The Portland Pit Bull Project

For all info regarding the Portland Pit Bull Project, including pictures, information about upcoming events, and all things positive pit bull related, please check out website http://www.thepdxpitbullproject.com/

For more information, or to speak with one of our team members, email:
Katie: katieqwilliams@gmail.com
Cheryl: chuerta_1@yahoo.com

For dog training and advice:
Dave: dave@genisman.com

The World Traveller

Ahhhh....
As many of you know, and for those who do not know, my two greatest loves in life (besides pitties) are to cook and to travel. I want to first apologize for not writing more, as I am undergoing great tests and great adventures in the culinary world right now and it is taking up more time than I actually have. Builds character, right?? I have travelled extensively, although have not travelled enough... Ask me about shopping at the Christmas Markets in Europe, drinking amazing wines at the fantastic vineyards in Oregon, snorkeling off the beaches of Koh Phi Phi, and I can tell you all about them. Ask me about the lure of selling everything, packing up my few precious items, and taking off for a new horizon, a new beginning, a new adventure, and I will tell you about my dreams and goals in life. Ask me about my dog, and I will tell you that she comes before these great adventures of mine still to come.
As amazing and fantastic as packing up everything and moving away, or saving for a year, then just taking off, no plans, no itinerary, just adventure and fun times ahead, we all must remember that we have made promises to loved ones that we just cannot break.
I received an email today from a desperate woman. A woman who went out of her way to save a dog that she fell in love with but could not take as her own. The dog will be put to sleep this week, and this will break her heart. Her owner decided to pack up and move to Thailand.
I have been to Thailand. The Land of Smiles. It is a magnificent place full of beauty and mystery. It is like no other place on this earth. I love Thailand. I could have returned there to stay forever, but I did not. I made a promise to the one gal in this world that loves me unconditionally, my sweet pitbull. She has been on this earth for nine years, has lived with three owners, and with me for six years. She has been with me through my ups and downs, moved with me across the country. I love her as much as she loves me. I made a promise to her when I decided to keep her. I did not say it out loud, but when I decided to keep her, it was for good, until she passes away. I intend on keeping this promise. I am a proud dog owner, a responsible dog owner, in saying that, I mean until she is no longer on this earth. I vowed to take the best care of her that I humanly can. And I will.
This man did not keep his promise, and now his sweet dog will take the ultimate sacrifice for him. Her life. This dog will have to give up his life, so his "owner" can have a "better" life. This is not right.
Here is the info on this sweet little girl who desperately needs a FOREVER home.

 Please help! I am a HUGE Pit Bull fan. I live in Oregon and I am trying to find a home for a white fixed female pit that is going to be euthanized Friday, July 15 if I am unable to find her a home. She is 8 years old, loves people and kids, great with other animals, knows basic commands, is not a huge barker, and would love a new home. Her current ass of an owner is euthanizing her because he is not home that often and is moving to Thailand. Please help! I have two Pit Bulls myself and they are part of my family, I call them my kids. Please help me find a home for a loving pit that only wants to be loved and will love you unconditionally. Please contact 503-810-0698 for further information and to meet her. Thank you.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Summer eveyone!! Big stuff has been happening! Due to the recent tragic incident in Vancouver, pit bull owners from all over, including us, rallied together to put a stop to a breed ban discussion! IT WORKED!! The city council will no longer be taking a breed ban into discussion! Thank you to everyone who came out and showed support for pit bulls! Showing is much more significant than telling, and thats what we do!

On another note, due to the holiday weekend, we decided to hold the bully walk the following weekend in the park again on July 10 at 4:30. Meet under the morrison bridge! We chose to hold it later in the day due to the heat for us and the dogs :) See you all there!!!

Fun!

I had so much fun at the Bully Walk yesterday! We had a great turnout, even though it was hotter than hell outside. We had some new people come, and a lot of the same group! I am so glad that everyone seems to be enjoying these walks, I know I am! I especially enjoyed the fountain at the end, and so did Polo!

