Oh My Dog!

The current count is ::drumroll:: 568 postcards!!!!

At last count two weeks ago, we were at 409, so this has been a huge leap forward. Keep up the momentum, everyone!! Have you posted the campaign on your Facebook page yet? Here’s the direct link to the postcard instructions: http://ohmydogblog.com/campaign-to-end-bsl-operation-denver/

I am so proud and so excited! When I launched the campaign, the mile-long stretch of postcards was sort of this crazy idea, albeit a little gimmicky. After I posted the first post about the campaign, I remember turning to hubby and saying, “Oh.my.gosh. What if I don’t get a single one?”

So the fact that you have made 568 postcards ready to be a loud voice for these animals… I consider this a humongous success already!

We have SEVEN WEEKS left until BlogPaws, the postcard deadline. If we all work together, I think we can double that number. What do you say?

Here are some ways you can help:

• Make another postcard! I’ll be making 10 this weekend!
• Share the campaign link on your Facebook page.
• Blog about BSL and encourage your readers to ACT!
• Tweet with the #endBSL hashtag.
• Any other ideas? Anything I’m forgetting?

And, once again, thank you so much for all your help and support and everyone’s time in creating postcards and spreading the message. We are definitely going to get Denver’s attention!

Currently, the campaign to end BSL is focused on Denver. I chose Denver for two reasons: First, their ban has been in place on and off since 1989, and since that time have killed thousands of “pit-bull like” dogs. Now that their mayor, who has previously upheld the ban, is running for governor, it’s crucial to get his attention on this issue. Second, BlogPaws is being held in Denver in September, and with hundreds of pet bloggers pouring their money into the city, I thought we needed to be a voice for these animals.

But it’s important to remember that this is a national issue. Do you know if your city has any type of breed ban or restriction in place? I follow the news of dog bites, breed bans, city council meetings, etc. and wanted to share a few recent stories with you:

New dangerous dog ordinance before Toledo City Council: This is an excellent story. The council considers repealing their breed-specific laws for ones that hold owners responsible.

“If we can make owners more responsible by levying fines against those who are not and cut down on the number of dog bites in City of Toledo, then I think we’re doing our job,” said Council Member Rob Kudeman. “That’s what people expect council and the administration to do.”

Public’s turn to howl over pit bulls: This one really gets me. The proposed ordinance in Lynn, MA defines pit bulls as: “dangerous animals” with “powerful instincts for dominance” and “unyielding aggressiveness.” If passed, the ordinance will require pit bull owners to leash and possibly muzzle their dogs when out in public. It seems to make more sense to require all dog owners to have all dogs leashed when out in public. Why make these things breed specific?

Police chief sees to reason for dog breed ban: Here’s an instance where a resident is concerned that his neighbors’ rottie and pit bull *might* get out of their fence and *might* bite, even though he admits that the dogs haven’t caused any problems.

And to end on a happy note, Rescued Pit Bull Defies Deformity Through Therapy Work: This is an absolutely darling story that shows the resilience and people-loving nature of a very handsome boy!

If you haven’t made your postcard yet, now’s the time to do it! The BlogPaws deadline is quickly approaching (September 12), so please share the campaign across your networks!

Have you seen any recent stories in the news about pit bulls? Please share them in the comments!

Emmett caught mid-yawn!

Dog bites. Not a cheery topic. Same with breed bans, which are inexplicably linked to dog bites. I’ve written a lot about my bully-mix Emmett and some more general bully love and rants (click on the Animal Rights category on the left side for previous posts). And though I’m sure most people who come read this blog (hello!) are of a similar dog-drool-loving mindset, I recently started tracking keywords that lead people to the site… I discovered a surprising number of dog-fight and pit bull related keywords. Hmm.

However, I don’t want to belabor the points (i.e. “pit bull” is an extremely misleading term, pit bulls take the fall for bad, irresponsible owners, etc.) So I thought it would be worthwhile to share some really good info I’ve recently discovered through the internet link-clicking rabbit hole!

2009 Dog Bite Fatalities Final Report: Read this! If only I could get a copy of this to every legislator who feels breed bans are the way to curb dog fights… If you read each incident thoroughly, several trends emerge. Which leads to the next article, also from the same site.

Dog bites vs dog attacks: Great article that goes into the dog bite epidemic (totally different from fatalities) with an awesome list of sources at the end.

Also, some major pit bull rescue love on The Brown Dog Blog, which I only discovered through The 2010 Brody Award page. Which led me to discover

Pinupsforpitbulls.com for which I have fallen madly in love and will be ordering a calendar ASAP!

Those are just a handful I’ve bookmarked in the last week… What about you? Any good links or resources to share?