A FORMER PITBULL OWNER SPEAKS

   

         I am new to this group but wanted to share a little of my Story...This is my Whitey aka White Man..He crossed over the Rainbow Bridge 12/29/16.He was my Baby and was 11yrs old and had some major health problems that he couldn't overcome. His pitbull fighting spirit was to fight, so we obliged him but in the end, we couldn't save my Whitey. He tried and fought and we fought to save him, but alas he could not get past it, so he had to go and we had to let him go. Even in his darkest hours, you would have never known he was sick just by looking at him because he didn't want you to know and most of all he didn't want to hurt us.He was the epitome of "The best dog ever and the dog that anyone would want to have".He was kind, gentle, loving, goofy, and funny. He loved his Human Mommy and Daddy and Brothers but most of all he was protective over his Family and he WAS MINE..He had my heart and I had his.When I lost my Daddy a little over a year ago on Oct 25th he was always there to lick my tears away then on Nov.25th exactly a month later I lost my Momma from a long battle with Cancer and once again Whitey was by my side. Never once did I have to hear him say "dry your tears up and move on" he was there and that was just it .He was there showing me nothing but unconditional love and never judged me for the all the tears that fell daily he would just sit there beside me until he knew I was ok and even then he didn't want me to move...I miss him so terribly bad my heart hurts but I know he will be there to meet me when I am called leave this earth. There with the unconditional love my boy had for me as I did for him and there to give me the best sloppy doggy kisses ever that only he could give to me and he will not ever have to lick my tears away again because we will never have to cry or cry for each other again...RIP MY BIG BOY!!

         The story you just read is true, and just like thousands of Pitbull Owners/ Bully Breed lovers out there, we all mourn for our lost family members. There is not a day that goes by that my wife Teryl and I do not think of our Sampson, one of the most humanistic dogs I have ever known. In fact, we still have his ashes on top of the fridge in a silver colored box with his name on it. But I cannot help but think about our original Pitbull and Black Lab cross mix, Shadow, who really was the grandfather of Pitbull Trucking, our site as it has come to be.It is simply amazing and extremely real how a canine can touch you very soul and heart. I wanted to post that, because as we were picking the music for our upcoming musical tribute memorial of the pitbulls my followers have lost, this struck a chord with me.

         When I see these pictures everyday that come across my desk, I wish people like Mayor Dennis Codere of Montreal, could read and see these photographs of true bully breed people. I wish the Mayor of Dallas Texas, could see the pain on all those people on Dowdy Ferry Road that find dead animals mutilated and killed for no apparent reason, to actually tell the truth for one bloody single moment in their pathetic materialistic lives. I wish that every good Torontonian in Ontario, could own these wonderful dogs without persecution because of the way they look. I wish the media would stop glamourizing another dog attack and label it a pitbull attack. I wish all those ridiculous BSL areas in the whole dam world, would stop and change their archaic anal laws towards this breed. I wish all those people out there torturing animals, would suffer a slow painful, agonizing death, and end up in Hell, where they truly belong. My hope is the `Michael Vicks`of the world that promote dog fighting are brought to justice and incarcerated forever. We need to change all laws involving the cruelty and inhumane ways animals are treated, with larger fines and longer jail terms.

          People often ask me, why we are called Pitbull Trucking, and let me tell you folks, it has really nothing at all to do with trucking. Ironically we started this thing, over 5 years ago, when I trucked with our dog Sampson. We used to come across many of our fellow truckdrivers that owned the pitbull breed dog. At first, we would post various pictures on our site for Sampson`s friends, brothers and sisters. We would post pictures of the latest big rig, or show truck parked in a truckstop we went by. Many truckers, we would friend on facebook and they in turn would go to our site, and post their pictures of pitty comrades on the road. But then something unforseen happened, Sampson`s Pyodermas flared up, and he would break out. We tried to combat the disease with special mediacted shampoo and shots of Covenia which were very hard on his heart and liver. On Jan 23, 2014, we said goodbye to our dear Sampson as his liver finally gave out. Unfortunately, I was up north of Fort McMurray running a crew bus, for the oilpatch when I got the phone call from my wife that we all dread.

          By the end of the day, I had driven through a stop sign, with passengers in my bus because I was devastated of losing such a beloved family member. I wept uncontrollably for that week, and finally by the end of the month, I was off to another job closer to home. As for my wife Teryl, she grieved for two years, until she could finally open her heart to another pitbull that so needed our help, love and attention.Yes we have lived it, and understand all the pain and loss a bully breed owner is going through. That is why we honor Sampson, by calling our site Pitbull Trucking. The only thing I can say is never ever say you`ll never get a pitbull again after he or she passes away.Honor your pitty dog by getting another one that can love you as you love it.

I am going to include another excerpt from one of my upcoming books `The Final Mile`` I wrote and yes a great many of those chapters involved our Sampson, have a great week!        

       When we had made it to the Florida state line, I stopped into a nearby rest-stop that was just off the I-95 Interstate.The first thing we both saw was a long chain of larger fresh-looking palm trees surrounding the whole area.I saw this oversized  “Welcome to Florida, The Sunshine State” sign near the entrance of the rest-stop as Carol handed me Sam’s leash along with him. He jumped down off the steps of the truck along with my help and shook his head like he always did when he began to walk. It didn’t take Sam long to find out where he wanted to be either, as his yellow mural eyes set their sights on a smaller lake nearby. Sam quickly started prancing towards the waterline just off the grassy shore. That dog immediately made a bee-line into the smaller lake oblivious of to what was beneath it.Sam started ruffling around with his front paws at the rocks he could see through the clear blue water. As for me, I just continued to hold his leash from the shore because he was so wrapped up in moving the small rocks and pebbles around with his front paws. That was Sam’s thing; he loved walking around in the water digging out the rocks as he would find the ones he was specifically enthralled with. After about 45 minutes had passed, I pulled him back in, removed his collar and the leashAfterall, I knew Sam just wanted to explore further, so I let him have his freedom. Even though the lake was situated very close to the interstate, I wasn’t worried about Sam swimming off anywhere either. He was too immersed with his rocks, mud and pebbles to care about anything else. That dog was now in his seventh heaven as he was the happiest I had ever seen him that day. I filmed some of his best moments, doing what he loved best, playing in the water. When Carol had got back from the washroom, she too watched Sampson with awe and wonderment. Finally we had to get going, so I rinsed him off and towelled him dry at the truck. As usual after every type of bath, when he got back into “Barney” he jumped back on our bed in the sleeper. Then he did what he always had done, and that’s rip, snort rolling around madly in our blankets. After we were on the road, it didn’t take Sampson long before he had fallen fast asleep sprawled out on the sleeper bed. That dog could snooze for hours as long as he could hear our voices while he slept.

