I like to pass these news stories on because I think it’s important to take note that Amstaffs suffer the same injustices as Pitbulls, which absolutely enrages me. Read on…

GRANGEVILLE – Butch, the American Staffordshire terrier who has been on doggie death row in Craigmont since September, is appealing for his life to the Idaho Supreme Court. Read the rest of this entry »

I ran across this heart warming story from the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

There are my two American pit bull terrier/American Staffordshire terriers, aka pit bulls, taking a time out and relaxing in a bit of warm sun shining through the window on a cold winter day.

Charlie, the white dog with the gray spot on his face, is a year and a half old. The vet guesses that Annie, the grey dog, is around 3 years old. They are both rescues from Country Kennel Bully Rescue in Akron, Indiana. Charlie was actually found as a young puppy, sitting in someone’s yard in Louisiana after hurricane Gustav hit. He was turned into a local animal shelter, where he was treated for pneumonia.

The shelter was so overwhelmed with dogs from the hurricane that Country Kennel Bully Rescue agreed to drive down and meet the shelter volunteers and take some of the dogs back to their facility.

I happened to be looking to adopt a dog shortly thereafter, and made a visit to Country Kennel, where I met and adopted my goofy-eared Charlie. He slept contently on my friend’s lap the entire hour ride home.

About a year later, a little gray pit bull found herself at the humane society in Gary, Indiana, and was about to meet an untimely death. She was one of the many dogs on the euthanasia list.

Fortunately, the humane society sent out e-mails to “bully breed” rescues to see if they would take in any pit bulls, and Country Kennel brought her to their facility.

I was looking for a companion for Charlie, so I went back to Country Kennel to find a dog… and that is when I adopted Annie. I chose the name Annie for her because she was “little orphan Annie” until she found her forever-home with me.

Charlie and Annie have been the sweetest, most loving, playful dogs anyone could ask for. They thrive on the company of people, family and strangers alike, and are most eager to greet people with big smiles and lots of kisses. Despite the unfortunate bad rap pit bulls get, these two are true ambassadors of the breed.

The original story is here.

One of my favorite artists is Christine J. Head, not only because she is a fantastic artist, but because her prints have a purpose. She donates the majority of her proceeds to canine rescue organizations and her art often depicts anti-breed legislation messages, featuring bully breeds. We’ll begin a new series showcasing Christine’s art and we’ll kick it off with a little info about the artist!

Christine J. Head’s sought-after, limited edition prints and posters have helped numerous rescues raise much needed funds.

Initially, Christine did “hands-on” rescue work, housing several foster dogs and going through the painstaking process of finding the right permanent home for each of these dogs who already found a permanent place in her heart. Eventually, her interests in the creative arts and canine needs combined and she discovered the best way to apply her talents to raise money and awareness  for animal rescue.

Christine started The Puppy Sketches in 1999 and has been contributing to rescue organizations ever since by creating original and limited edition posters. Originally, her beautiful portraits of dogs in need of urgent medical care and adoption accompanied by the dog’s poignant story, raised thousands of dollars for individual rescues.

Currently, Christine’s focus is on highly stylized vintage/Art Nouveau-style posters prints that raise money for multiple breed rescues. These posters are sold almost exclusively through rescue organizations.

Some notable animal lovers and celebrities who collect her work include actresses Jorja Fox and Mary Steenburgen, and Comedienne Elayne Boosler.

Artist info courtesy of Pit Bull Rescue Central.

An owner in California writes:

“I adopted Oreo when he was 4 years old, after he’d been in the shelter for over six months.  This dog had so many strikes against him:  big, black, adult, a bully breed, and frankly, not the best looking dog in the world.  But, I asked the staff to show me their favorite dog in the shelter, and they led me straight to him.  They said his time was WAY up, but they hadn’t been able to bring themselves to euthanize him because he was such a terrific dog.  I think he was waiting for me!

Oreo is an amazing dog.  He is fantastic with each and every person he encounters.  He is terrific with my kids, and they adore him.  Totally unflappable around skateboards, bicycles, loud noises, busy parks, squirrels, yelling children, you name it; nothing gets to this dog.  If I had a nickel for every time some stranger said “Wow, what a well-behaved dog!” I’d be rich.

He has never chewed a single item in my home or yard that he wasn’t supposed to.  He doesn’t dig, doesn’t bark, doesn’t pull on the leash, doesn’t jump on people, waits for permission to go outside when the front door is opened.  I foster cats for rescue, and right now have 17 in my house from six weeks to eight years old.  He is great with every single one of them.  You should see him slowly and cautiously making his way through a roomful of kittens, being careful not to step on any of them.  He is amazingly easy to train, and quickly learned sit, down, stay, come, “hop in” (the car), leave it, “wait” (at street corners), and shake.

I can’t believe Oreo lingered in the shelter for so many months and nobody snapped this precious boy up, but I’m sure glad he was still there when I came in.”

I love good Samaritan stories, tales of people with heart helping animals and just feel good stories in general. I ran across this the other day and wanted to post it because it warmed my heart. Enjoy.

WARWICK, R.I.—A local Samaritan has rescued a dog, but the animal’s plight is far from over.

His name is Buddha and by all accounts the 6-month-old American Staffordshire terrier shouldn’t even be alive today, but he is thanks to Kevin Leo.

Their story starts the day after Thanksgiving.  Leo was leaving work at the West Shore Nursing Home.  Leo saw a woman with a dog, the animal had one of his legs bandaged up and he was hardly able to walk.

The woman told Leo she could no longer care for the dog and she was looking for a place to leave him. Leo took the dog, and right away started calling places for help.

Leo ended up at the 4 Paws Pet Resort and Animal Hospital on Warwick Avenue.

“This was the only place open and they were closing in 30 minutes and they were like how far are you? I’ll be there in 10 minutes,“ says Leo.

Buddha was in very bad condition, he had open sores all over his body and he was very thin.

He had a parasite that ate away at his skin and left him with no fur and he could barely walk. Despite his poor condition, veterinarian Darcie Lewis knew Buddha was not a lost cause.

“When I looked in his face, he looked at me with those eyes that said I’d really like to try to get better if you can help me,“ says Lewis.

They did help. Buddha is feeling much better now and he is getting regular skin treatments and eating well. Emaciated before, he’s gained 8 pounds and also gained a new lease on life with a companion who believes it was just meant to be.

“I always wanted a dog, never thought I’d get one this way, but I looked at him and I said I’m going to keep him, I’ll do whatever it takes,“ says Leo.

If you want to help with Buddha’s care, you can donate to a fund in his name at the 4 Paws Animal Medical Center.

Or you can help other animals like Buddha, whose owners need help caring for them by donating to Rhode Island’s Companion Animal Foundation.