What does a pit bull look like?

HugABull opposes breed specific legislation (BSL) for many reasons. It punishes responsible owners - who follow laws and whose dogs don't bite - and not the irresponsible owners, who simply go further underground. It's expensive. There is no hard data to show that it works, whereas there is very promising data to show that dangerous dog legislation DOES work.

But it is the issue of identifying a pit bull that causes the most headache, and as a recent story in Ontario shows, the most heartache. The Bronco family in Brampton, Ontario chose to breed their boxer and bulldog, and found homes for two of the puppies nearby. Two years later, an animal control officer spied one of the dogs in its home, determined it resembled the "pit bull" banned in the province, and seized it.

None of the dogs in question have caused any trouble, shown aggression, or strayed off their property. Based only on the way they look, they have been taken from their family homes and now sit in a shelter. Their owners must decide whether to initiate legal action, see their dogs euthanized, or ship them out of the province for re-homing.

This story would be equally as tragic if the dogs in question were pit bulls, and indeed there are similar seizures happening all over Ontario. This story, however, truly illustrates the arbitrary nature of the "pit bull" label when paperwork, veterinarian testimonials, and parentage isn't enough to return good dogs to good homes.

Our hearts go out to Jersey and Rambo, who sit today in the concrete kennel of the shelter system while their warm beds at home are empty. And let's not forget that while the legal battles wage on, it is taxpayer money that pays for their upkeep, and valuable shelter space that cannot be allotted to a truly homeless animal.

We can only hope that they are able to return home soon, and this provides a little more momentum to the tide of public opinion against BSL.

A little more food for thought about visual identification issues:

Visual Identification of Pit Bull Mixes vs. DNA testing
National Canine Research Council
http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Most-people-think-these-dogs-are-pit-bull-mixes.pdf

Spot the Pit Bull
Can you spot a pit bull amongst 24 other short haired, stocky breeds?
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

RIP Demo - a dog that inspired

HugABullers both big and small fell in love with Demo last year, when we discovered Demo: The Story of a Junkyard Dog. Sweet little Demo has the big muscles but not the bad attitude to be a junkyard dog and is abandoned by his misanthropic, junk-spewing owner. He ultimately finds a home with a boy who loves him for the gentle companion he's meant to be, and even manages to be part of the solution to the city's gigantic waste problem. A pit bull hero!

This beautifully-illustrated book manges to link themes of animal rescue, stereotypes and environmentalism in a great little read. It was found under the Christmas trees of many kids in our community last year, and is on the reading list in classrooms frequented by our members.

So it was with great sadness we heard that the real Demo, the dog who inspired it all, passed away recently. However, judging from this blog post by his human, he lived a good, long life with someone who obviously cared a great deal for him. To love and be loved; to inspire a book that changes minds every day; and to live to the ripe old age of 16 sounds like everything a humble little dog could ask for.

RIP Demo. You will not be forgotten.

Calling all artists!

Can you draw, paint or create? Do you love pit bulls?

HugABull is looking for artists who can provide a creative take on the dogs featured in our 2011 calendar. This could be a drawing, painting, print, digital art, collage – anything that captures the spirit of our fun and fabulous dogs.

We’ll assign you a calendar dog and provide photos and any other inspiration... you’ll provide us with a copy of your artwork we can show off in our calendar!

Interested in supporting HugABull and saluting a beautiful bullie? Contact us at info@hugabull.com.

Our 2010 calendar...currently available for sale at http://hugabull.biz

Athletic Jake seeks soulmate (or foster)

Jake is a very good boy who will be a fabulous addition to an active and structured home. Unfortunately, he's having trouble finding that perfect fit.

He was originally surrendered to the shelter with glowing comments from his original owners, who gave him up after his young caretaker left for college. We tested him and found him to be a bright, energetic friendly boy with a ton of potential, so we accepted him into our program.

From the shelter he went into a foster home, where he displayed some anxious behaviour at first - biting his leash, excitability, and running away with his toys - but quickly showed himself to be a perfect gentleman with the right handling. His foster family considered adopting him, but realized that his training and activity needs were too much for their home. And since we are committed to finding a perfect match, we are still looking!

We need either a foster or adoptive home that is committed to a few more professional training sessions (provided free of charge through HugABull), lots of exercise, and firm but kind leadership. In that sort of environment, where Jake has the structure and certainty he's lacked all his life, he will blossom!

A little more about Jake...

Athletic Jake loves, loves, loves to run - but once he’s had his daily exercise he has a definite "off" switch. Whether on the carpet, on the floor, or upside-down against the mini-bar, this five-year-old spends the majority of his day happily snoozing away.Separation anxiety and destructiveness is not be a problem with this boy.