In spite of the recent events and tragedy in Washington, it was nice to see people come from all over the city to show support for Pitbulls. I think it is so important to keep positive and stay informed of any legislation that may be coming our way. I started these walks to show people that we are good and responsible dog owners, not just saying it, but actually doing it. It makes me happy and sad at the same time when our group walks by a person who looks absolutely terrorized that there are a bunch of pitbulls walking by them, but I can only hope that we are breaking stereotypes and we changed their minds.

Thank you so much for everyone who attended, we cant do this without you! Pictures of the walk will be up soon on our facebook page and our website! http://www.thepdxpitbullproject.com/

Cant wait for the next one in July!

Bully Walk June 5!

Our next Bully Walk will be on June 5th at 11am. Meet us in the small park by the River Walk Cafe on the waterfront! We wil start promptly at 11am :)

The purpose of the walk is to raise awareness for Pitbulls. We want to show Portland that Pitties are good dogs and we are responsible owners. All breeds are welcome.

Please remember:

NO retractible leashes

ONE dog per person

Dogs with agression issues are welcome to attend with a red bandanna.

Pick up after your dog

Bring your pitbull pride!

Come and walk with us! It does not matter if you own a pitbull, or even a dog at all! Come and show your support for America's favorite breed!!

Missing Pit Bull in Portland

Please keep a look out for this dog... it is so unfortunate that pitbulls are often stolen or lost. Please check out this blog and keep your eyes peeled.

http://portlandmissingpit.blogspot.com/2011/05/have-you-seen-melee.html

This is the dog, the owner's name is lea, and her phone number is 503-960-8423. This beauty goes by the name Melee.

The Pitbull Problem summed up. (you are welcome)

So, here is the best analogy I could ever write about the "pitbull problem"... here it is.

Have you ever seen someone riding down the street in a really really nice sports car? Did you stop and think, hey, that guy TOTALLY does not deserve that car! You know... the idiot that peels out and has his music really loud ,and bad music at that, and he or she is like 16 and you know they have not worked a day in their life? Lets just say, for the analogy's sake, its an old convertable with a v8, something totally badass. they wanted it because it looked cool. You know, they dont deserve the car. The person in the car has no respect for the car or its power. This is the same deal with some pitbull owners. Have you ever seen an idiot walking down the street with a pitbull on the wrong leash, just pulling and panting away, totally miserable, and it seems like that guy has the dog as some type of status symbol like a rapper or something? They too, have no respect for the breed or its power.

So, I believe it is safe to say that a sports car is a powerful car and can be dangerous when put in the hands of an idiot. Should BMW, Chevy, and Ford stop making those cars? No. Should we take those cars off the streets because they kill more people than other cars? No. So I also believe it is safe to say that a pitbull is a powerful breed (just a hair stronger than a mini poodle, maybe...) and can be dangerous when put in the wrong hands.

In conclusion, Pitbulls, like sports cars should be respected for what they are, and not everyone deserves one.

Bully walk today!

WOW. Let me say it again, WOW. We had 50 dogs today on our 4th ever Bully Walk! I had a blast! I am so proud of our Pitbull community here in Portland. Thank you to everyone who came out and showed off their wonderful dogs! Pictures are up on our Facebook page "the Portland Pit Bull Parade" and I will be posting them here soon. Busy work week for yours truly, so it may be later on in the week. I want to invite all our pittie lovers here in town to come to the Doggie Dash, we were invited to LEAD THE DASH! I will post info on that this week. The dash is May 14, but again, more info to come. Thanks again everyone who attended! Below is an interesting article my friend Marv sent me, thought I would share it with you :)

http://www.totaldog.co.uk/dog-articles/talking-points/most-dangerous-dogs/

Bully Walk This Sunday!

This Sunday will be our fourth Bully Walk! YAY! We are meeting in Director Park, the weird cement park next to Pastini Restaurant on Taylor Street. There will be some cameras there too, as we are being followed by a documentary crew! The documentary is about Portland and the sense of community we have here in this wonderful city. If you get a chance, talk with them about our pittie community and how we come together for a common cause!

