You want to hear something crazy?
I am STILL getting postcards emailed to me! It’s one month past the deadline, and I’m still printing and going to the post office on a weekly basis!
Plus, as a reminder, I’m still collecting comments to be postcard messages. Click on this post to leave your comment to help end BSL!
When I launched the campaign, I was terrified that no one would participate. But I’ve been so surprised and so thrilled around every turn. Throughout this process, I’ve learned so much… more than could fit in a single blog post, but here are a few of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from the Campaign to End BSL:
- I learned that there are a lot of people who care, people who care enough to take action: create a postcard, write an email, tweet, post on Facebook, and so much more. There are literally thousands of people willing to step up and do something because of how much they care.
- I learned that there are many, many people who have never heard of breed-specific legislation. Even if it takes a lot longer for Denver to enact change, I learned that the education component was just as – if not more – important than the protest component. I wish I would’ve kept track of how many people said, “I never knew.” Or how many of you told me about the opportunities you had to educate. That metric would have been invaluable.
- On the flip side, I learned just how far there is to go in rehabilitating the “pit bull” image. I only received a couple angry emails, but while I was researching bully news stories, I started reading the comments sections. And oh boy. Bully breeds have a huge obstacle to overcome: public perception.
- Lastly, I learned that if you just put an idea out there, there are people everywhere who want to help. While the postcards may not have been the best idea (too expensive, too complicated to create, etc.), it activated people.
So it’s time to launch the next idea. I have a few thoughts floating around that I need to get down on paper. But I’d love to hear your suggestions.
What else can we do to rehabilitate the public’s perception of bully breeds?
bully hugs and kudos to you for this project. Ideas are a dime a dozen.. IMPLEMENTING an idea and making it a reality is rare. You did a fabulous job;
I agree with your observation that educating people about the existence of BSL was maybe the most important component. Just yesterday I found out that a fellow bully owner in the Denver area DOES NOT KNOW that Castle Rock has BSL.
I agree that perception is the biggest obstacle. I can’t say how many times someone in the dog park has made a negative comment about pitties– while their dog is playing with Holly! They are always shocked to learn that she is part pittie (“but she’s so sweet!”)
This idea comes from the fact that today is National Coming Out Day and many of my friends have donated their Facebook statuses to spreading awareness. Maybe we could have a “Pitbull Pride” day (name negotiable) when everyone posts a positive message and picture to share our bully pride and love with the FB community?
Wow, Emily. Those education opportunities keep cropping up! Thanks for stepping in to teach!
Skye, AWESOME idea!! I’ll look into how to do that, but if anyone has experience with this, please share! The NCOD status was automated, which made it super helpful.
I think your postcard idea was just amazing, and I think it did really raise pit bull awareness for people across the web. I would be interested in hearing what other ideas you’re thinking about. We are very “grassroots” in that we’re just trying to change attitude one person at a time by taking our dogs all over the city, having them meet people, and realize that these are what pit bulls are really like. I’ve heard things are not as bad here in Chicago as they are in other parts of the country.
I’m thrilled that people are still sending in postcards! And I think you’re wonderful for continue to mail them out even past the deadline.
When it comes to articles about pit bulls, I have just quit reading the comments. Some of them turn my stomach and I just get too upset and depressed about it.
I think that changing public perception really is about just continuing to show the true nature of these dogs – whether it’s by blogging or putting positive stories up on facebook or just using our dogs to open up a conversation. Unfortunately, the fear of pit bulls is very deep-seated and it takes a lot to change people’s minds. That’s why I’m always glad to see shows like “Pit Boss” on television. While I personally think the show is cringe-worthy (very scripted and relies heavily on the “freak factor” of little people and pit bulls), there are a lot of people out there who like it. And my guess is that Shorty and his crew are helping to change minds.
I love the “grassroots” focus of educating each person you meet. I think that’s one of the most effective ways to change people’s minds. And you never know – the person you reach out to might then tell his friends or family that he met the greatest dog!
Bully for you Maggie! And yes, there are a lot of people who don’t know about BSL, and even some don’t know about puppy mills. It’s hard to believe. Thanks for bringing this to light.
Good for you! I think it is all about getting the message out there & repeating and repeating and repreating ourselves.
So fabulous that you put yourself out there and WENT FOR IT. I hope you raised a glass in honour of The Importance of Making a Ruckus 😉
Yeah to you!
Hi there…as a resident of Grand Junction Colorado, and the very blessed owner of a female American Pit bull Terrier…the breed ban in Denver is a very important issue for many of us who love our pets and reside on the Western Slope.I have traveled to Denver last year to attend and support the BSL protest at Denver City Hall.I have decided as an individual effort, I would always have informational printed liturature that I could give to people that I have the chance to talk to about BSL.In my conversations, I bring up the terrible law Denver has in place,and I let them know about the race for state Governor.One candidate is the current Mayor of denver, Hickenlooper, and he has openly supported Denver’s horrible draconian ordinance.You would be shocked at how many residents of Colorado are not aware of Denver’s sick law, and how many innocent Pit bulls have been euthanized.National Pitbull Awareness Day is Octerber 23rd, and there is going to be a 100 mile walk from Colorado Springs to the city of Denver, to protest the ordinance.I will be attending to show my support.We need to educate, educate, educate.The Pitbull guru has just released a new 13 minute excellent video.It is free, only pay for shipping.Great tool with the opinion’s of experts in the canine & animal behavior field.