Need Pit Bull Love On-the-Go? Bring Home Your Own Plush Therpit from CharlieDog

Ever need a little pit bull pick-me-up but don’t have a pit bull handy?

Now you can have your very own huggable therapist you can take anywhere! http://www.charliedogandfriends.com/

Murphy is an 8-year-old pit bull that was adopted through PBRC from Seattle Animal Shelter in Seattle, Washington. He was certified for pet assisted therapy when he was just 18 months old and has been bringing love and kisses to needy patients and students ever since.

Murphy has so much love to give that he never tires of his job, but there is just so much of him to go around and too little time to give everyone the therapy that they need.

Murphy and I were honored when CharlieDog and Friends asked permission to use Murphy as the model for their first Thera-pit in their new line of soft toys. Now Murphy’s special form of therapy is available to anyone, anytime!

CharlieDog and Friends is built on a business model of giving. Your purchase of a Murphy CharlieDog toy will not only bring you the therapy you are craving, but $5 of each purchase is donated to Pit Bull Rescue Central to help many other homeless pit bulls find loving forever homes. Plus for each Murphy toy that is sold, CharlieDog and Friends will donate a Murphy toy to a child in a hospital that needs their own special friend to cuddle with during a very scary time.

-- Amanda C., PBRC Volunteer, and Murphy, Rescued Therapit

Pit Bull Rescue Central Receives ASPCA Grant to Help More Dogs

Here at PBRC, we've always been fans of the work the ASPCA does to promote a positive image for pit bulls and help them find loving homes. In addition to their high-profile work saving pit bulls from abuse, they also provide great information and expose the truth about important issues like breed specific legislation and media bias.

So, we were especially excited to learn than an anonymous ASPCA employee chose PBRC as the recipient of an ASPCA Staffers' Choice Grant. The ASPCA Staffers' Choice Grant was established last year as a way for ASPCA employees who are being recognized for their achievements to give back to the rescue community. Thank you, Anonymous!

Earlier this summer, PBRC was awarded the $500 grant. What does $500 mean to PBRC? It means we can help even more pit bulls in need.

In the month of June, the grant helped five pit bulls get spayed or neutered as part of our Spay/Neuter Fund, which provides financial assistance to owners and rescuers doing their part to fight overpopulation.

PBRC also provides financial aid to owners and rescuers facing veterinary hardships. Last month, the ASPCA grant helped the PBRC Medical Fund contribute toward a cart for a New Jersey dog in need, providing the family that loves her a way to keep giving her a good life.

The work being done every day by the volunteers of PBRC to make the world a better place for pit bulls couldn't happen without the support of people like the ASPCA employees who care about the future of these dogs.

To learn more about the ASPCA: http://www.aspca.org/
To learn more about PBRC: http://www.pbrc.net/

Like a Boss!

This is the first in a series of posts we'll be doing highlighting the dogs whose images appear on PBRC's Visa Platinum Rewards cards. To apply for a card, visit this link. A percent of all your purchases will be donated back to PBRC!

Like a Boss!

By Ami Ciontos

So he wasn’t an old dog when I adopted him in 2002, but my boy Boss has aged gracefully. I’ll admit he was quite the handful in his younger days. He destroyed no less than seven crates, a handful of rugs (while in his crate!), a few sets of drapes and the occasional bed spread. Not to mention the times he thought he was being attacked by the automatic sprinkler systems at some local businesses and had to defend himself. Each time he managed to pull at least three to four feet of piping out of the ground before I could stop him.

Due to his high energy level, we had to find an energy outlet for Boss. We ultimately discovered his intense love for bubbles, which he will jump for and chase. Boss also loves to play with traffic cones. He bumps them, drags them around the yard and, at one time, would even climb a tree to get to a traffic cone dangling from a branch by a rope. Now that he’s in the winter of his years, he isn’t able to climb as well, so my husband will hold him up so he can get to his cone. Once he’s up there he will pull on it and tug until he is tired.

Though he’s 12 years old, my boy still has some spunk! He loves to go for walks and still chases squirrels. Most of his days are spent lounging on his favorite bed in the hallway. He is a gracious host and welcomes all of our visitors with a friendly nudge to let them know they should pet him. He used to meet visitors with a toy in his mouth ready to play, but now he’s content for a pat on the head and a few belly rubs. Boss is a sweet, loving boy who has taught me so much about pit bulls. Though he was not an easy dog in his younger years, I would not have had it any other way. He is now a Senior Pitizen, and the older he gets, the sweeter he gets. If I had known how sweet, appreciative and low maintenance senior dogs can be, I might have adopted an older dog a long time ago!

When it comes to adopting a dog, many people automatically think of adopting a puppy. Though puppies are cute and sweet and they get a lot of attention, they also require patience and energy to help them become wonderful family members and companions. The advantage of adopting an older dog is that they can be just as cute and lovable as a puppy, and they already have their personality and training. Most are already housebroken and have overcome the phase where chewing on inappropriate objects is irresistible. There is no guessing what your dog will become, as what you see is what you get when you adopt an older dog!

You may not want to adopt a senior dog because you fear that your time with your new best friend will be too short and too painful when the dog passes. However; the privilege of bonding with and loving a senior dog makes every day special! The knowledge that you have given an older dog a second chance at life will help create a strong and deep bond, and the love that grows from this knowledge is stronger than the pain of eventual separation.

