Once Heroes, Now Banned

How the “pit bull” is now discriminated against by the United States military

By Lynn Ready, Best Friends Network Volunteer

During World War I, they were the all-American dogs pictured on posters as a symbol of our country. In the Civil War era, they were known as nurse dogs, because they were so good with children. Once recognized as a representation of courage in the United States military, American pit bull terriers like Stubby and numerous others, have won medals such as the Silver Star and Purple Heart.

Such history seems to have now been forgotten, as the government is now implementing breed discrimination at many military bases throughout the country, focusing on what they term as “aggressive or potentially aggressive breeds of dogs,” including “pit bulls (American Staffordshire bull terriers or English Staffordshire bull terriers), Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, chows, and wolf hybrids.”

The Pentagon submitted a memorandum on January 5, 2009, stating that the above listed breeds may not be kept on any military based housing in the Army. The Air Force has also enacted a breed discriminatory policy and the Navy is next. While policy, this knee-jerk reaction is similar to BDL (Breed Discriminatory Legislation), which targets the wrong end of the leash. Instead, the military should be looking at reckless owners, not a particular breed of dog.

For those who already own one of the banned breeds, they are “grandfathered” in, but on military bases such as Fort Hood, TX, Fort Bragg, NC, and Fort Benning, GA, soldiers and families are banned from owning certain breeds of dogs. Even grandfathering in a dog that is already in base housing does not necessarily provide safe haven, because soldiers typically move every two or three years and will not be able to take their dog to their next installation. Then where does the dog go? Abandoned? To a local shelter where there is already serious overpopulation?

Sergeant’s Dog Seized from Denver, a City With BDL
Heidi Tufto, animal advocate and Staff Sergeant in the United States Army for eleven years, knows this story all too well. Her American pit bull terrier, Lumpy, was taken from her. As so many soldiers are, Heidi was transferred and moved to Denver. Little did she know that one of her three dogs was not welcome in the city.

After living in Denver for only three days, Lumpy was seized from Riverfront Park, where Heidi was walking him, and taken to the local animal shelter and held. A witness, an elderly immigrant from Germany, said it was like the Gestapo with two men dragging Lumpy into their van and allowing her other dogs to get loose to roam the streets, while Heidi was held at gun-point.

Eventually after paying steep fines, appearing in court, and going through a painful experience, she was able to get a friend who lived outside the city to save Lumpy. The dog then stayed with Heidi’s mom until her lease ended so that she could leave Denver and be reunited with her Certified Therapy Dog, Lumpy.

All Heidi kept thinking through the entire painful ordeal was that she was serving her country, having been deployed to Iraq, Kuwait, Asia, Turkey, and Israel - yet this was how they repaid her. Heidi continues to fight Breed Discriminatory Legislation (BDL), and when she retires from the Army, will volunteer at a low-cost/free spay/neuter programs for pets.

Leaving Military Families Distraught
Lynn Lynde, a volunteer with Pit Bull Rescue Central, is very familiar with the ban on military bases, as her husband is a sixteen year, highly decorated war veteran, currently serving in the U.S. Army. They are the proud owners of three American pit bull terriers. Soldiers contact Lynn daily, appalled that they cannot bring along their best friend, sometimes the only thing they have left. She also knows of soldiers who are getting out of the military, due to the ruling. “They are completely mortified that their country wants to repay them for their sacrifices by killing their dogs.”

She also points out the already high incidents of divorce rates in military families as well as the epidemic of soldier suicides. In many cases, their dog is their only remaining companion. Think of the children. These are kids who have a parent or both parents in harm’s way on a daily basis, have to move to a new town, go to a new school and make new friends every few years and the one constant has been the family dog. Now someone tells the child that the dog can not move with them because it is deemed “dangerous.”

Many of the dogs who are traditional assistance dogs, aiding those with physical handicaps when soldiers return from war, are American pit bull terriers. In fact, the Canines for Combat Wounded organization specializes in placing pit bull therapy dogs with returning soldiers suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. So how is it that we can use these dogs for therapy and healing for the soldiers, but not even allow one as a pet?

Lynn added, “Soldiers go to war not only to protect the United States, but also to free people from oppression throughout the world. They encounter people gravely suffering due to discrimination based on race, creed, or religion, and yet their own leaders have condemned their best friends on the same short sighted and erroneous belief system.”

Lynn and her husband have decided that, although unlikely, if he were to ever be transferred to a base with a breed discriminatory policy, she would stay behind with their dogs. To them, it’s the only choice. Lynde states, "He has sworn to protect this country and I have sworn to protect our family. Our dogs are our family and I would move to the ends of the earth to protect them so that he can stay focused while defending our nation."

