Angel City Pit Bulls - Advocate

Why I'm the Dog for You! by Baxter

Becca — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 23:50:10 +0000

Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - 3:50pm

Tags:

Hey! It’s me, Baxter! I was thinking about it the other day, and I was like, “Wait, how come I’m not adopted?” Not to brag, but pretty much all anyone ever does is give me compliments and tell me how much they love me. So I thought for anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting me yet, I’d give you the run down on my most excellent qualities.

First of all, I’m pretty much down for whatever you had planned for my morning exercise. Whether it’s a walk around the neighborhood, a hike on the trails where I can get my sniffies on, or a nice jog, I’m your guy. And good news: I’m not high maintenance with my exercise needs. I can keep up with you, no problem, but then I’ll probably use my free time to nap, if you don’t mind. Car ride? Count me in. I’ll look out the window, have a few sniffs, and then settle down for the ride. I’m just happy to be invited.

Oh yeah, I should tell you my foster mom says I’m inexplicably soft. She wants to know my secret, but I won’t tell her! You’ll just have to pet me to find out for yourself. That won’t be hard, because I love to snuggle. I’m practically a professional. I can find the perfect spot, get myself super comfy, and fall asleep next to you (or on you, please!) in moments.

When I’m awake from my nap, I make the perfect house companion. I’ve spent a lot of time earning my freedom in my foster homes and I’ve got this house thing pretty much down pat. I don’t have time for all that puppy nonsense of chewing on shoes and knocking over trash cans—I’m happy to just curl up on my dog bed and assist you from a more comfortable position. If you’re looking for a more chill and mature dog to hang with you, that’s me for sure.

Kids, you ask? I’m practically a member of the Babysitter’s Club. Okay, I can’t actually babysit—I’m a dog--but I think kids are fun and I like to wag my tail when they’re around! I even learned “Shake” because my kid neighbors wanted me to—that’s dedication, if you ask me.

Here’s me with my bracelet earring that my 7 year old friend let me wear. Looks good, right?

And cats, well, I could give a hoot if my two feline foster siblings are around or not. I met them slowly so that we could all get used to each other, and I think as long as my new family did the same and made sure everyone (ahem, cats) respected everyone else’s space (ahem, mine), I’d be just fine having a confident kitty as a housemate. Here we all are doing a contemporary dance routine for Foster Mom.

See what I mean? I’m the full package. Plus, every weekend I go to Angel City’s Movement Class, which helps me work on focusing on my handler while I’m around other dogs so that our walks and hikes can be more fun. Class is free and I love learning there, so I’d love to keep going with you!

Well, what else could I possibly say? Interested yet? Email my friends at adopt@angelcitypits.org to set up a meet and greet so you can see for yourself what a catch I am!

Facebook Like

Join Team ACPB in the 2016 LA Marathon

jenny — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 17:30:15 +0000

Friday, October 3, 2014 - 10:30am

Tags:

REGISTRATION OPENING SEPTEMBER 1st!

Join Angel City Pit Bulls and TEAM ACPB in the

2016 SKECHERS PERFORMANCE LOS ANGELES MARATHON / LA BIG 5K.

Do you love running? Do you love Los Angeles? Do you love pit bulls?

If you answered "yes" to these three questions – this is the event for you!

For more information, visit our LA Marathon page.

Facebook Like

Remembering the Foundation

jenny — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:54:25 +0000

Friday, April 19, 2013 - 4:54pm

In the dog world, the term “pit bull problem” seems to surface a lot. As advocates we ask ourselves “how do we solve the pit bull problem?”, “what are the solutions?” or even “is there a solution?”. There are times when it seems overwhelming - like pit bulls will always go against the grain in our society and both dogs and owners will suffer.

I heard a story from a friend the other day that broke this problem down. The story doesn’t provide a miracle solution, but I think it focuses on a concept that is sometimes underestimated.

