PBRC's Happy Endings 2010!

Hello Pit Bull Loving Friends!

We are pleased to announce that PBRC's 2010 Happy Endings Calendar is now available for sale!

It is a 12-month, full-color calendar brimming with gorgeous, rescued pit bulls of all shapes, sizes, and colors. You can order your copy of the Happy Endings 2010 calendar by clicking here!

Remember that all of the proceeds from the sale of the calendars are used to help pit bulls in need. Please don't miss out on this great opportunity to fill your 2010 with pittie smiles while helping needy pit bulls at the same time.

Thank you for your continued support, The Volunteers of PBRC!

Who or What is PBRC.net

In working in St. Louis, MO with HSMO (http://www.hsmo.org), doing the daily care of the 500+ pit bulls in their care, I have met many new people and organizations that aren't really clear on what PBRC.net really is or does. I have been a volunteer with PBRC.net since 2001 and often times I forget many people are new to the pit bull community and aren't sure what PBRC.net does. Below is a nice clean explanation about our organization and what it does for the pit bull community everyday.

There have been 8 PBRC volunteers who have been able to make the trip to Missouri from all over the US and Canada to help in the daily care of the dogs - many of those 8 have their own Pit Bull Rescue groups independent from PBRC.net that will be taking in some dogs from this case once they are turn over to the HSMO for release. As you will see below PBRC.net is not a rescue or shelter that receives dogs.

Let me be clear on one more point - NONE OF THE DOGS IN ST. LOUIS, MO (500+) where I and many other volunteers continue to work daily, have been released by the judges/court system yet (that information was verified this morning by HSMO) - so I beg you to please keep those dogs, the volunteers and staff of HSMO in your heart and minds in the coming days as tough, tough decisions will having to be made.
~ Tiffany

PBRC.NET

Who we are: Pit Bull Rescue Central, Inc. (PBRC) is an online virtual shelter and educational resource dedicated to the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and pit bull mixes. Our resources are designed for, and available to, the caretakers, rescuers and shelters who share their lives with these dogs. PBRC has been on-line since 1996, receiving its non-profit status in 2002.

The organization, along with the website, is run entirely by volunteers. These volunteers come from Europe, Canada, and across the United States. Our volunteers are amazingly dedicated and share a love for pit bulls and a strong desire to improve the quality of life, along with the public’s perception, of these dogs in today’s society.

What we do: PBRC works tirelessly to promote spaying and neutering, educate the public, present positive pit bull images, and encourage responsible pit bull ownership. A wide range of expertise is available seven days a week through our volunteers, who are experienced rescuers, trainers, and pit bull advocates. We answer a tremendous amount of email from the general public, with topics as far ranging as appropriate dog treats to Breed Specific Legislation updates. In addition, we provide free resources for dog owners, including an e-newsletter and free educational materials that can be downloaded and printed from our website. Children of all ages can visit Poppy’s Place, a special section of our website aimed at teaching our younger audience about pit bulls and responsible dog ownership.

We provide a free listing, adoption application and applicant review process to help place pit bulls in responsible, permanent homes. We extend our expert knowledge of the bully breeds to assist caregivers – from Good Samaritans helping their first pit bull to experienced rescuers of the breed - in making responsible decisions about the right home for their dogs.

PBRC also provides financial assistance to give needy dogs a chance at a happy and healthy life. The PBRC Fund helps rescued pit bulls with basic needs and medical bills, and owned dogs in need of life-saving treatment. The Fund also gives donations to rescue organizations who have shown exceptional dedication to helping pit bulls in need. The Spay/Neuter Program works to ease financial barriers for any pit bull owner who wants to get their dog spayed or neutered with information on free and low-cost spay/neuter programs across the country, and helping pay for sterilization where free surgery is not available.

Visit our site: http://www.pbrc.net

Window to the Soul - A PBRC Vol Helping Out in MO

Both of my visits to Missouri made an impression on me, that I will never forget.

Upon each visit, the first thing I notice is the eyes. Some happy, sad, anxious, or pleading, but all telling a story of what they had been through. It is not hard to form an attachment to these dogs in such a brief period of time. So many different personalities and needs, yet each one easy to remember with clarity. Some are overly exuberant to greet you, others subdued and shy. Some have a fun, mischievous look. Most displayed the amazing temperament and resilience that Pit Bulls are known for even after the atrocities they had been through.