        You could sure tell we were getting closer to “the magic city” too as I would drive by the large walls full of overgrown lush dark green foliage. Not to mention, Carol taking snapshots of the sights of Miami on what had become a very dark, dreary and overcast morning. Just after one o’clock in the forenoon, the sun began to shine, and I couldn’t help but stop by one of the roadside stands. I think the giant stuffed man-sized alligator in the cage on a wagon first caught my eye. There was this huge Orange and Blue sign underneath the enclosure that said “We Ship Fruit” Now Taking Orders” Well the first thing I did was take a picture of what was packed to the gunwales in the confine. You better believe we took additional photos there too, but inside was even better.  A ways in the back, there was this 13 foot, 6 inch alligator perched way up on an enormous platform. At one time this gator was alive weighing in at a startling 800 lbs. His age when he had been killed was somewhere between 40 to 50 years old. This gator had been caught near Orange County Florida on the outskirts of the city of Orlando. Also with this display was all these smaller tiny alligator heads, key chains of gator claws, as well as a collage of touristy t-shirts on the back walls. It was definitely worth taking pictures of for future memories. Now you may think that all those dead gator heads, as well as the stuffed gator was inhumane, but as a matter of fact the Florida Game Commission supports it. 

       The gator population is so out of control that every September annually; they allow people to hunt these reptiles for sport and food due to the overabundance of them breeding in this large sparse area. Not only had the American Alligator become a threat to itself, but also an extreme risk to people living in Florida, as well as Louisiana too.

       Later I stopped by to fuel up at a local truck stop for the night as well as rest and food until the next morning. I took Sampson on a walk in his new orange and black booties, due to the pavement being still quite hot for his pads on his paws. It was a bit comical to see him try and walk with these things, but after about five or ten minutes, he was starting to get the hang of it. I think in another life Sampson must have been a bloodhound because that dog would just about sniff everything in sight. After about an hour or so, I picked him up and placed our dog in the truck for a nice long nap. 

        In the morning we headed for the Port of Miami to deliver these gluten-free cookies to “Disney Cruise Ship Lines” there. Both Carol and I were absolutely shocked to find the extremely tight and dirty looking docks at one of the buildings I was to parked at. Next, I had Carol go inside the warehouse with me to stack various flavors on separate pallets. It seemed like we were forever plagued doing this with this new company I was working for, so it became a real pain in the ass! Surprisingly, you could not imagine more deplorable conditions to house these special gluten-free cookies. Surprisingly, we actually saw these rather large rat traps that were situated in the corner floors of the warehouse. Carol just looked at me and I shook my head in complete disgust. After a good hour came by and went, I was off to my next drop off in Tampa Bay which was about a four hour drive Northwest of Miami.

      If there was a city that I would ever live in Florida, Tampa Bay was definitely it. Not only was it clean, but the architecture was modern but also Spanish flavored as well. I ended up driving over to the main “Port in Tampa Bay” there and parking “Barney” into a dock. While we waited to get unloaded, again I took Sampson out for a walk along the pavement of the port. Once again I had to put on his booties due to the scorching heated pavement

. He didn’t seem to mind though as all he wanted to do was get out and prance around in them. Sampson had quite mastered walking around in the clumsy booties and actually seemed to be enjoying the crisp clean ocean air as well. The water was a spectacular sapphire blue as the hot Florida sun shone upon it. There were all kinds of seagulls flying in and around there, but Sampson didn’t seem to mind. Carol stayed busy making herself a coffee and rolling some cigarettes back in the truck, as well she had purchased a book at a truck stop awhile back so she started reading it being content for now.

        

