WHEN HEROES ARE THE PITS

Another pit bull mix, employed with a K9 unit in San Diego, searches airports for narcotics. He works in close contact with the public and has identified $30 million worth of illegal drugs.

Pit bulls also assist physically challenged owners who must be able to depend on them to respond to all commands in any situation. Spike, a black pit bull, faithfully served his quadraplegic owner who said, "Spike just gave me another part of life. He was the most loving, obedient dog ever." Spike even accompanied his owner to receive his associate degree as software support specialist.

RCA, another fine example of the pit bull breed, became Alaska's first hearing ear dog. She scored highest of 170 dogs in a temperament test and performed her hearing duties to perfection. However, as talk of a pit bull ban increased, she was never placed in a home that may have later had to give her up. She became a demonstration dog and visited schools. As the children lined up, she offered them all kisses. At home, her favorite activities were "rescuing logs" from the pond, playing tug of war with the Sheltie and allowing the cockatiel chicks to nibble her ears.

Perhaps the most convincing cases for the value of pit bull terriers are those involved in therapy, and in search and rescue work. Alexis and Rose, two pit bulls owned by the president of Out of the Pits, are certified therapy dogs. They regularly work in schools to educate children and visit nursing homes and hospitals. Cheyenne, Dakota, and Tahoe participate in the Valley Humane Society Animal Assisted Therapy program, as well as locate missing persons. Their determination, so characteristic of pit bull terriers, makes them wonderful search dogs. In rough and dangerous terrain, where other dogs and handlers turn back, these dogs keep going. Pit bulls will struggle through bushes and thorns, to the point of needing stitches, to find a missing person.

These ambassadors for the breed seem to support the claim of responsible pit bull trainers and Dr. James Harris, a Montclair veterinarian, that the dog maulings we hear of, are a people problem, not a dog problem. Just as "Lassie dogs" are not born, but made, so it is with vicious dogs. With that in mind, it seems that a pit bull terrier, as well as a collie, can be a "Lassie dog".

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