Few reminders for the walk:

Director Park 11 am!

Show your pitbull pride and sense of community!

AND remember the Bully Walk guidelines:
NO retractible leashes
ONE dog per person
Agressive dogs are welcome, with a red bandanna!
SEE YOU SUNDAY!

Princess Pea

Here is an amazing video of a local Pittie!! Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxIbGA4d0JI&feature=player_embedded

Oh Damn...

So there was an article published today in the Oregonian, and yours truly was quoted in it! The article was about people's perceptions about Pitbulls. All in all, not bad, until you get to the link to the anti-pitbull fake statistics page that somehow wound up in it. ugh. I made the mistake of reading the comments posted below the article on the Oregonian webpage and let me tell you, they are NASTY. People are down right nasty in this town! DAMN! It breaks my heart to see comments like "they all need to be destroyed" and "they all deserve and bullet in the head" and "white trash status symbol" and my favorite of course "they even bark more than other breeds" Really? I could have sworn that the damn great dane that I share a wall with would out bark my Polo any day of the week. I really did appreciate all the positive comments that people left in defense of these dogs, who I am positive, would have said some things as well if they could read... As of now there are about 120 or so comments from today's article, and now it is kind of a pissing match, so I am staying away, safe in my little blog world :)
I just wanted to share with you all that, yes, I am from the south, but no car parts in the yard for this little Southern Belle! I do own a Pit, and do not believe I am a "white trash symbol" nor do I own a "white trash symbol" I go to the symphony, I have traveled the world, and am on my second college degree, I do not think that I am trashy or gangsterific, nor do I think anyone who appreciates these dogs are. All the Pittie owners I know are very nice, educated people with good homes and good hearts.
When I was studying at College of Charleston, I was a Psychology major (got the paper to proove it!) I remember we were talking in class one day about violent statistics of people with mental disorders. STATISTICALLY speaking, if you were to come across two dark alleys in the middle of the night, filled with the same amount of people, one alley containing regular joes, and the other, all people with severe mental disorders, you better choose to walk with the crazies because you are more likely to be injured or murdered walking around with the regular joes. After today, and reading all the nasty nasty comments that were left in the article that I was quoted in, If I were to come to two alleys in the middle of the night, one containing regular joes, and one with Pitbulls, I would choose the dogs any day of the week.

What we are all about!

My friend and partner in this madness is a wonderful woman named Cheryl. She made this video about our walks... it is amazing! check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_eRqXbDY3Y


Here are some cute pit puppies! enjoy!

A Little House Keeping...

I want to thank everyone who came out yesterday to our third ever Bully Walk! We had a great time! I also want to do a little house keeping on some up and coming events and other cool pittie stuff....

I mentioned to everyone after the walk (if anyone could hear me :) that there is a SW Washington Humane Society Walk coming up. It is Saturday, May 7. Here is the link.
http://southwesthumane.org/Special_Events.php
The link has all the info about the event, and I would love to have us walk as a group to show off our pitties! We will still have a walk the prior Sunday, May 1 at 11am. The location will be announced shortly.  At that walk, I am thinking we will have a sign-up sheet or something for the SW Humane walk at our walk. Confused yet? (I think I just confused myself there...)

I also mentioned yesterday that we are making t-shirts... OH YEAH! Cheryl and myself are trying to come up with a catchy slogan on a black t-shirt. If you have a fabulous idea, please post a comment on the blog. When we have the design, we are going to find a local shop to print them. SO, when we do, I will write on the blog and the Portland Pit Bull Parade Facebook page that we have shirts. Let us know how many you want, and what size. We will have them at the next walk, I have not looked at prices but im guessing they will be around 20 bucks. Any money we recieve after the initial cost of the shirts will be donated to local rescues. It will not go in my pocket.

