Thousands of animals, left to themselves to brave Hurricane Katrina and her after-effects, managed to survive by enduring days and weeks of stress, loneliness, and hunger before being rescued. In spite of the horrible conditions they suffered, it turned out, for some, that Katrina was a blessing in disguise. It seems that Louisiana has the reputation of being a top pit bull producing state, so as animal rescue efforts are winding down and the last of 6,036 animals left Lamar-Dixon emergency shelter in Gonzales, Louisiana, it's not surprising that the final crate loaded onto the transport truck October 10, contained a pit bull mix. Of the hundreds of pit bulls brought in to the temporary shelter, some were pets but, for the fighters and breeding stock, Katrina was their ticket out of neglect and abuse.
Despite the tragedy of Katrina, these Louisiana pit bulls were saved from the despair of life at the end of a short, heavy chain, and delivered from the brutal fights that left them injured, broken and scarred. In most circumstances, these dogs would be considered unadoptable and would have faced certain euthanasia. However, a dedicated group called BAD RAP understands the breed and is passionate about dispelling the myths propelled through society. They made their way from California, assessed the dogs, and determined that most of these fighting dogs were of the infamous Boudreaux line which is specifically bred to be trustworthy with people. Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls. This ever-growing group of pit bull owners, trainers, rescuers and supporters believes in the breed and feels that these dogs are victims who deserve a second chance. Their mission as a group is to educate the public, dispel myths, encourage responsible ownership and offer practical adoption policy solutions concerning pit bulls. They also offer information, camaraderie, training resources and rescue resources. BAD RAP teaches weekly classes of basic pit bull handling skills, conducts private consultations and workshops, and participates in outreach events, foster care programs, and owner support.
These pit bull-specific handlers carefully assessed the pit bulls at Lamar-Dixon and, of the hundreds put through their rigorous temperament testing and detailed behavior evaluations, only three dogs failed. About a third were deemed suitable for adoption to the general public. A select few went home to California with BAD RAP. The rest have been shipped to appropriate shelters around the country or will be fostered, rehabilitated and then adopted into suitable homes.
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Joy Butler's Working Animals topic, please visit the Discussions page.