Spencer

This is a wonderful story. Ones with happy endings are great for a change.  I don't own a pitbull myself but my mothers neighbor does.  Zoe is just the sweetest little thing you'd ever want to meet.  It saddens me to think that an animal would be euthenized because of  misconceptions.  There are no bad dogs just bad owners.  If a dog is mean it is because they were made that way.

This is great, its small steps like these that give us real progress.
 
Personally I think this policy is pure ignorance. I know of shelters that regardless of breed put their dogs through rigorous temperment testing, and I believe this should be done with pit bulls also.

Thank goodness!

I've been keeping up with that story, too, and it's great that he is saved. I really hate when people don't give pits a chance. I'll agree that some pits are naturally aggressive, but unless the owner mistreats the dog, pit bulls can make as loyal and obediant pets as any other dog!

Did you know that PETA is even trying to get states to ban the existence of pit bulls? Yeah, I heard that in some places, pit bulls that are out of a home are euthanized, and all pits that are already owned must be neutered/spayed. It's horrible.

Pits only have bad reputations because a lot of people mistreat pit bulls and train them to be bad!

[] It's depressing, really.

This is why I don't give a penny to PETA.  If they don't love my dog, then they aren't going to win me over.  What a bunch of hypocrits.

IMO Peta are nothing but a bunch of nuts. I have realized what they were long before I heard they wanted to kill all the pits. I will never forget them "Rescuing" dogs from shelters then euthanizing the animals while they pulled away and throwing them in the trash at some grocery store parking lot like garbage. They are disturbing people who dont care about animals.
 
What they did to those poor shelter animals can not be justified. I read in one article that one of the shelter was specifically picking out the most highly adoptable animals to give to them. They are nuts. I have read that their beliefs are to "free" all animals by letting them live in the wild. I would say that idea in itself isnt too crazy but what are we supposed to do? The animals have already been domesticated.
 
As for their stance on the pit bulls you would think they would know better since their "president" (queen nut) bred staffies. It is sad that people who are suppposed to care about animals (which PETA has already proven they dont) go around and say bad things they know arent true.
 
I truly hope this Spencer thing will make people reexamine their shelter policies and adopt out pitties. One of the shelters around here has a strict policy & are not supposed to adopt out pitties. However, the manager of the shelter breeds & shows Am. Staffies, so needless to say I know a couple of people who have adopted some pits "under the table" from this shelter. I will never understand why people have decided to pick on such a sweet breed. They are IMO the sweetest breed I have met. They are so willing to please and want to be next to you all of the time.
 
I volunteer at a PB rescue sometimes and most of the dogs there were from the hurricane. One had to be trapped, and was abused while in someone's care in LA, however she has forgiven us humans and loves everyone she meets. Another one was found in his yard 2 weeks after the storm tied to a tree. His collar was embedded in his neck, which I know would make me mad, but this guy is super friendly. I wish all of these people who think they are so "vicious" would actually go & meet a pit.
 
Lori-I am sure Gypsy has changed a lot of people's minds[].

Interestingly enough, for those of you who have bully's GSDs, dobes, rots, chows, or other "scary" breeds, I've found something that seems to help Sally's image a lot.  When I take her on walks in areas where we are in close proximity to passing people, I make her lay down.  I started doing this because she thought she should investigate every passerby, which I know lots of people do not appreciate, but people seem in general to be very impressed by it.  I have had numorous comments about what a well behaved, good looking dog she is.  it seems like I could tell people how nice pits are all day long and it doesn't have nearly the effect that having her in a downstay when they pass does....

Another thing that helps is to put them in costume! People are so busying laughing at Gypsy when she's wearing a Cub Scout uniform that they forget to see she's a dreaded bull breed! LOL