I noticed at the walk yesterday that we, as a group, kinda got seperated on a few occasions. It gets kinda hectic with onlookers, dogs, street lights, street cars, poop stops, etc., etc... We are working on a solution to keep us altogether:) Please be patient...we are new to this :)

LAST...
WE HAVE A FREAKIN WEBPAGE! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!
The webpage created my Cheryl and myself (mostly Cheryl though) is a great website for info about what we do here in Portland with the Bully Walks, info on pitties, pictures, and other fun stuff. Please check it out! There is an email address on there too which we do check regularly, if you have a question, concern, or idea.
All the Bully Walk pics are there too :)
http://www.thepdxpitbullproject.com/

So, I think thats all for now, we have a lot going on, and I am so glad that the walk has really taken off here in P-Town!!

Bully Walk Tomorrow!

Tomorrow will be our third Bully Walk!! We are meeting under the Morrison Bridge in Natio Park again! We will be walking through the park. I have several announcements to make after the walk, so please stick around. Remember:

NO retractible leashes
ONE dog per person

Agressive dogs are welcome, with a red bandana.

ALL dogs are welcome!
BRING YOUR PIT BULL PRIDE!!
See you tomorrow!!!

A Must See!

This is an interesting you tube video on why dogs attack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0qp6o4pPGA

It's Time to Act

I am sick and tired of waiting. The time to speak up is now. The reputation of Pit Bulls is destroyed and I am sick of it. I am sick and tired of explaining that my dog is friendly, when it is clear to others that she is. I am sick and tired of being denied housing because of my Pit Bull. I am sick and tired of picking up the newspaper and seeing PIT BULL MAIMS CHILD. I am sick and tired of the constant struggle I face with discrimination. I am sick and tired of seeing Pit Bulls abused, and their abusers walking free. The time to act is now.
I recently read an article that I would like to share, in hopes to inspire you to stand up and act. A father in California woke up in the middle of the night to his Pit Bull barking frantically, like she has never done. To his horror, his home was on fire. He was able to drop his enfant daughter out of the second story window to safety, but he and his oldest daughter could not escape. They covered themselves under a mattress to await rescue. They both suffered smoke inhalation, and the father was treated for third degree burns. Diamond was injured as well, suffering third degree burns, and also has permanent nerve damage to her leg. She was badly injured in the fire, because she layed on top of the mattress to protect her family. For Diamond's courage and loyalty, she was a finalist in the HSUS Dogs of Valour Awards. Now Diamond is homeless. Her family lost everything in the fire, and is looking for a home to rent. He has been rejected by over 20 landlords because of Diamond, a recognized hero. Diamond is currently staying with his sister until she can be reunited with her family that she so bravely protected. The family will not give up looking for a home for all of them. If you know a way to help this family, please click on the link below, and contact them.
This is outrageous. The time to stand up and act is now. To all you Pittie lovers, what have you done today to save your breed?
http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/hero-dog-now-homeless/

Muzzle your Pittie, not your Crocodile.

So, I had a long week. For those of you who don't know me, I am a lazy SOB. Yesterday I laid on my couch watching reruns of Fatal Attractions on Animal Planet, all day. I mean ALL DAY. If you have not seen the show, its quite interesting, its about people with strange obsessions with owning deadly animals such as cobras, lions, and tigers. This got me thinking, after one episode in which a woman in New Jersey had 17 Bengal Tigers living in a delapidated "sanctuary". The authorities found out after one had escaped and was running around the city. The police came to her house, checked the premises, and let her keep all of the tigers! (they were later taken after a year and a half, only because she kept breeding them, and did not improve their living conditions). A similar story appeared on the next episode with a man who kept a 600 pound tiger in his garage and let it roam around the neighborhood! The neighbors tried to pass a law, but he repealed it and won.

Correct me here if I am wrong, but I believe that Canada and some parts of NJ have passed, or are trying to pass Breed Specific Legislation. If you are not familiar with BSL (breed specific legislation) it is, "a law or ordinance passed by a legislative body pertaining to a specific breed or breeds of domesticated animals. In practice, it generally refers to laws or ordinances pertaining to a specific dog breed or breeds." There are many countries, states, and counties here in the US that have passed BSL against Pit Bulls. To break this down, these counties have banned people from owning pitties, therefore, taken family pets and euthanized them at the tax payers expense, in order to have a "safer" enviornment. Does this work? NO. Is it expensive? YES.