A PITTI-FULL THING COMES FULL CIRCLE

       What a year 2016 has been, I can't say it was good, but then again, I can't say it was all bad either. I'm sure you can all agree, that it really sucks when you lose a job, through basically no fault of your own. You do everything you can to possibly avoid an accident, but some crazy Somalian out there decided to tangle with a fully loaded B-Train of livestock.So what can you do, well you sure don't wallow in depression, that's for sure. Besides the "Truck Gods" have other plans for me. I can tell you one thing, dumping waste at a landfill sure ain't one of them. Nonetheless, we should be talking about everyone's favorite bully breed, the pitbull, or the Staffie, Staffordshire bull terrier and the American Bull Terrier.
        When January of 2016 came around, Pitbull Trucking was still just a site where lonely truckers came to view and post pictures of their Pitbulls that they had either seen at various truckstops or owned themselves
         My wife Teryl and I had started Pitbull Trucking in honor of our beloved Sampson who passed away Jan 23,2014 from kidney failure. In fact, we get comments of why we are called "Pitbull Trucking" when truly, we really don't have much to do with the trucking field as such. Oh sure, I am a truckdriver and have been one for almost 15 years now, but that's not why we call it that.
         Our boy Sampson was a red-nosed merle purebred Pitbull that traveled Canada and most of the United States of America in his big rig home. Teryl and I met so many Truckdriver who had companions for Pitbulls and there wasn't one of them, that Sampson didn't meet and interact with either.
          What we started as a basic site as just trucking pictures with our fellow truckdriver's became something for Sampson's new found "pitty friends" Then as I left the long haul trucking field in 2013, our site kind of took a back seat, for awhile and pretty much remained dormant. After Sampson passed away, early in 2014, my wife grieved for two years on his loss, and I continued with mainstream trucking life. I was into hauling recycling, dabbling in the Oilpatch, hauling cement to rig sites, and most recently hauling chickens for the last year and a half.
          After Sampson, passed away, I started writing my life story again, as I knew after the last six years of  toiling away, 500,000 words later, something had to give and it did.Not only did I write a book on my life, but I discovered that to my ultimate surprise, I wrote five books, broken into various stages of my life. Most notably books three, four and the fifth and final one involve stories of our dogs, including pitbull mixes like Shadow, who really started the whole pitbull thing for us. However, Sampson and his sister Brodi were a very large portion of the last 14 years of our lives, so yes there are stories of them as well. I should mention Brodi is a brindle pitbull that had sired two litters of puppies, and still is very much alive, living with my stepdaughter Teal in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. So what changed everything, you ask, why is Pitbull Trucking becoming such a strong entity now on facebook.
          Well to answer that question, it basically came about with the arrival of two rescue bully bred dogs. There was my rescue Pitbull/Whippet mix female six-year-old dog Oklahoma, or Okee as we now call her, and we can't forget our newest member of the family, Julips or just Jewel. Ironically both dogs were rescued from Ardmore Oklahoma and Sacremento California in the USA.
          In the last six months or so, Pitbull Trucking has acquired almost 1,200 true followers.We have seen over 6,000 views come through our site alone, and we presently enjoy a stellar rating of 4.5 or better. In early summer, we were one of the lucky people that were recently interviewed for the documentary filmed by Brian Barnhart called BSL Montreal. We are strong advocates and fully support rescue societies like "Lauri Restad and Just One more Animal Rescue and Recovery of Swan Hills, Alberta, or Brian Ferreira of Rescue Foodie in Ontario.Recently we started our first home visit in helping people like Lauri, in the interview process of rehoming a rescue or shelter dog, most notably a pitbull breed.
          This site has become a labor of love for my wife Teryl and I and I definitely could not do it without her constant awareness and various postings of bully breed paraphernalia. Our aim is to make people aware of what is going on with the plight of this wonderful breed of dog. They are one of the most humanistic, tactile dogs you will ever own.Unfortunately, the media has almost destroyed the bully breeds reputation, to the point where people like Mayor Dennis Coderre of Montreal has instituted a complete ban on not only Pitbulls but any dog over 30 kilograms. It is ignorant, uneducated assholes like him, and others out there, that our aim is to bring the awareness of BSL (breed specific legislation) that it does not work. In fact, if you look at all the scientific data that supports this, it will never work. Yet many provinces, such as Ontario, Manitoba and soon to be Quebec enact it, thinking they are doing the right thing. Not to mention, countless cities and states of the USA that have the same stupid ineffective BSL laws, sentencing thousands of pitbulls to a needless death.
           That's where sites like ours come into the picture, to bring awareness and educate the ignorant and truly not knowing out there in internet land that really don't have a clue what a Pitbull is. I maintain until you have owned one, you cannot possibly make an informed educated opinion on this breed.
           Our plans for the future include merchandising things like calendars, tee-shirts, coffee mugs etc, with our new upcoming logo on them. I will be marketing my books I have written, plus hopefully getting more involved in home visits to know we are making a difference in a Pitbull's life someway, somehow. You can better believe, we will also be giving back, by donating funds to rescue centers, and societies as well. Maybe if we win the lottery or the book sales become a success as I hope, we too can start our own rescue society. I don't know where the future will take us, but I do know that Pitbull Trucking will continue to be a voice for this breed, to support Sampson in his memory, we will keep on trucking against canine profiling and BSL. Sampson did not leave this world for nothing, for us he will live on through our Pitbull Trucking site!
           Once again I will post an excerpt of my book for your reading enjoyment and we wish all of you a very merry Christmas and a joyous New Year. Here's hoping 2017 will be your year full of love and happiness. This was taken from Book 4 titled "Road History"
       The dawn’s fingers were fumbling into a spectacular Texas Sunrise, so I left there after my “short-lived camel adventure” and headed down the highway. Nevertheless, I was free for the rest of the day so I came across an idea that day when I was listening to my satellite radio. It seemed the Anaheim Ducks were in Dallas to play my favourite team, the Dallas Stars, as it was game 6 of the conference finals. Afterall it was April 20, 2008 and I had an opportunity to get a ticket to watch the Stars take the ducks out of the playoffs, so why not.

        About 3 hours later, I dropped off the trailer in Cleburne and bobtailed my way to American Airlines Arena where the Dallas Stars play there. I was surprised to find I could even still get a ticket at that, but it only cost me $80.00 to go to a playoff game here. I was pleased to find the temperature in Dallas that day wasn’t too bad, only 78 degrees Fahrenheit, which would be about 26 degrees Celsius. Well that much I was happy with, as it was my main concern for Sampson, leaving him parked in the truck, while I would be watching the game later that evening. Well I could idol the truck at least and keep the air conditioning on so he would be more than fine. However, when I got to the game which was a couple of hours away, the parking lot attendant told me that I could not idol the truck. So once again, my plan was side-tracked, so I came up with another ingenious idea. I decided to take Sam on a good long walk, hoping I would find some water fountains for him to cool off in. I parked “Barney” in a double-parking lot, paid twice the fee, and began to walk Sampson around downtown Dallas, where we were situated at. It was probably one of the best walks Sam had ever had, as he did indeed locate some tall cascading water fountain at a large office building near the Arena. I took off his collar and leash, sat down on a city bench and watch the dog play and frolic in the water. He especially liked moving the rocks and pebbles around with his front paws, while a showery mist of water cascaded down the wall. Sampson was jumping back and forth, and would shake the water off him literally every 3 minutes, as he was having one whale of a time. He must have been in those water fountains for a good hour until I realized I had to get him back into the truck. I made sure he was still a bit damp, when he got back into the truck, as the Wabasto stationary AC was working okay, but I still didn’t trust it. I made the decision to run all the ways back to the truck after every period to check up on Sam, despite the fact I would have preferred to stay for the whole game, including intermissions, but that’s the kind of pet owner I am. I pretty much will do anything for the care and comfort of my dog, that’s just the way I was raised, I guess.

