Pit Bulls, the Ultimate Urban Dog

The scene was Hollywood-ready: On a gritty New York street, a homeless man is having a seizure on the sidewalk. At his side, his unleashed pit bull. When police approach, the dog rises to defend her master, barking as it charges them. The cops shoot the pit in the head, leaving it in a pool of blood in the street.

It’s the aftermath that breaks the stereotype. The dog, Star, somehow survives and is taken to a shelter, where she's given extensive medical treatment. Instead of being vilified in the press as a ruthless killer, Star is by and large depicted as a loyal and even adorable dog who reacted in a normal doggie way. As it stands now, it’s not clear whether Star, who lost an eye and some hearing but otherwise seems to be doing well, is suitable to be put up for adoption. But the entire incident displays a remarkable reversal in what was for years a reflexive reaction to any pit bull anywhere: It’s vicious. Kill it now.

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Massachusetts bans breed specific legislation AND the gas chamber!

In a landmark move by the state of Massachusetts, animal advocates everywhere are celebrating a major win: the ban of gas chambers as a method of euthanizing dogs and cats, and the ban of breed specific legislation.

Thanks to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Advocacy team and countless animal welfare advocates, veterinarians, dog owners, animal control officers and officials, a new animal control bill was introduced and passed.

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Study: Office Dogs Reduce Work-Related Stress

A study found that employees who bring their dogs to work accumulate less stress throughout the work day.

A recent study from the Virginia Commonwealth University found that employees who brought their dogs to work experienced lower stress levels throughout the work day, reported higher levels of job satisfaction, and had a more positive perception of their employer.

"There might be a benefit here," Randolph Barker, business professor at VCU and lead author on the study, said. "It's a low cost wellness benefit, and it could be a recruiting opportunity (for businesses)."

The study was conducted over the span of a week at Replacements, Ltd., a dinnerware manufacturing company in Greensboro, North Carolina. Seventy-six of the company's employees participated in the study and were broken down into three groups: 18 dog owners who brought their dogs to the office each day, 38 employees that owned dogs but did not bring them to the office, and 19 employees that didn't own pets.
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Pit bull owners go to court to fight evictions

Dinwiddie pit bull owners, told to get rid of their animals or face eviction, appeared in court Monday afternoon.

Tenants given that ultimatum back in February by the Green Acres trailer park, say they're not giving up.

"I hope it boils down to us being able to keep the dogs," said resident Arieal Lilly.

The group walked into court united and ready to plead their case. Four tenants have refused to get rid of their pit bulls or move. Now, the group faces eviction.

"I'm hoping everything will work out for the best for all of us because it's not easy to get up and just move," Lilly added.

The tenants appeared in court for the first time with their attorneys.


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Efforts to combat dogfighting gain major ally in RICO statute

Dharma the three-legged pit bull is a survivor.

The canine was found mangled in 2009 when federal investigators busted a massive dogfighting ring that spanned from Illinois to Texas. The raids resulted in the seizure of more than 400 dogs and numerous arrests.

Animal welfare workers said Dharma wasn't used in the dogfights but rather was left chained outside in rural Missouri to produce fresh litters of puppies. The dog's abusers, they said, amputated one of her front legs.

Suzanne Schemm, the dog's adoptive owner, believes Dharma, now 5, is lucky to have escaped from an underground world where crimes against animals are common but often difficult to solve and prosecute.

"This case was just the tip of the iceberg," said Schemm, a southwest suburban resident, referring to the Missouri raid.

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Authorities Bust Bronx Dog-Fighting Ring

Police said they were forced to remove up to 50 dogs from the basement of 1254 Sherman Avenue in the Concourse section Thursday, where a suspected dog-fighting ring was being run. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report.



Scars on a pitbull's face represented evidence of what was going on in the basement of Sherman Avenue and 168th Street in the Bronx.

Investigators said 50 dogs as young as 12 weeks and as old as 5 years were bred, trained and put in fighting matches here.

"There is extensive training equipment," said NYPD Deputy Inspector Anthony Favale. "There's treadmills, it looks like homemade makeshift treadmills. They would put the dogs on to build them up and exercise them. There were areas that were clearly staged for fighting."

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Our Rick James went missing after last nights thunderstorm!

FOUND!!! Rick James Lost!!!

HUGE thanks to Lynn (see comment :), Rick James is now home, safe and sound, with his family! Had he not been wearing his Ring Dog Rescue tag, with our phone numbers, his reunion would've been delayed, or not even at all. So as a reminder, please ensure your pets have proper identification tags on at all times — inside or out.