Rescue Chocolate, Calendars, and NEW iPhone 4 cases!

Brand new to our CafePress store: iPhone 4 cases!

Perfect for holiday gifts (or yourself)! Bring style and protection to your Apple iPhone 4.

www.cafepress.com/pbrcstore

Here's a sweet deal! Dear PBRC Friends, Don't forget that your Rescue Chocolate purchases throughout the month of November will directly benefit Pit Bull Rescue Central. Rescue Chocolate is 'the sweetest way to save a life' because the company donates all of its profits to animal rescue organizations like ours. Get online now (www.RescueChocolate.com) and order some for your Thanksgiving feast, for your holiday gift-giving, and for your own private indulgences! You win (because the chocolate is yummy!), and the bullies win too!

PBRC 2011 Calendars on Sale Now!

You've got choices to make this year! This year PBRC is presenting two beautiful full-color, saddle stitched, 12-month calendars featuring rescued pit bulls!

PBRC offers their special addition 2011 People's Choice Pit Bull Calendar features your photos, your votes and your winners!

Along with that PBRC is offering their traditional 2011 Happy Endings Calendar featuring rescued pit bulls in their adoptive homes.

Another Happy Ending from the Missouri 500

In July 2009 a little black and white pit bull was rescued with hundreds of other pit bulls from their lives as fighting dogs. Already pregnant Vanilla as the shelter named her gave birth to 6 roly-poly puppies in a temporary shelter set up to house what became known as the Missouri 500.

In November 2009, after five long months in the temporary shelter, Vanilla started a new life with a new name. Vanilla became Sophie the day she came to my house for fostering until her forever home could be found.

Having never stepped foot inside a home before, Sophie had a lot to learn and a lot of fears to overcome. Veterinarians have recently realized that animals can exhibit many of the same symptoms that people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder do and Sophie had many of these same symptoms, the intense, constant anxiety, the hyper-vigilance to her surroundings and fear/panic resulting from loud or unexpected noises. It was several days before she could walk out of her crate voluntarily and many weeks before she could leave the room where her crate was located. The television was another novel experience that required four months of gentle persuasion before Sophie could tolerate the sounds and movements we take for granted.

Month after month of her progress was an emotional roller coaster with wonderful highs as I watched her conquer yet another new experience and horrible lows as a sudden change caused her to backslide into panic mode again. Through it all, Sophie showed the typical, wonderful pit bull personality. As long as she felt safe, she was a happy little clown, learning what toys are for and what cuddling with people is all about. Even at her most panic stricken she never once offered any aggression toward me and learned quickly that people could be a source of safety and comfort rather than fear and pain. She greeted everyone that walked in the door as if they were long lost friends.

In November 2010, just a few days short of one year, Sophie began her last and greatest adventure yet. Sophie was adopted by a wonderful family into her forever home. Nicole, Jose and 8-year-old Noah are Sophie’s new best friends and family. Because it took so long for Sophie to adjust to life inside a house, I feared she would suffer a set back when she went to her new home, but this resilient little pit bull proved me wrong as she walked into her new home and set about happily investigating every room and making herself comfortable on the furniture. She never missed a beat even when I left her to her new life. I will certainly miss my little girl, but I am so very happy that she will get to spend the rest of her life with a family that loves her and will spoil her like the little pittie princess she deserves to be.

Congratulations to Sophie and her new family and I wish you all the best for many years to come.

~ Amanda Clase

From our friends at Atlanta Underdog Initiative and Friends to the Forlorn

Want to see the work Atlanta Underdog Initiative and Friends to the Forlorn does? Look at the videos below. This is taking to the streets and getting the word out. We weren't sure what to call it, but "Tails in the Hood" was rather catchy. Two Atlanta area rescues teamed up to reach the pit bull owners who need the education the most, and they started on the Southside of Atlanta.

On Saturday morning Jason and I assisted the Humane Society of the United States, Lifeline Animal Project and the Coalition to Unchain Dogs at a free rabies clinic and food give away for the general public in the English Avenue neighborhood of Atlanta. We provided the public with free rabies vaccines, free Halo dog and cat food and spay/ neuter assistance. It was nice to see all of the dogs and at least one cat (there may have been more cats, but I only saw the one) getting their shots. Some people even agreed to get their dogs fixed. Of course we saw a lot of pit bulls since they seem to be the dog of choice in lower income areas.

Before Jason arrived at the free rabies clinic he had picked up a large food donation in Morrow, GA. We used some of that food to do our neighborhood outreach on Saturday afternoon.

We delivered a new crate and some Halo dog food to a 17 year old boy who came to the Atlanta Bully Rally weekend before last. Jason and I were trying to educate this young man on proper and responsible pit bull ownership. He was given a pregnant female pit bull a few weeks ago. Though I wish we could talk him into getting a spay/abort, we have to gain his trust first so we don't alienate him. Besides, she's too far along for a spay/abort at this point. We also taught him how to care for his dogs and how to crate train them. We need to gain his trust so we can make sure the pups from his pregnant female end up in safe homes. We are trying really hard to get him to fix his dogs, but it takes time.

This is the work we will be doing, and here are two short videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKxGAe-ydIs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6-VryYcs1k

If you're in Atlanta and you want to help with this effort let us know! We welcome all the help we can get. You only need to have a passion for dogs, the ability to not judge someone and be able to keep a level head no matter the circumstances.

This work isn't easy, but we have to gain the trust of the people who need the education and build a relationship with them in order to help them become better pet owners. It's the best way to start to improve our communities, one dog at a time. Even if you're not in Atlanta you can model a program like this in your own area! All it takes is the desire to make a difference.

Rescue Chocolate ~ All November!

Hey PBRC supporters, here’s a sweet deal!

For the month of November 2010, you can help funnel donations to us by buying and eating chocolate! The Rescue Chocolate company, which donates all of its profits to various animal rescue organizations, has named PBRC as its November 2010 beneficiary.

The more you buy (and eat, and give as gifts), the more you will be increasing the company’s donation to us. So go online now (www.RescueChocolate.com) and figure out which of the yummy flavors you’d like to order next month.

You can choose from Peanut Butter Pit Bull (our favorite), Pick Me! Pepper, Fosterrific Peppermint, Mission Feral Fig, Wild At Heart, and Bow Wow Bon Bons.

We think you’ll like what you see, because everything is vegan, kosher/parve, handcrafted by artisan chocolatiers using traditional Belgian techniques, and packaged in eco-friendly materials.

A sweet deal? We think so! So plan to eat more chocolate, and save more bullies….!