National Pit Bull Awareness Day
With two high profile dog fighting cases pending in our local area, the time could never be better for an event which educates the public and honors these unjustly maligned animals.
National Pit Bull Awareness Day is a concept created by a Tennessee pit bull rescue in 2007 with the intent of creating a national day on which pit bulls are celebrated versus demonized. In stark contrast to the daily abuse and victimization of these dogs, this day is intended to be a day to cherish these animals. The event has grown in support since it’s inception with 2008 being marked by 150 celebrations across the United States and even events as far away as Canada and Russia.
In celebration of National Pit Bull Awareness Day, Ring Dog Rescue is hosting a series of activities surrounding that date to celebrate these dogs. The centerpiece event of the celebration is a public event intended to provide insight, education and a place to network for animal welfare advocates:
NAME: “In Defense of Dogs – An Evening on Animal Welfare”
WHEN: Friday, October 23, 2009 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm)
WHERE: Plant Zero, 0 East 4th Street, Richmond, VA 23224
WHO: Any member of the public with a valid admission ticket (Tickets are $20 and can be purchased via the Ring Dog Rescue website or at a number of locations listed on the website)
DETAILS:
“In Defense of Dogs – An Evening on Animal Welfare” is a public event, featuring a night of notable speakers in animal advocacy, along with more than a dozen animal friendly vendors selling their products, along with food and a beer and wine bar to facilitate networking and mingling between local animal lovers. There will also be a special appearance by Gracie, one of the former Michael Vick dogs.
Speakers for this event include
- Michelle Welch – Assistant Attorney General tasked with prosecuting animal issues for the Commonwealth of Virginia and adjunct faculty for Animal Law at the University of Richmond.
- Ethan Eddy – Trial attorney for the Natural Resources Division of the United States Department of Justice and former Humane Society of the United States attorney focusing on animal fighting and cruelty
- Jody Jones – Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, former Director of the Center for Animal Care and Control in New York City and Humanitarian of the Year for 2007, as named by the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies and current Manager of Richmond Animal Care and Control
- Kathy Strouse – Animal Control Superintendent for the City of Chesapeake and author of “The Untold Story of the Michael Vick Dog Fighting Case”
- Richard Samuels – President of the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, Vice President of the Virginia Animal Control Association and certified Animal Cruelty Investigator.
Sponsors for this event include: Elwood Thompson’s, Farmer’s Insurance, Prevent-A-Litter, Pure Dog Treats, Irizarry Plumbing, K. Morgan Photography, Martin and Wood Construction, Pets at Play, the Law Firm of Sands, Anderson, Marks and Miller, Paws for Style, Whole Foods Market, Canine Adventure Walks, Legend Brewery and the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies. Please support our local sponsors and show your thanks for their support of RDR!!!!
In addition to the public forum, Ring Dog Rescue is hosting a Continuing Education class for law enforcement personnel, attorneys and animal welfare workers on October 23, 2009 as well as providing free spay and neuter and transport to pit bulls in the Woodland Heights community of Richmond on October 25, 2009.
Ring Dog Rescue would love any help folks can offer spreading the word about this event, whether it be telling your friends and family or printing and hanging the attached flyer at a place of work or other high traffic area. Thanks!!!!!
Buy your ticket here.CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN FUNDRAISER
With all of the hub-ub around National Pit Bull Awareness Day, don’t forget our fundraiser at California Pizza Kitchen in Short Pump on October 13, 2009 from 5pm to 9pm. Print and bring in this coupon on that night. Ring Dog Rescue will receive 20% of all food proceeds generated from coupons brought in that night. This is a great excuse to go out and eat pizza and pasta mid-week and help a good cause.
Two pit bulls attacked my dog at the James River in Williamsburg several years ago. All dogs were unleashed,
playing in the water, when the pair chomped my dog’s neck and leg. The owner had to remove his belt and hit his own two dogs repeatedly until they let go of my dog. He said that these two dogs lived in the house with him, his wife and their two young children. I trusted him when he said they were friendly, and then, they attacked. Now, when I see pit bulls, I feel afraid and I stay away.
I’m so sorry that that happened to your dog. The truth is pit bulls often do have aggression issues towards other animals. It is the owners responsibility to recognize the limits of his animals and never put them in a situation where another animal (or person) could be harmed. They likely are friendly…to people. An owner should NEVER beat his dogs, should never have to do something like that. And those dogs should have been leashed. It is a matter of bad dog owners, irresponsible training. A small dog will bite too if it is not trained. It’s scarier for sure when it is a dog that has such an unfortunate reputation. I hope in the future you can have a positive experience with this truly amazing breed!
