Preserving a Legacy & Anniversaries

Webster's Joker, Whelped 1914,Sire Colby's Bunch, Dam Colby's Rhody, bred by John P. Colby (photo from Colby's American Pit Bull Terriers website)

It is official, as of November 13, I have had Pit Bulls for 32 years. Scary that I would know the exact date the first Pit Bull came into my life but it says something for the profound effect this event had on my life. At the time, I had no idea the chain of events this acquisition would unleash.

It has been two years since I began writing this BLOG entry. I have made some mistakes and have inspired controversy; there is no denying that fact. Many years ago, the Harvard Business School did an article that compared the passion of legislating Pit Bulls to the passion associated with discussions of the abortion issues. Read some of the comments associated with my archived entries and you will have to agree, that is a fair comparison.

This past week I have been posting some of my Pit Bull relevant archives on Facebook. Someone very dear to me was shaken to her core by the realities associated with Pit Bulls. I have been living with these realities going on 26 years. It has made me tough and has kept me focused on righting a wrong that could easily cost my own dogs their lives.

I remember the "round up" in Denver that caused the killing of 3,500 Pit Bulls, in a matter of hours, whose only crime was being Pit Bull. I have had the image of that pile of corpses burned into my consciousness for years. My nightmares are of the bodies of my dogs lying on that pile. I wake in the night because of dreams where my dogs have been taken and I was powerless to defend them. Do I have a nasty disposition? Yes. Where Pit Bulls are concerned, I am prepared to defend them to my last breath.

One of the great debates in the rescue world is the issue of breeding. No one denies the surplus of Pit Bulls is staggering. What is lost is the fact that not all breeders of Pit Bulls fall into the category of irresponsible individuals that have caused this surplus. There are still breeding programs out there designed to preserve and improve the breed as a whole. Why are these kennels not being recognized for their contributions to the breed? For the same reason we do not have as much emphasis placed on the positive aspects of Pit Bulls on a whole. The irresponsible, negative image of backyard breeders is given priority over responsible programs designed to insure generations to come are allowed to know these dogs in their true and purest form.

These backyard breeders have learned their breeding practices from the negative hype, not from those who know what these dogs are supposed to be. To lump them together, is do yourselves a great disservice.

One of the arguments lodged against all breeders is that shelter and rescue dogs have been denied a home. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The people that adhere to the responsible promotion of this breed rarely adopt from shelters and rescues. I do know for a fact that shelters and rescuers have deprived their charges the opportunity to live in the homes of some of the most responsible Pit Bull fanciers in the country, because they refuse to acknowledge there is another side of this story.

My first obedience teacher was one of these people turned down for adoption. She has titled all of her dogs as champions, as well as in obedience and agility. Her kennels are above the standards set by the Department of Agriculture and most veterinarian kennels. Her dogs are cared for and socialized better than most shelters and rescues. Because of health issues, and because of the very surplus rescuers have tried to eliminate, she had the desire to begin working with dogs that have been thrown away. She was denied because no one bothered to look at the facts. A Pit Bull was denied the opportunity to live an above average life as a cherished companion because some one was too narrow minded to look beyond the negative. This is also a woman that has donated time and resources to help train shelter dogs waiting for homes. Google the name Linda Emmert and see what you cost a dog that was homeless. It also bears mentioning that you turned down the secretary of the Endangered Breed Association.

Another argument is the one regarding breeders being rescuers. I lost a dear friend and the co-owner of my dog Ricky just a few years ago. This is a loss I still feel to this day. Lora Bauer was one of the most dedicated Pit Bull women I have ever been blessed to know. Her passion for the breed was renowned. She was also one of the greatest rescuers I have ever known. For those of us that have been involved in this "war" for any length of time, the loss of Lora was the loss of someone that stood firm against the ignorance and irresponsibility that plagues this breed. She lived her life by some of the highest standards a breeder and rescuer can set for themselves. Google her name or the name of her kennel, Hartagold, and see the definition of responsibility.

What both of these women have in common is the true dedication to preserving a legacy. Legacy, to be handed something precious and insure its continued existence. To allow the old lines to die, while being replaced by dogs being bred with no clue as to what a Pit Bull should be, is as big a sin as the acts that have led to the surplus.

Some of us remember life before breed bans and stories of destruction. We are the ones that have lost a piece of our souls because of this continued refusal to acknowledge education will be the greatest tool against the ignorance destroying our breed. You cannot profess to love these dogs without taking the time to truly know the people responsibly keeping our breed alive.

There is no denying this breed was developed to be a warrior. To deny that background is do a grave disservice to yourself and the dogs. You risk promoting ignorance just as surely as those that embrace the hype instead of the facts. From our bloody past, came the rock solid breed that has held many of us for decades and in some cases, generations. The old ways are dead but the Pit Bull that emerged from this history is something worth saving. If you are truly dedicated to saving these dogs, you must know what you are saving. You must look beyond the emotion to the dogs themselves and the people whose lives are dedicated to preserving the legacy. Do not condemn without investigation. To do so is to fuel the same ignorance that is effectively destroying this breed.