Deb and her husband Bob were running errands outside of Philadelphia with Ned, their pit bull they adopted from the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Team in March of 2012. After running their errands, Deb and Bob decided to stop at a small restaurant for dinner. They left Ned in their truck and grabbed a seat inside the restaurant so they could keep an eye on him.

During their meal, the daughter of the restaurant’s owner spotted Ned in the truck and asked if she could meet him. Since Ned always enjoys meeting new people, Deb and Bob happily took the little girl outside to meet Ned. Inside the restaurant, little kids watched as Ned happily greeted the owner’s daughter with a wagging tail and kisses. Soon enough there was a line of little kids in the parking lot waiting to meet Ned. He met them all with kisses and a big grin. In Deb’s words the little kids “made Ned’s day”.

In a few minutes, a shelter pit bull made a positive impression on a handful of kids and most likely a handful of parents as well. Ned was the center of attention for all the right reasons.

The point is, nothing changes peoples’ minds like a positive meeting with a pit bull. As an advocate, sometimes I struggle to give an argument to an anti-pit bull person that can do the dogs justice. Often times, I just want to show them. And this is exactly what Ned did and although it’s hard to know for sure, he probably changed a few minds that night.

Deb, Bob and Ned have made a habit out of changing minds. Ned is famous in his neighborhood for his knitted coats and his love for meeting new people. A neighbor who was moving came to the George’s house specifically to say bye to Ned. Every time he leaves the house Ned spreads a positive pit bull image.

This is the power of the individual dog. He or she can do far more with a tail wag and good manners than a person can with words. There is simply no comparison. There are many components to the solution, but the foundation is at the end of our leashes.

Alistair Thompson
ACPB Volunteer

Facebook Like

Smokey and Moises

jenny — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:28:14 +0000

Monday, March 11, 2013 - 10:28am

Tags:

spay/neuter

Adopt

I first saw Smokey when I was scrolling down a Facebook page and a photo caught my attention. My friend and teammate, Moises, had posted a picture of a bluenose pit bull puppy sitting on a skateboard. Wanting to know more about the puppy I sent Moises a message. He responded that the little guy was his and that he had just received him from a friend whose dog had just had puppies.

Concern came first. Here was a young pit bull type dog from a breeder, under the care of a high school student who already had full days packed with school, football and work. This seemed to spell trouble for Smokey. I knew that Moises was a good kid and that he would do his best for the dog, but I had serious doubts about his ability to make the time commitment necessary to raising a young pit bull.

Although Moises’ parents accepted having Smokey in the house they decided that Moises had to be the sole care taker since the family already had their hands full with two Chihuahuas and full schedules. If Smokey was going to make it in the family, Moises was going to have to step up and make a huge commitment. To say the least, the odds were stacked against Moises and Smokey. I half expected to find Smokey in the intake kennels at the shelter.

Moises had other plans. With full school days, football and work on the weekends, he always found ways to make time for Smokey. After a full day, he would find a few hours to walk and play with Smokey to burn off energy. He took Smokey to a vet for his shots and when Smokey was old enough he took him to a mobile spay/neuter clinic. He even sought out training. Moises paid every dollar along the way; he saved up money from working at In-N-Out on the weekend so that he could buy everything that Smokey needed.

Having graduated high school, Moises is still making time for Smokey between multiple jobs and classes at a local college (where he is also playing football). I’m not sure I know anyone who has done more for their dog.

In the eyes of most people, Smokey and Moises did not fit the mold for a solid pit bull and human relationship. There are no fancy leashes or harnesses, or flexible time schedules and uncapped budgets for training classes. But Moises has something that matters far more than any other qualities that we normally associate with good pit bull owners: Moises is willing to do anything for Smokey. He cares about Smokey, so he is willing to go to any extent to make sure that he has a great life. It sounds simple, but it makes all the difference. Just ask Smokey.

