Pitbulls and Parolees

[Tobi]

Amazing work by this rescue centre in New Orleans, saving and re-homing Pit Bulls. Tia, who runs the Centre, also gives a fresh start to parolees, who have done jail time for various crimes, but are now either on parole, or have ended their parole and are now free men.
All these men have such a passion for the dogs and want to do anything and everything they can to help. And Tia works hard making sure the dogs are not adopted too quickly, but find a family and a home suitable for their individual needs.

There's a short series, all about 42 minutes each....this is one (Season 4 Episode 10)
Definitely worth watching!

http://youtu.be/gcYhjG9r6ts

On these videos, there are occasional pictures which might be upsetting to some people. But there are always happy endings!

(Catherine....we CONTINUE to mess with your bed-time! LOL!)

[Catherine]

Oh well, sleep is over rated.
I can catch up on sleep later. I was going to watch the video tomorrow, but my curiosity got the better of me.

It was great! What a wonderful set of people. They do such good work with a breed that people are scared of. They see them for what they are, beautiful dogs that just need love and if possible, loving homes.

There must be so many dogs who have been displaced by all the natural disasters that area has endured. Also the economic down turn has been hard on dogs. Add to that the numerous pit bull bans and being a pit bull rescue is the most important thing they can do. If ever a breed needed help, it is pit bulls. They are banned in my province, sadly.
I must look up more episodes. I wonder how things have worked out for the little dog who was stuck in a pipe.

[LPC]

What an inspiring find, Tobi! A wonderful woman - who helps dogs and people who are on the "edges" of society. Both deserve our support.

[Catherine]

She is a wonderful woman isn't she. She sees the good in the people and dogs that the rest of society has rejected.

I think other places have had success with prisoners and stray dogs. Being needed can make a difference in the choices people make. The dogs need them so they work hard to do good things with their lives.
Everyone wins.

[Tobi]

I know a woman (in USA) who has 5 pitbulls she helped give birth to! She rescued a heavily-pregnant pitbull bitch who had been dumped outside. This dog was gentle and sweet, and desperate for help, which of course, she received, and her life, and the lives of her puppies, were all saved.

The 'mama dog' and some of the pups were adopted, but my friend kept 5 of them. They are the sweetest dogs, loyal and loving without a streak of nastiness or aggression.
Part of the pitbull's 'bad reputation' is because of bad breeding and bad training by unscrupulous and heartless people.

I am glad that these people at Villalobos are working to help them.

[Catherine]

Maybe enough people watching their show will swing public opinion back and end the pit bull bans. It was so sad, many pit bulls were killed, not because they had done anything, but because people decided that their breed was dangerous.

Quote:Part of the pit bull's 'bad reputation' is because of bad breeding and bad training by unscrupulous and heartless people.

This is the real problem. Pitbulls have not been treated right and they act out according to how they were raised. Instead of fixing the real problem we have tried to make it go away.

I am so happy the pregnant pit bull found a loving home where she could have her puppies. No mother of any species should be lost and frightened when it comes time to deliver.

[LPC]

(05-06-2014, 09:46 AM)Catherine Wrote: Being needed can make a difference in the choices people make

How true!

[Tobi]

Unscrupulous breeding by certain people who have 'agendas' hasn't helped the Pitbull's cause. Plus the way they are raised.
It is possible to breed and encourage aggressive tendencies into any breed of dog. But Pitbulls are equipped by nature with strong tenacious jaws.
Even a badly-bred Jack Russell or Pomeranian can give nasty bites, but a Pitbull's jaws can do very serious harm indeed.
I think this is why they can inspire such fear.

But like any other dog, raised and bred sensibly, they can be good dogs.

[Catherine]

I love the fact that she does not give up on any dog or person. She looks beyond the labels to the real person living inside. She is a real treasure for the work she does, not just with the Pitbulls, but also with the parollees. She brings the broken together so they can fix each other.