Stacey Coleman, Executive Director scoleman@animalfarmfoundation.org! WHAT TO EXPECT (1) WHAT IS A PIT BULL DOG? AND WHY ARE WE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THEM? (2) UH-OH. THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT BREEDS OF THE WORLD POSTER? (3) NOW THAT WE ARE SEEING DOGS AS INDIVIDUALS CAN WE PLEASE DO THAT FOR ADOPTERS (& OWNERS), TOO? (4) DOGS AREN T PRODUCTS BUT WE HUMANS DO LOVE TO SHOP! (5) STICKING IT TO THE STIGMA October 25 28, 2012 1
PART ONE WHAT IS A PIT BULL DOG AND WHY ARE WE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THEM? And seriously! What is up with the quotation marks and how exactly are they supposed to help me? In the 1980s, when Animal Farm Foundation began, we focused on American Pit Bull Terriers. Our mission was: To restore the image of the American Pit Bull Terrier and protect him from discrimination and cruelty. October 25 28, 2012 2
Over time we realized the dogs we were helping were not necessarily purebred American Pit Bull Terriers, but dogs that someone else had labeled "pit bulls." In 2011, we changed our mission statement: To secure equal treatment & opportunity for pit bull dogs. WHAT IS A PIT BULL? OMAHA, NEBRASKA: Pit bull shall be defined as any dog that is an American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Presa Canario, Cane Corso, American Bulldog, or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one or more of these breeds. MAQUOKETA, IOWA: Pit bull terrier dogs, or mixed pit bull terrier dogs, or any dog which has the appearance and characteristics of being a pit bull terrier. SOUTH BEND, INDIANA: The breed of dog registered and described by the UKC and the ADBA as the American Pit Bull Terrier, also known as the pit bull terrier, and any crossbreed of the American Pit Bull Terrier; but does not include the breeds known as the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the English Bulldog, the Bull Terrier, or the Bulldog, all of which are recognized by the AKC. MANTECA, CALIFORNIA: Any dog that is a Bull Terrier, Miniature Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, or any other dog displaying the physical traits of any one or more of the above breeds. ORANGE BEACH, ALABAMA: A vicious or dangerous animal means any dog that is of a breed which is bred as a fighting or attack dog, or such dog that has been especially trained as an attack, guard, or fighting dog. It varies from place to place! MILLVILLE, NEW JERSEY: An American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, or St. Francis Terrier, or any mixed breed with at least 50% of any combination of aforesaid MIAMI, named FLORIDA: breeds. Testimony by a veterinarian, zoologist, animal behaviorist, or animal control officer that a particular dog exhibits distinguishing physical characteristics of a pit bull shall establish a rebuttable presumption that the dog is a pit bull. October 25 28, 2012 3
WHAT IS A PIT BULL? When&I&started&here&years&ago,&we&called&every&dog&a&mu7.&Now&we&just&call&them& all&pit&bulls. &&&"!New!York!City!Animal!Care!&!Control!Veterinarian! Depending&on&whom&you&ask,&it&can&refer&to&just&a&couple&of&breeds&or&to&as&many& as&five and&all&mixes&of&these&breeds.&because&of&the&vagueness&of&the& pit&bull & label,&many&people&may&have&trouble&recognizing&a&pit&bull&when&they&see&one. &&&"! ASPCA! The&term& Pit&Bull &is&meant&to&refer&to&the&american&pit&bull&terrier&(apbt)&breed& ONLY.&This&is&a&purebred&recognized&by&the&United&Kennel&Club&(UKC)&and&the& American&Dog&Breeders&AssociaTon&(ADBA). &&&"!The!Real!Pit!Bull! Pit&Bull &refers&to&a&group&of&similar&breeds&including&the&american&pit&bull&terrier,& Staffordshire&Bull&Terrier,&and&American&Staffordshire&Terrier.