When outside, Jake will trot along at a good, even clip for many kilometres without breaking a sweat. Jake also loves a game of fetch and some sprinting around a tennis court, yard, or lacrosse box.

Car rides are a big hit, and Jake gets super excited as soon as he lays eyes on the vehicle. Once inside he will either sleep soundly during the trip or make what his foster mom calls happy donkey (braying) noises.

Jake is very interested in other dogs and will often pull or whine to go see them, but he has no problem being around them or hanging around the local pet store. Jake doesn't have a lot of experience interacting directly with other dogs, but is generally curious and friendly. New introductions should be slow, controlled and polite to keep things positive.

Jake needs an experienced handler and a very active lifestyle. He bonds closely with his owner and is a sensitive boy: he will do best with a strong and kind leader who can set up clear ground rules, provide a regular outlet for physical energy, and has a calm and confident demeanour. Jake will respond wonderfully after so much uncertainty in his short life, and be the stellar companion he was meant to be!

If you think you may be able to foster and/or adopt Jake, please get in touch.

2009 dogs in review - MASON

Early in January 2009, Vancouver Animal Control alerted us to a sick senior AmStaff who had been seized. He was in bad shape, with a scabbed and puffy face - so swollen he could barely see. He was also mostly deaf, but if he smelled or sensed a person around he'd approach without hesitation, wagging and smiling.

Poor Mason was an itchy mess. His face was the worst problem, but the bald, scaly patches covered his entire body and he scratched constantly. No one knew if it was mange, infection, or something worse, but HugABull director Shelagh knew he needed out of the shelter ASAP. She took him home and started him on a regimen of testing, medication and an allergy-controlled diet - treatments that wouldn't be available at the shelter, but made possible in foster care through the Lovely Fund.

Mason's skin problems turned out to be allergies run amok, and after a few weeks of treatments he was recognizable as a dog once more. His sweet, mellow and loving personality never changed. Mason has an easy smile and wag for humans and dogs alike, and is so dog-social that Shelagh often uses him for shelter dog assessments and socialization training with reactive dogs.

At 9-10 years of age with health problems, Mason is going to be a long-term compassion foster through Shelagh and HugABull. With his puffy little face and soft temperament, he has become somewhat of a HugABull mascot. He's also an example of a dog that has every strike against him: he's a senior, he's dark in colour and not traditionally attractive, and he has health problems. He'd have very low adoption potential in a shelter, but is one of the sweetest, most affectionate, and easygoing companions one could ask for.

2009 dogs in review - CHICA

Chica
This brindled girl is one of the most colourful dogs in our program, with full-colour, human grade tattoos adorning the insides of her ears and her belly. The SPCA staff had never seen anything like it when she first came into the Maple Ridge shelter in late 2008 with a litter of puppies. She was assessed by HugABull but before a foster home could be arranged, she was reclaimed by her owner (who showed a veterinarian's letter claiming she'd been sedated for the tattoos).

Chica popped up again in March 2009 at the Vancouver SPCA, this time with a dislocated hip from a car accident. Following invasive surgery, she needed a foster home where she could heal in peace. HugABull found her one, and she never left.

Foster mom April is now a HugABull director, and Chica is a true ambassadog. She earned her CGN in the summer of 2009, an impressive feat considering that she only knew one command (sit!) when she came into foster care. She participates in all HugABull events, and has graduated from Pit Ed, Intermediate Obedience and Rally-O! She was even featured in this Vancouver Courier article about foster care and adoption.

Some positive change in Delta?

Three HugABull directors along with a representative from No Muzzle attended a public hearing in Delta last night around their Animal Control Bylaws.

Delta City Council is reviewing a proposed bylaw that among other things will increase animal licensing and fines, and expand the rights of Animal Control Officers to intervene in cases of dog aggression, animal mistreatment and abuse.

Unfortunately, what hasn't changed in the proposed bylaw is the definition of a pit bull as an "Aggressive Dog" by virtue of its breed. Pit bulls in Delta are required to be muzzled and are subject to licensing fees that are five times higher than those for other dogs.

Last night we spoke to council, requesting that the pit bull clause be removed from the bylaw, while retaining penalties for irresponsible ownership and aggressive dog behaviours. Three Delta citizens were in attendance and also spoke out against categorizing all pit bulls as aggressive.

Interestingly, it was revealed that due to the many restrictions around pit bulls, and because there is no conclusive way to identify one at the time of licensing, many pit bull owners are registering their dogs as other breeds. There are only 39 registered pit bulls in Delta, while any degree of observation would make it clear that the actual number is many, many times that.

We salute the Mayor and Council of Delta for inviting public input into this issue and revisiting a clause that does so much more harm than good. We look forward to hearing about the new bylaw in early 2010!

In the meantime, if you want to weigh in on this issue - especially if you are a Delta resident - contact information for City Council is here.