       So, I finally get into the American Airlines Arena, and it is without a doubt, the largest indoor arena, I have ever been to. Nothing compares to it, not even the Saddledome back in Calgary which I had been in a few times to watch my Stars play the Flames. As I was reading the program, I had specifically purchased for the game, I came across a section on the American Airlines Center. It stated that this place was in Victory Park which I knew was near downtown Dallas. This venue also serves as the home for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA and of course the Dallas Stars of the NHL. This arena is also used for Rock Concerts with the Eagles being their very first concert here back in July 28,2001. In point of truth, this facility opened on July 27, 2001, with the largest ribbon cutting ceremony ever performed. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it set a record just for that. It cost just about 420 million dollars to pay for this center, with the American Airlines Corporation acquiring its naming rights at a cost of 195 million dollars. I could not believe the seat I had purchased as it gave me a good view of center ice as well as both end zones. I just couldn’t believe I was finally here in Dallas of all places about to watch my Stars take on the Ducks. Not only that, they had a chance to go on and meet the Detroit Red Wings, should they win this game tonight, so a double whammy in store for me, I thought to myself. As it was by the first period the teams were both scoreless, so I rushed my ass back to the truck where Sampson was sitting in the passenger seat pining for me to return. I quickly let him out to go the bathroom, returned him back into the truck, and checked on the AC back in the sleeper. It was all okay, so I locked up the truck and headed back to the game. By the time, I got there they had already started the second period, in fact, I probably missed about five minutes of it, if I can recall. All I know was the Ducks were leading one to nothing and for the rest of that period, there was no more scoring by any of the teams. So again, I quickly exited out of the building to get back to Sampson at the truck, to make sure, he was okay. Just as I suspected, he was asleep, when I woke him up, but now it didn’t really much matter as the sun had gone down and it was dark outside. However, it was still warm out, so I opened a good many of the windows for him.  I gave him an Alpo dog treat, which he just loved, and assured him, I would be back in about another hour. When I had got back Dallas had scored to tie the game, along with another minute when I had just sat down, they scored again to go ahead in the game 2-1. By the last 3 minutes of the game Dallas had scored two more goals with a commanding 4-1 lead, thus winning the game and the series. I cannot say enough of my evening that night. Just watching all the celebrations from all the Stars fans was so exhilarating for me and you can better believe I took as much camera and video footage as possible. When I got back to the truck, I pretty much let Sam have all his head out the passenger window.  I just blared on that air horn, leaving the arena to many Dallas Stars fans delightsome things happen in your life and that night was no exception for me, as I would never forget it.

A PITBULL RESCUER POEM

A Pitbull is your forever dog
They will walk through rain, snow, ice & fog.
This breed is so often misunderstood
Its because of idiots who use them to fight, the "Boys in the Hood!"
This is a dog that is even more human
and they sure ain't like Seinfeld's Neuman.
A Pitbull will get right into your heart and soul
When they eat, they tip the water and their food bowl.
They will lay on the floor, the rug, couch, and even your bed
Pitbulls come in all sizes and colors, browns, golds and red.
They will knock you down and lick your face
Our dog runs out the porch door, jumps in the air, like its a race.
They generally don't attack and their jaws do not lock
You might even find them jumping over the ocean's waves or even by the dock
They are named bullies, terriers, and even a staffy
You can feed them apples, pears and maybe some salt-water taffy
I have heard them called Sampson, Brodi, Okee and Copper
When you come home, they knock you down but make a great short stopper.
They chew on furniture, socks but their favorite is a stuffy
Their fur can feel like velvet, and smooth, it sure ain't fluffy.
They will dance, jump and run around your yard like it's the first time
I hope you like this poem on them as it seems to rhyme.
A Pitbull will look at you in awe and affection
They will jump and crawl over you, so you need to use your arms in deflection.
They love walks, the outside, and even rides in your car.
You must walk them on a leash at all times so they don't get too far.
There is no more love in this world that a dog like this can give
They will always be your buddy as they sure know how to live.
They drink lots of water, love treats but are sloppy eaters
However when the door bells rings, sometimes they aren't the best door greeters.
They will watch in the window and wait until their master comes home
When they see you, they'll jump on you, messing your hair, so you'll need a brush or a comb
Why they are banned in so many cities and towns I do not know
 It's sad to see so many in shelters row upon row.
 For certain reasons they have become such a hated breed
Buts its not the Pitbull, but mostly it's owner that does the bad deed
So yes, you could say I am biased but not all these dogs are good
It's the lonely, deprived unsociable ones that are often misunderstood
In fact, I have owned many of these wonderful dogs
Some were black and white,with brown spots that could have resembled hogs
It really doesn't matter what they look like, this bully breed has something for you
They can make your bad day go away, so your not so blue.
They will cuddle with you, lie beside and even fight for you until their dying breath!
They have names, like Jack Sparrow, Dancer, Fire, and even Beth
Sadly, their life expectancy is around 8 to 15 years.
So let's raise a glass to the Pitbull, they deserve our cheers.
They come in all sizes and shapes, and yes they have a loud bark
They love to hide under your covers, as some are scared of the dark.
They have big heads, and a large furry body.
They look colorful, in their golden hues and browns, this dog is such a hotty.
So nothing more about this wonderful breed needs to be said.
In fact, my dogs just went to sleep on my bed
I so needed to write these things about this wonderful Pitbull, dog
If you ever own one, you'll thank me for this blog.
Some of you have been asking about my upcoming book "Sidewinder" so in that spirit, I have taken another excerpt out of this book. This was when we first got out Pitbulls Sampson and Brodi.
         In the meantime, I was reduced to the role of “Mr. Mom” at home, which was also good for my step kids. I was also missing my dog Taro so much too, that it was suggested to me to go to this place called “Klassic Kennels” just outside of Red Deer to look at some dogs. Reluctantly I did this on my own and came home with what I thought, was my new friend.

