would be purrfect for me, love the kitty’s. Downton Abbey one of my...10 Ways to Be a Powerful Pit Bull Ambassador
Every pit bull on the street who’s greeted with a smile instead of a flinch marks progress. When pits are adopted into new homes, or legislation is passed in their favor, lives are saved. Here are tips on helping your community say no to stereotypes and yes to action.
1. Say It Ain’t So
You know all the myths – pit bulls are vicious, trained to fight, dangerous around children… Need help setting the record straight? Bad Rap, an organization devoted to improving the breed’s reputation, provides excellent in-depth responses to these major myths and more on their website: http://www.badrap.org/monster-myths.
2. Tell, and Show
Since pits are often misunderstood as unsafe to have in the home, use visuals to promote pits as the wonderful family companions they are. Start by sharing Bad Rap’s slideshow of vintage photos — one powerful image after another displaying a history of families with their beloved pit bull pets.
3. On Their Best Behavior
Well-trained, well-socialized dogs make the best pit bull ambassadors, as they show even the most skeptical adopters how well-behaved the breed can be! Learn valuable training skills from this Canine Communications webinar series presented by ASPCA behavior experts Trish McMillan Loehr and Heather Mohan-Gibbons.
4. Network, Network, Network!
Want to give your pits an extra push? Take a page from one agency’s book — they created a Facebook page just for their bully breeds: Pit Bull Ambassadors of Hillsborough County Animal Services.
The photo and caption below are an example of successful storytelling that educates. The image is oh so sweet, the story is engaging, and HCAS emphasizes the positive relationship that pits can have with other dogs.
“This pair is something else… they didn’t come in together, and are in no way related, but to watch the two of them together is like watching Forrest and Jenny, Peas and Carrots, Lucy and Desi, and all those other famous couples or things that go together like one.” -HCAS.
5. Seize the Day—
National Pit Bull Awareness Day that is, coming up on October 27. A few ideas on building a bully buzz:
- Offer adoption discounts on pits
- Hold a pit bull-related event and register it here: http://www.nationalpitbullawarenessday.org/
- Visit classrooms and spread awareness to kids
Whatever you plan, don’t forget to alert the media!
6. Put On Your Creative Marketing Hat
Nothing is too out-of-the-box when trying to capture the public’s attention. For inspiration, take a look at the pit bull promotions we gathered here on Shelters’ Edge.
Pick-a-PITunia campaign from Seattle Humane Society -- Never underestimate the power of a pun.
7. Get Them in Therapy
What better way to promote the breed’s lovebug potential than certifying them as therapy dogs? Staff or volunteers can show off your pits’ TLC skills in places like schools, hospitals and nursing homes. Learn how to qualify for animal assisted therapy here.
8. Enlist Your Lobbyists
Have you rallied supporters who want to end breed-specific legislation in all forms? Awesome – next step is to give them specific action to take. Check StopBSL.org to find out if legislation is pending in your state. The good news – a number of states have already prohibited BSL!
9. Hold an Event in Their Honor
Invite your community to say “we love bullies” loud and proud by putting on an awareness event. It can be an adoption event, a fundraiser – anything goes, as long as your pits are the stars of the show!
Hillsborough County Animal Services and local bikers join forces to barbecue on behalf of the bullies.
10. Grab Your Virtual Megaphone
2-4-6-8, get online and educate! Here are some great resources devoted to improving the pit’s rep and spreading the word:
- http://www.badrap.org/
- http://www.blessthebullys.com/
- http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pit_bulls.cfm
- http://stopbsl.org/
P.S. #11 – Want to get the ball rolling on promoting your pits? Share this blog post!
Do you have pit bull ambassadors at your agency? Let us know what they’re up to in the comment box.
Related Links:
10 Pit Bull Campaigns
Pit Bull Cruelty on ASPCApro.org
“Barriers and pit (bull) falls”
Canine Communications Webinar Series
Tags: Adoption Marketing, Adoption Programs, Heather Mohan-Gibbons, Pit Bulls, Saving Lives, Tips, Trish McMillan Loehr
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Marcella LaFayette Says:
Thank you for putting this together. It’s people like you that are getting a greater propenent of the community out of the “killer” pit bull rut. This “kit” is well thought out and very useful to us. Kudos!
Cheryl Huerta Says:
I can’t thank the ASPCA enough for this. As a pit bull advocate I pretty much already knew the list. My favorite one is #3 On Their Best Behavior which personally I think belongs at the very top of each and every list of suggestions to help people know how to advocate for their pit bull or pit bulls in general. It has become my mantra to each and every pit bull owner I communicate with who contacts me about some discrimination they are experiencing against their pit bull or because they have a pit bull (rental housing discrimination against pit bulls is rampant; at least in Portland Oregon).
We hold monthly Bully Walks here in Portland to SHOW the public who the typical pit bull owner is and what our dogs are like because we choose to be responsible dog owners. I hope we are making a difference in the community’s perception of pit bulls and the people who would choose to have one. As you well know the general public believes that most, if not all, pit bull owners are thugs, gang-bangers, criminals, drug dealers, dog fighters or are mentally unstable wanting only a dog that will look tough. That’s a laugh…most pit bulls I know are anything but ‘tough guys’ and are among the sweetest dogs I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.
I hope I can chime in here with a personal pet project/event I started back in February called the Coast to Coast Bully Walk (found on the Facebook page of the same name). This project/event is designed to encourage, inspire, motivate and support as many people in as many places around the world as possible to organize a Bully Walk in their locality on National Pit Bull Awareness Day 2012 (Saturday 10/27). I hope anyone interested who sees this message will go to the Facebook page and will get involved. It is my fervent belief that words cannot sway the general public when it comes to pit bulls however I think that action and seeing groups of decent law abiding citizens walking their perfectly calm and happy pit bulls will do so much more than words could ever do.
