PIT BULL AWARENESS DAY!! 
Three days ago, we celebrated these loving, loyal, kind, and compassionate dogs. There is so much misinformation about them out there, and they are so unfairly and cruelly maligned. They and their humans have their lives upended by unfairly discriminative breed-specific legislation and refusal of insurance companies to write policies for the humans, even when their breed isn’t actually known.It’s important to know that Pit Bulls are NOT a breed; they are a type of dog with certain physical characteristics: muscular, stocky builds with deep chests and large, square heads. “Pit Bulls” in today’s society and media actually encompass a number of breeds or combination of breeds, including:
– American Staffordshire Terrier
– American Pit Bull Terrier
– American Bully
– Staffordshire Bull Terrier
– American Bulldog
BUT–The American Pit Bull Terrier is the only breed with the words “pit” and “bull” actually in its name, and the only breed that is most commonly, correctly, and historically called a “Pit Bull”.
So many absurd and outright false characteristics have been attributed to “Pit Bulls” such as locking jaws, that they’re inherently aggressive, or it’s not safe to get a “Pittie” from a shelter. It’s mostly pure nonsense. Pit Bull breeds have been extensively temperament tested, and they score on average in the top 23% of all dogs. Not only do they have an excellent temperament, they are also successful as service dogs, therapy dogs, K9 police dogs, and as family pets; in other words, good canine citizens! They are notably affectionate to humans and most other animals if properly socialized.
At the top of this post is my sweet boy Popeye, whom I rescued in 2020 right before lockdown. You can see what a “vicious beast” he is. He died last February of Megaesophagus, but he gave me three years of unconditional love and loyalty, constantly by my side. 
If you love and care about dogs, come–sit–stay (and listen)!
The podcasts feature lots of shelter dog talk, and in my case the story of pitbull “Sammy,” our wonderful 
“As the little red dog lay on the ground, fighting for air, Quanis Phillips grabbed its front legs and Michael Vick grabbed its back legs. They swung the dog over their head like a jump rope then slammed it to the ground. The first impact didn’t kill it. So, Phillips and Vick slammed it again. The two men kept at it, alternating back and forth, pounding the creature against the ground until, at last, the little red dog was dead.”