        Her name was Tasha, a beautiful white Sheppard, a bit shy but I thought she had potential, to be a good pet for me. However, after that winter we had, it was quite apparent that Tasha was no Taro, so we weren’t bonding that well either. I mean she wasn’t vicious or anything like that, she just liked being outside all the time. I mean I had tried to spend time with her but due to my ongoing job search, I was so immersed in finding employment once again.

         Now also in that period, unbeknownst to both Carol and I, that Skyler had been searching for dogs on the internet on our home computer. Not just any breed of dog but the breed of dog commonly hated by the media, at that time, known as Pitbulls!

         I sure don’t need to get into the semantics of what a Pitbull Breed Dog is, as we have all heard through the media as to the temperament of these dogs. In additions to that very thing law enforcement agencies had reported these dogs were being used for nefarious purposes in the past. This activity included guarding illegal narcotic operations which were being used against the police, as well as drug enforcement agencies. I truly believe when a great number of these attacks started in different states, back in 1979 to 1988 there was more media scrutiny to corroborate this.

         First of all, I would like to say most of the negative stuff you hear about these wonderful dogs is pure “Bull Shit!” They are without a doubt, one of the most tactile dogs you could ever own, and mainly I say this from experience having owned these wonderful animals. Their jaws do not lock up like you have heard, it is just that they can exhibit a bite, hold or “shake behavior” and yes even at times refuse to release whatever is in its jaws. These animals have wide skulls, where the brain has room to develop with complete space, well-developed muscle and of course very strong jaws.

         In point of truth, when you hear of a “Pitbull Attack” for no apparent reason it is usually those of a “Mixed Breed” In other words, as their skulls develop this usually puts pressure on their brains, causing enormous discomfort and even pain. You have all heard the phrase “the dog just attacked that person and went mad!” That is what is meant by that but more importantly and I cannot stress this enough, it is how they are raised from birth! All you must do is show an animal, no matter what breed it is, complete love, nurturing and respect!  Now as they grow up to from puppy to an adult dog, they most likely will act that very way. There’s an old saying, “Punish the deed, not the breed!” You can’t tell me there are not German Shepherds, or Akita, maybe Rottweiler or even Black Lab attacks going on in this world we live in. It is more often the owners who train these dogs to be aggressive and non-responsive to human kindness. Naturally, if any dog is placed in a situation where it must fight to survive, it’s their very nature to fight if it’s cornered or threatened?  Today in the day and age, tell me why Pitbulls are now filling roles as companion dogs for the elderly. They also make great police dogs, along with therapy dogs for the blind or those with other health issues. That’s kind of my rant and rave on this subject for now. We got off topic there for a bit but now back to my story at hand.

        So now October of this same terrible year rolls around and my stepdaughter Skyler had decided to purchase two Pitbull Puppies from a breeder in Mackenzie British Columbia. The problem was she didn’t have any money so she came to me with her baby blue eyes and pleaded her case. I was to send $200.00 to someone I don’t even know on the internet for the purchase of two puppies, I mean we might as well black and white it right? Did I fall for the presumed scam, or did I deny Skyler the opportunity to own this controversial breed of animal? Well, on a whim and a prayer I sent the money to the breeder, on my stepdaughter’s belief that everything would work out fine. After a week went by, I became a bit worried as I felt maybe we had been ripped off! My fears regarding that were overcome when the following week, I received a phone call from security at the Edmonton International Airport. They stated on the phone we had a package that arrived from Mackenzie BC in the form of two small puppies. So the kid's Dad, Hank travelled out to Edmonton and brought home for us, two additions to our family. Skyler named the small brindle brown and white “Pitbull-Pup Brodi” after a punk rock chick in a rock band she liked. She was white with brown spotted markings and very petite and lady-like. The other pup that was a bit larger but had really cool markings too, including mostly white fur to start off with.

     However, he did have brown markings in spots on his rear end even browner spots on the right side. The larger pup also had a larger brown patch that wrapped around behind his neck and down to his left paw. The right side of the pup’s face was darker brown patched as well as around his right eye, a remarkable array of markings! Skyler named him mighty Sampson or just Sampson for short, but later we ended up calling him Sam. The funny thing was that because I had Tasha now, Carol had decided it best to give Sampson up to one of Jack’s best friend Canton. Ironically, this kid had a very sordid past of drugs, booze, plus his Dad and Mom weren’t any better at the time either. Obviously, we both had grave concerns about giving Sampson to Jack’s friend Canton.
      Furthermore, Tasha seemed to enjoy the new pup’s company. I mean she wasn’t playing with them that much, but she wasn’t hurting them at all. I don’t know what it was, but Tasha changed her attitude towards our family, as she became more reserved, plus she always wanted to spend time outside. She sure wasn’t an indoor dog, probably more suited to live out on a farm somewhere. Moreover, we still had to see if Canton was going to take Sampson and give us the hundred bucks for him. After a couple of weeks went by, Carol seemed to get quite attached to Sampson and I as well. When Canton decided he couldn’t take Sampson, we both made a decision to keep him but take Tasha back to “Classic Kennel” where I had got her from. The story did end well for Tasha, too though as she got what she wanted, a new farm setting, just outside of Sylvan Lake. 