Thank you again for this. Pit bulls everywhere thank you too!
Cathy Says:
Honestly it not the Pit Bulls whom are the monsters it the guy on the other end of the leash ….Have owned 3 these wonderful dogs in my lifetime and never ever had any problem with any kind of aggression with them towards anything.
THEA Says:
Please feel free to check out my page http://www.facebook.com/PawsPitsAreWorthSaving
Pamela Says:
I love this soooo much! My ONLY complaint is the picture of the 2 pitties at a park (dog park I am assuming since they “didn’t come in together”). The male is clearly intact and the females nipples are quite obvious which makes me question if both have been bred. It’s VERY irresponsible to bring an intact dog of any breed to a dog park. A) it can lead to fights with other intact dogs and B) it takes one romp in the woods while owners aren’t watching to get pregnant, adding to the population issue. Kinda contradicts some of the points made on this list! Just my 2 cents! Aside from that, great list and love that it’s on this site which gets so much traffic
Elyse Orecchio, Shelters' Edge Says:
Hi Pamela,
Thanks for your note! We talked to Pam Perry at Hillsborough County Animal Services, and here is her response:
“Thank you for your inquiry. We are very proud of our Pit Bull Ambassador Program here at Hillsborough County Animal Services. The dogs in the photo are “Zena” and “Duke.” Zena is a spayed female and “Duke” is a neutered male (who just got adopted
) These dogs are both part of our ADOPT program “Amazing Dogs On Positive Training.” The park you see is our dog park on the property of Animal Services. We have volunteers who run “play groups” as part of our enrichment and training program. All wonderful stuff for the dogs. We have 13 kennels dedicated to the ADOPT program and our Breed Ambassadors. The dogs remain in the program until they are adopted. It is wonderful to see our kids on the ASPCA blog. Please feel free to call or email me any time about savings these dogs lives. It is the best part of what I get to do every day.”
Pam Perry
Investigations Manager Animal Services
Hillsborough County BOCC
Nancy Bulluck Says:
We formed a special committee, called “The Pit Crew”, to focus energy on pitbull type dogs in particular that land in our county shelter. Our mission is to get more of them adopted (and fewer euthanized). We started with an educational program for our volunteers–the folks that meet the public looking to adopt, take photographs for the websites, work at our adoption center, etc. Turned out many of them were afraid of the breed type, which had a chilling effect on adoptions of these great dogs. We also have a special Facebook page “Sarge’s Pit Stop” which features articles, video clips, our foster pit of the week. Hope everyone who sees this will visit and “like” our page, and add to the comments and discussions.
Joan Hellandsjo Says:
Great blog!! As a Pit parent and fan, many thanks. Also don’t forget Animal Farm Foundation, they and their subsidiary, National Canine Research Council offer a wealth of information, programs and grants to help Pitbull type dogs.
Debi Welle Says:
The local pet “Barkery” and Pet Boutique held a pet parade in our town. All of the profits went to our animal shelter. We had Emery (a pit mix)lead the parade as the grand marshall. She did an excellent job and really let people see how sweet and well behaved a Pit Bull can be. P.S. Emery got adopted after being in our shelter for almost a year (thank you Pet Finder)
Marilyn Marks Says:
I have been a pet dog trainer, dog day care owner and dog rescue volunteer, each for various parts of time over the past 25 years. I had a wonderful student who taught me about her favorite breed, pit bulls and while I’m not authority on the breed, I have been sympathetic to their cause — both how wonderful and loyal they can be as well as how unwanted. I am all for pit bull promotions as you’ve identified here, but I face pit bulls adopted out by “save the pitties” types who have not been appropriately screened or placed and by people who think killing small animals is ok and normal for the breed. Until there are some standards for testing and placing them I cannot openly promote how safe they are. I am all for temperament testing standards for all breeds, all rescues, and you know how hard that is too – with people who think they can all be fixed. But anyway, I’m wanting to use my comments here to put into your pit advocate minds that until YOU all state publicly that they can be very bad dogs if not professionally temperament tested, there can be no real change. It takes an admission that bully breeds can be too much dog for the average owner, that they won’t all, even with great training or upbringing, be ok around other dogs or small animals, that they will likely bite/fight with a certain style should they decide to use aggression, that they have high-arousal issues like most terriers, and they the ones that don’t have those aspects causing major problems are the only ones that make good average pets. It takes people like you telling the public that the Vick dogs were able to be rehabbed to such a large degree BECAUSE they were such poor fighters, while that won’t be the case with all fighting ring rescues, so that people can learn that even professionals discern between the good ones and the bad ones (for lack of better wording and time to go into it here).
Lori Turner Says:
This is awesome info!!! Thank you ASPCA!!! I just wish people would listen and learn… It’s not the dog that’s evil and dangerous, it’s those that teach the dog to be that way… In all my 8 years of volunteering with animals, Pitties are some of the biggest loves of all… Here’s my quote of the day, “IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE DOGS TOOK BAD OWNERS TO THE POUND”… NOW THAT MAKES SENSE!!!
sharon Says:
This is wonderful! Education, education, education! When humans whom are supposed to have superior knowledge above the animal kingdom blame their behavior on the animal says a lot. We are responsible for t them, but when we fail some how the dog is at fault. Take responsibility people and stop the madness!