hi my name is tino sanchez from las vegas. i have had apbt's in my life for over 20 yrs now, and have a similar story to you. i did some breeding and it wasn't till my last pack that i really became aware of whats going on in the shelters. for the last couple of yrs i kept saying i wanted to start a rescue but let excuses get in the way. after i saw the "just one dog video" that was it i said i'm goin to the pound and saving a dog like they did for stanley on christmas. so with the new year came peace love and pitbulls.org and it's first rescue "bailey." it almost started and stopped with bailey cause she fell in line so well with my pack that i almost kept her, and everyone around thought i had added the 5th member to my pack. as hard as it was i new i couldn't keep her because of my limited space and 4 pit bulls already. but more importantly  to keep saving at least one as often as i can.what PLP does is bring one in and let them live with me and my pack, and with the help of my pack i train em so when they go to a home they are as good as mine, and my pack are pretty damn good (i don't mean to toot my own horn but, BEEP BEEP!  i'm very proud of my pack)2 of them buster and shorty are both therapy dogs. boo boo and rockie arent therapy cause they're a little shy but all four are so well behaved, that any time i bring a dog they do what they do and the new-be always falls in line.any way  i just wanted to say thank you for what your doing

Hiro came into our program a spindly legged, adorable pup.  His first foster home fell hard and fast for this brindle boy, he showed them that he was a smart, loving, calm puppy.  In his second foster home, he proved again that he was capable of living perfectly with other dogs.  He's been fostered with a small kid and shown his drive to be a wonderful family pet.  

Hiro, a pit bull mix, has a coat of gorgeous rust red brindle and eyes that would melt your heart.  He's neutered, trained and dog social....plus great with kids.  You can imagine he'd be snatched up right away with applications coming in and people lining up to adopt him.  But, 6 months after coming into our program, at about 9 months old, Hiro still waits.  

WHY?  Why has he been passed over?  Who knows.  It could be that Hiro is turned down because he's more "mutty" than some dogs.  It could be his colour....brindle dogs are like black dogs: some of the last to be adopted.  It could be because he's been on the site for so long that people assume that there MUST be a reason why he's not adopted.  As Hiro's first foster mom and perhaps his biggest fan, I can tell you that Hiro is quite honestly, the perfect dog.  He deserves a home more than most...he's paid his dues and stuck it out.  He's done nothing wrong.  He just needs his own home.  

If you are looking for a dog or know someone who is, consider applying for Hiro.  You'll be very happy you did.  

What can I not say about this dog? Casha is by far the easiest foster we've had to date....she walked in like she'd always been here and is just the most eager to please dog who is steady and chill.

She's the ready made pet...house trained, knows basics and more, not jumpy, respectful of the house, loves her crate but not destructive if she's left out. She learns new tricks within minutes, loves my 6 year old son and is very tolerant of him and respects his space (as he is with hers).

Casha is totally stellar and tolerant of other dogs if you handle intros properly and guide her...we've seen no aggression towards other dogs here and she now is better behaved around them than they are, and greets them with face licks and tail wags. She completely ignored the Boston who fully snarked at her for no good reason, she just stood there and wagged her tail.

Casha can get quite excited during play and but again, just needs guidance to show her what is appropriate or not, and she's more than happy to take direction.

She's not liking the heat but likes the wading pool and is smart enough to lie in front of the fan to cool off (unlike my dogs who sleep in the full sun). She's on Recovery SA for her joints to help with the wear and tear of only having 3. She does get around quite well on 3 legs and it is neat to watch her dream, because her stump moves as she runs on 4 legs in her sleep!

I truly feel like knowing Casha makes me a better person, she's got something special that I can't put my finger on, but now I know why everyone who met her has loved her. The staff at the Vic SPCA did so good with her...she's healthy, happy and wonderfully trained.

Here is the handsome smartie pants boy himself, Leonard. He's the latest Respect-A-Bull to become an official Canine Good Neighbour, which means he is now exempt from the muzzle by-laws (BSL) in the city of Nanaimo, which are targeted specifically towards pit bulls or mixes thereof. Way to go, Lenny!! ♥

A huge thank you to Alberni Veterinary Clinic!  For the month of May, they are running a fundraiser to help raise both money and awareness for us!  Thanks to the whole staff for spreading the word and helping us out! 

