I get so sick of hearing all the bad talk about pit bulls. It's truly such a sad thing that these gentle loving dogs have been doomed to this bad reputation, all thanks to terrible dog fighting. Even dog-lovers are weary of pit bulls. It's just sad.
Anyway, I came upon this article the other day on the awesome Care2 website and thought it was absolutely worth sharing. Time to debunk those myths and get these poor pups adopted!
And as always, choose to adopt and never buy from breeders!
The SPCA Serving Erie County in New York hopes to dispel common myths about pit bull terriers and show the world what they’re really born to do with its new Bred to Love campaign.
“Pit bull terriers are a severely misunderstood breed. The SPCA Serving Erie County’s goal is to educate and bring awareness to this issue in our community. The Bred To Love program’s main purpose is to put an end to the myths surrounding this amazing and loving breed. Pit bull terriers are loyal happy go lucky dogs that just adore people and will make a wonderful addition to a family looking for their new pal,” said Lindsay Guiher, a volunteer at the shelter.
According to Guiher, most of the dogs coming into the shelter are pit bulls who take longer to adopt than other breeds, which they suspect has to do with common myths surrounding the breed.
Some of these myths include the beliefs that pit bulls have locking jaws and are more likely to bite than other breeds. To clear that first one up once and for all, pit bulls do not have any anatomical mechanism that would cause or allow their jaws to lock. No dog does. And while pit bulls still get a lot of bad press, they’re no more likely to bite someone than any other breed.
The American Temperament Testing Society (ATTS), an organization that promotes uniform temperament testing, has found that the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Terrier all had a higher than average passing score, which is 83 percent, and did better than many other breeds, including Golden Retrievers, when it comes to stability, aggression and friendliness, among other traits.
Even the AVMA has stated that despite the stigma, when it comes to pit bull type dogs “controlled studies have not identified this breed group as disproportionately dangerous.”
In fact, pit bulls used to be referred to as the perfect “nanny dogs” for children because of their fantastic temperaments and were used to represent America on WWI posters because of their loyalty, bravery and determination. Even Helen Keller had one.
“As any responsible owner knows, it’s not these sweet and loyal animals that are the problem, but rather a handful of self-serving and unethical breeders. Raised in the right environment, pit bull terriers are naturally inclined to be wonderful pets, sure to steal your heart!” according to the shelter.
Along with urging people to consider adding one to the family, the SPCA Serving Erie County wants everyone who loves pit bulls to join the campaign by submitting a photo showing the world what their dogs were born to do. So far, they’ve got people showing off pit bulls who were bred to give kisses, be loved, be best friends, protect, be loyal, brighten lives and be family, along with a few who were born to cuddle.
If you want to join the campaign and help spread the truth about pit bulls, visit their website, download and print a sign and fill in the blank: Bred to _____, and take some pictures. You can then submit your images via their website, which will be shared in an album on their Facebook page.
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I feel like this article has been a long time coming and you'll have to excuse my extreme sarcasm here, but, after all, what is life without some humour? ;)
When people go vegan or vegetarian, I've noticed (and remember going through the same thing myself) people have the most close-minded ignorant attitudes possible.
Now, I'm trying to imagine why people do this… is it from guilt that they still eat meat and/or dairy? Is it a self-defence mechanism? Usually when people attack others it is from insecurity so I am leaning towards these theories. Perhaps the most obvious reason; their beliefs are being challenged and no one likes to have their beliefs challenged… which can then lead to those ignorant and/or close-minded remarks. *Sigh*
Let's take a look at the most common:
Oh, sorry to hear that… I feel sorry for you… Too bad.
It's unhealthy.
But what about your protein and your calcium and and…
… I love meat and dairy too much…
We're meant to eat meat.
Generally, a lot of shitty vibes. So, what's a veg gal or guy to do? Get feisty!
I mean this in the best possible way and generally I am all for the most positive, kind, and loving attitude in any negative situation, however, when push comes to shove, there comes a time when you have to shut the ignorance up, which brought me to writing this post…
Time to debunk and slap across the face those ignorant bastards! ;) Just joking, well about the "bastards" part, but I would like to give you fellow vegans and veg-heads something to turn to when the battle gets rough out there. Hell, you can even just direct them right to this article. *Waves* Hi meat-eaters! ;)
*disclaimer: I don't have anything against meat-eaters. My husband still eats meat from time to time and I have friends that do too. The following snarky remarks are aimed at those that push and shove and really get under them veg nerves in terms of close-minded ignorant remarks. Okay… I think that's all I needed to say, let's get on with it…
The response to…
The "Too Bad" mentality
Oh nooooo! God forbid should I have to eat something this amazing:
Or This amazing!
Or all of this other amazzzzzing food!
Wow, you'd better feel super sorry for me! I don't know how I will go on without animal cruelty-filled products anymore.
If you think for one second that being vegan means I am deprived of amazing food then think again. I Love food, my friends love everything I make, I love vegan restaurants. I love vegan food!!! It tastes damn good and even my non-veg friends love the food I make. So stop being so… what's the word I'm looking for? Stupid? Okay!
Now drool all over all this other amazing vegan food: http://veganfeast.tumblr.com/archive & http://www.findingvegan.com/archive
"It's Unhealthy"
Are you f*#king kidding me? Do you honestly have ANY IDEA what in the world you're talking about? Oh, yeah, please don't let me become unhealthy on a vegan diet, I might end up looking like this at 70 years old!