When speaking of her husband’s six deployments, she notes how her pit bulls have centered her. “Sure, other dogs can provide companionship, but pit bulls are so loyal and so goofy that they never allow me to sulk and get depressed. Throughout my husband’s deployments I have felt fear, anxiety, and insurmountable sorrow at the loss of many of our friends, but because of my pit bull companions, I have not once felt lonely.”

Holding Owners Responsible Would be More Effective
Just as there are responsible dog owners and reckless ones everywhere, military bases are no exception. Sadly, there are those who will dump their dog at times of deployment and others who are breeding uncontrollably. Enforcing spay/neuter laws and mandatory micro-chipping are two ways that can help prevent the problem. Officials and veterinarians at Fort Bragg noted that there was at one time mandatory spay/neuter laws, as well as laws against breeding on military bases, but apparently these laws were never enforced.

Holding owners responsible would be much more effective than incorporating breed discrimination, which has never been proven to be effective anywhere.

Government Stamp of Approval?
If you think just because you don’t live on a military base, that this does not affect you, think again. This can easily be interpreted as the federal government putting their stamp of approval that some breeds are dangerous dogs. Cities surrounding these bases may start to pass BDL based on this idea. Once one city passes it, the city next to it might do the same, and so on. BDL has affected many cities and even entire states throughout the United States. The ramifications are horrendous, and now it is affecting the men and women who are protecting us.

The Cause is Unclear
Where did it come from? How did it all start? Was it the government? Speculation leans towards the privatized housing that provides most military base housing. Could it be that the companies who provide the housing is the one causing the whole problem? Is it possible that they associate certain breeds of dogs with irresponsible owners such as the media portrays?

Bill Mulvey, Vice President of Communications at Picerne Military Housing, gave assurances that they are pet-friendly. He also said that Picerne suggested to the Pentagon that they propose a policy that is uniform on every base, since some enforced breed bans on certain dogs while others did not. Sadly, it looks as though that blanket ban is the route they took.

BSL is Not Effective
Municipalities such as Baltimore, Maryland have deemed BDL as ineffective at lowering risks of dog bites or attacks. A total of over $750,000 was spent in Baltimore in 2001 to enforce the legislation, only to find out that it is not even effective. That money could be spent on more positive ways of enforcing stricter rules against irresponsible dog owners or to offer free or low cost spay/neuter programs. Other things that can be done are to allow permanently anchored fencing, enforce laws against breeding on military bases, and mandatory micro-chipping.

Even studies of pre and post breed bans in the United Kingdom and Spain have concluded that prohibiting “pit bulls” did not reduce the number of dog bites occurring.

The slogan of the Green Berets, special operations unit in the military, is "De Oppresso Libre" which means "Free the Oppressed" and their mascot is the American pit bull terrier. Another way to think about it; if Theodore Roosevelt and General Patton were alive today, they would not be allowed to have their dogs on a military base.

Lynde says, "My biggest complaint about being a military wife, who owns pit bulls, is that when my husband calls from overseas, he often asks about them before he asks about me." She adds, “It sickens me that while he should be worried about IEDs; instead he's worried that some official in the U.S. is going to ban his dogs."

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
► Write a letter to President Barack and Michelle Obama, as well as Army officials. You may contact the President and the First Lady here or send an e-mail to comments@whitehouse.gov and put the appropriate name in the subject line. To comment to the Army, contact Ms. Joyce VanSlyke at joyce.vanslyke@us.army.mil.

Please keep your contact polite, professional and educational. Encourage other alternatives such as:

• Consider mandatory micro-chipping. Fine those who abandon their dogs.
• Encourage a law prohibiting dogs from being alone in a yard without supervision, until permanently anchored fencing is allowed on military based housing.
• Enforce mandatory spay/neuter programs for all pets on military based housing.
• Enact higher fines for those who breed dogs on military bases.
• You can also join the Stop Breed Specific Legislation community on the Best Friends Network.
• Teach the community, particularly children, about responsible dog ownership and care. Offer humane educators to speak.

For more information:
• Memorandum on Pet Policy for Privatized Housing Under the Army’s Residential Communities Initiative

Photo credit: provided courtesy of Lynn Lynde

Positively Pit Bull

When I adopted my first pit bull, Scooby, I received all sorts of training advice, some solicited and some not. Among the advice I was given by 'experts' was "you need to alpha roll her to show her who's boss!" and "put a choke collar on that dog!" and my favorite, "you need to have Schutzhund control of that pit bull!" That last comment was blurted out to us by an instructor in our first agility class, where Scooby had trouble focusing because of her reactivity to certain dogs. I left that last class in tears and went home and looked up Schutzhund because I had no idea what the instructor was talking about. I didn't know much about training methods yet, but the idea of sitting on my dog or choking her didn't sit well with me, and I knew there had to be some other ways I could train my dog. I was a new dog owner with an adolescent pit bull who was high energy, highly prey-driven, intermittently reactive to other dogs, and stormphobic to boot. Not exactly the best mix for a first time dog owner. Sure, I lived with dogs throughout my childhood; a German Shephered that reportedly taught me to walk, and later, a Shih Tzu. I don't remember the Shepherd as I was too small. And what little responsiblity I had as a child growing up with a Shih-Tzu certainly didn't prepare me for the 40 lb, muscular, intelligent and strong willed female pit bull I had selected for my first dog ownership experience.