&The&American&Bully&is& the&newest&member&of&the&pit&bull&family. &&&"!Hello!Bully! Dogs&in&the& bully&breed &classificaton&(e.g.,&american&pit&bull&terriers,&miniature& Bull&Terriers,&American&Staffordshire&Terriers,&Staffordshire&Bull&Terriers,&American& Bull&Dogs,&Bull&Terriers,&or&mixed&breed&that&have&the&appearance&or&characterisTcs& of&one&of&these&breeds). &&&"!PetSmart! It varies from advocacy group to advocacy group! PIT BULL IS AN ARBITRARY LABEL AND IS NOT A BREED "Pit&bull"&is¬&a&breed&or&breed&mix,&but&an&ever&expanding& group&that&includes&whatever&an&animal&control&officer,&shelter& worker,&dog&trainer,&politcian,&dog&owner,&police&officer&or& newspaper&says&it&is. &&&& &"!Animal!Farm!Founda?on! It&is&my&professional&opinion&that&this&group&of&dogs&[pit&bulls]&must& be&the&most&genetcally&diverse&dog& breed &on&the&planet &I m¬& sure&what&a& pit&bull&characteristc &is&because&the&term&pit&bull&does& not&refer&to&any&specific&breed&of&dog. && "!Kristopher!Irizarry,!PhD,!Assistant!Professor,!Western!University,! College!of!Veterinary!Medicine!! The&term& PitZbull &does¬&refer&to&a&single&or&recognized&breed&of& dog,&but&rather&to&a&genetcally&diverse&group&of&[dogs]. && "!Wisdom!Panel!DNA!Tests! October 25 28, 2012 4
American&Pit&Bull&Terriers&are&in&& top&10&most&popular&breeds&in&46&states!& March&2012,&Vetstreet.com& Banfield&Pet&Hospitals&the&percentage&of& pit& bull &dogs&visitng&their&u.s.&network&of&clinics& has&increased&by&47%&over&the&past&10&years!& Banfield&Pet&Hospital,&State&of&Animal&Health&2011&Report& Take that, Honey Boo Boo!! PART TWO UH-OH! THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT BREEDS OF THE WORLD POSTER? Maybe give it to the shelter cats and tell them whatever you do, do NOT shred this. And then recycle the shreds. October 25 28, 2012 5
IT S IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT BEHAVIOR BASED ON BREED OR APPEARANCE There&is&no&behavior&that&is&unique&to&one&kind&of&dog. &&&&& "!Aimee!Sadler,!!Behavior!&!Training!Program!Director,!Longmont!Humane!Society!(Colorado)! When&people&look&fondly&at&the&breed&they&fancy&or&angrily&at&the&one& they&fear&and&say&to&me,& They re¬&like&other&dogs, &I&remind&my&li7le& voice&to&recite,& Well,&actually,&they&kind&of&are. &&&& &"!Janis!Bradley,! Breeds!&!Behavior,!The&Bark,!April/May!2011& There&is&so&much&behavioral&variability&within& each&breed,&and&even&more&within&breed&mixes,& that&we&cannot&reliably&predict&a&dog s&behavior& or&his&suitability&for&a&partcular&adopter&based& on&breed&alone.&each&dog&is&an&individual. & Amy$Marder,$V.M.D.,$CAAB$ Director!of!the!Center!for!Shelter!Dogs,! Animal!Rescue!League!of!Boston! October 25 28, 2012 6
VISUAL BREED IDENTIFICATION IS UNRELIABLE & USUALLY WRONG A$ very$ small$ percentage$ of$ a$ dog s$ DNA$ determines$his$en>re$physical$appearance.$$ Dogs$who$look$alike$don t$always$share$dna.$ Also,$ DNA$ does$ not$ always$ manifest$ in$ physical$appearances.$ According!to!DNA!tests,!!both!of!these!! dogs!are!!12.5%!to!24%!golden!retriever! Studies$found$that$when$adop>on$agencies$guess$the$breed$mixes$of$shelter$dogs,$ they$are$wrong$75%$of$the$>me.*$ *!V.!Voith,!et!al,! Comparison!of!Adop?on!Agency!Iden?fica?on!and!DNA!Breed!!!!!Iden?fica?on!of!Dogs,!Journal!of!Applied!Animal!Welfare!Science,!July!2009.$ CROPPED EARS OR SCARS DON T PREDICT BEHAVIOR OR BREED! Cropped$ears$are$a$ fashion$statement$(or$ an$ajempt$at$one)$and$ scars$happen$for$many$ reasons.$$ Neither$is$a$reliable$ indicator$of$past$ experience$or$future$ behavior.$$ Photo:!BAD!RAP! Photo:!Melissa!Lipani! Making$assump>ons$ about$dogs $experiences$ based$on$their$ears$or$ scars$is$unreliable$and$ provides$no$useful$info.$$ Don t$rely$on$urban$ myths;$get$to$know$dogs$ as$individuals.$ Photo:!Aleksandra!Gajdeczka! Photo:!Melissa!Lipani! Photo:!Dana!Cubbage! October 25 28, 2012 7