To learn more about Alberni Veterinary Clinic, please visit their website!

I wonder what Cathy Stanley thought the day that she found that run down white pit bull covered in mange at a Californian shelter.  I wonder if she knew what she was getting into by deciding to pull him that day, hours before he would be put to sleep.  I wonder if she imagined him, months later, eyes healed, mange improving, weight put on, happy, running around a backyard in British Columbia, Canada?  I wonder if she had any idea that his story would touch the hearts of THOUSANDS of people around the world.  I wonder if she realized that Stanley would become the poster boy for shelter dogs?  That he would inspire many people to adopt dogs just like him? 

I don't think her vision was quite that broad.  I think that Cathy did what she did based out of the desire to help just one dog, regardless of the attention or spotlight it would bring.  I think that she pulled that sick dog that day because it was the RIGHT thing to do.  I think that she did it because she believed in him, she believed that people would come together to help, that the worth of a dog isn't in his pedigree or the shine of his coat.  She believed that sometimes, dogs like Stanley are diamonds in the rough.   

Whatever the reason, she made a huge impact the day that she sprung that poor boy from the shelter.  What was about to happen was enormous.  So many people from all over the world worked together, donating and praying, to help Stanley.  On Christmas 2009, people all around the world sat at their computer, crying for this broken soul.  Many of those people, unable to donate, went to their local shelter and adopted a dog because of Stanley's story.  Those who couldn't adopt sent us stories about the shelter dogs they'd walked in Stanley's honour or the blankets that they'd donated to their local SPCA.  Whatever they did to help, however small or great, Stanley inspired them and their actions had an impact. 

While all of this was happening, Stanley was healing.  He's recovering from his mange, he had surgery for his eyes and he's gaining weight.  There was never any doubt that his body would heal.  But, after his rough start, being a stray, with his unknown past, what would his spirit be like?  How would that heal?   

Within days at his first foster home, everyone realized that wouldn't be an issue.  Stanley's spirit was going to be ok.  He lived each day like a happy puppy trapped in a giant pit bull body.  He snuggled with other dogs, ran around the yard, licked faces and wagged his tail hard and sure.  His physical body was carrying the evidence of his past, telling the story of it in his mange and eye infections, but his mind wasn't listening.  "This too shall pass" Stanley seemed to say. 

Stanley went to another foster home and continued to learn about life as a LOVED dog.  A FAMILY dog.  He hit it off with his foster brother and worked his way into his foster mom's heart.  Life went on as normal.  And then, a few days ago, an application came in for Stanley.  Now, as a rescue group we know that our fosters often fall hard for their foster dogs.  While we need all of the foster homes we can get, we aren't about to take a dog away from a family who wants to keep it forever.  So, when Stanley's application came in, we had to let his foster mom know that the time had come to make a choice. 

Well, I'm happy to report that Stanley is officially (pending the signing of the paperwork) adopted!  Of course, it was as we expected, his foster family can't bear to separate Stanley from Taylor or themselves.  We at Respect-A-Bull couldn't be happier.     Thanks to everyone who helped, especially Cathy, the woman from a Cocker Spaniel rescue who took a chance on a big Pit Bull.  Thanks to everyone who helped in everyway imaginable.  The improbable became probable and Stanley went from death row to Canadian superstar.  And now, Stanley is HOME. 

The Nanaimo Kennel Club has released a date for CGN testing!  It will take place on June 19th, 2010 at the NKC show in the Centennial Building in Beban Park.

For those of you in the Nanaimo area, you'll know that Pit Bulls are to be leashed and muzzled at all times in public in the city, HOWEVER, if your dog holds a CGN certificate, you are exempt from those rules. 

We'd love to see as many Respect-A-Bull dogs as possible go through the testing, so if you are interested you can check out the requirements here: http://www.dogtraining.ca/canineGoodNeighbour.php

I can't wait to see some of you there!

When someone isn't familiar with Pit Bulls, its very easy for them to fear them.  With Pit Bulls it seems to know one is to love one.  If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say "I was scared of Pit Bulls until I met one, and it was the nicest dog", I'd be rich. 