TWO MORE GREAT PITBULL STORIES

                   ANOTHER PITBULL RESCUER SPEAKS FROM THE HEART
     This week we revisit another wonderful "Pitbull Rescuer Families" who opened up their heart to give a forever home to one of our own, the pitbull known as Hooch. Just recently they moved from the unfriendly BSL state of Kentucky to the recently denounced anti Non-BSL state of Arizona to the friendly confines of the great city of Phoenix.
      Hooch was born December 10, 2009 and came to Brenda in the form of a cute adorable puppy in her daughter's Stacy's purse. It was on Valentine's day of that year of all dates that this loveable guy, wiggled his tail into their hearts and his new home.
       As any bully breed owner will tell you, it was love at first site, according to Brenda as the tiny pooch cuddled with her on the couch while watching TV, as the kids attended a church function. Hooch the pitty puppy was very rambunctious at first, destroying Brenda's almost new livingroom suite, the kids's Michael Jordon Nike Sneakers, as well as a pillow-top mattress on her bed.
       He was a bit of a klutz too, tumbling down the stairs on his way to greet her kids, when they came home that evening. Brenda says "he is the greatest love of her life", next to her kids of course.
       She also goes on to tell me that she wouldn't own any other breed as she feels safe with this dog in her kids sites. Not only that, she feels quite safe with Hooch, knowing this protective dog will not let anyone harm her family.
       He has taught me to love again in a different way, she quotes. Also a more and better positive way, he has also taught me many things about myself. They deserve to be recognized for what they are, not all the rumors and negative innuendo that stereotypes them as bad attack dogs, she finishes telling me. Brenda Withrow, like all new pitbull/bully breed owners, have once again, discovered the unconditional love and affection that a pitty can bring into a family.

    PITBULLS FROM SHELTERS AND POUNDS NOW BEING TRAINED AS POLICE DOGS

       After 9/11 there was quite a shortage of qualified detection dog prospects in America. So Europe became involved with very expensive bred 10 to 15,000 dollar police dogs, trying to fill that very important policing void. Nonetheless, these dogs proved themselves to be washed-out and harder to train.
       Next came an effort from the Animal Farm Foundation from Bangall New York with help from the Austin Pets Alive Shelter out of Austin Texas. The idea was to introduce and train North America's first dog detection handler. In fact, these dogs were selected because of their sheer intensity,  and their ability to be rewarded for a job done right, such as a stuffy or Kong toy. The American Pitbull is of a medium size, doesn't shed or drool like their former German Sheppard and Belgian Malinois Police Dog counterparts. These "pitbull type dogs" now serve as narcotics and explosive detection dogs. They are seen at US Ports of entry, the Washington State Ferry System, Washington State Patrol, along with other county K9 detection units.
       Training shelter dogs to perform police work is a cost effective measure. Police Department in North America will no longer have to spend excessive amounts of money purchasing their 4-legged furry officers. Although money is the major issue here, it is very important to note how many hundreds of "Pitbull Dogs" will be saved from euthanization in shelters due to overcrowding and breed stereotyping.
       The Pitbull as a police dog is tough, able to withstand extreme cold and warmer temperatures in various parts of the United States. They are fearless, where they won't back down from someone with a gun or a knife. They are loyal to the death if need be, to protect an officer in harm or a dangerous situation. They are smart, where they actually scored as smarter than other former police dogs used in bomb detection, missing children, and even adults.
       These shelter Pitbull type dogs are getting a second chance at life where normally a great many of them would be spared the "death needle
       Shaka is another "Pitbull Hero" who was rescued by an advocate being found in a city pound in New York. When her rescuer found Shaka, she had a great deal of determination. This advocate contacted the Washington Patrol Academy and thus began 18 weeks of training for this amazing dog.
        Shaka began serving on the force in the Washougal Police Department. She was only there for 4 years before transferring to another Police Agency in Oregon. Now her handler encourages people to come up and pet her when she isn't working, such as elementary schools. This way they can get to know and understand what Pitbulls are truly like.

Another impressive Pitbull Police K9 is Libby. She was also a graduate of the "Universal K9 Program." This dog was only days away from being euthanized at a high kill shelter when she was rescued. Libby made headlines in 2015,upon investigating a drug house. There she found 3 mason jars, a food bag full of marijuana, steroids and painkillers.    
Ruby is yet another pitbull who was found by Animal Farm Foundations efforts. She was picked up as as a stray dog from the streets of Austin,Texas. Prior to that, she spent 220 days in a shelter before she was finally accepted by the "Universal K9 Program." Ruby is now a member of the Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia Police Department. On her first night on patrol, she sniffed out about half a pound of marijuana, 8 grams of Meth, and numerous percocet pills.

 So there you have it, words from a true Pitbull Rescuer, thanks, Brenda Withrow for your story and now Pitbulls being used a fantastic police K9 officers. If you have a great story about your Pitbull, Staffy or Bully Breed, I want to hear about it. Send it to me on messenger or email me at bws_bearholdings@yahoo.ca  Remember, some bad things happen for a reason, although we don't understand it at the time, the answer will appear to us soon. Have a great week!

THE BEAR'S BLOG: THE RAMIFICATIONS OF BSL (BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATI...

THE BEAR'S BLOG: THE RAMIFICATIONS OF BSL (BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATI...:        It is only now that experts can prove that Breed Specific Legislation doesn't make communities safer for people or pets. It is co...