Alistair Thompson
ACPB Volunteer

Facebook Like

ACPB Angels In Waiting Program

jenny — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:46:04 +0000

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 - 9:46am

Tags:

Fiona

Angels in Waiting

Hospice

Our Angels In Waiting program was created to care for terminally ill or geriatric dogs that end up in the Los Angeles City and County Shelters. These dogs enter the shelters as strays or owner surrenders, and ultimately leave the shelter as our Angels. While in our Angels program, a supportive community of fosters and volunteers provides them with the care and love that cannot always be given in an already overcrowded shelter system.

Often their time with us is short, leaving us wishing we had found each other sooner. But no matter how long these Angels are with us, it's always about putting their comfort and quality of life first - making the most of every day. And when our Angels finally "get their wings", they leave this world knowing they were a cherished family member.

We met Fiona, a 15 year old stray, at the West Valley Animal Shelter just a few days before Thanksgiving - perfect timing for her to come home for handmade turkey dinners. Her severe arthritis made it difficult for her to stand, let alone walk, and several small tumors in her breasts made her adoption prospects grim. She spent several weeks at the shelter waiting for her new home, and made many new friends along the way, both canine and human. Shelter volunteers fell in love with her gentle spirit and zest for life, and her new human best friends bought her a little red wagon so they could take her on walks around the neighborhood.

When Fiona left the shelter with ACPB she went directly to her new home. She was given a brand new bed and all of the other comforts of a loved dog. Fiona picked up the house training right away, and fell madly in love with her new sisters and mom. Within weeks of being in her new home, she was able to go on walks - all the way around the block, and even run after her sisters to play! Her future is bright and her zest for life has only grown. This energetic lady has replaced her little red wagon with imaginary shiny white tap shoes and now dances with her sisters around her new home.

Fiona's story is typical of the many senior dogs in the shelters today. After reading her story we want you to take from it exactly what we did ...hope. A story of hope for all senior dogs that find themselves without their home or loved ones. A story of hope to remind us all that adopting a senior dog can be one of the most rewarding experiences for both canine and human. A story of hope to inspire you to add a senior pet to your home. And above all, a story of hope to teach us all that you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks.

If you are interested in fostering a senior dog like Fiona, please contact us at foster@angelcitypits.org.

Facebook Like

Running With It

jenny — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:43:13 +0000

Monday, February 4, 2013 - 11:43am

It all started five years ago with Sports Illustrated. On the cover was a light brown dog sitting with her tail tucked and her head tilted to the side. One ear down, one up. When I first glanced at this picture I was fifteen and I knew little about pit bulls, so the image on the cover didn’t spark much of a reaction. In fact, as far as I knew, the dog on the cover wasn’t a pit bull. She wasn’t barking or chained up or posing in front of someone trying to look tough and so to me, she wasn’t a pit. She didn’t match my definition and so to me she was simply a dog. But, then again, she was a dog on the cover of Sports Illustrated and so I took a look at the title: “Vick’s Dogs: The Good News out of Bad Newz Kennels by Jim Gorant”.

It’s been four years since I first read that story. Four years of pit bulls. Aside from the three pits that my family adopted during that time, I have worked with hundreds of pit bull type dogs from all kinds of backgrounds. I started in the Bay Area then spent a year in Philadelphia and now I am in the Los Angeles area. I have other pursuits in my life (school, football) but nothing compares to working with the dogs. I plan to always work for these dogs and it’s amazing to think that it all started with one story. One story was the catalyst for something I plan to do for the rest of my life.

Two years into my pit bull work I realized that working at the shelter wasn’t enough. I saw so many things that people in the outside world could never imagine and I knew that many of these things could help change peoples’ minds. Or maybe, at the very least, they would make people think. Over the years all these stories and all these thoughts on the struggles and triumphs of pits had built up and I constantly found myself wishing that everyone could walk down the shelter kennels and know the pits like I knew them. I wanted everyone to shift their attention from the newspaper stories to the millions of pits without families. The world had this type of dog so wrong and I figured that I had to share what I knew in hope that a few people would change their minds. So, as a staff member for my high school’s sports magazine, I started writing. Five months later I had a twenty page story and a teacher that wanted every word of it in the magazine.

