Sunday 31 March 2013

Californian Trip Researching Pit Bulls part 3


Trip Mission Statement:

TO RESEARCH AND DISCUSS THE ROLE OF PIT BULLS TERRIERS AS A LEGAL BREED IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA, AND TO DRAW COMPARISONS WITH THE POINT OF SEEKING SOLUTIONS TO THE ISSUE OF DANGEROUS DOGS IN MODERN DAY BRITAIN.

Monday 25th February

I find this gorgeous beast on the beach! He is very playful and bouncy. The owner has to hold him because when I first held up my camera to take a photo, the dog ran at me for joy and headbutted the camera into my face haha! The owner is very proud. This dog is apparently a Pit Bull / Pointer mix. How gorgeous!!! 




Tues 26th February

Fonda and I went to Hooters in Long Beach, and at the merchandise table they are selling t-shirts raising money for animal rescues. The lady at the stall says she has a pit bull puppy which she got from her boyfriend's friend who had an accidental litter. She is very cool and positive about the puppy, says he's very intelligent and is doing well with socialisation. She says she is aware of the stigma but simply isn't bothered by it, her dog is a good dog.




Californian Trip Researching Pit Bulls part 2


Trip Mission Statement:

TO RESEARCH AND DISCUSS THE ROLE OF PIT BULLS TERRIERS AS A LEGAL BREED IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA, AND TO DRAW COMPARISONS WITH THE POINT OF SEEKING SOLUTIONS TO THE ISSUE OF DANGEROUS DOGS IN MODERN DAY BRITAIN.

Friday 22nd Feb 2013

Fonda takes me to a Sea Lion Sanctuary in Laguna Canyon, which is next door to a Rescue Shelter for dogs, cats and small pets. We decide to pop in and speak to them about pit bulls.

In the foyer is a poster of adoptable dogs. They are ALL 'cute' type dogs, spaniels and toy dogs, maybe a collie or labrador. This confuses me a little.

I speak to a lady at the desk. I introduce myself, and ask her about the lack of bullie breeds and specifically pit bulls on the board. She says, “we don't adopt out pit bulls.” I ask why and she says they don't rehome dangerous dogs. She says they only have adoptable dogs at that shelter. I ask her, “so what happens, if someone brings you a pit bull? Do you turn them away, or-” the lady says (writing from my memory here) “All dogs that come into the shelter undergo a temperament test. But pit bulls never pass so we don't bother for them.” I am blunt and ask “So, you deem them automatically dangerous and put them to sleep without a chance for rehoming?” she says something along the lines of pit bulls being dangerous dogs, she doesn't want to take the risk of the dog “breaking out and killing all the other dogs” that they're not worth the hassle, can never be rehomed and essentially, thought they were bad dogs. I ask her, “have you never known of a well behaved pit bull? Ever?” and she says “I've worked here for thirty years and we've never seen a good pit bull.”

I bite my tongue and don't ask her how she knows that if they don't even test the dog's temperament before killing them...

She goes all wise and says “Oh yes, in the early days, I was keen to see good in them but they're no good, they're dangerous, vicious animals.”

There is a girl who works there, standing behind her and she says “I have a pit bull.” I am quite shocked, as this institution was so hostile towards them, and the older lady looks a bit stumped too. I ask her how the dog is, she replies, “She's fine. No problems, I really love her. She's a great dog.”

I am a little intimidated in this situation and don't want to cause an argument so resist asking the older lady if she would happily kill her colleagues dog, and if not, why kill others...

The older lady says “You can try some other shelters. They might take pit bulls.” And hands me a leaflet with a list of Orange County animal shelters. We leave quite promptly. Not a great start.  

Californian Trip Researching Pit Bulls part 1

Trip Mission Statement:

TO RESEARCH AND DISCUSS THE ROLE OF PIT BULLS TERRIERS AS A LEGAL BREED IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA, AND TO DRAW COMPARISONS WITH THE POINT OF SEEKING SOLUTIONS TO THE ISSUE OF DANGEROUS DOGS IN MODERN DAY BRITAIN. 

Wednesday 20th Feb 2013

Fonda took me into Laguna Beach town today for shopping. Pretty much all of the dogs we saw were small, cute toy dogs. 

We went into a bric-a-brac and gift shop, and as I was browsing, I heard the sound of a beefy motor car. I look out of the shop and there is a car being parked outside. It is a red open top sports car. It's being driven by a smartly dressed young man, maybe late twenties- early thirties, darkish skin and gelled hair. In the passenger seat is a massive white bull breed dog with cropped ears, with no collar. He is a very stocky dog. He is complete. 

The man gets out of the car and goes to the passenger side. The dog is looking anxious to get out but resists jumping out, although he easily could. The man lets the dog out of the car before putting on a collar or lead. The dog sniffs around a lot and comes into the shop, approaching Smoke (Fonda's Yorkie/Maltese). They have a brief nose touch and the dog is called back. 

I invite the man for conversation by stating how gorgeous the dog is- and he is- and the man tells the dog to 'go say hello', but the dog ignores him, still sniffing around. I decide not to hassle the dog, I'm not the type to approach dogs if they are not all that interested in me. 

I ask the man “Did you cut his ears?” and the man explains, “the dog came from a litter bred by a vet who cut the ears off all the puppies himself. I didn't really want one with its ears cut off but he did it anyway, and I've come to really like it now” and he fondles the ears stumps of the dog. I compliment him on the dog again- who is still not collared and leashed- and thank him for talking to me. He takes the dog off to the beach. 

A bit later, he drives past Fonda and I and gives a friendly wave, which I return.