THE PETFINDER PREDICAMENT The&Pekinder.com&system&requires&that&we&choose&a&predominant& breed&or&breed&mix&for&our&dogs.&visual&breed&identficaton&in&dogs& is&unreliable,&so&for&most&of&the&dogs&we&are&only&guessing&at& predominant&breed&or&breed&mix.&we&get&to&know&each&dog&as&an& individual&and&do&our&best&to&describe&each&dog&based&on& personality,¬&breed&label. & Dogs Are Individuals October 25 28, 2012 8
PART THREE NOW THAT WE ARE SEEING DOGS AS INDIVIDUALS, CAN WE PLEASE DO THAT FOR ADOPTERS (& OWNERS), TOO? I don t care if my adopter has baggy pants. Heck, I don t even wear pants! WANTING A PIT BULL IS NOT A CRIME Home$checks $and$ background$checks $can$ alienate$adopters$$ and$create$a$$ nega>ve$vibe.$ They$also$reinforce$$ the$no>on$that$$ pit$bull $dogs$need$$ different$treatment$$ or$are$a$liability.$ Instead,$consider$ doing$ homesbased$ meet$and$greets $ $or$ home$deliveries. $$ These$can$be$done$on$ a$casesbyscase$basis,$ as$needed,$instead$of$a$ blanket$prac>ce$for$ everyone.$keep$the$ process$respecuul.$ Pit$bull $dog$adop>on$does$not$require$different$screening$ processes.$what$works$$for$the$other$animals$in$your$care$ works$for$the$ pit$bull $dogs,$too.$ October 25 28, 2012 9
ELIMINATE BREED -SPECIFIC POLICIES & PRACTICES Special$policies$&$prac>ces$that$ only$apply$to$ pit$bull $dogs$do$ not$work$ $and$are$not$needed$ $ at$the$shelter$level.$$ DISCRIMINATORY$SHELTER$POLICIES$include:$ Special$applica>ons$ Special$screening$processes$(e.g.,$home$checks,$background$checks)$ Blanket$restric>ons$on$adopters$(e.g.,$no$kids,$no$other$dogs,$no$ cats,$experienced$owners$only,$no$samessex$adop>ons)$ Mandatory$training$for$adopters$ Extra$requirements$for$volunteers$to$work$with$ pit$bull $dogs$ DON T LET LIABILITY HYSTERIA KEEP YOU FROM SENDING DOGS HOME! In$a$misguided$effort$to$manage$liability,$some$agencies$refuse$to$ adopt$out$certain$breeds$of$dogs,$or$place$blanket$restric>ons$on$ adop>ons$of$certain$breeds.$!! $You$will$fulfill$your$mission$and$manage$risk$when$you:$! OBSERVE$the$dog$while$in$your$care;$ DOCUMENT$your$observa>ons;$ DISCLOSE$known$facts,$and$s>ck$to$the$facts;$and$ TRANSFER$ownership$to$the$new$owner.$ If$shelters$observe,$document,$disclose$and$transfer,$$ they$will$greatly$decrease$their$chances$of$$ being$on$the$wrong$side$of$a$lawsuit,$and$increase$their$$ ability$to$adopt$out$more$dogs$to$loving$families.$$ Source:!hcp://www.na?onalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/?nymce/Lutz%20Viewpoint%20(2).pdf$ October 25 28, 2012 10
FIND REASONS TO ADOPT, NOT EXCUSES TO REJECT! Fridge$was$happiest$sidng$on$the$ couch,$but$did$not$like$being$alone.$ Paul$was$a$crossScountry$truck$driver$ who$was$rejected$from$shelters$ because$he s$on$the$road$ofen.$$ Animal$Farm$adopted$Fridge$to$Paul.$$ They$travel$the$country$together$on$ Paul s$couchsonswheels.$fridge$is$ never$alone.$paul$has$a$cospilot.$$ FACT:$Fridge$has$peed$in$36$states!$ Animal$Farm$pulled$another$dog$to$ fill$fridge s$space.$ October 25 28, 2012 11
EXPERIENCE IS NOT REQUIRED! Every$dog$is$an$individual!$ Jus>n,$&$Emily:$FirstSTime$Dog$Owners$$ Requiring$experience$for$ all$ pit$bull $dogs$ unnecessarily$restricts$ adop>on$matches.$$ First&dog!$ Get$to$know$each$dog$individually$and$support$ adopters$as$needed;$this$approach$is$far$more$helpful$ than$blanket$restric>ons$&$policies.$ FirstZTme& dog&owners!$ DOGS CAN T READ BIRTH CERTIFICATES Kids$are$individuals,$$ just$like$dogs.$$ Don t$rule$out$matches$by$ assigning$blanket$age$ restric>ons.$ Provide$info$on$dog/child$ interac>ons$to$all$adopters.$$ www.dogsandstorks.com! October 25 28, 2012 12