When the story came out in the final issue of the year, there was a significant impact on campus. Kids, faculty members and parents who I had never talked to came up to me and told me that they were looking at pits with a new attitude. I was thrilled at the fact the people were starting to think. I was thrilled that they read past the first paragraph. In reading the story they followed me in to the kennel and met real pit bulls that were waiting there through no fault of their own.

The story got out to different media groups and pit bull people passed it around the country. The National Scholastic Press Association recognized it as one of the ten best feature stories written by a high school student in 2010. It was still on a relatively small scale, but I knew that it would change a few minds and to me that was worth it.

Before I got off the phone with Jim Gorant, the man who wrote the story that inspired me, I had to thank him. Gorant helped me with the story after I reached out to him. As one of my pit bulls stood in the doorway I thanked Jim for bringing this story to the public eye. Without it, my pit bull wouldn’t be there in the doorway and I’m sure there are other people who read that story that can say the same. I often thought about how many lives he saved by choosing to write about the pit bull plight. I could count three in my house. I could count more at the shelter. I hope I can keep counting.

We are never far from inspiring a new pit bull advocate. It can be as simple as a stranger asking to pet your dog and then walking away thinking about the friendly pit bull he or she just met. Maybe, with an image of your pit bull in his or her head, that person will begin to recognize pit bulls in everyday life and know them for their good nature. Maybe they will realize that they had overlooked these dogs simply because they didn’t match their definition for pit bulls. That initial meeting may have seemed small, but it can create a reaction that can jump from one person to the next and you never know how far that next person will run with it. This is how Jim Gorant’s story changed my life and more importantly this is how it saved the lives of my dogs. That kind of opportunity is always around the corner. We just have to be willing to run with it.

Alistair Thompson
ACPB Volunteer

Alistair's dogs featured above from left to right: Barkley, Goldie, Queenie

Facebook Like

Behind the Scenes from ACPB's Appearance on The Jeff Probst Show

jenny — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:58:38 +0000

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 - 12:58pm

Tags:

Back in December, Shorty Rossi of Pit Boss fame contacted Angel City Pit Bulls to see if would feature some adoptable dogs alongside him when he appeared as a guest on The Jeff Probst Show. We were honored and excited, and jumped at the opportunity to showcase our wonderful family companions to the national public. After speaking with the producers, we learned they were interested in featuring a before and after success story of pit bull rescue and adoption, and so we invited one of our beloved alumni dogs, Bo Jingles (read his story here), and his adoptive mom to join us.

We also had to choose two dogs to represent our current dogs available for adoption. We selected Timmy and Sweetie, as both had pretty incredible before and after transformations as well… After seeing the before pictures, the audience melted for both dogs the moment they were walked out on stage - it was apparent just how much happier and healthier they were!

We are happy to report that in the weeks following the show's taping, both Timmy and Sweetie found their forever homes. Timmy was adopted by a loving family who have since renamed him Angelo (Lolo for short!) He is the apple of their eyes and they love to send us pics of him lounging in the warm California sun. Sweetie was adopted by her foster family, however, her story has a bittersweet ending. Sweetie's health took a turn for the worse in late December, and despite everyone's best efforts, her kidneys were not strong enough to sustain her. She left us much too early, and we miss her dearly. Her adoptive mother made this wonderful tribute video in her honor, and we invite you to sit back, grab a box of tissues, and watch as we celebrate her life-- one we feel so grateful to have been a part of!

We want to give a huge thank you to Shorty Rossi, Cesar Milan, and The Jeff Probst show for spotlighting pit bulls and the importance of adopting shelter and rescue dogs, as well as giving us the opportunity to share our mission with all of you.