Scooby and I later enrolled in a local obedience class and the trainers there used treats and praise as rewards, and I felt like my dog and I were learning and having a good time. It felt GOOD and it confirmed what I knew in my heart: I don't have to use force or intimidation to control my dog's behavior and I don't have to hurt my dog when teaching a new skill!

Now, a little background may help explain why I was so pleasantly surprised to find out about the use of rewards in dog training. For many years, I worked with people with developmental disabilities, specifically with youth and adults who engaged in self-injurious and aggressive behavior. I worked in clinic settings where functional behavioral analyses were conducted to determine the motive or gain for a behavior so that a treatment plan could be specifically designed to change it. The treatment plans were based directly on the analysis, and the result was that the patient learned new behaviors and new ways to communicate that were not harmful to himself or others, but that also earned him the desired reinforcement. In both my clinic work and later in schools, where I taught children with emotional and behavior disorders, I found repeatedly that consistent application of positive reinforcement does work and can result in changes in behavior! And, in addition, the use of positive reinforcement not only helps when teaching new skills, but it also helps build relationships.

Building Relationships... (Todd Adamson photo credit)

People who truly love their dogs, and who love to train, know that training your dog isn't just about learning a new trick...it's about building a relationship with your dog. Creating new ways to communicate. Working new muscles, firing the neurons, and opening a dialogue between human and canine. When you use positive reinforcement methods to train, I believe it encourages you to think about your dog - what makes him happy? what does he like? what is motivating to him today? It forces you to think about your dog in a way that other methods don't. The positive trainer is proactive. On the other end of the spectrum, when you use aversives, in my opinion, your training is reactive based. The aversive trainer is trying to stop behavior that he/she finds undesirable. And the mindset is to correct, not to prevent, not to teach. Aside from being damaging to the dog physically and emotionally, this type of training - to me - reflects a real lack of creativity and flexibility.

Let's give an example of something I observed recently. A handler was walking a dog and the dog began to bark in an unpleasant manner as another dog walked by. The handler - a reactive one who has clearly been schooled in using punishment - immediately began popping and jerking the dog's collar and hissing like a snake in the manner of a well known TV celebrity. The dog continued to bark. The handler continued to pop and hiss. This cycle was repeated; it was as if the reactive handler was stuck and could not think of another option to try, so the handler kept repeating a method that clearly wasn't working. A positive trainer - and a really good one - is proactive. He/she is thinking ahead: there's another dog, er, another training opportunity. The proactive trainer thinks of possible scenarios....'the dog I am handling may bark at that passing dog, what can I do to prevent this behavior?' He/she may turn the dog around, work on some attention, ask for a sit, play a hand touch game, play a find the treat on the ground game. Many, many possibilities - and none of them result in hurting the dog, and they all engage the dog in a task that is rewarding or building a skill that is desirable.

Training doesn't have to mean spending lots of money or going to a class. As a dog owner, you have access to all the fun things your dog wants and needs: food, water, treats, toys, walks, play time, grooming, snuggling, etc. All of these things - and more - can be rewards that your dog earns for simple obedience in your daily activities.

Over the years, I have taught my dogs many things using positive reinforcement. I'm sure, they have taught me much more. I encourage dog owners to train, whether it be in class, at home, on the sidewalk, in the park, wherever you choose. The skills you teach and the activities you do with your dog are up to you, and frankly, are secondary to the real objective: the quality time spent with your dog. Smile at your dog, praise your dog, treat your dog, walk your dog, love your dog and have fun together learning something new. ~Andrea Kilkenny

PBRC 2008 Happy Endings Calendar - Deadline is near!

Hello Friends!

Have you ever envisioned your rescued Pit bull as a pin-up? Does
your pup have good looks, charm, a great story, or really cute
costumes? If yes, then you have 3 more weeks to make your doggy's
dreams come true!

We are currently accepting submissions for PBRC's 2008 Happy Endings
Calendar. Those of you who have purchased the calendar know that it
is full of accurate breed information, heart-warming dog stories, and
12 months of GREAT color pictures of rescued Pit bulls.

We are accepting pictures from now through July 1, 2007.

All the information you need regarding type of photo, submission,
cost, etc. can be found here:
http://www.pbrc.net/shop/photosubmit.html