Welcome

A note from the site author - 4/12/08

Felanie may be gone, but life goes on—and so does this site. Thank you to those who wrote with condolences and donated to PBRC in Felanie's name. I'm back to the site again, working on the few remaining blank pages.

Today I filled in the blank page about the dangers of dog parks and off-leash dogs. I also got my first contributor essay!

An Introduction to Happy Pit Bull

I never wanted a pit bull. It never even occurred to me to consider one. I'd never had a dog before, and all I knew was that pit bulls were the kind of dog that no self-respecting dog owner would be caught dead with, because, from what I'd heard, that kind of dog was unmanageable and vicious. Besides, I was a cat person. Or so I told myself.

Then the pit bull came along. Felanie was basically forced on us; she was left behind by the previous resident of our house. We moved in, and there she was. Her cropped ears and yellow eyes staring out of a red-furred face frightened me; she really did look like a devil dog. I suppose I could have called animal control and requested her removal, but I was, and still am, a shelter volunteer, and I knew what happened to dogs at the shelter. I wasn't that cruel; I decided to keep Felanie.

That was in 2000. Over the years, Felanie gave more to me than I could ever hope to give back. Because of her, I have a new understanding of—and sensitivity to—injustice, prejudice, and stereotypes. She taught me about myself, and helped me find my path to a career and a future in writing and communication. She provided me with years of gentle encouragement, companionship, and support. Where would I be without her? Probably still stuck in a dead-end job, asking whether life is really worth all the trouble.

I have learned, in particular, that owning a pit bull—truly caring for, loving, and raising a pit bull as a family member —is a very unique experience. Not because of the dog itself, which is just a dog, after all. No, it's unique because of the way other people treat you and your dog. It's because of the things that you have to learn, the hoops you have to jump through, the conflicting information you must analyze, the conversations you have to prepare for, the stereotypes you must surmount, and the situations you have to navigate. Loving a pit bull and being socially acceptable are two things that don't easily go hand in hand.

So, seeking a way to help other people understand the complexities of pit bull ownership, I started this website. The site is currently in its "third edition," so to speak. It has certainly come a long way from the rudimentary handful of pages that quietly educated visitors... and eventually generated enough traffic that my old site host told me I could no longer stay for free.