Hello Bully’s annual Lovers Not Fighter Gala

On Saturday, Feburary 20th 2010, over 300 Pit Bull owners and advocates gathered for Hello Bully’s annual Lovers Not Fighters Gala in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The proceeds of the gala help fund Hello Bully’s education programs and Pit Fix Plus, a free spay neuter and vaccination program for locally owned Pit Bulls. This year the event raised $21,000 for this worthy cause.

The event included many raffle items and a live auction with prizes such as art, jewelry, dog collars, a vacation and many other exciting prizes. All items were generously donated and the bidding competition was fierce!

Special guest speakers included: Florence Biros, author of the book Dog Jack, and Tracy Doyle, owner of a deaf dog named Piglet. Piglet is the Pit Bull star of the soon to be released movie based on Florence’s book.. The founder of Hello Bully, Daisy Baldawedjer, addressed the audience and explained the mission of Hello Bully. She spoke of the importance of spay/neuter and education.

Another guest speaker, Teal Erickson from Broken Heart Mended Souls rescue, presented about her experiences working with the "MO 500." "The MO 500" is group of dogs confiscated from the world’s largest federal dog fighting bust in history. Broken Hearts Mended Souls is one of the organizations who played a crucial role in the evaluation, placement, and happy endings that many of these former bust dogs are now experiencing.

All of the speakers made an impact on the audience of bully lovers, and Piglet was happy to pose for photos with her adoring crowd.

One of the "MO 500" dogs, Kolby, made a special guest appearance. Kolby greeted guests at the entrance in his finest apparel, a doggie tuxedo! Kolby was a dog that Hello Bully had available for adoption. The week before the gala, Kolby found his forever home, but that did not stop him from making an appearance and greeting everyone with kisses! Kolby showed everyone who arrived that a solid Pit Bull temperament cannot be broken even when the dog has experienced a horrendous past.

Everyone at the event enjoyed mingling with fellow Pit Bull enthusiasts. The event is held every February and the turnout continues to grow each year. The hard work of the Hello Bully volunteers, guest speakers, kind public donations and turnout, made this event a success.

Municipalities getting involved in promoting shelter dogs

Animals languishing in shelters may get some respite if legislation passed in a socially liberal community of Los Angeles gains nationwide popularity.

In mid-February, West Hollywood—known for its “long-held… reputation as a trailblazer in animal welfare rights”—enacted legislation banning the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores to combat the proliferation of puppy mills and kitty factories. When the law is implemented in September of this year, pet shops may offer shelter pets to customers, however.

Although West Hollywood’s ban on cat and dog sales is not the first of its kind in the country—South Lake Tahoe, California, enacted a similar ban in 2009—it may have more viral impact: When this ordinance, which passed by unanimous vote, was first proposed in the City Council, inquiries came pouring in from other US and European towns who would like to follow suit.

Legislation such as this—along with current ad campaigns like the Maddie’s Fund Shelter Pet Project (http://www.theshelterpetproject.org/), which promote adoption of shelter animals—may be very good news for the inordinate number of pit bulls and other dogs waiting to be adopted to good homes.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/17/west-hollywood-moves-to-b_n_464960.html

February 22 - 28, 2010 - Simple Dog Fundraiser

From February 22nd-28th, Simple Dog is teaming up with Pit Bull rescues to raise money for the important work they do!

For 7 days only, Simple Dog is featuring Pit Bull bumper stickers and magnets and $5 of each one sold goes to your favorite Bully rescue during this fundraiser challenge. Buy any other item on our site, and donate $5 too.

Simple Dog fundraisers are always free for non-profits, which means featured charities get a complete $5 for each item sold.

This fundraiser goes for 7 days only. Get your Pit bumper sticker or magnet today! Click here for details.

16th Annual SpayDay USA: February 23, 2010

Spay Day is an annual campaign of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International to inspire people to save animal lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats. Officially the last Tuesday of February, Spay Day includes events and activities taking place throughout February across the United States and U.S. territories, and around the world.

PBRC celebrates Spay Day 2010 with a special spay/neuter awareness key tag incentive offer! If your pit bull is not spayed or neutered, apply for assistance now through the end of February! When your pit bull is spayed/neutered, we'll send you 2 free key tags!

Don't delay, apply for assistance today!

If your pit bull is already spayed or neutered and you would like to help spread the spay and neuter awareness message, we'll send you 2 key tags for a minimum donation of $10 to our spay and neuter fund. To make a donation, please see our PBRC celebrates Spay Day 2010 page.