The look in the eyes of the dogs after they are fed, their crate or kennel is cleaned is priceless. As are the too short moments where one is able to give these dogs affection and a sense of peace and love by holding the dogs and speaking soft words. Those moments are what these dogs need.

Another thing that stood out regarding this situation is the teamwork, hard work and dedication of those individual volunteers who have been there from the start. These people work hard and still find the time to make dogs, once viewed in their former life as a commodity, feel loved. They are heroes not looking for any type of publicity, self promotion or recognition. They are there as advocates for these dogs, a voice for those who cannot speak.

~ AmyD

Chemical-Flavored Chew Toys?

We all spend a lot of time and money to keep our pets safe – choosing high quality food, paying attention to recalls, buying the right toys that will keep him entertained and hold up to his teeth (at least for a little while). I mean, you wouldn’t let him chew on block of lead or an arsenic-filled bone any more than you’d let him play in traffic, would you?

But what if, despite all of your good intentions, your dog or cat is surrounded by toxic chemicals in their toys, beds, and collars?

There are no government standards for hazardous chemicals in pet products and, in HealthyStuff.org’s test results on over 400 items, it shows. One-quarter of the toys and nearly half of the collars tested had detectable levels of lead, many of them exceeding the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) limit for children’s products.

The tennis ball you bat around the court is less likely to contain lead than the one you bought at a pet store for your dog to put in his mouth.

Our pets are highly sensitive to chemical exposure. They’re closer to the ground, sniffing where the dust contaminated with chemicals from all our household products settles. Even if your pet doesn’t eat things he shouldn’t (though he was a puppy at some point, so odds are he has), his toys are designed for chewing. That’s what dogs and cats do. They also groom themselves, directly ingesting the chemical-laden dust. There’s not a whole lot of research in this area yet, but bio-monitoring of cats has already shown the exposure to toxic flame retardants is 23x higher than humans.

If they’re in trouble, we’re in trouble…and not just because they’re a part of the family. Are you familiar with the Canary in the Coal Mine? Now there’s the Beagle in the Bedroom, the Siamese in the Sitting Room. What can you do?

• Check out HealthyStuff.org’s database to help you make smarter shopping decisions and see what’s in your house. In addition to pet supplies, there are children’s products, clothing accessories, even cars. You can even let them know what you think should be tested next.
• Though the tags say to throw away a toy once it becomes torn, most of us let our pets destroy their toys until they’re unrecognizable or obviously hazardous. Sometimes the innards of toys hold the worst chemicals, like flame retardants in stuffing or lead in the parts that reinforce tougher toys. So, it might not be a bad idea to pay extra attention to what your critters are putting in their mouths and get rid of toys that have seen better days.

• Contact the manufacturers of your favorite products and let them know you want safe products for your furry friend (and let the ones with healthy products know you appreciate them!). The pet industry is huge – it’s our dollars that have gotten it there and it’s our dollars that can impact where it goes next.
• Go to the Take Action section of HealthyStuff.org to find out how to contact your elected representatives. You can’t tell just by looking at stuff whether it’s healthy, and Made in the USA isn’t a guarantee either. It’s impossible to test everything on the market and, ultimately, we need stronger laws to get safe products on the shelves.

As pet owners, we’re used to speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves. Now they need us again, so spread the word and stay informed!

PBRC Sends Their Thanks to the Humane Society of Missouri

In July 2009 the largest dog fighting bust in history occurred in Missouri. Over 400 pit bulls were confiscated from several states and taken to an undisclosed temporary shelter in St. Louis. With a number of females in the group already pregnant, the total number of dogs quickly rose to over 500 with the addition of many litters of puppies born at the shelter. In an effort to keep details of the case confidential, only a limited number of rescue groups were allowed to assist in this operation. As a leader in pit bull rescue and welfare, PBRC was one of the select few groups invited to help with the care of these dogs. We at PBRC would like to take this opportunity to express our sincerest gratitude to the Missouri Humane Society for inviting us to be a part of this enormous operation.

As an internet based group, PBRC’s volunteers are spread out throughout North America however when word came through of the need for assistance in St. Louis, PBRC volunteers did not hesitate to put their own lives on hold and travel across the United States and Canada to St. Louis.

