I am not proud to admit that I bought into the frenzy. I read stories about how pit bulls attacked people and that they were inherently dangerous. I knew they were the types of breeds most often used in dog fighting. If I ever went to the humane society, I never went down the aisles in the far back corner, where it seemed they only held the most vicious of dogs. However, when I thought that pit bulls were vicious, evil dogs, with large powerful jaws that could snap at me any......

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A couple days before Nate and I adopted Sierra, John told us to wait to buy her a collar to ensure we got one that fit her correctly. So, when the papers were signed, and we hopped into the car after a successful Priceless Pets Sunday hike, we decided to take the newly christened Sierra (previously known as Cherry) to PetsMart. The collar Sierra had on was much too big for her – she has an unusually small neck in proportion to her head and body – so we were careful to......

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After adopting Sierra, I learned many new things about myself. I learned that I could be patient if I tried (for the most part). I learned that I could be protective (some would even say maternal – not me though). I learned that even after a long, tiring day, I could still muster up the energy to play with my loving, excited dog who always greets me at the door with her tail wagging and a (cat) toy in her mouth. It’s crazy to think of how easily Nate and I fell......

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No, they’re not perfect. Or grateful, friendly or even housetrained. They won’t cuddle with you in the middle of the night or hang out with you on the couch. They don’t know the words “play,” “treat” or “walk,” or what it means to have a bounty of toys to choose from. They don’t know that the backyard is a place for them to run around in and that bath time means they stay cleaned. They don’t understand that going inside the house is a good thing, and that following you around like......

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John has a tradition of writing a letter to his fosters once they leave his house, and while I’m not sending him off to his forever home (he already has a pretty awesome pack!), I thought that writing a letter would be applicable to him, considering what has happened this month. So without further ado, here is my letter to John. Dear John, September has been a very tough and long month for you, and I know that you’re probably struggling with many heartbreaking emotions that most people rarely, if ever, experience.......

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No matter what happens in your life, your family will always be there, whether you want them to or not. Even when they don’t support you or you’re fighting with them or you do something they don’t approve of – you can’t get rid of family. The point I’m trying to make with this is that my family members had a choice. They could choose to support my involvement with a misrepresented breed or they could start citing off “facts” about how many people pit bulls have mauled or killed. When I......

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I have not been able to go over to John’s house this week at all, mainly because I’ve been very busy, and he seems to have his hands full as well. However, despite this, he has given me some great pointers as a new dog owner that I would like to share with you through a series of blogs. I mentioned in my last post, Sierra is scared of everything. She is unsure about people, new places, loud noises, stairs…pretty much anything (except dogs; she doesn’t seem to mind dogs). Nate and......

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“Pit bulls are horrendous dogs.” “If you get a pit bull, my kids will never come to your house.” “There’s no trusting pit bulls. They were bred to kill.” “You’re brave for wanting to be around pit bulls; I will always be scared of them.” Life is built through a series of choices. For instance: I chose to give pit bulls a chance to show me what kind of dogs they really are. I chose to participate in the Priceless Pets Pack Walk in June with my boyfriend. I chose to walk......

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There are many lessons I’ve learned that I still need to write about, but one of my biggest milestones happened to me this past weekend, so I would like to write about that. On Saturday, my boyfriend and I took Elvis on a hike close to Mt. Baldy – without John. Although John assured me that he trusted me, I wasn’t sure I trusted myself. What if something went wrong? What if Elvis ran away? I knew Elvis would never attack anyone, but what if another dog attacked him? These thoughts ran......

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The first thing John asked me when I met him was: “Why do you want to learn more about dogs?” The first thought that went through my head when he asked that was, “What, am I on a freaking interview??” The second thought that crossed my mind was, “He’s going to ask me that when I’m offering to help him with his fosters?!” Needless to say, the question caught me by surprise. But it shouldn’t have. In fact, every person who ever wants to interact with animals should be required to answer......

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My sole purpose for starting this website was to break the negative stereotypes and show people the REAL side of the “pit bull”. When my childhood friend, Stephanie, asked me if one of her friends could come meet Penny and Elvis I had no idea what it would turn into. Without giving too much away, she basically comes over a few mornings a week (before work) to learn everything she can about the dogs. When she asked if she could be an ongoing guest blogger, I was ecstatic. Plus, about a week......

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