Facebook Like

We Need Foster Parents!

jenny — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:26:13 +0000

Friday, June 8, 2012 - 9:26am

Tags:

Angel City Pit Bulls is exclusively a foster-based program. Without a shelter or boarding facility, every dog we take in must have an individual foster home. As one can imagine, this make foster parents vital to our mission.

Simply put, by providing a transitional home for a rescue dog, foster parents save the life of a dog. For those who cannot adopt or are not ready to, it is the single greatest way to make an individual impact to the systemic problem of shelter overcrowding. While there are more benefits than we could ever list, perhaps the biggest one is your knowing that without you, your foster dog may not be here today.

We are seeking homes with and without other dogs. It doesn't matter if you have a house or an apartment, children or no children, cats or no cats; we will match you with a dog that fits your home and lifestyle. The average length of time for a dog in our program is about two months from shelter to adoption. If you are worried that it will be too hard to part with your foster dog, we understand. Foster parents reserve the right to adopt their foster dog. ACPB fully supports our foster dogs; we provide all expenses as well as volunteer support, transportation, and training resources.

We are actively seeking foster homes for our some of our current foster dogs so that we can bring new dogs into our program.

DISNEY
Around a year old, Disney has a nice flexible energy. He loves to play, but is also great at relaxing. He can be fostered with other well-matched dogs, as he gets along very well with them. We are specifically looking for a structured household with well-defined leadership for Disney, as he could use some consistency and work on his manners.

GRACE
Recently came to us by way of the West LA Shelter, Grace is a sweet, friendly, 2 year old girl, who loves everyone she meets. She was found as a stray with evidence of some type of altercation with another dog(s). Not surprisingly, she is fearful of other dogs and a bit defensive around larger ones. Grace will need socializing to help her trust other dogs. She did remarkably well with cats at the shelter and should be able to coexist peacefully with a feline friend.

JUNIOR
We gave Junior his name because he is the spitting image of ACPB alumnus, Henry! In fact, Junior is currently fostered with Henry and they have already become fast friends. He is around a year old, sweet, smart and has a flexible energy. He likes other dogs and has a well-mannered play style.

ANNIE
Annie is about 3 years old and very ready to be adopted. She would thrive in a home without another dog, or with a submissive male or smaller dog. She gets along wonderfully with children and loves people. She has a flexible energy level, and can go on a run or is happy just relaxing by your side. Annie thrives with clear leadership, knows her manners and is very well behaved.

Please visit our foster a dog page for more info and please email foster@angelcitypits.org if you are interested in becoming a foster parent.

Facebook Like

The Real Pit Bulls of Orange County

Eve — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 15:57:46 +0000

Tuesday, June 5, 2012 - 8:57am

Tags:

Irvine Super Pet Adoption

Adoption Events

As the crowds descended upon the award-winning Irvine Animal Care Center, 100 shelter and rescue groups with their 800 animals looking for homes were poised and ready. For the first time, Angel City Pit Bulls was among them! While we are a Los Angeles based organization, our reach has expanded South quite a bit. We've had several adoptions in Orange County - including some who we met while attending this very event in years past. We were excited for this opportunity to showcase our dogs, make new friends, and spead the word about our cause.

Guests of the event were treated to a wonderful day. There were animals of every shape and size, a wide variety of vendors, and plenty of foot traffic by families looking to find their new furry friends. We received an application for adoption for one of our dogs within the first 90 minutes of being at the event! It was a true joy to see so many families there with their own pit bulls, showing off their pride as beloved family pets ... especially when that pride included adding a pit bull sibling by adopting one from this event!

One of the great highlights of our day was the visits from our alumni. First came Tillie ... adopted just over a month ago by her family, who say now how they cannot imagine life without her. All smiles, Tillie posed like a star in front of the many cameras taking her picture - not the least of which was the news camera for NBC that caught some footage of our booth!