Often, for the general public, its common and easy to adopt the mentality that all Pit Bulls are too strong, too dangerous, and it would be best if we restricted them and phased them out.  Too unstable, too dangerous.  Why?  Where does that come from?  Why do so many people think that they are savage beasts, if they aren't? 

Good question.  I'm always amazed, as a pit bull owner, at the lack of information out there about my chosen breed.  I've had people cross the street to get away from me, pick up their labs in fear of what my goofy Pit Bull pup will do, scream, run, and hide from me and my Pit Bull pack.  Once, when I was picking up my car from the mechanic, the receptionist let me meet her very large, very intimidating Rottweiler.  "He's just a big suck" she said.  "He looks mean, but he wouldn't hurt a fly".  We got talking about dogs, as dog people do.  When she found out I was the owner of 2 Pit Bulls, she got very serious.  "I'd always be worried they would snap" she said.  "They could just do so much damage".

Now, as the owner of this breed, their power is not lost on me.  I know their history, I know their power.  I know that, if they wanted too, they could hurt someone.  But as I looked down at her gigantic dog, I couldn't help but wonder why she ended up with a very uneducated view of a powerful breed like the Pit Bull, when she owned a dog who was capable of the same damage that she was assuming was a Pit Bull trait.  I mean no disrespect when I say that her idea was uneducated and misinformed.  Rottweilers rank alongside German Shepherds as the breed most responsible for bites in Canada and the US.  And yet, she was unaware that her dog was, statistically speaking, more "dangerous" than mine.

So, how does this happen?  Where does this one sided perception against Pit Bulls come from?  I hate to blame the media, but here it goes.  The media knows that Pit Bull attacks sell.  If a Pit Bull looks sideways, you'll see it in a headline.  If a Lab attacks, it doesn't sell.  Nobody fears the Lab.  When a Lab attacks, people think "how unfortunate".  When a Pit Bull attacks, people think  "of course it did".  Commonly, those "pit bulls" you read about are actually not Pit Bulls themselves.  There are over 20 breeds that the media will dub a "pit bull".  This includes labs.  I was once told by an animal welfare worker that they had a 60 pound Lab in the shelter who had mauled a child.  By the time it hit papers, it was reported as an 80 pound Pit Bull. 

Don't believe me?  Sure, many people think that us Pit Bull advocates spin just like the media.  Okay, fair enough.  But here is a perfect example of what I am talking about.  Proof that the public will believe just what the media reports. 

On August 3rd, 2009, a little girl was brutally attacked by her family pet.  This dog, a German Shepherd, ripped away part of her scalp.  The CBC website ran this article on the site, but it never even made top headlines.  The story, a few paragraphs long, gave little detail.  The article generated 59 comments, many of them blaming the owners. 

Five days later, on August 8th, a man was visiting his friend's farm with his 2 Pit Bulls.  He let them run loose where they attacked a llama.  The RCMP were called and one of the dogs was fatally shot.  The story hit CBC's website with force.  It was placed in top headlines and stayed in the "most commented" and "most recommended" pages for days.  Public outcry demanded that a Pit Bull ban be enacted.  Overseeing the reality that these dogs, regardless of breed, should not have been unsupervised around animals they weren't familiar with, people blamed the breed.  285 comments poured in.  While only 29 people recommended the story of the German Shepherd, 73 people thought that the Pit Bull story was worth reading.

When I think about all of the dogs I know owned by my family and friends, of all breeds, I can't think of one of them that I would trust to not chase livestock.  The sight of a cat is enough to spin my border collie cross out of control, I can only imagine what her response to a llama would be.  However, not one of the dogs I have the pleasure of knowing is a dog that I can imagine attacking a person. 

If the response to these CBC articles is any indication, our priorities are out of line when it comes to dog breeds and attacks.  My advice?  Educate yourself, educate others and if you haven't already, get to know a Pit Bull.  I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

*author's note* I have no ill feelings towards any breeds, including German Shepherds and Rottweilers.  To see the CBC news articles in this story, please vist the following links. 

