I have been a pit bull advocate for five years. My advocacy is small and has a fairly short
list of activities we sponsor or participate in on a monthly and an annual
basis. We do what we can when we can
that usually involves, but is not limited to, monthly bully walks, a pit bull
education booth at local events, networking for dogs that need out of a shelter
or to be re-homed and public education in school classroom’s and groups. I/we have always wanted to do much more but
due to being so small and being limited on how much time and effort we can put
into projects we have kept pretty much to the ‘short list’ with an eye to the
future when we can grow and do more.
Last year, near the end of the year, I had a personal
setback in that someone who I had a great deal of respect for and was beginning
a new and very exciting project with decided that they no longer wished to
associate with me because of a few differences of opinion. I was devastated emotionally by this no
matter how much I tried and tried and tried not to care. To be certain I had completely and totally
lost any motivation or desire to continue being a pit bull advocate. Intellectually I knew it was ridiculous to
allow one person’s rejection of me as a whole based on my opinion on a few
issues but in my heart of hearts affect me so deeply that I was done…I really had lost all interest in
the pit bull advocating thing and was seriously considering handing the
advocacy over to the other members so I could get on with my life. My heart was just no longer in it and for the
last six months I’ve been going through the motions only because I felt I had
made a commitment to be a pit bull advocate and had to keep that commitment no
matter what. If nothing else I am NOT a
quitter so I kept on doing what I needed to do but without any real enthusiasm
or even a true desire to do this pit bull advocate thing.
Just when I was still considering if I wanted to be a pit
bull advocate anymore completely unexpected I found a renewed sense of purpose
and commitment to this ‘pit bull advocate gig’ and found it in the most
unexpected place…a book. To be more
specific a book about the Michael Vick dogs, The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant, that
today most of which have moved onward and upward to being certified Canine Good
Citizens and for many of them therapy dogs that serve the community.
I can’t put my finger on what exactly in the book has
brought me this renewed sense of purpose or has relit my passion but most
likely it was the FACT that a majority of the dogs taken from the Vick dog
fighting operation had once been considered by the public as the worst of the
worst and even highly respected organizations had recommended arbitrary
euthanasia for every dog found at Bad Newz Kennels that day. These dogs are living proof of the ‘true
spirit’ of pit bull type dogs and I will be damned if I will allow someone else’s inability
to work with someone who has differing views on a few issues hold me back from
advocating for these dogs. These dogs
that were born into a hell created by humans, who were asked to go against their
very instincts as a dog and who were nearly to the last dog rehabilitated to
become therapy dogs and family dogs that lived in harmony with humans and
animals alike have become my new inspiration.
If these dogs can move passed the past and can embrace healing in the
way that they have then I most certainly can let it go and find a renewed
passion and commitment to advocating for pit bulls and for the people who have
them.
Everything happens for a reason they say, and I believe, so
I can’t help but think that The Universe allowed me this brief downside to
being a pit bull advocate so I could come back with a brand new sense of
purpose and commitment to the cause that I had once felt so passionate about.
Thank you Universe for helping me see the way.
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