![\"Hat](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Hat-against-background.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been busier than a cat trying to dodge the proverbial roomful of rocking chairs and it\u2019s late in the month, but I didn\u2019t want to leave October without putting in my effort for Pit Bull Awareness Month (by the time this article gets posted, Oct. 25, which is National Pit Bull Awareness Day, will have passed).<\/p>\n
National Pit Bull Awareness Day was founded in 2007 by Jodi Preis of Cookeville, Tennessee, out of a desire to provide education about and foster awareness of the myths and misinformation regarding what are generally nice, sweet dogs. The ones I\u2019ve met certainly are\u2014probably thanks to the people I hang with. In 2011, to honor the memory of Tiffin, the first pit bull she owned, Preis had the entire month of October designated as National Pit Bull Awareness Month in order to further help dispel the bad rap that this breed bears. (Read Preis\u2019s stories of National Pit Bull Awareness Day and her Bless the Bullys rescue and education information here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Pit bulls may be referred to as American Staffordshire terriers, American bull terriers and a couple of other things; it\u2019s always debatable as to whether they\u2019re synonymous.<\/p>\n \u201cPit bull<\/i> is actually a grouping of several breeds of dogs,\u201d said animal advocate Kym Cloughesy, whose dog Momma Delaney was selected by Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) as the representative for National Pit Bull Awareness Day<\/a>. \u201cDepending on who you speak with, some fall into that group and some do not.\u201d<\/p>\n See if you can pick out the pit bull. You may be surprised. Or not. Image courtesy of Pick the Pit<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n For better or worse, you know them when you see them. If you\u2019re aware of them, you can see certain pittie traits in a mixed breed dog. We see many pit bulls happily wagging their way down Second Street and Pine Avenue with their owners who have rescued them, and we pet them with permission. We also see them in our shelters as results of people who refuse to spay or neuter their pitties\u2014ACS manager Ted Stevens said that although impounds from pit bulls and Chihuahuas have been decreasing, pitties made up 22 percent of the September shelter population and Chis are 25 percent. Combined, he said, they\u2019re 75 percent of dog euthanasia.<\/p>\n Landlords, potential adopters, insurance agents and other individuals see them, too. When they do, their hair stands on end and they either fend them off with flaming torches or run shrieking Twisty the Clown from American Horror Story <\/i>were standing in front of them with a weapon (OK, I\u2019m exaggerating, but it\u2019s Halloween, I\u2019m in the spirit, and I know who the monsters are\u2014they\u2019re not the pit bulls.). Sure, the Internet is rife with pit bull terror tales and videos if you look for them. You can also find attack stories featuring Airedales, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers (what, those gentle babies? Yup.) and standard poodles. I read one about a poodle attacking a pit bull. Should landlords also discriminate against retrievers and poodles?<\/p>\n San Pedro resident Merrilee Adler and her brother, Todd Titterud, make no bones (sorry) about pit bulls\u2019 unearned bad rap.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel that it\u2019s ignorance\u2014they just don\u2019t know pit bulls,\u201d Adler said. \u201cDifferent dogs over the years have gotten bad reputations\u2014German shepherds, Doberman pinschers\u2014in my opinion, there are no bad dogs. People make them bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Adler and Titterud live with Gable, pictured above. Gable was a Long Beach Animal Care Services rescue and is one of the most ridiculous, sweet dogs I\u2019ve met. Gable insists on friendship with every other canine he meets, be it Chihuahua or Great Dane, and refuses to take no for an answer. Titterud, the learning resources director for the now-defunct Brooks College, shares his sister\u2019s scorn for breed-specific discrimination and has researched a lot of pittie lore.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a teacher at Brooks College who rescued pitties\u2014that\u2019s when I first fell in love with the breed,\u201d Titterud said. \u201cThe \u2018bad dog\u2019 reputation is completely unfounded. More owners have been bitten by dogs that aren\u2019t on the scare list. A hundred years ago, pit bulls were the most popular breed in America. They were bred to be work dogs and pull work carts\u2014they\u2019re very loyal and protective. You look at the old movies before Rin Tin Tin\u2014pit bulls were the favorites\u2014Petey the Pup on the Our Gang series, for instance. And then there\u2019s Nipper, the RCA Victor dog. He was a pit bull.\u201d<\/p>\n The Pit Bull Rescue Central website<\/a> <\/i><\/strong>has a wealth of information about pitties, and there\u2019s and education and games page for kids. And if you were considering adding a pit bull to your home, hearth and heart, there\u2019s a whole lot of them available for adoption in shelters and rescues. If you want to be one of the people who want to lead the way out of ignorance and misinformation by example, you still have a few days to adopt one before the end of Pit Bull Awareness Month. And if you can\u2019t do it by the thirty-first, you can always be super-early for next October.<\/p>\n Visit Long Beach Animal Care Services Facebook page<\/a> to read contributions for National Pit Bull Awareness Day and to see some great photos!<\/p>\n \u201cPit bulls are wonderful, loving animals that deserve the chance to have a good life.<\/i>\u201d Out of 49 dogs on Long Beach Animal Care Services\u2019 adoption page<\/a>, nine have been identified as pit bull types\u2014about 20 percent. This doesn\u2019t mean that there aren\u2019t mixes in there as well\u2014the shelter states that the software they use insists that the user identify a breed and that visual ID isn\u2019t always accurate. Two candidates are pictured below; follow this link<\/a> to see these dogs in their best light through the professional photography skills of volunteers Sara Cozolino<\/a> and Jim Nista. Meet them all on the shelter side of the Companion Animal Village at 7700 East Spring St., (562) 570-PETS.