THE RAMIFICATIONS OF BSL (BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION)

       It is only now that experts can prove that Breed Specific Legislation doesn't make communities safer for people or pets. It is costly, ineffective which undermines the human-dog bond. It is also a waste of hard-earned taxpayer dollars.There are way more important concerns to a community than enforcing BSL which takes away from other precious resources.
        I mean every citizen deserves to be protected from ALL reckless dog owners and everyone needs to be held accountable too. For those families involved, BSL discriminates against certain members of the dog community based on the type of breed of pet they own. Not only that BSL forces families to relocate to other areas of the country in order to keep their beloved pets safe making it difficult to stay connected with other family members. In addition to that BSL discriminates against families on fixed incomes,children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. Relocation may not be an option for these families, thus a complete healthy loved pet is euthanized, simply because of its breed!
        As for most respectable animal shelters, BSL is a huge financial burden for them. There are increases in owner surrenders, which creates even more work for a shelter.There is more euthanasia which means more care for euthanized surrendered dogs. It hinders adoptions which increases the length of stay by restricting dogs which could have been placed in loving, caring homes. This in turn, limits the pool of adopters and generates fear in all shelter animals. Even if your dog is not currently targeted, BSL is a very terrible alternative, as your dog could be the next target.
        BSL lowers the value of dogs and dog ownership by generating hysteria based on false and misleading claims about dog behavior. It alienates dog owners from each other in the community in which they live. Neighbors turn on each other, simply because of the breed of dog they own.
        As far as the politics of BSL are concerned it has never been effective in reducing dog bites and enhancing public safety. It will definitely not have the results that are promised to constituents. It wastes tax payer dollars that could have been used to fund better projects such as education and road repair. All reckless dog owners need to be held accountable for their actions and their dogs, regardless of breed.
        When it comes to Animal Control Officers, BSL is expensive, time-consuming and nearly impossible to enforce. This takes real resources away from protecting a community from truly dangerous animals, including dangerous dogs not belonging to the targeted breeds. BSL makes animal control officers hated as the enemies of the community by forcing them to seize and destroy well-behaved family pets.
        Why is there not any scientific study or data that supports BSL, reducing dog bites?
         A perfect example was in June 2008, the Netherlands repealed its 15-year-old ban on "pitbull type dogs" because it had not resulted in a decrease in dog bites. The flip side of that was Denver Colorado enacted a breed ban in 1989. The citizens of Denver continued to suffer even a higher rate of hospitalization from dog-related injuries after the BSL ban was put in place. Ironically, the people that lived in breed-neutral areas of Denver had less dog bites. Again, what does that say to these uneducated politicians who want BSL, not very much right?
         The conclusion is laws that deem dogs dangerous based on breed or appearances, rather than behavior, fail to protect people from truly dangerous dogs. BSL fails to reach reckless dog owners as they disregard public safety laws anyway. All dog owners should be held to the same standards of human care, custody, and control of their dogs, regardless of breed or appearance.
         So why do these adol-minded politicians such as Mayor Dennis Coderre of Montreal, Quebec try and enforce such ludicrous legislation, when I am sure they are dense enough to realize it doesn't work. One word, here it comes, you guessed it, money and a great deal of it, in their pockets and into the community as a whole, on the deaths of innocent victims, such as the "Bully Breeds!"
         Don't kid yourself, Coderre and his corrupt style of goverment will make hundreds of thousands of dollars, putting this BS ban in place. About $700.00 per family will be squeezed out of each one, just in proper licensing, spay/neuter, micro-chipping, registrations, and even those "Silence of the Lambs" muzzles. Not to mention the killing shelter, Berger Blanc will make even more money murdering innocent well-behaved large breed dogs. I won't get into this, as you'll have to wait for my next blog on this inhumane, business of killing healthy animals for profit. YOu sure don't want to miss that, but to end this, I will once again, include an excerpt from my second upcoming book "Sidewinder" Have a great week, I know I will!
      That following winter, we acquired a new addition to our family in the form of another dog. Actually, it was the kid's father Hank who managed to get Skyler this cute little puppy. One, she could tell everyone would be her very own; in addition to that, she even picked the little girl out. Thus a Black Lab and Pit Bull mix, named Shadow arrived at our little home in the woods. It was also on December 30^th of that same year that Victoria got hit with unbelievable borage of snow. Now for those of you who don’t know, Victoria is well known for their temperate winters, with virtually none of the white stuff, whatsoever. Carol, the kids and I had just returned from Nanaimo, where we had spent that Christmas with Hank, his girlfriend and her whiny kid Stefan. We had been tracking the snow storm that was coming in from the state of Oregon when we were watching it on TV up at Hank’s house.

      Carol suggested that we leave that morning so we packed up the kids and got an early start. It wasn’t too bad for driving conditions until we arrived in Victoria when it started to snow. However, that was nothing compared to the snow covered roads, on our way through Metchosin, out towards Sooke, where our new little home was situated. When we arrived at the cabin, you could barely see the driveway, let alone our small bungalow. Carol and I quickly got the kids into our snow covered chalet, pulled out all the winter clothing and had everyone put them on. She turned on the TV, where we could see that there were power outages as well as collapsed roofs from the heavy snow all over parts of Victoria and surrounding areas. In fact, there must have been a good five feet of snow on that delicate roof of ours, therefore I knew someone had to go up there the next day and take care of it.

      In the meantime, we had introduced Skyler’s puppy Shadow to my dog Taro, but he really didn`t seem too enthused with the newest arrival to our family. That evening we were all dressed in toques, our long johns and sweaters as we went to bed with a cold howling wind whipping the cabin from all sides. The next day I knew we had to get an enormous amount of snow off the roof, for fear it could cave in on us. I was quickly voted unanimously to do it by the other three members of my family.

     While the kids were getting warm inside, and Carol was fixing up one of her infamous coffees, I ventured where no man had gone before. Well, I was definitely some good entertainment for the kids that afternoon as I decided to do a header right off that snow blanket of a roof. You couldn't have pictured it better, as out your kitchen window, you see your guy fall off the crown of the cabin into the snow head first.

