Introduction...

I have always been an animal lover. Growing up I had dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, fish, turtles, ferrets, mice, rats, birds...I didn't discriminate. I wasn't the kind of kid who brought home stray animals, though. I would learn about an animal, decide I wanted it, and then ask my mom if I could have one. She didn't often say no. Fast forward to today. I'm almost 40, I have two daughters of my own (one of whom is already grown and gone) and I still have quite a few animals. Right now I have two dogs, two cats, and three rabbits. I love them all but my passion is dogs. Specifically pit bull type dogs.

I started volunteering in dog rescue about 10 years ago. An all-breed rescue used to bring dogs and cats to a Petsmart by my house on Sundays and I would go every week to meet the dogs. At this point I had one dog, a black lab named Brutus, and he belonged to my then-boyfriend. I had just moved out of an apartment that didn't allow pets and I was getting my dog fix.

One Sunday, after a couple of months of going to that store for the sole purpose of meeting the rescue dogs the volunteer coordinator approached me. She said "You know, we could use more volunteers, are you interested in being a handler?"

Was I interested?  HELL YES I WAS INTERESTED! Sign me up!

After signing up I could. not. wait (!) for the next Sunday! I told everyone I knew about my new volunteer endeavor. People smiled and said things along the lines of "Great..." and probably mostly tuned me out.

It was on that first Sunday as a volunteer that I met my first pit bull type dog. I grew up with beagles and a shepherd mix. All I knew about pit bull dogs was what I heard on the news. Needless to say, I never heard anything good.

I handled this dog, her name was Scarlett, for two hours before I knew what she was. She and I were wandering around outside. It was a beautiful day and she was happily sniffing in the grass lining the sidewalk. A family came over to meet Scarlett and I got excited! My first dog had people interested in her!!! Since I was still learning the ropes I took the family over to a seasoned volunteer (I later learned it was the president of the organization) who pulled her folder and read them the information inside. The first thing she sad was "Scarlett is a pit bull"...I didn't hear anything else she said. My stomach dropped. I looked at this sweet dog I had been with all afternoon and wondered how she could possibly be a pit bull. By the time I tuned back in to the world around me the family had moved along to meet a dog that wasn't a pit bull.

When I got home after the adoption event I kept thinking about Scarlett. It was then that my research began. I read everything I could find about American Pit Bull Terriers. I learned their history, common traits, stats and statistics. I armed myself with as much knowledge as I could so next time I would be able to defend a pit bull dog for being what she was.

Since then I've learned and experienced much more. I'm a seasoned volunteer and foster mom. My own two dogs are pit bulls, both "foster failures", from two different rescues 9 years apart. Most of my free time is spent at the shelter with the homeless dogs.

Being a pit bull mom is a lot of work. Being a dog mom in itself is a lot of responsibility. Training, vet care, spending quality time, are all a huge commitment. Being a pit bull mom is even harder. Your dogs are scrutinized more closely. They have to be better behaved. You have to be a more diligent owner. You will have to defend your dogs against prejudices in the public, in legislation, and even when trying to buy home owner's insurance.  As far as renting goes?  Good luck. There aren't many pit bull friendly rentals anywhere.

My life is dedicated to my animals; most especially my dogs. Admiral, a tripod who overcame a pretty hellacious upbringing, comes with me to pet friendly events. When other dogs are having fun with their families he is working; meeting people and changing minds.

Things are changing for pit bull dogs. Finally, the stigma is lifting. We aren't at a point where they are free from judgment, but we're getting there. Until we get there, Admiral and I have work to do.