Now I am guessing that these people who fight and spend thousands of taxpayer dollars on the removal of people's family pets are idiots. Why are they wasting their time removing dogs, when it is still perfectly legal for a woman to own  17 tigers, or a man to let his tiger roam free in the burbs? A woman in Australia owns 3 crocodiles and brings them in her car to run errands with her son, yet Pit Bulls have to be muzzled in public? Give me a break people! Lets get our priorities straight! If Pitties are such a problem why am I not on this show? Sheesh!

Bully Walk Pictures!

Thank you so much for all who attended the walk this Sunday! We had a great turnout and a lot of fun! Here are some pictures from the walk, there are more, (thanks to Mary Ellen) if you would like any pictures, please email me! katieqwilliams@gmail.com.

"The Group"

Me and Cheryl, my partner in crime.

a little meet and greet

Those are some crazy looking Pit Bulls :)

Love the shirt!

Walkin'

What a cutie!

Waiting at the cross walk. Such good behavior!

Awesome sweater!

Walkin'

Through the park we go!

Waiting politely for the crosswalk!

Marv!

Sayin Haay!

Does this look like a killer to you?

So serious!

OH MY GOD! The mini poodle survived! Its a miracle! All those vicious Pit Bulls walking side by side!

ENJOY!

Bully Walk THIS SUNDAY!

Our next Bully Walk is this Sunday, March 6 at 11am. We are meeting in Jamison Square in the Pearl District near the iron bears. (If you have not been there, there are these crazy iron bears in the park...dont really know why...) Please remember the Bully Walk guidelines:

1. NO retractible leashes
2. ONE dog per person
3. Aggression prone dogs are welcome to attend, but must be marked with a red bandana
4. Always pick up after your dog
5. HAVE FUN! ALL BREEDS WELCOME!

The purpose of the Bully Walk is for socialization of us and our dogs, and to raise awareness that Pit Bulls and all bully breeds (American Staffordshire Terriers, American Bulldogs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, etc.) are good Portland Citizens. We walk to fight stereotypes that are often attached with the breeds, and we want to show that these dogs are good dogs, owned by good people. Lets show Portland our PIT BULL PRIDE!

Renting with a Pit Bull...One BIG Pain!

I am a renter and a pit bull owner. My life is hard. I have recently been looking to move and it is the most frustrating thing I have ever had to do. I am a poor student, but I pay my bills on time, I always get my deposit back, my credit is perfect, but why am I constantly being denied apartments? Because I have a dog with short hair and a box head. I have a cute, silly, house-broken, groomed, pit bull. I have probably called 25 to 30 places recently to ask about their dog policies, and they all say NO PIT BULLS. Why? I asked, they all say, "hey, I personally like the breed, I have no problem with pitties." or "I love them, I own one!" "Its not me personally, its the insurance company we have."

Why the hell dont these pit lovers do something about it? Why would they work for a company that discriminates against their dogs? This completely baffles me. I called the Vue Apartments and the woman on the phone told me that if my dog even remotely resembles a pit bull, they would throw me out. I always keep my cool, say thank you, and move on. I dont want people to think any less of us pittie owners than they already do, but I lost it... "Really?" I replied. "Do you think that I am going to have a fighting ring or puppy mill in the 400 square foot 11th floor studio?" AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I just want to scream! My dog is a DOG! She is a CGC, I obey all leash laws, I clean up after her, what is the difference between her and a great dane when comparing apartment wear and tear? Nothing.

My friend is also looking to move and she told me that she really wants a pygmy pig. Why? I dont have a clue...So I asked her to call a few places that I called and got rejected. They all said a pygmy pig was ok with a pet deposit. What kind of world is this? Who makes these rules up?