     I guess it must have looked pretty comical, as Jack and Skyler reminded me how funny it was. One thing’s for certain, there was never a dull moment with me in the house. It took a good week for all that amount of snow to melt, but eventually life returned to normal.

    It was now the spring of 1997 and tragedy had befallen my stepson’s much-loved pet cockatiel, Maverick. Unfortunately Jack’s little friend had caught a cold from the damp winter we had, and it ended his life. It tore me apart, to see that little guy, so distraught over the passing of his beloved friend. He ended up burying Maverick under a tree, near the house, and for a time thereafter, Jack would sit under that tree quite regularly after school.

     There wasn’t much I could do to comfort his grief, so on the weekends, I would play in the river with Jack, we had out in the backyard. That seemed to console him, some but it was obvious that he truly missed his little buddy Maverick.

     Skyler was completely wrapped up with her new buddy Shadow; plus they would even fish together in the stream quite a bit in those days. Taro had moved out into the garage, as Shadow seemed to be crowding his space. That’s where he spent most of his time in the day, but we still brought him in at nights when we went to bed. Carol had let her good friend Dody know of Maverick’s passing, so she came up with a new pet Cockatiel for Jack. She had told Jack this one’s name was Apache, and at first, he seemed overjoyed with his new found friend. Still, after about a month of trying to teach the bird all the tricks that Maverick had known, he had given up on Apache. Dody ended up taking him back, and Jack didn’t seem so stressed out anymore.

        In the month of May, I was keeping very busy with the usual Spring Tradeshows, at various arenas throughout Victoria. It was there you would find me with the “Cookware Gang“ of would be sales associates. Usually,the group was led by our fearless leader JD, along with his gal Raelene, Shane and his girlfriend, Saul, my recruit Freda and some other of our new hired cooks. We had a booth and table showcasing our shiny Cookware, plus of course that Food Processer. All of us would be wearing white colorful aprons with the Pacific Health Systems Logo on them and whatnot. JD would be reeling in the “would be customers” with free coleslaw salads he had just made with the Food Processor. Mostly everyone that sampled the salad would put their name in the draw for a free food processor or whatever JD wanted to give away at the time. After the trade show had finished, we would call up the qualified leads that had the most pertinent information on the draw slips. I mean if they divulged their occupation, the number in their family they were cooking for as well plus their household income, then of course, we called them first. We would tell them they hadn’t won the food processor but had one a free dinner-show instead. It was a slam dunk, which mostly everyone said yes to that, and we would ask them to invite two other couples as well. Afterall, JD knew that one out of every three couples were purchasing our cookware after the dinner show was over. We stayed busy for a good three to four months of putting on dinner shows, well after a trade show had ended too.

          It was around the following month of April tragedy again visited our household, this time, it was our dog Shadow! Skyler had been walking her little buddy with Carol to go out to get the latest mail. They were walking together by the side of the road when some guy had intentionally gone out of his lane to hit the dog with his van. He didn’t even stop and kept on going, as it was quite obvious that he had some sort of deranged mind to do such a mindless act.

         Nonetheless, the damage had been done, and little Shadow’s right back leg, hip as well as most of her back end had been shattered in many places. Shadow was still a six-month-old pup when she got hit by some uncaring individual driving that vehicle and her injuries were going to be very expensive. When it happened, Carol and I certainly did not have the financial means to pay for Shadow’s operation to have her hip reconstructed. I knew we would have been forced to put Shadow down, but my Skyler pleaded with me with tears in her eyes to save Shadow that evening. What could I do, but try and find a way to financially pay for her dog’s operation? So I went to a source of income I knew would be able to help me and that was my boss and good friend JD Cantry.

           I told him my dilemma; furthermore, I told him I would work it off , selling sets of cookware in the coming months. JD was no dummy! It was a simple plain fact this young man knew that he could keep his number one cookware salesman working for him, for quite some time. All he had to was to lend me the money for Shadow’s operation because he knew he was getting paid back in more than just money.

           So to save and prolong Skyler’s dog’s life, I put myself in the hole for about $2,000.00 and you’re probably saying to yourself “I would never do that” right?

           I would agree with you somewhat, but until a member of your family has to go through such an ordeal; I still say you would have done what I did. Just think about it, what would you do if your son or daughter came to you with tears in their eyes asking you to save their beloved pet?

          You bet your ass, you would save that pet, no questions asked, so that’s why I did it. Now, I was doing more dinner shows that even thought possible to whittle down some of the $2000.00 debt I owed to JD. I kind of went into a bit of a depression due to the new huge debt that had been forced upon me somewhat. Instead of talking this over with Carol whom I should have done instead, I got back to my computer. You guessed it, I continued playing my NHL 2000 Video game and again till about 5am the next morning. I was becoming more and more moody in the coming weeks, as I wasn’t getting the proper amount of sleep due to playing that dam game! Despite this alarming fact though I was now performing breakfast, dinner and supper shows on some days even, just for the opportunity to sell even more cookware.

          At one point Carol had joked that I was feeding most of Victoria on occasion. It may sound crazy but she wasn’t too far off in her assumption, as I was spending an enormous amount of money to feed the “well to do” of Victoria’s society.

          Shadow had arrived home the next week with the back part of her right and left hip all shaven, where her operation had taken place. Her right back leg was completely bandaged in a red covering, as well as she had medication for some of her pain and discomfort.

          Skyler was never more grateful to see her Shadow come home and even relished the idea of playing nurse maid to her pet. 

       














     
     

THE BEAR'S BLOG: ...

THE BEAR'S BLOG:                                                   ...:                                                     A PITBULL RESCUERS STORY       Well, I thought it was time to focus on all my Pitbull R...