First, Jessamyn, I am very sorry to hear that your dog was attacked and sincerely hope that he/she is okay. But as a responsible pit bull owner and an advocate for the breed, I see this as an unfortunate situation where an irresponsible owner did not have control of his dogs. Pit bulls, like all dogs, need to be trained, and they need to be walked on leashes at all times.
Second, the main objective of Ring Dog Rescue’s public forum is education, and I encourage you, as well as anyone else who may be afraid of Pit Bulls, to attend. I can assure you that you will have the opportunity to meet any number of responsible bully owners and even a few of the remarkable dogs themselves.
Jessamyn,
I am VERY SORRY about what happened to your dog, I have three dogs, a Cairn Terrier, German Sheppard mix and… a pit bull. I have had him since 99 got him as a pup and he has been with us every since and I have never had problems.
I dont expect you to love pitbulls though as I say this and especially considering what happened to your dogs. All I can say is I hate when something like that happens and when I walk my dogs all of them I am leary of stray dogs or dogs off the leash even pitbulls I dont know. I walk my Cairn and pitbull together all the time and they are best buds.
I can only hope your dog is okay and that you are and I understand now if you have a fear .
But there are a lot of us out there who have pitbulls and are responsible as well as considerate of people like your self. A lot of us understand this situation and get upset as it gives us and our dogs a bad name.
Never listen to someone who says “oh they wont bite” as all dogs are often unpredictble in situations like this especially in a new environment with a new dog that are not properly introduced. I am also a volunteer at an animals shelter and work with all dogs of all sizes and of all breeds.
It really is the owners responsibility those two dogs should not of been off their leashes.
I had a neigbor that had her three dogs running around all of the time, Shep mixes and they went in my yard at night and killed my pet ducks it was horrible especially since I had them forever.
Well I did not get mad at the dogs, they are going to do what comes natural to them but I did get on my neighbors ass and now their dogs are up all of the time. It really sucked though but I knew it was the owners fault .
Just an example of what irresponsible dog owners can cause and those dogs were not pitbulls but they were lose like the pit bulls that attacked your dog.
Hope everything is better for you now and your dog.
[...] touched on this in passing here but I wanted to bring your attention to a special event that Ring Dog Rescue is sponsoring on [...]
I’m so sorry that that happened to your dog. The truth is pit bulls often do have aggression issues towards other animals. It is the owners responsibility to recognize the limits of his animals and never put them in a situation where another animal (or person) could be harmed. They likely are friendly…to people. An owner should NEVER beat his dogs, should never have to do something like that. And those dogs should have been leashed. It is a matter of bad dog owners, irresponsible training. A small dog will bite too if it is not trained. It’s scarier for sure when it is a dog that has such an unfortunate reputation. I hope in the future you can have a positive experience with this truly amazing breed!
I have the utmost sympathy for Jessaymn but I am having a really hard time with the vilification of pitbulls. I am a dog trainer, as well as a responsible pitbull owner, and can honestly say that out of a household of pitbulls my french bulldog is most likely to bite. I have seen all different breeds of dogs with dog to dog aggression, of course pitbulls included but by no means the most prominent breed. Please do not blame an entire breed for the irresponsibility of one owner.
Also (in regards to another post) where are you getting your facts in stating “the truth is pit bulls often do have aggression towards other animals?” I would like to know where your statistics come from. Please share with us, before you just give the masses one more reason to step to the otherside of the street when responsible bully owners come their way.
I would be happy introduce anyone in the neighborhood to any of the three Canine Good Citizen (CGC) pitbulls in my home.
My usual reaction to a pit who’s walking with its human offleash is to assume it (the dog) is extremely well-trained. I’m usually right, too.
We have a mutt who is a total sweetheart. He’ll stand on the living room sofa and bark his head off at canine passersby, but I left the back gate open the other day and he just stood silently there in the open gate, watching some guy walk his dogs past. Dogs have definite reactions to being confined or restricted, and that has nothing to do with the breed.
Hey Brandy. No need to get on the defensive. Perhaps you misunderstood my message, which is the same as yours. Good dogs come from good training. I was not trying to say that aggression issues are exclusive to pit bulls; but that even small dogs will bite. Most people can’t see a responsible bully owner or otherwise from a distance.
I have a lovely pit bull myself; it hurts my feelings as well when people cross the street or parents wont let their children pet my dogs very kind and well-trained head. I would never want to fuel the fire. Is that not why we are all going to this event? To show our support for our companions?