someone who is fighting their dogs or keeping them in substandard conditions, report them! Even if you don't leave your name, just turn in the information and the address to your local animal control. You may be eligible for reward money. Check here to see what rewards are offered in your area.