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/08/08/bc-pit-bull-killed.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/08/03/dog-attack-803.html#socialcomments

Ginger has spent her whole life as a yard dog, living in a fenced in run with another dog, Gonzo. They had very little shelter, nothing more than a plastic igloo dog house with no bedding, very little water and food.   These 2 dogs never went for walks, never came into the house, never had any training.  No one took the time.

Ginger was pregnant with Gonzo's pups, and when the time came to have the babies, Ginger did what all dogs do when they are about to have puppies.  She looked for somewhere safe to deliver the pups.  Imagine her stress, her panic, when she knew the only place to birth the pups would be the igloo dog house in the dog run.  To make matters worse, it was winter.  The dog house was sitting on bare dirt, and it was raining.  The dog house was sitting in a puddle of cold water. 

This was the safest place that Ginger could find.  Unable to stop it, she began to deliver the pups in these conditions.  By some miracle, Ginger had only delivered 2 pups and the SPCA arrived on the scene.  They took Ginger and Gonzo to the Victoria SPCA, where Ginger was given medical attention and a safe place to have the rest of the pups.

Sadly, the first 2 pups, born into a cold puddle, did not make it.  However, without the intervention of the SPCA, it is possilbe that all of Ginger's pups would have died that day. 

Ginger's pups, some of the cutest pups I've ever seen, have been spayed and neutered and have started heading out into their wonderful homes.  These homes are well screened...an RCMP officer adopted Sid.  Rourke and Matea went to wonderful family homes.  Pups never have a hard time getting adopted.  Cute, small, cuddly.  Everyone loves puppies. 

With all of the litters we've had, we always see the same thing.  Long after the puppies are gone, the mom waits for her new home.  Ginger is no different.  A loving, sweet dog, Ginger needs a home just like her pups.  She never have to live in a dog run again, she will never be bred again.  But she needs a home where someone can show her the love that she didn't have for the first part of her life.  She's like a big puppy herself, seeing everything for the first time. 

If you think that you have it in your heart to give Ginger a new start in life, please see her under the "adoptable dogs" section of our website. 

If you go back a few years, you wouldn't find me typing a blog post for a pit bull rescue.  I was hardly a dog person.  I was certainly NOT a pit bull person.  I was pretty sure that pit bulls were dangerous dogs, ready to snap at any moment and not safe to have around.  I thought that we'd be better off wiping them off the planet.  Safer to stick with regular dogs like golden retrievers (I was so deluded).

When we started having trouble with our dog, a scrappy 3 year old Boston Terrier, we were in way over our head.  We needed to fix the problem because giving him up was not an possibility but he needed to live in harmony with my 3 year old son.  We enlisted the help of a dog trainer.  We googled about dog problems.  Somewhere in there, we came across some small clips of the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.  We went out and got our hands on every Dog Whisperer episode and burned through them. 

One thing totally caught my eye.  Cesar's right hand "man" was a big, tough looking, red pit bull named Daddy.  He was muscular and strong, with cropped ears and big teeth.  Daddy was the first pit bull that I'd really seen outside of the media hoopla.  But this guy wasn't a snarling, mean, human killer.  He was a big, loveable softy who would rather roll over for tummy rubs than bother attacking anything or anyone.  He was the biggest suck with the sweetest personality.  He was a pit bull, and I was in major love.

Because of him, I started to break down the ideas that I had surrounding pit bulls and what they were like.  I started to notice other pit bulls in Cesar's pack as calm, wonderful dogs as well.  It just snowballed until one beautiful October day when we drove to pick up Daisy, our pit bull cross, from the SPCA.  She instantly became a valuable, loved member of our family. 

Of course, since then we've adopted a red pit bull pup, started a pit bull website, fostered pit bulls and finally become board members for this pit bull rescue.  If you'd talked to me all of those years ago, you'd never have guessed that I'd be sitting here now, typing out this blog post with 3 pit bulls at my feet. 

Today I found out that yesterday, at the ripe old age of 16, Daddy passed away with Cesar and his family at his side.  For me, and for millions of people out there who love Daddy like I do, this loss is as real as if it were my own dog.  Daddy brought me happiness and opened up possibilities that led me here, doing the one thing that I feel I was meant to do. 

You are missed by all who knew you, big guy.  Our deepest condolences go out to the Millan family.  Thank you for sharing him with the world. 

Run free, Daddy.