Fighting pet prejudice

Direct Link to Article: http://www.thedurhamnews.com/front/story/191566.html

Fighting pet prejudice

Article by Pam Spaulding
I'm a Bull City native, but it's safe to say more people know me as a national political blogger at PamsHouseBlend.com, where I write about LGBT rights, race and gender issues, the Religious Right and life in the South. My first column for The Durham News is a bit off the beaten path.
When our shelter dog Lab mix Bailey passed, my wife and I (yes, we legally married in Canada, and it's not recognized in my home state) visited the Durham Animal Protection Society looking for the right match for our remaining dog Chloe, a Bichon Frise. We found Casey.

A tan American Pit Bull Terrier, she was eager to please from our first meeting. We initially had our eye on a retriever mix, but it nearly fear-bit us when it entered the room.

The irony is that the pit bull, the Staffordshire Terrier and the Bull Terrier are often targets of breed-specific discrimination that, quite frankly, is akin to racism. It touches the same hot buttons: images of gang-bangers and thugs who think owning a fighting dog enhances their street cred. It's ironic that the pit bull was historically bred not to be human-aggressive and many aren't dog-aggressive either.

The pit bull actually scores higher on the American Temperament Test than many popular breeds considered "friendly."

But with the bad rep in mind, we knew our new addition to the family had to be an exemplary ambassador for the breed; we took Casey to obedience class, and wanted to place her in dog daycare a couple of times a week for socialization. Dog parks were out, because even if our dog didn't start a scuffle, it's quite common for owners of other breeds to blame the pit if anything happens.

What I encountered during my search was one local facility with a breed-specific discriminatory policy. It said:

"Due to input from clients across North America and experience at our Camps with various breeds, we made the decision in 2006 that certain breeds are not appropriate candidates for our open play environment. ... These breeds include American Pit Bull Terrier, an American Staffordshire Terrier, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one or more of these breeds."

Doesn't that kind of discrimination seem quite familiar, painting an entire group with a broad brush based on the experience with a few? If we're talking about dogs with a bad rap and bite frequency, why aren't Dobermans or Rotties on that list? What if a Golden Retriever attacked another dog -- would that breed be banned? We all know the answer.

Many a young minority man can tell you how women clutch their bags or cross the street as they approach, regardless of how the man is dressed. I got a taste of this while walking Casey. Kate was walking Chloe and I was bringing up the rear with Casey and we approached a family. Chloe was getting excited, barking, and she lunged to play with the little girl. The mom let her, never questioning whether Chloe might bite. When I came past, the mom immediately called her daughter off the trail to avoid the Pit Bull.

Otherwise intelligent people completely, utterly take leave of their senses about this -- and it's too often reinforced, even by dog professionals like that dog care facility. Not all are that way though; Casey and Chloe ended up going to Pet Ritz @ The Triangle, where Pits, Dobies, Rotties and other breeds that often suffer bad raps are assessed and accepted as individual dogs.

Contact Pam Spaulding at pam@phblend.com. Tell us what you think of this and future My View columns in a letter to the editor at

Dog Shot While Protecting Owner

Dog Shot While Protecting Owner
Pit Bull Shot During Home Invasion Robbery Attempt
POSTED: Monday, March 2, 2009
UPDATED: 9:44 pm EST March 2, 2009

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A pit bull is credited with saving his owner's life. The dog took a bullet during a recent home-invasion robbery in Mayport.



Man has to adjust to life on three legs after being shot while protecting his owner from a trio of armed robbers.

The 10-month-old dog named Man protected his master, Mike Thomas, when he needed him most.

"My dog protected all of us. He took the bullet for all of us," Thomas said.

He said he was at home last week with his brother and some friends. That's when, police said, three men stormed through the front door of the home with a shotgun.

Thomas said the men were wearing masks and trying to rob him.

"I seen like three dudes run up on the porch, and I kind of jumped up. As soon as I jumped up, they ripped the door open and my dog jumped from sitting beside me all the way to the door and jumped on one of them. The dude got scared and shot him," Thomas said.

The pit bull scared the intruders before anyone else was hurt. However, the dog's act of courage came at a large price. The shotgun pellet entered Man's left shoulder, and doctors had to amputate his entire front leg.

Thomas said the Clay County Humane Society preformed the $5,000 procedure for free.
"At first, I was a little -- it just wasn't him because I pictured him with four legs. Now, he's used to it. He still sleeps with me on my bed. It's all good. I don’t love him any less," Thomas said.
With the help of his owner, Man has adjusted to life with three legs. Thomas said his dog is pain medication and that the dog's stitches will be removed in a few days.

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