Reasons to Adopt a Senior Pitizen

• Senior pitizens are generally low maintenance. They love to sleep and cuddle the day away. They enjoy a brisk daily walk, but the best part of the day is their nap, and they love for you to join them at nap time!
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• Senior pitizens have already learned many of life's lessons. They know, for example, that shoes are for walking and bones are for chewing. They also know that outside is for doing business and indoors is for relaxing! Your carpet will last longer with a senior pitizen compared with a puppy!
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• Senior pitizens can learn new tricks and be valuable family and community members. Because they have mellowed, they can focus on you and learn more quickly than a puppy.
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•  Senior pitizens leave you time for yourself because they don’t require the same kind of time and attention that puppies and young dogs do.

If you are looking into adopting a dog, consider a senior pitizen! Not only will you be saving a dog, you will gain a dedicated companion!

Keep your dogs safe this boating season!

People in Chicago who were following the story of Tank recently breathed a sigh of relief when this 5-year-old Pomeranian—lost after falling off his owners’ boat into the Chicago River—was found alive and playing with other dogs on the city’s northwest side. Although this story’s happy outcome is worth celebrating, it could have just as easily turned tragic, and it underscores an essential dog-safety issue in the summer season: boat safety for dogs.

Tank’s survival is partially credited to the fact that his owners had the common sense to put a life vest on him before taking their boat on its river route. Although many dogs can swim, they are just as prone as humans to panic in a high current or to become tired before reaching shore.

But even with the life vest that allowed Tank to safely reach shore, his owners are still very lucky to have found him, as they had taken off his identification tags to put on the life vest. Dogs outside of the home should always wear identification tags. If a collar cannot be comfortably worn with a life vest, it is advisable to find some other way to attach identification to the animal, for example, by attaching a waterproof carabiner holding the ID tags to the life vest.

Read this article for additional information on keeping dogs safe on the water. Here’s to a safe boating season!

Maryland court ruling update

There’s some hope on the horizon for those who are concerned about the impact a recent court ruling declaring all pit bulls inherently dangerous could have on Maryland landlords and pit bull owners.

Maryland lawmakers have announced their intention to create a 10-member task force to study the court decision and make recommendations to the General Assembly on potential legislation to address the ruling.

Also, the Baltimore Sun has reported that an attorney representing the Towson landlord named in the Tracey v. Solesky case, which spurred the court ruling, has filed a motion forreconsideration, asking the court to re-examine the evidence that led to the decision. 

"Untold numbers of dog owners in Maryland are now being told to abandon their pets or leave their homes," the motion says. "They have been given no hearing, no notice, no opportunity to participate in a democratic forum ... The separation of powers exists for a reason."

The Washington Post recently ran a story on some Maryland advocates’ efforts to raise awareness about the fact that their pit bulls are part of their families and make great pets. Maryland advocacy group B-More Dog’s Pit Bulls on Parade, which takes place monthly in Baltimore, was the centerpiece of the story. 

How can the Maryland court ruling on pit bulls be changed?

Ever since the Maryland Court of Appeals issued its controversial ruling declaring pit bulls inherently dangerous, we’ve heard a lot of questions from people about what they can do to help reverse or change the court’s decision. Here’s some information we obtained from a Maryland resident familiar with the legislative and judiciary process that you might find informative as you try to figure out how to respond.

The Maryland Court of Appeals is the highest court in Maryland. In order to take this decision to the next level, which would be the U.S. Supreme Court, one of the parties involved must file what’s called a Petition for Writ of Certiorari (cert petition), which is a request for the Supreme Court to hear an appeal from a lower court. The Supreme Court will decide whether to grant the cert based on their findings of how the lower court’s decision affects the parties’ federal constitutional rights.

The parties involved have a limited period of time to file a cert petition. In this case the likely person would be the defendant’s lawyer.  It doesn’t matter if the defendant herself wants to do this or not.  The lawyer is a party to the appeals court decision and can file. Supreme Court cert petitions are often well-orchestrated endeavors by many individuals or groups that have a stake in overturning the appellate court’s decision.

Alternately, a special “motion for reconsideration” can also be filed to request that the court review the facts of the case again. The motion to reconsider places before the chamber a question that has been previously decided. There is a group currently working on filing the motion for reconsideration.

Another way to change the common law is by statute, or the introduction of a bill through the legislature (Maryland General Assembly).

The Maryland legislature has the ability to change Maryland common law. This is done through the political process by lobbying your legislative representative.  Because it’s a political process you have to sell it to your representative and persuade them why it’s the wrong decision, not just for their constituents but for all Maryland residents as well as many Maryland businesses (insurance companies, dog training facilities, veterinarians, dog walkers, etc.)

If you can get your representative to introduce a bill, then the process can begin to enact new legislation that effectively nullifies this new common law. And, of course, that’s where all of us come in, by being able to participate in this process (unlike the judicial process, which cannot by changed by lobbying).

The Humane Society of the United States is making it easier for Maryland residents to contact their representatives. They have a simple how-to form on their website explaining how to contact your representatives and what you can say to them here.

For specific talking points in regards to Tracey v. Solesky the best place to start is by reading the dissenting opinion written by Justice Clayton Greene Jr., which gives a point-by-point detailing of the problems with the majority opinion.

Help PBRC while you shop!

If you love Pit Bull Rescue Central, you can support us while you shop! The Pit Bull Rescue Central Visa Platinum Rewards Card is available now, and you can apply for yours at this link. For every approved card that’s used within 90 days of activation, the bank donates $50 to PBRC. After that, a percentage from each purchase will be donated to PBRC. Better yet, every time you hand over your card to a cashier, you’re providing good breed PR because you get to customize your card with one of five adorable, pit-positive images. For more details on the card, click here.