Last blog I talked about a long-timer who had been waiting for her home for a reason. As I started asking staff and volunteers about Batman it crossed my mind – why? What is such a great dog still doing at the shelter 54+ days later? When I asked J her answer was quick and simple: “He’s black and he’s a Pit Bull.” Individually a problem, together they’ve let this sweetheart be continually overlooked.
Okay, fine, there is also the “NO CATS” thing.
Batman is a little over a year old and came to the shelter as a stray back in the beginning of December. He will probably fill out in the chest a little more, but he is a great size at around 45 lbs. And although at first glance he looks like a black and white dog, if you look at him in bright sunshine you’ll see he is actually a lovely brindle.
All that aside, the important stuff you need to know is what the volunteers had to say about his personality.
SMH: “He’s a hugger. He jumps up gently and embraces you with his front paws, nuzzling with his head. It’s touching.”
SB: “He is super sweet and affectionate. He and Biggin are two favorites of mine. You can just see the love in their eyes. I am kinda madly in love with him.”
CB: “He is very silly and fun. [In the Dogs Playing for Life™ playgroup] he was very playful, very fun-loving. Really high energy. He just needs the right pairing of a similar style, and I’m sure he would go to town.”
Batman also got to spend some time with Shannon Johnstone at North Wake Landfill District Park – isn’t he beautiful?
Shannon says this is one thoughtful and gentle pup.
Now I know the weather here in North Carolina is going to be wonky for the next couple of days. Batman will patiently be waiting for you – visit him as soon as you safely can. I know you’ll find your new best friend – I just know it.
The Wake County Animal Center is open daily from noon until 6 PM and is located at 820 Beacon Lake Drive, Raleigh, NC. Click for directions. You can also see all the great animals looking for their furever homes by clicking this link to the WCAC Adoption Gallery.
A Return to Beyond the Myth
So, after my recent re-viewing of the Beyond the Myth: The Truth about Pit Bulls I became curious as to where these cases had gone. Here is what I was able to find with a quick Internet search.
Denver still has their breed specific legislation (BSL), but they have conceded that service dogs can be of any breed.
The public vote to determine the status of the BSL in Miami-Dade County on August 14, 2012 was only 37% in favor of changing the current law. StopBSL.org had an interesting post on this “disappointing” outcome. They found it encouraging that 80,000 people voted to repeal the breed ban despite these considerations …
- “The public tends to vote with emotions and stereotype, not logic.”
- “Miami-Dade residents have not encountered a legally-owned ‘pit bull’ in 23 years. Much of their experience with ‘pit bulls’ is negative”.
- “Minority groups—in this case, ‘pit bull’ owners—are at a disadvantage in ‘majority rules’ votes, especially when there is no legal opportunity to dispel stereotypes about the minority group.”
- “The people who are most affected by the law—‘pit bull’ owners—cannot legally live in the county, are not residents, and therefore cannot vote on the fate of the law.”
- “County officials and the local news media have strong influence and are supportive of the ban.”
- “We predicted the poll question would be biased and confusing.”
- “Advocates for repeal had a mere five months to overcome all of these embedded and intractable issues.”
Yes, very encouraging indeed.
In other parts of the country, education and activism have been able to fight this fear that dogs (i.e. Pit Bulls) are simply “born” vicious. Here is a nice interactive map showing current BSL legislation around the country.
Breed Specific Legislation Map
Remember … educate rather than legislate!
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