I started doing some research, and I think that these insurance companies have their rules completely backwards. They pay more money each year in claims for break-ins and theft than dog bites. I think not only should they stop breed restrictions, I think that I should get a discount for owning a pittie. People are less likely to break in with large dogs on the premises. The AKC made a formal statement regarding this issue, they say "The American Kennel Club believes that coverage should be determined by the dog’s deeds, rather than its breed. If the dog is a well-behaved member of the household and community, there is no reason to cancel or deny coverage, or mandate a higher insurance policy. In fact, insurance companies should consider a dog an asset- a natural alarm system whose bark may deter intruders and prevent potential theft. " (www.akc.org/news).

When insurance companies ban breeds, they create a much larger problem for the dogs who's owners can no longer keep them. They get dumped on shelters and rescues, they get dumped on the streets, and most of them are put to sleep. I really believe that if we want more pitties out of the shelter, we need to create more available homes for them. Pitties do just fine in apartments if they are exercised. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard "I would love to foster, but my apartment will not let me have a pit bull."

This needs to change. I feel like I am being discriminated on because of my dog. I am forced to settle for crappy apartments in crappy neighborhoods. This is not fair. What can be done?

Roxy, A Love Story

I came across a story that touched my heart. The story of Roxy. Roxy is a young sweet pit bull who was owned by a family who bought her to solely make them money. They did not care about her, just what she could do for them. She was there as a puppy machine. They did not care that she was cold, or hungry. They left her outside, chained to their trailer for months. Her chain was so short that she slept in her own filth. She was forced to breed multiple times so they could sell her puppies to other irresponsible owners, so they, in turn, could do the same.

Roxy lived this way for a long long time. On a chain, unable to run, out in the harsh weather here in Oregon, until Fences for Fido stepped in to help. They took Roxy from the deplorable conditions in which she was forced to live and found her a loving foster home. She was finally free from the chain. But this is not the end of her story.

Roxy had a lot of work to do. Fences for Fido helped raise money to get her spayed so she could not be forced to have any more puppies. She had to be trained. Potty training was easy for Roxy, she embraced it. Living in small area on a short chain, forced to potty where she slept, really helped her learn to be housetrained quickly. Not knowing human love did not stop her from becomming a sweet loving dog. All she ever wanted to do was please her owner, and she is doing a wonderful job pleasing her wonderful foster mom, Michelle. Her favorite trick is "shake" and will do it for anyone with treats. Michelle says that she is a wiggle butt and asks for belly rubs any chance she gets.

Roxy is recovering just like any pit bull pulled from a bad situation, wonderfully! She is now looking for her forever home so she can be another happy pit bull in Portland. She still needs some training, but she is such a resiliant dog, she will be perfect in no time.

If you want to help Roxy complete her Cinderella story, please contact me katieqwilliams@gmail.com. I want to see the happy ending that Roxy deserves.

A Children's Book on PIT BULLS!

Mark your calendars for May 11, 2011! A new children's book will be hitting the shelves called "Saving Audie, A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance". This new book written by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and William Munoz tells the story of Audie, a tiny Pit Bull puppy who was born and raised in
Bad Newz Kennels. Audie's outlook was grim until the raid on the property by authorities. The story tells Audie's story of transport, rehablitation, and finding a new forever home where he lives happily with his new family.

This is a great story about a hard subject to talk about with children. Patent does a wonderful job and shows that some dogs really do get a happy ending. It is a story about love, endurance, patience, and forgiveness. I am placing my copy on hold today :)

 For more information, visit http://www.savingaudie.com/

A Little Sociology

A friend emailed me this video today and I would like to share it with you! What she explains is what the Bully Walks are intended to do. We just want to show Portland that our dogs are our friends. We do not fight them, instead we dote on them, plan events for them, dress them up, buy them things, and most of all, are proud of them. We are proud parents and want to show off our companions for all of Portland to see.

http://jenimc.com/post/3187561841/i-am-not-a-good-public-speaker-and-did-not-write#

A sigh of relief!

Rest easy my fellow Pit Bull lovers...