CATS ARE INDIVIDUALS, TOO! There$is$significant$behavioral$varia>on$ among$cats.$a$dog s$ability$to$live$with$ cats$depends$largely$on$the$individual$ cat(s)$in$the$adopter s$home.$ Cat$tests $ with$shelter$cats$or$other$owned$cats$ are$not$transferrable$to$the$adopter s$ cat(s).$ BLANKET RULES MAKES YOU THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF October 25 28, 2012 13
PART FOUR DOGS AREN T PRODUCTS BUT WE HUMANS DO LOVE TO SHOP! I want YOU, to want ME! Heartstrings or Purse Strings? October 25 28, 2012 14
SADNESS REPELS! HAPPINESS SELLS!! Shif$Away$From$Nega>ve$Ads$$ Increases$Giving$to$Animal$Shelter! S$The$humane$society$dropped$its$grim$spots$about$ animal$abuse$and$neglect$star>ng$early$last$year.$such! heart"wrenching!adver?sing!works!with!animal!lovers,!but!the!results!tend! to!be!short"lived,!the!charity!found.! S$Instead$the$charity$has$opted$for$a$series$of$happier$ messages,$like!the!ad!shown!here!that!focuses!on!the!lifelong!bonds! and!emo?onal!connec?ons!between!owners!and!their!pets.!! "!Results$have$been$impressive.!By!the!end!of!last!year,!the! Aus?n!Humane!Society!reported!a!13"percent!rise!in!contribu?ons!From! January!through!April!of!this!year,!for!example,!the!humane!society!has! placed!838!pets!with!new!owners,!up!from!770!during!the!same!months!in! 2010.! October 25 28, 2012 15
INTEGRATE, DON T SEGREGATE Photo:!BAD!RAP! PLAYGROUPS Photo:!BARCS!Pit!Crew! Photo:!BARCS!Pit!Crew! Burn$off$physical$and$mental$energy$$ Get$to$know$dogs $personali>es$bejer$$ Make$beJer$adop>on$matches$ Decrease$cageScleaning$>me$$ Dispel$myths$$ Engage$(and$retain!)$volunteers$ October 25 28, 2012 16
BUSY DOGS SHOW BETTER! Photo:!Nevada!Humane!Society! ( AND ADOPTERS LOVE TOYS! ) TEACH THE DOGS PARLOUR TRICKS LET S$MAKE$A$DEAL!$ PRAY$FOR$THE$PIT$BULLS$ HIGHSFIVE$ October 25 28, 2012 17
GREETERS AIN T JUST FOR WALMART! TAKE US ON A DATE! PICTURES TELL STORIES & DISPEL MYTHS October 25 28, 2012 18
INCLUDE PEOPLE IN ADOPTION PHOTOS Even$a$hand$or$a$foot$ makes$a$difference!$ NO NAKED DOGS! October 25 28, 2012 19
USE FREE MARKETING Monkey Business Hard at Work hcps://vimeo.com/28161508! October 25 28, 2012 20
Monkey Business Goes Home! hcps://vimeo.com/31555194! ALWAYS CARRY BUSINESS CARDS PAST ADOPTERS ARE YOUR BEST MARKETERS! October 25 28, 2012 21
BECOME A HOUSHOLD NAME PART FIVE STICKING IT TO THE STIGMA! October 25 28, 2012 22
SEE THE DOG, NOT THE STORY Market pet qualities Pit Bull Dog Owners Want Safe Communities, too! GENERAL$PUBLIC$ PIT$BULL $DOG$ OWNERS$ The$general$public$ AND$the$ overwhelming$ majority$of$ pit$bull $ dog$owners$share$$ the$same$priority:$$ safe$communi>es!$ A$very$small$minority$of$ RECKLESS$DOG$OWNERS$ (of$any$breed/mix)$ disregard$public$safety$laws$ www.animalfarmfounda?on.org! October 25 28, 2012 23
Dogs Living with Other Dogs hcps://vimeo.com/32273750! EMPOWER DOG OWNERS AFFORDABLE!$ACCESSIBLE!$NONSJUDGMENTAL!$ October 25 28, 2012 24
INSURANCE & RENTALS Photo:!BAD!RAP! $$$$$$$I$am$the$Majority!$ I$am$a $! I$am$a$ pit$bull $dog$owner$! I$am$the$MAJORITY$! October 25 28, 2012 25
When We Discriminate Against Dogs, We Discriminate Against People Pit$bulls $are$dogs;$ Dogs$are$family;$and$ Families$are$community!$ A!community!thrives!! when!none!of!its!members!are! discriminated!against.! A!community!that!is!divided!! by!fear!and!discrimina?on! cannot!thrive.! 52! www.animalfarmfounda?on.org! WE ARE THE MAJORITY: TAKE BACK THE MIC! hcps://vimeo.com/37605097! October 25 28, 2012 26
Drop the doom and gloom. Adopting a pet is fun. And adopting a pit bull dog is no exception! It is ok to have fun and be happy. October 25 28, 2012 27