The key tag ribbon is die-cut, soft plastic, measuring 2.5" x 1.25", blue with white imprinted message. Combines good looks, a terrific touch and a super strong clip. Made in USA. Actual key tag color may vary slightly from the graphic representation shown at left.

Are you a Pit Bull advocate who would like to “pay it forward”? To make a donation by credit card CLICK HERE or send a check with a memo of “Spay/Neuter Awareness Key Tag” to PBRC, PO Box 335, Fulton MO 65251

Thank you for your continued support,
PBRC Spay/Neuter Committee and The Volunteers of PBRC

P.S. Feel free to crosspost this message

Vote to Protect Your Dog from Breed Specific Legislation

What if you could ask the Obama Administration to take a stance against breed specific legislation, or if you could reach out to over a million people and a network of bloggers to put an end to breed bans?

Here's your chance: Change.org is running its Ideas for Change competition, where community members have been proposing ideas across twenty different social issues for what they'd like to see change in America. The ideas have been racking up votes for several weeks now, and the top three from each cause will advance to the next round, where they will compete against each other for the top ten slots.

The end goal is more than just the glory of saying your idea won a popularity contest: The Top 10 Ideas will be formally announced at an event in Washington, D.C., where they will be presented to representatives of the media, the nonprofit community, and relevant officials of the Obama Administration. Plus, Change.org will unleash the resources of its staff, community, and network on grassroots campaigns to make each of the top ideas a reality.

Right now, "Ban Breed Specific Legislation" http://www.change.org/ideas/view/ban_breed_specific_legislation is in 6th place in the Animals category.

Not surprisingly, this idea has generated a lot of debate in the comments section. Some people believe the myths that pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs. Some people don't believe that this is an important enough idea. Others have posted about how their pit bulls have changed their lives.

If you're reading this blog, odds are that you fall into that last category. Breed specific legislation not only targets innocent dogs and owners, but it doesn't resolve the problem. Non-breed specific Dangerous Dog Legislation is a much more effective way of addressing the public health problem of dog bites because it gets at the real problem: irresponsible dog owners. It's also more cost effective for communities than BSL, and doesn't cause the unnecessary, and unfair, euthanasia of dogs just because of their breed.

Cast your vote for pit bulls today! http://www.change.org/ideas/view/ban_breed_specific_legislation

Voting ends at 5pm on February 25th

"KING OF HEARTS" Poster designed by MR. SHANE JESSUP

$25.00

About the Print
- 11 × 17 Poster printed in full color on high quality 100# stock.
- Limited to 25 prints with 50% OF PROFITS to benefit PBRC (Pit Bull Rescue Central)
- die-cut rounded corners
- includes 1 (one) KidRobot "BUB" Vinyl Figure

About the Charity
Pit Bull Rescue Central envisions a compassionate world where pit bulls and pit bull mixes reside in responsible, loving homes and where their honor and positive image is restored and preserved.

About the Artist
MR. Shane Jessup's work has been featured in publications such as Juxtapoz, Time Out New York, Print, Swindle, I Am Plastic from Harry Abrams and Morning Wood from Gingko Press. He has shown in galleries such as 111 Minna (San Francisco), Merry Karnowsky Gallery (Los Angeles), 222 Gallery (Philadelphia), and White Walls (SF). Shane hopes to expand on his painting work and show more in the near future.

Click here to order.

Pets and Foreclosure

Animal control officers were called to a house in northern Michigan in February to rescue more than a dozen domesticated animals, including dogs, that had been left behind to fend for themselves after the owner vacated due to foreclosure. With home foreclosures expected to continue through 2010, this case puts the spotlight on a very important issue in today’s economy. Unfortunately, the Michigan case is not unique, as there have been reports of healthy, ill, dying, or dead pets found in foreclosed properties in several municipalities.

Pet owners in peril of losing their homes are encouraged to take their animals with them, but if that is not possible, it is imperative that they have a contingency plan. The assumption that someone will find and rescue the abandoned animals is faulty, as it could take weeks before agents enter the house. Furthermore, the lack of social interaction in the interim may affect an animal’s temperament, which, in turn, may decrease its adoptability.

The American Veterinary Medical Association provides the following suggestions for pet owners with homes in foreclosure and who cannot take their animals with them:

• Try to find someone to foster or adopt your pet(s). Check with your family, neighbors, friends, and coworkers.
• Contact local rescue organizations to see if they can help you find a home.
• Advertise your adoptable pet(s) in a pet-specific classified ad listing. Screen potential adopters as carefully as possible to ensure that your pet ends up in a quality home.
• Your veterinarian may also be able to help you identify a foster home or find a new home for your pet. Do not, however, leave your pet on the veterinary clinic’s doorstep!
• Contact your local animal shelter or animal control facility to see whether it will accept your pet and assist in finding it a new home if you are unable to find a home for it yourself.

