Advocacy Overdrive – Some Great Advocates from 2009! (Y2K9)
As we embark on a new year I’d like to mention a few groups and organizations that have really made an impact on advocacy in 2009.
Pin Ups for Pit Bulls was a tour de force for Pit Bull advocacy in 2009. The calendar they put out each year and their Pit Bull Awareness events have risen over $20,000 to help shelters and rescues stay afloat and continue to help dogs get into foster and forever homes. The idea is brilliant, a calendar of sexy women clad in old school burlesque and other risqué themes alongside the pit Bull dogs they own! I was honored to speak at their Pit Bull Awareness day event in PA and I must say it was a great outing. Deirdre Franklin aka Lil’ Darling is a top notch professional and very well organized. 2010 looks to be just as bright for Pin Up’s for PB’s as they will appear on the premier episode of the new Animal Planet show Pit Boss. Way to go! http://www.pinupsforpitbulls.com/
Animal Law Coalition has one of the most well laid out and informative websites. It is updated and researched with great care. Laura Allen does an amazing job making sure that people are informed on all things BSL as well as animal issues in general. This is a great source for anyone looking to gather legitimate information when you’re planning a meeting with city or state officials regarding BSL. www.animallawcoalition.com
Our Pack is a nonprofit organization in California that specializes in advocacy, rescue, training and education for Pit Bull dogs. Marthina McClay is a continual presence in the media with her dog Leo, a rescue from the Vick dogs. Leo is also out and about doing therapy work when they are not in the media helping people become aware of the Pit Bull plight. Please visit their site and pass the link on to everyone you know! www.ourpack.org and Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Our-Pack-Inc/151810632362?ref=ts
Knock Out Dog Fighting Kris Crawford is a legend in the world of search & rescue and she has been a loud and clear voice for Pit Bull dogs in 2009 with her new campaign KO Dog Fighting. Alongside some of the toughest professional fighter from many disciplines. Kris gets tough on dog fighting with seminars and educational events. The pro fighters draw in the kids and they deliver the news that dog fighting is not cool. KO Dog Fighting is great idea and I think we’ll see big things from them in 2010! www.knockoutdogfighting.com
Jean Keating, co-founder of the Ohio Coalition of Dog Advocates is a passionate and devoted person. The coalition is making strides to stop the killing of innocent dogs and puppies by her local shelter. As with many towns, cities and states that have BSL the fall out for dogs in shelters is never good. BSL casts a very unfair shadow on dogs and Jean Keating and her team is looking to bring some much needed fairness to Pit Bulls in Ohio. Please look into their story and if so help them out in some way.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=230342859616
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=7184533
http://m.toledoblade.com/quickPage.html?page=14488&content=30646653&pageNum=-1
In closing I’d like to thank everyone who also supported my DVD the Pit Bull Hoax. It has been going out the door every day since it was released in April of 09. It has made its way around the globe to Ireland, The Netherlands, The UK, Spain, Canada and pretty much every state in the US, especially the places where BSL is rampant. Thanks to everyone that ordered the DVD and those who took multiple copies off my hands and distributed them in your community! It looks like a second pressing and revised edition will be out in 2010. www.pitbullguru.com/hoax.html
2010 is still in the first month and there is still time to make something happen to bring awareness to the plight of Pit Bulls as well as dogs in general. Remember BSL is not just for Pit Bulls anymore, many dogs are in danger of incarceration, death and unfair insurance practices. It takes less than you might think to raise awareness and make a change happen. These days you can have most of the pertinent info always at the ready to send people via email, facebook, twitter etc…or to hand out to people. Always consider going to the local shelter and get involved somehow.
As always a big thanks to DSD for giving me the space to blog! You guys rule! Here’s to a great 2010!