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/02/08/dallas-mayor-disavows-key-presentation-to-michael-vick/

Dallas

Michael Vick recieved a key to the City of Dallas today. I dont understand how a man on probation, a man who spent time in federal prison gets to recieve something like that. What does this say about America? What does this say about how we value dogs? How we value criminals? Football players? Millionares? Dog fighters?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Ra0J-V7ZM

Dear Polo,

Dear Polo,

I remember the first day I saw you. You were tied in a backyard starved for attention. I came up to you, you jumped in my lap and gave me a kiss. I fell in love with you. I remember coming back to where you lived, just to see you still tied in the yard. I brought you treats and petted you, I stayed with you for as long as I could. I remeber thinking how sweet you were. A month went by, and I continued to come and see you, until I got the news that your owner was going to prison and you were as well. I came in the yard, untied you, and put you in the car. I brought you to my small apartment and gave you treats. I was young and poor and had no idea what I was getting myself into. My family told me to get rid of you, but I couldnt. I took you to the vet and found out you had severe worms, thats why you were so skinny I could see your ribs. I made you better. We became inseperable. We went everywhere together, the beach, the parks, to restaurants, to friends houses. I loved you.

The landlord knocked on my door one day and told me that we had to go. You were not allowed. So we left. I looked for apartments but they kept saying no. NO PIT BULLS. I didnt give up. I finally found a place for us far away, but I didnt care. I refused to give you up. We were so happy, we went through CGC training, we learned to walk politely on the leash, you kept me company when I did my work, you slept by my side every night, you rolled around on my things, you ate my shoes, my bedding, clothes, pillows, trash, and even my fireworks. You would just look at me and smile and I couldnt stay mad. People started to complain about you. They didnt like the way you looked. I started looking for a new place. I had no idea how easy it was to love you, but so hard to keep you by my side. I didnt give up. We moved again. I began to research your breed, and learned where you came from, what you were capeable of, love. I wanted to help. I wanted to help your fellow pit bulls in their fight for equality in this unjust world. I began to work with a local rescue that took in Pits that were being euthanized for being overpopulated, mistreated, and misunderstood. I was shocked to see just how many pits there are being put down everyday, pits just like you, that didnt find a home, like you did.

I decided right then and there, something had to be done. I helped any way that I could to save dogs like you. I learned about the hate, about the stereotypes, the abuse that dogs like you endure everyday. It makes me sad that people cant see what I see. A companion. A friend to keep them company, sleep with them on cold nights, comfort them when they are feeling down, and just make them smile.

Polo, I had to move 3,000 miles away from home, but that couldnt seperate us. I brought you here to Portland. We showed up with a crate and a suitcase. We made it work. On days when I was feeling sad and homesick, you curled up next to me, and gave me comfort. For that, I will always love you. I promise to keep fighting for you. People want to ban you, and dogs like you, but as long as I am breathing, I will not let it happen. I take you around the town to show off how well behaved you are, yet people still change sides of the street. We have a lot of work to do.

As I write this, you are here, curled up by my side, sleeping. I look at you and smile, you are my best friend, the love of my life. You came into my life so quickly, and changed everything. I was a care-free kid, and now Im a woman with a mission. I promise to fight for you. I promise to do everything in my power to make sure that you are safe, and that you stay with me until the day you leave this earth. I love you with all of my heart. Thank you for being a wonderful companion. Thank you for opening my eyes to this evil world. Thank you for giving me purpose.

Your best friend,

Katie

Something cool happening in P-Town

I met a wonderful woman named Rebecca Wolfe at the Bully Walk who is a freelance artist here in P-Town. She has started an art project on kickstarter.com to raise funds for shelter pits. Rebecca is raising money to paint portraits of local shelter dogs (mainly Pit Bulls) and wants to sell them to raise money for the shelters that do so much for these homeless dogs. Shelters are always in need of money and supplies, so every bit counts!

I think that this is a great idea and I know that if everyone chipped in, it could really make a difference. Check out her site on kickstarter

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1621849365/the-painted-pitbull-project-portrait-of-a-good-dog

Her pictures are really great! So I posted them for you to see :)