To the editor:

Hello, I have written a response to the anti-Pit Bull blog posted last week. It is too large for the comment section.

On September 9th, 2011, our small family lost an integral member, our beloved dog Cassie.  She was the first dog of a young couple just starting out.  As a result she saw everything we saw, traveled everywhere we went, experienced every heartbreak we experienced, and rejoiced with us during the good times. 

Cassie was an accomplished obedience dog - capturing multiple titles and even being ranked nationally.  She was a dream in the ring: smart, driven, and most of all devoted.  When we decided to start fostering homeless dogs, she was always at the ready.  She cuddled with puppies, corrected their wrongs, and put up with way more than she should have!  Cassie was also the best dog with the shy or abused foster dogs.  She had a way of calming them down and showing them the ways of the house.  She taught all 200 rescue dogs that passed through our doors that cats are not for chasing and put up with over zealous kittens treating her tail like their own toy.  When our daughter was born in May of 2011 Cassie got up with me for every 3 am feeding and assumed her position at the foot of Kimmy's crib.  The hole her death has left is immense.  Cassie was an American Saffordshire Terrier, a Pit Bull.  She was so much more than her breed - she was an amazing dog!

In nearly ten years of rescue, we have fostered more breeds than we can count and can remember all of their stories.  Savannah, Floyd, Hershey, Receses, Mikey, Ginger, and so many more were pit bulls.  These dogs coexisted in our "pack" that varied from 4-12 dogs depending on the day.  They lived with our 6 cats.  These dogs took their orders from an 8 pound dachshund with a Napoleon complex.  He exuded confidence and gained every dog's respect.  I have never had a dog kill another dog, my cats are all alive with all limbs attached and my daughter is a happy, crawling 8 month old who loved to play with dog collars.  I tell you all this to prove a point.  Just because a dog is bred to be a certain way there is no guarantee,  just ask an owner of a lab that won't retrieve!  While I am not naive enough to realize that all pitties, or am staffs are as wonderful as the dogs that I have housed, cared for, trained and loved over the past ten years - they are all also not killers from birth as some would want us to believe.  All dogs need structure, guidance, and a job.  The breed of the dog does not play into that at all.  The most aggressive dog we were ever faced with was a ten pound papillion.  He now works as a service dog doing farm inspections.  He needed work and structure.  

I worry about the sweeping generalizations that this blog reports.  All dogs can be aggressive, all dogs can bite and all dogs can kill.  That does not mean they all will.  Any one that has ever been in the company of a pittie recognizes that they are one of the most expressive breeds.  They love with all of their heart. One of the main reasons they are so good at guarding drug houses and fighting is their extreme devotion to their owners.  They are easily trainable and want to do what they are directed to whatever that may be.  That character "flaw" is why unsavory people choose this breed.  As a rescuer, trainer, and dog lover that is also why I love the breed.  In the obedience ring, Cassie and I, were able to alter some preconceived notions.  People viewed her as an excellent obedience dog and did not pass judgment based on her breed.

My family is currently fostering, Conrad, a pit bull from Prairie's Edge Humane Society.  He is peacefully coexisting with 3 humans, 4 dogs, and 6 cats.  He is a dog that has been passed over by countless families and has resided at the shelter since October.  Conrad is easily trainable and already has a full book of tricks up his sleeve.  He loves to run with my husband and the other dogs.  If you ever see my husband, Matt, out running with the dogs or me out walking them please stop and see what a great dog Conrad is and in a your own small way start altering perceptions.  

I know that changing stereotypes and how this breed is viewed is a big challenge.  We try to do our part by making sure that every dog we place in an adoptive home is the best dog he can be. We place with owners that are willing to continue to work we started and are prepared for the looks that come with owning this breed.  My daughter, Kimmy, is going to grow up in a home that appreciates a dog because of his heart and not his breed.  She will be brought up to know that training is an integral part of dog ownership and most of all she will be taught to respect every breed for what it brings to the table.  I ask you all to do the same for your children and most of all provide your dog with structure, guidance and a job.

Jenny Kelly 
Halle's Friends 
PEHS board member