Then there was Olive, who was adopted one year ago almost to the day. Olive is living quite the life these days, in her hilltop home by the sea. She even has a new friend of her own ... her family adopted a cat! Olive continues to charm everyone she meets, and definitely soaked up the love not only from our team, but from the many passers by who could not resist her wiles.

Soon after we were paid a visit by Phoebe ... now fully recovered from her surgery, she is being pampered and spoiled as she absolutely deserves. She's the next door neighbor of another one of our adopters, which makes her as much extended family as it does an alum. We were so grateful that she was able to come to the event and visit; she had an opportunity to meet some of our team for the very first time!

Our last alumnus to visit was Hope. When she approached the booth, with her 17 year old Pomeranian best friend in tow, there was not a dry eye among us to be found. You see, when Hope first came to Angel City Pit Bulls, you could see her ribs; it had been some time, we imagined, since she had a good meal. She was well on her way to recovery over the holidays, when she was adopted; her path to healing has been continuing for these many months, evidenced by her beautiful shiny coat, her healthy stature, and her glimmering smile. When we saw her, for the first time since she had been adopted back in January, her beauty took our breath away. She has a glow about her that we wish that we could bottle and sell!

(While it can't be bottled, we do know the source ... its the magic formula contained in the love of a forever family)

In the spirit of ending on a high note, the event concluded with delivering Luna to her new forever family. We first met Luna at Best Friends Super Adoption at the end of April ... if you are not familiar with the math associated with adoption, the simple formula is this - "adopt one, save two." When you adopt an animal from a rescue, you help save not only that animal, you pay it forward by saving the one that will be taken in as a result of the foster space that has been created. This idea proved cosmic ... because the dog that was adopted who created the space for Luna, was none other than Tillie. A magical moment it was, for Luna and Tillie to meet, nose to nose, and for Tillie's new family to see the "adoption equation" as it comes full circle.

The real pit bulls of Orange County are thriving, spreading their exemplary joy everywhere they go!

There were almost 350 animals adopted at the event - by our math, that is a tremendous success! Thank you again to Dr. Agostini and San Clemente Veterinary Hospital for their generous sponsorship of us in support of our presence at this event. We will definitely be back in Irvine when this event is held again in December!

Facebook Like

Race For The Rescues!

Eve — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:30:05 +0000

Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 1:30pm

Tags:

Race For The Rescues

The Rescue Train

Rose Bowl

Running With The Pit Bulls

Angel City Pit Bulls is proud to have been selected as a beneficiary for this year's 7th annual Race For The Rescues on Sunday, October 7 at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena! Of the many groups in Los Angeles who are all doing amazing work, Angel City Pit Bulls feels truly honored to have been selected among the chosen few. Through this event, we have a great opportunity to showcase our ambassadors as well as raise funds for the cause.

JOIN OUR TEAM TODAY!

There will be a 5k, a 10k, a 1k dog walk and kid's run as well. There will be lots of attractions and things to do at the event as well:

PRIZES: for race winners and top fundraisers
COOL T-SHIRT: Every Pre-Registered Racer gets an official Race For The Rescues T-Shirt!
DOG & CAT ADOPTIONS
FREE MICROCHIP CLINIC: for the first 300 dogs courtesy of AngelDogs Foundation
FOOD TRUCKS
ROCKIN' ADOPTION SHOW
HUGE SILENT AUCTION
FACE PAINTING for the kids
PET PSYCHICS
GIVEAWAYS
UNIQUE VENDORS AND PRODUCTS
DOG COSTUME CONTEST WITH CELEBRITY JUDGES

You can see a full schedule of the day's events by clicking here. Stay tuned to our website for announcements of celebrity guests that will be participating this year as well. This is going to be a popular event, so be sure to register early!

Thank you for your support! We look forward to crossing the finish line with you as part of our team! With all of your support, we are all going to win big ... especially the dogs!

Facebook Like