An Award Fan plus positive pit bull press

Pit bulls make the world go 'round (and it's true) gave me this award. Thanks! I've already given this award out before (at the Mina and Celeste Chronicles) so I think I will just hoard it all for myself. I'm incredibly selfish that way. I will suggest you visit Pit Bull Patriarchy, it will massage your neurons and increase brain mass. According to Mina, anyways (and she wouldn't lie to you).

Okay, onto some positive pit bull press, which we sorely need (always, it seems).

Disenfranchised dog owners gathered at an event put on by the Kent County humane society in Michigan. Nothing boosts the ego of a Pit Bull, Rottweiler or Doberman owner/guardian like having people tell them their dog is cool or awesome or, even better, "can they pet your dog?" Seriously, it makes us swoon with joy - try it out on the next pit bull owner you meet. Dog owners were also given rebates for obedience classes. It's great seeing a shelter be pro-active and positive about these dogs.

A press release from the American Humane Association talks about the winners of the Be Kind to Animals Kid Contest. The grand prize winner in the age 6-12 contest? A 6-yr-old New Yorker (with help from her family) took it upon herself to ask for gently-used blanket donations for Out of the Pits pit bull rescue. She's continuing the trend by asking folks to donate a blanket for her birthday.

A pit bull who had been abandoned, chained to a stop sign has been rescued. I will certainly hope the fearful dog will find a new home. This may not be the happiest story but it highlights the compassion of everyday folks who helped this dog. They monitored her, gave her food and water, kept checking on her hoping for an owner to arrive. When that failed, they called police who were quick to arrive on scene, quick to leave when, I dunno, the dog was just a dog chained to a pole? Who knows. The good samaritans called animal control and helped the officer corral the frightened dog.

As I've learned, caring isn't enough. It doesn't do any amount of good for people or animals. Putting your compassion in action is what counts. That's what these folks did for this bedraggled, sad dog. It can be as easy as donating money or in-kind goods to your local shelter, giving your neighbor's outdoor-only dog a treat or toy, saying something nice to the owner of a Rottweiler or Chow, or contacting animal control/police when you see an animal being hurt or abused. These things matter and they make our world a bit nicer, kinder.