The truth is that most people eat like crap. Most vegetarians and vegans are generally also moving towards a healthy lifestyle so choose better food choices as well as the pure healthy goodness of a non-animal product diet. But tell me, how many meat-eaters do you know actually eat enough fruit and vegetables? How many of them eat junk food? How many of them actually enjoy their food or do they thoughtlessly wolf it down? How many of them actually have energy for that matter?
Going vegan can clear up your skin, give you more energy, and make you feel fabulous in every way possible. So yeah, please don't worry where I'm getting my protein or calcium. But them meat-eaters might want to start watching how much protein they are eating since there are actual health problems related to consuming too much (which most North Americans do!) and not too little.
Just about any dietitian or research you can find will also tell you that there is a strong link between the consumption of meat and diseases.
If you want to be Buff you have to eat meat!
You sure about that? I introduce to you... Germany's strongest man! Yes, he's vegan, and there are many more that are body builders and athletes. Now can we please stop having to argue the whole muscle debate?
"I love meat and dairy too much."
Hmmm. K, I'm going to be super duper blunt here, forgive me…
Are you that self-absorbed? Do you have that little will-power? Or are you that content to turn a blind eye? Do you have ANY idea what goes on in factory farms? Do you have any idea the years of torture that animal went through for that ten to twenty minutes of your taste-bud pleasure? Do you have any idea what kind of crap is added to most meat and dairy before it even reaches you? How about that morphine in your cheese? Yum…
Do you have any idea how amazing vegan food actually is? Of course not because it's not widely available in most restaurants and stores. But it's damn amazing and if the world was vegan, if vegan was the "norm" instead of the SAD North American diet, then I tell you no one would miss meat or dairy. No One.
"Mmm, bacon."
enough said.
"If you were stuck on a dessert island... "
"We're meant to eat meat."
Actually we're not. Our bodies don't produce the correct enzymes to properly digest meat so it ends up rotting away in your intestines for years. Our intestines are too long, cholesterol affects us, and we don't have claws or teeth. No, our canines do NOT make us worthy of ripping our teeth into animal flesh, have you taken a real look at the canines of carnivores? Cuz you wouldn't still point out your canines if you did.
To elaborate and dive into greater details, Dr. Milton R. Mills. wrote a paper called, "The Comparative Anatomy of Eating," which breaks down our body organ by organ and shows why the body of humans is better equipped for a vegetarian diet (some points I briefly mentioned above). He compares our organs to Carnivores, Herbivores, and Omnivores and shows us which we are most like. For those curious here it is: http://www.scribd.com/doc/94656/The-Comparative-Anatomy-of-Eating.
Also, meat is no longer a necessity. There may have been a time when us scavenging humans lived in caves and ate meat, but we absolutely do not need to eat meat anymore. So why would we subject animals to needless horrid suffering when we don't have to?
"It doesn't make a difference"
Hell ya it does! One of the biggest ways people show their support is with their money. Choosing not to buy animal products means I'm not Funding it! Plus vegans save nearly 200 animals per year. So yeah…
It's so wrong to eat Horse Meat...
I get tired of hearing people say that it's wrong to eat a horse but not a cow. Or that it's wrong to eat a dog but not a pig. They're all animals. They're all the same living creatures with emotions and beating hearts and souls.
Or the people that say hunting is wrong, but they still eat meat. What, so because you yourself didn't physically Kill the animal then it makes it okay? As if this somehow removes meat-eaters from the responsibility of taking that animal's life? You are still killing animals if you are eating them, at least hunters aren't raising animals in suffering just to brutally kill them.
**I'm not for hunting either, but if you're going to eat meat then you'd better be able to kill the animal yourself--it's better than factory farms**
The "Animals don't have souls" remark.
Really? For real? You can consume meat from a factory where animals experience unimaginable cruelty and pretend that it doesn't happen, completely disassociate that it even was an animal… you can watch "Earthlings" and still eat meat and dairy… or maybe you refuse to even look into what actually goes on on factory farms… and you're telling me Animals are the ones without a soul? … Okayyyy?…
Did you know that cows cry when their babies are ripped away from them? Did you know that animals heading for slaughter know what is about to happen to them and freak out?! Did you know pigs are smarter than your three-year-old child and your dog? Have you ever watched an animal ever in your life? Ever?!
"Oh, you're vegan, so you CAN'T have that"
Actually, I CAN, I'm just CHOOSING not to. Myself and other vegans are making an Ethical Choice not to consume dairy, eggs, meat, and other animals products, it has nothing to do with not being able to.
We are not deprived and we are not sad about this choice.
I like the response of "I'm choosing not to" versus telling people you "can't eat that because I'm vegan" wording, because it really is a choice and telling people you are Choosing versus Can't shows others that you are not deprived or unhappy about your decision. On the contrary, you are making an ethical choice to be vegan that you Feel Good and are confident about! We're at the top of the food chain.
What exactly makes us at the top of the food chain? Put just about any modern man in the middle of the wilderness and he is royally f#%ked! Put man back into the wilderness and we scavenge and though we may hunt, we also become the hunted. How is that the top of the food chain again? Oh, wait, what, because we evolved? We consciously destroy our environment, our home, you know the place we have to live. We still haven't figured out that we're not cows or goats yet. We poison ourselves, and know it, daily. And… animals never had a war… (all I can picture is the Futurama moment, so enjoy below... ;))
And, hey, while we're here, what about your dog or cat? Do they have no souls either? Would you eat them? Would you drink their milk?
Argument closed.
If you're a meat-eater, I hope perhaps your mind is a little more open. If you're a vegan or vegetarian, I hope that you are armed to face those ignorant remarks with truth and savvy.
Have a lovely day! ;)
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