I admit that I have posted many blogs, comments on Facebook threads and tirades about the trolls, haters, overly-emotional whiners and clearly immature people who operate in and around dog rescue, animal shelters, dog advocating and generally in the animal welfare community. Yes I have gone out of my way to try to get people to stop with the drama so that they can get on more efficiently with the business of educating the public, helping the dog owning public and helping save the lives of dogs. I do this NOT because I feel I'm right and others are wrong and NOT because I feel superior to anyone; I do it because I truly feel that we need to 'clean up' this community so we can help it be much more effective, much more successful, much more helpful to those who need help and MUCH MUCH less dramatic and traumatic for everyone involved.
Well this blog isn't about the trolls, the haters, the overly-emotional whiners or the people who are led solely by their emotions. This isn't about those people who say they are in it for the dogs but who repeatedly create obstacles to helping dogs rather than working to help dogs together. This one is about the OTHER side which sadly enough I don't recognize or write about often enough. I'm one who always tries to see the brighter more positive side of life and of every situation however when I'm faced with the negative side of things that's the one I seem to feel the most impelled to talk about. I'm going to do better and am going to do more to support and recognize people who choose to do this animal welfare thing with dedication, maturity and a true sense of teamwork for the good of the dogs. This will be my first installation but not my last singing the praises of people I have been blessed to connect with and even work with in this community.
Today I want to recognize a few people by name because I want to hold them up as perfect examples of what can be accomplished through common sense before emotion and through good ol' fashioned teamwork. To be clear not everyone mentioned in this blog today and I see everything eye to eye however we both choose to have a mutual respect for one another and always are looking for new opportunities to help one another do more for the dogs and the people who have them. In other words these people ROCK!!!
The first I want to mention is my newfound friend and ally Shannon Glenn the Executive Director of My Pit Bull is Family. My Pit Bull is Family works tirelessly to help raise awareness about, help provide solutions for and alternatives to breed restrictions in rental property housing as well as home owners/rental property insurance policies. Shannon is working very hard to help as many people as possible with this all too serious and frequent issue of finding a place to live with a pit bull. Shannon and I have just met but I feel we will work together in the future as often as we can AND that it will be FUN.
Another I want to mention is Amy White proprietor, with her husband, of the Original Bully clothing line. Amy, her husband and their crew work so hard to educate the public about bully breeds as well as to help and support all organizations that save these dogs or work to educate the public about them. They donate a generous portion of all of their proceeds to rescues and shelters and are always looking for new ways to make money for their beneficiaries. She's a true entrepreneur in every sense of the word and is one with such a giving heart. Amy and I have also just met but I can tell we are going to have a great time helping raise awareness about pit bulls and saving dogs here in Portland and around the country together.
Then there is my famous friend Shorty Rossi who runs Shorty's Rescue, hosted the show Pit Boss and who is a real powerhouse when it comes to advocating for pit bulls and saving them. He is someone I know I can count on if I need help and he knows he can count on me for help. As snarky as he can be at times, and he knows this about himself, his heart is bigger than all outdoors and he works so very hard to advocate for pit bulls and help save pit bulls among other animals. He ROCKS in my book and I feel very privileged to call him a friend, fellow advocate and a partner in the work we both enjoy are dedicated to.
I must also recognize Deirdre Franklin founder of Pin-Ups for Pit Bulls. I just very recently met her face to face after knowing her on Facebook for several years and I have to say what a pleasure she is. Deirdre is another powerhouse of a pit bull advocate who works so hard not only to further her own organization for the benefit of the dogs but also, so much like all the others I've mentioned here, works to support and assist other organizations. She has done so much to educate people about these dogs, to help people who have pit bulls and to support other organizations that saying thank you would never be enough. Deirdre is a true team player and partnering with her is a great asset to anyone who seeks to be successful in advocating for and saving pit bulls. I feel blessed to have her friendship.
Joe and Tambria Frazier of Love A Pit Rescue has to be on this first list to recognize those who work well with others and who work tirelessly for the dogs. Joe and his wife Tambria has been great supporters of everything my advocacy does and we support them as a pit bull rescue and advocate equally as much as they supports us. I know we can count on Joe and Tambria for help with a dog in need and they know they can count on us for help with a dog in need. We make a great team and we are so proud to have them as supporters and as people who we support. Joe and Tambria, in my personal opinion, does dog rescue THE RIGHT WAY and anyone who adopts a dog from them is lucky to have done so. I wish more rescues would follow their model because more balanced dogs would land in homes they will stay in for the rest of their lives and more adoptive families would have the lifelong support of the rescue they adopted their dog from.
I must mention a person who I feel is a great positive influence on pit bull advocates everywhere and who should stand as a positive model for anyone wanting to advocate for pit bulls. Johanna Falber founder of Stubby's Heroes ABSOLUTELY ROCKS!!! Her organization is a GREAT model for pit bull advocacies and I most certainly aspire to be much more like her and for my advocacy to do much more for the public and for pit bulls like she does. Her homeless outreach program is inspiring. Her dedication to remaining calm, mature and respectful as a pit bull advocate most certainly makes her a force to be reckoned with in the animal welfare community. I admire her drive, her dedication and her philosophy on how to advocate for pit bulls and how to help pit bull owners in need. She is the REAL DEAL and I am so very grateful for her friendship.
Okay I must, must, must mention at least two more people who absolutely deserve recognition for their bravery, their dedication and their willingness to work with others for the benefit not only of pit bulls but of all animals. I mention them together because to me they are more my brother and sister than they are my friends. Foster Corder the founder of the on line shows Conversations With A Pit Bull and Fosters Animal World is AMAZING. He has chosen to use his talent, thirty years experience and contacts as a Hollywood cinematographer to help animals and most especially to help pit bulls. Foster has a heart that inspires others to care and to act. He is family to me and I am so blessed to have his personal friendship and his support in doing what I do. Along with Foster I would truly be remiss in not mentioning Ms. Paula Archer, creator of many dog networking Facebook pages, whose dedication to networking for dogs in shelters in need of getting out is BEYOND compare. Paula, who is my soul sister for lack of any blood ties, is AMAZING. She is personally responsible for literally HUNDREDS of dogs in shelters around the country being pulled from the shelter by rescues and/or adopters sometimes just hours before being euthanized. I cannot say enough good things about this woman and her dedication to saving dogs lives. My love and admiration for her knows no bounds. Like everyone else on this list she is the REAL DEAL!
In closing I just want to say that I am so very proud to know these people and to have the honor of working with them in this community. They choose common sense, maturity and rationality over drama and seek to work with anyone who can help further the causes we all work so hard on.
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