Bad Dog?

Not anymore! This weeks Parade had an wonderful article about pit bulls and it made me want to write a special blog dedicated to Stoli. Stoli will be having a birthday in October and has been a very loving member of our family for 6 years now. She is a momma's girl. Being a pit you would think that she would be a rough and tough doggie and I guess part of that is true. She is certainly a protector, she keeps our house safe and I doubt any strangers would want to walk up to our front door with her there. But she is a lover and a pleaser. She loves to cuddle and she would sleep under the covers every night if we allowed her to. She can't hold her licker so our windows are covered in dog drool and Kaden probably doesn't even need baths because she loves on him so much. We aren't blind, we know we have a pit bull and with having a pit bull as part of your family there are precautions that you must take and unfortunately it isn't always because of Stoli but how people react or approach her. We also knew that bringing Kaden home for the first time could be a challenge because she wasn't the "baby" any longer and there would be new smells and new noises for her to adjust to but she exceeded our expectations and became a little mother to Kaden too. Wherever Kaden is, Stoli isn't far behind and you can tell just how much they love each other.

The article in Parade gave updates on the rehabilitation of Michael Vick's pit bulls and it was very heart warming to hear that so many of them are doing so well and even helping those in need. A few of the dogs have received the Canine Good Citizen certification and even live in homes with multiple dogs and cats. One lucky dog newly named Johnny Justice (formly known as Johnny Rotten) works in a program that helps children improve their reading. What Michael Vick did, was wrong and inhumane. But I am thankful for the judge, the volunteers and so many others that stepped in when these animals needed them to. Thank you for giving these dogs the chance at a life they deserve, to be a part of a family that love them unconditionally. It is tough to hear all the bad comments that people make against this breed and I think the article states it best - "Generalizations and preconceptions are as unhelpful and counterproductive for pit bulls as they are for people".

If you would like to hear more updates on a few of the pit bulls you can go to www.parade.com/vick and the author of the article, Jim Gorant's new book, The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption will be published next month.