For individuals who are in this predicament, PBRC publishes a web page with access to several useful websites. Visit http://www.pbrc.net/losinghome.html for more information.

If you would like to give help to alleviate this situation, remember that local animal shelters are bearing the brunt of this “foreclosure pet” crisis, as they are experiencing unusual levels of overpopulation across the country. Information on donating to shelters is available at http://pitbullrescuecentral.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-you-can-help-your-local-shelter-by.html.

Source: AVMA. Frequently asked questions about pets and foreclosed homes. http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/pets_foreclosed_homes_faq.asp

February as National Pet Dental Health Month

Just as it is for humans, oral health care is essential for dogs to prevent the plaque and tartar that lead to periodontal disease—which can cause bad breath, irritated and bleeding gums, and, in severe cases, microscopic damage to major organs—and to avoid abscesses and tooth loss.

To commemorate February as National Pet Dental Health Month, following are some basic tips for maintaining your pit bull’s good oral health at home via toothbrushing.

How to Do It:

• To acclimate your dog to the process, begin with a drop of toothpaste that he can lick off your finger, followed by gentle gum massage.
• Increase the amount of time spent with each subsequent gum massage. It is recommended that you ultimately spend 1 to 2 minutes per brushing.
• Once your dog is accustomed to the feeling, phase in the use of a toothbrush.

Additional Tips:

• Daily toothbrushings are preferred for optimal oral health.
• Use a toothpaste specifically formulated for dogs, as human toothpaste is not fit for consumption, and dogs can’t spit.
• Don’t brush too vigorously, as this can strip enamel from the teeth and injure the gums.
• Don’t brush when in a hurry—this will likely have the undesirable consequence of toothbrushing aversion in your dog.

Note: In dogs not on prescription medications, a tooth that has changed color (to pink, dark purple, or black) is indicative that the tooth is dying or dead and it should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

Sources: Veterinary Oral Health Council: http://www.vohc.org/perio.htm Kate Knutson. Caring for your pet’s teeth. Healthy Pet. Winter 2009.

(Thank you, Brewski, for modelling.)

VALENTINE'S DAY T-SHIRT OFFER

Give your special someone two gifts in one!
This darling PBRC-original T-shirt design is so cute
and helps pit bulls in need.

Who can refuse a kiss-bull puppy giving his heart away?
Wear this 'T' and spread the word about Pit Bull Rescue Central.
This Valentine's Day, show your love for pit bulls.

Click here to order today!

Lebanon Road Elementary students partner with rescue-dog Gunny to help abused animals

Students at Lebanon Road Elementary raised more than $1,300 for North Mecklenburg Animal Rescue (NMAR) – all to help a very special friend raise money during Gunny’s Pennies for Puppies drive. Gunny is a pit bull who is also the official spokesdog for NMAR. He is one of the rescue organization’s biggest successes. A victim of dog-fighting, Gunny works with children to educate them about animal abuse. He also works with abused animals, teaching them to trust again. Gunny’s owner, CMS Occupational Therapist Amy Murphy, adopted him from a shelter a week before he was scheduled to be euthanized. Despite his severe injuries and dark past, Gunny was immediately trusting and gentle. Gunny is currently a semi-finalist in Bissell’s Most Valued Pet contest, which includes a $10,000 grand prize for the animal rescue of the winner’s choosing. Lebanon Road students voted eagerly for Gunny with the help of their parents. “Gunny came in second place with nearly 3,500 entries,” Murphy said. “He got 1,588 votes in a one-week period." Gunny has attended Lebanon Road character assemblies and teacher Jennifer Packard said she sees the influence he has had on the students. “Students are very enthusiastic to speak with Amy when they see her, they show concern by asking after Gunny and the rescue,” Packard said. “They are super excited to vote for Gunny in this latest contest to try to win the $10,000 prize for the rescue.” Teachers are using the contest to fuel students’ interests in math and social studies lessons, such as voting procedures and graphing. Recently, Gunny has been working with Hope, another dog saved by the rescue who Murphy is currently fostering. Gunny entered and won The World’s Most Amazing Dog contest, winning Hope, who requires special food, a free year’s worth of food and the chance for Murphy to ride on a float at the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. When she was rescued, Hope was nearly catatonic with fear, but after spending time with Gunny she has come out of her shell and is now looking for a permanent home. Gunny was also featured in USA Today on Jan. 13, in an article called “True Stories of Heroic Dogs.” Click here to read the story.