<\/p>\n Jane <\/strong>is a 10-year-old senior, but there\u2019s life in the old girl yet. Shelter staff says that she\u2019s spry and sweet, which is a lot of s\u2019<\/i>s. If this brings up a lot of yeses, come down and meet her. Ask for ID #A527815.<\/p>\n Eleven-month-old Sausage <\/strong>is appropriately named because he\u2019ll put you through the grinder with his energy and playfulness! After that, though, he\u2019s ready for a snooze or a stately pose. Sausage loves playing tug-of-war and will love you, too! Ask for ID# A53295.<\/p>\n Trinity<\/strong> is in need of a good home. This sweet girl\u2019s owner was forced to give up his dogs because of a living arrangement and has no choice. Trinity and her siblings are stuck in boarding until they find a home, and Sparky and the Gang<\/a> are trying to help the owner out. Please e-mail sparkyandthegang@yahoo.com<\/a> if you would like an appointment to meet this stunning girl. She\u2019s housetrained and has had all her shots.<\/p>\n On Sunday, I volunteered at the Haute Dog Howl\u2019oween parade, produced by Justin Rudd, a team of tireless, hardworking volunteers, enthusiastic participants and spectators, and a heck of a lot of dogs (and one cat, and a large snake). Below are my two favorite presentations: the All Dogs Go to Heaven float (they promised to include Cats <\/i>next year) and, of course, the Crazy Cat Lady (actually a very young and beautiful Dee Mar\u00edn). After all these years, it\u2019s finally cool to be one. See the photos and videos, including the historic pumpkin drop, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yes, they do.<\/em><\/p>\n Check out the slippers!<\/em><\/p>\n And speaking of Halloween, make sure that your pets are indoors for the next few nights, and please keep the trick-or-treat chocolate away from the dog!<\/p>\n Mayor\u2019s Animal Care Town Hall, Tuesday, Oct. 28, El Dorado Park Community Center, 2800 Studebaker Rd., Long Beach, 6:00PM \u2013 8:00PM<\/strong><\/p>\n Mayor Robert Garcia and the Department of Animal Care Services invite you to a special town hall to discuss animal care in Long Beach. This will be an opportunity to meet Animal Care Staff, volunteers, and community leaders. Rescue partners, animal advocates, and pet guardians are encouraged to attend and join in a hopefully positive conversation about the future of animal care in Long Beach.<\/p>\n Second Annual HOWL-oween Pet Social to Benefit Friends of Long Beach Animals, Wednesday, Oct. 29, Pine Animal Hospital BARK-ing Lot, 900 Pine Ave., Long Beach, 6:00PM \u2013 9:00PM<\/strong><\/p>\n Bark! Bark! Day Care<\/a>, Pussy & Pooch<\/a> and Pine Animal Hospital<\/a> are teaming up to present a yowling good time! Your pets will enjoy the costume contest (maybe!), awesome prizes for themselves and you, tasty bites and libations, and a DJ. There will be lots of treats for tricks as well! Costumes are encouraged. Tickets are $10 in advance (click here<\/a> to purchase) and $15 at the door. All proceeds to benefit Friends of Long Beach Animals<\/a>.<\/p>\n Free Pet Adoptions for Armed Forces service people and veterans, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 8 \u2013 9, spcaLA P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village & Education Center, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, hours of operation<\/strong><\/p>\n SpcaLA and Animals for Armed Forces Foundation honor and say thanks to our dedicated service men and women by providing free pet adoptions. The adoption discount applies to active-duty, reserve, and veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, and immediate family members. Potential adopters must provide documentation of service and meet spcaLA adoption requirements. The adoption fee is waived for the first 50 pet adoptions, with a limit of two per household. Additional fees such as medication and e-collars may apply. For hours and more information, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Holiday Bone-anza, Sunday, Nov. 16, Good Neighbor Park, 2800 Studebaker Rd., Long Beach, 10:00AM \u2013 5:00PM<\/strong><\/p>\n Celebrate our new dog park and help raise money for water lines into the park. Friends of El Dorado, with the help of their sponsors, will be bringing in holiday snow to play in, and there will be a DJ, a raffle and a silent auction, face painting, elves (eek!) and food trucks. Pet contests will entertain in a number of categories\u2014find the info here<\/a>. Join the fun!<\/p>\n Black Dog and Tan Chihuahua FUNd-raiser, Sunday, Nov. 16, Seaport Marina Hotel, 6400 E. PCH, Long Beach, 3:00PM \u2013 8:00PM<\/strong><\/p>\n This gorgeous flyer can speak for itself very well, with the exception of the small print. Tickets are $45 online and $50 at the door. Purchase tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n spcaLA November Foster Class, Sunday, Nov. 16, spcaLA P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village & Education Center, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, 10:00AM \u2013 noon<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"PIckthepit.com\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/PIckthepit.com_.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n![\"hat\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/hat.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n
~ Pit Bull Rescue Central<\/i><\/p>\nVirtually Pets<\/h3>\n
![\"Jane\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Jane.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Sausage\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Sausage.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Trinity--Sparky](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Trinity-Sparky-and-Gang.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKibble<\/h3>\n
![\"All](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/All-dogs-Go.JPG\")
<\/p>\n![\"Crazy](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Crazy-Cat-Lady.JPG\")
<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nPet Projects<\/h3>\n