In addition to the many hundreds of volunteer hours required to keep PBRC working smoothly to assist in the education, rescue and welfare of pit bulls, all of our volunteers also maintain full time jobs, families and other volunteer duties. Many also work hands on with pit bull rescue organizations. Despite their busy lives, PBRC volunteers quickly took time off from their regular jobs, called on friends, family and professional pet sitters to look after their own pets so that they could lend a hand to the Missouri Humane Society and give some love and attention to these dogs who needed it desperately. Several volunteers returned a second time as the case dragged on and the dogs waited in their cages.

In the coming weeks several PBRC volunteers will once again assist in this case by opening their homes and their hearts to some of the dogs released for adoption. These dogs will need to learn a great many lessons that our highly experienced volunteers can teach them. These are dogs that have never lived in a house, have never known the love and attention of a family and who have only seen other dogs as adversaries. They will need to learn house manners, leash manners, basic obedience as well as to live in communities filled with other dogs, cats and a variety of other animals.

Many other rescue groups will also be taking in some of these dogs and PBRC encourages each of them to utilize our free web listing service and potential adopter screening service to give these dogs the exposure and help they will need to quickly find loving, permanent homes.
Over the coming weeks and months PBRC’s blog will feature personal stories and experiences written by our volunteers about their involvement with this operation. Volunteers who are fostering these dogs will be describing the individual dogs’ recovery and progress in their homes. Please check our blog regularly to follow the stories of these dogs as they learn to live and love again while they wait for their forever homes.

Our View – Michael Vick: A Second Chance?

Does Michael Vick deserve a second chance?

As far as the law is concerned, he has paid his debt to society. He served 23 months in jail for federal racketeering. He pled not guilty to animal cruelty charges and those charges were eventually dropped completely as part of his plea bargain.

As far as the NFL is concerned, he has paid his debt to society and after mere months in jail has reinstated him.

As for the animal welfare community, PBRC is just one voice – but, we would like to take the opportunity to make our voice heard.

Should there be some type of punishment that extends beyond the legal? While this is probably more of an ethical debate, we think that a second chance should be based not strictly on time served but rather on the concept of remorse. Is Michael Vick sorry for what he did?

Let’s not forget how vigorously he blamed others for what happened and for leading him astray – all the while declaring his innocence. Michael Vick was one of the highest paid players in the NFL. He was the golden boy with a golden life and when he was caught, he lied and denied for as long as he could until the evidence piling up around him became overwhelming and all of his co-conspirators turned on him.

Now, after serving only 23 months in prison for a felony, he has been welcomed back to the NFL and has found a team to support him. We don’t know many felons that are allowed to return to their pre-crime multimillion dollar careers. Most individuals who are found guilty of a felony have to spend a long time atoning for their sins. They become pariahs in the community. Professional athletes are the exception, Michael Vick is the exception. For those who think Michael Vick is being singled out, that is simply not the case. PBRC believes that any thugs, criminals, and drug dealers should be expelled from the NFL - or any professional sports league, for that matter.

Michael Vick has never acknowledged how he participated in these crimes. He consistently skirts responsibility citing that he “should not have let it happen”. What we feel the public needs to be reminded of is that he didn’t just fund the operation from the sidelines. He didn’t let it happen as a spectator or silent partner. He was an active participant. He was physically involved in the electrocution, drowning, beating and hanging of dogs that didn’t “perform” to his satisfaction.

Though Vick states he ‘now’ knows it was wrong, we’re not sure he understands why it was wrong. We’re not sure he truly grasps the horror that most people felt when they heard or read about how he and his friends killed dogs with their bare hands. How much pain and terror those animals must have felt. To truly atone for his behavior he needs to acknowledge his participation in these crimes. He needs to take ownership of what he did. He should admit to the public that he physically slammed a dog into the ground until it was broken and dead. He should say that he is truly sorry. And he should mean it.

We are not sure he grasps that at all or really understands pain and suffering. A dog’s capacity to love at times seems much greater than ours and their forgiveness is extraordinary. The animals have probably forgiven him where we continue to debate…

So, does Michael Vick deserve a second chance? PBRC says “NO”. The American public does not need this kind of role model or spokesperson for animal cruelty. He does not – cannot - speak for OUR breed and he should not be considered a positive influence. His actions were not mistakes – they were CHOICES; they were a series of horrifying decisions and a lifestyle of cruelty and suffering. His is not simply one mistake but a long string of horrible decisions that potentially cite an inability to empathize with suffering, a lack of compassion and an outright disdain for life.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi”