Mid Florida American Pit Bull Terrier Association

To tether or not to tether?!

2010-09-17T21:59:00.001-07:00

Mid Florida family & friends,

There is a very important meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 22nd, at the County Center Building, 2nd Floor, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, Florida at 6:30pm. The fourth Wednesday of the every month the Animal Advisory Committee, made up of representatives from each Commissioner’s office, and representatives from the Humane Society and the Hillsborough County Veterinarian Association meets to discuss issues related to Hillsborough County Animal Services and makes recommendations for voting by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.

One particular issue on the agenda this Wednesday is tethering. There is a strong movement across our country right now to ban, limit or in some fashion restrict the tethering of a dog. Without a doubt we have seen the pictures of dogs tethered on a 2’-3’ chain, tangle around something or in some fashion twisted to the point the dog is unable to move at all; without access to water or shade. We’ve also seen the pictures of the dogs chained (tethered) with no daily attention and suffering the effects of an embedded collar that must be surgically removed. And, we’ve all heard the statistics ‘supporting’ (?) the fact tethered dogs are more likely to bite because of lack of socialization and interaction with people. There are some very compelling,……stories, if you will, that support the movement to make changes in tethering ordinances all across the country.

If you are a dog owner I encourage you to make every effort to attend this very important meeting. We all have our personal opinions and ideas of what is right or wrong about tethering. This email is my personal thoughts and feelings and do not necessarily represent Mid Florida American Pit Bull Terrier Association has a whole. As you decide for yourself what is right or wrong with this issue I’d like to humbly ask that you consider some very important facts.

1) The scenario I mentioned above, tangle inadequate tether preventing movement of the dog, embedded collars and the like, are acts of animal neglect and animal abuse. Hillsborough County Animal Services currently has very satisfactory and effective ordinances that deal with animal neglect and animal abuse. If you haven’t made yourself familiar with ordinances related to pet ownership, or if you feel I’m pulling this one out of my hat with nothing to substantiate the statement then take a moment to go read the ordinance yourself. They are quite good and more than sufficient.

So stop and think about this before agreeing with a ban or restrictions or limitations to tethering. An individual who is capable of animal neglect or animal abuse in their own yard isn’t going to think twice about bringing this animal in their home, stuffing them in an airline crate in the back bedroom of their home to neglect and abuse out of sight of others. At the very least if the dog is kept outside it has a chance of someone seeing these deplorable conditions and making a report on behalf of the animal.

If you really want to be part of the solution plant yourself in the courtroom for hearings on animal neglect and abuse cases….let our judges know it is time for those who do the crime to do the time….Please peruse Section 8 and related definitions at the link below. http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/animalservices/ordinance/

2) My personal pet-peeve, no pun intended, is the misnomer that EVERY tethered dog is a castaway relegated to the back yard never to be played with, loved on, provided for, or brought into the home at any time to be a part of the family. This, my friend, is the propaganda of extremist animal rights groups such as PETA and the HSUS…...organizations that would like to prevent us from owning any type of pet ALTOGETHER.

Are there dogs that have been tossed out in the backyard and ignored from that point on? Yes, and that is precisely why there are ordinances (see point #1) that deals with this type of NEGLECT and ABUSE. To take this one step further does this happen frequently enough to drive this mindset home as a staunch and factual stereotype of the tethered dog? No.

3) Not every dog is suitable, nor happy, to lie on the couch all day while their master is at work. A very high drive, high performance dog would most likely be happier in a contained area outside whereby they can move about, seeing the sites of wildlife in the trees and smell the aroma of the fresh outdoors, intermittently stretching out to bask in the warmth of the early morning or late afternoon sun and curling up for an afternoon nap in the shade and comfort of a doghouse.

So you feel if someone can afford to own a dog they should also be able to afford to fence their yard or build a kennel. Seriously, you are not really going to force me to throw my two-cents in on this one are you? A fence, be it a chain link or six foot privacy fence is not capable of containing some dogs. Be it a big dog or a small dog, if the dog wants out they can be athletic and ingenious enough to go over or under. Thus we have a dog at large. Furthermore there are some homeowner associations that prohibit fences and kennels all together. What are those individuals to do who own dogs that may not be suitable or content to lie on the couch all day and possibly too strong to be contained indoors in a crate or wire kennel for the day? Should those individuals just relinquish their pet to animal services to be killed rather than allowing tethering as a possible tool/option?

4) Dog bite statistics…tethered intact males are 2.8 times more likely to bite. There are no consistent, complete or correct accounting of bites in the US. What reports or documents currently available or recommended for review are predisposed; see item #2 on animal rights propaganda. Until such time we can compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges IN A CONSISTANT MANNER these types of statistics should be rendered useless.

5) A tethered dog becomes more territorial, possessive of his space and frustrated at the lack of interaction with his human pack therefore more inclined to become human aggressive. HOGWASH. If you believe this you have bought into the negative stereotype created by animal rights groups. See item #2….again.

Are there vicious dogs on chains or tethers that will bite if you enter their space? You bet there are! Dog behavior such as this isn’t caused by a tether. It is intentionally created by their owners, criminals for the most part, that have made them react this way! If you don’t believe me search the court records of Pinellas County for Joseph Bethune, Jr., the owner of the tethered pit bull (in a county where tethering is prohibited by the way!) that broke away and bit the face of a female visitor walking at the side of the house. Five months earlier at the same address a narcotics officer shot and killed a charging pit bull. Again, these are not tethering issues….these are criminal issues that involve innocent dogs.

6) So, you say tethering itself is ok if we place restrictions such as tether length, diameter of tether, the weight of the tether, or even how long a dog is permitted to be tethered each day. So let us explore this in more detail.

Length of tether – A dog in a 10’ X 10’ kennel has 100 feet of ‘play room.’ A dog on a 10’ tether has 360 feet of ‘play room.’ A dog on a 20’ tether has 1256 feet of ‘play room.’ The tether does in fact enable 360 degrees of free roaming verses the restrictions and the frustration that comes with kennel walls. Which do you think would make the dog happier?

Diameter of tether – Several tether ordinances I have read refer to a ¼ inch diameter limit on chain tethers. This sounds reasonable in an effort to help eliminate the heavy logging chains seen on some dogs. I decided to explore this in a little more depth and found listed on the National Association of Chain Manufacturers that there are 11 different types of chains (Grade 30 Proof Coil Chain, Grade 43 High Test Chain, Grade 70 Transport Chain, Grade 80 Alloy Chain, Grade 100 Alloy Chain, Machine Chain-Twist Link, Machine Chain-Straight Link, Coil Chain-Twist Link, Coil Chain-Straight Link, Passing Link Chain, and Stainless Steel Chain) that include a nominal chain size ¼ inch, all of which withstand different working load limits. And, beyond that there is a 53 page Federal Specification on Chains and Attachments, Welded and Weldless that was created in 1986 and amended in 1990 that must also be strictly adhered to. Sounds like a very slippery slide we may be venturing on to.

Weight of the tether –The new catch-phrase in tether ordinances is that the tether be no greater than 1/8th of the body weight of the dog. Any American Pit Bull Terrier is capable of pulling anywhere between 100-120 percent of its body weight. These figures are substantiated all across our country in sanctioned weight pull competitions. So say my dog weighs 50 pounds which means he is strong enough to pull 5000 pounds and I need a chain at least 10 feet in length not weighing over, um, 50 divided by 8 = 2.65….a grand total of 2.65 pounds in weight but must withstand a working load of 5000 pounds and the links can’t be larger than ¼ inch! Now would that be the Grade 30 coil, Grade 43 high, Grade 70 transport, Grade 80 alloy, a twist link or a straight link….hell, I’m just gonna surrender my big brown dog to the animal services for them to deal with since they created this mess and go get myself a damn lap dog!

7) Now we are down to one of my last points, but certainly and absolutely without a doubt, not the least of all points to be made. Our personal rights as a pet owner. What about the rights of the animal you ask? Well, I see it like this, and so does an immense group of additional people I might add. My dog(s) are my PROPERTY. I bought them with my own hard-earned money. I have a responsibility to these dogs to provide nourishment, love, medical care, training, socialization and such to my dog(s). If I do not, for any reason, responsibly provide and care from my dog(s) please re-read #1 above….we are back to neglect and abuse which is already covered! Have absolutely no doubts about it, until such time that my dog(s) can provide food, medicine, necessities and clean up after themselves, all RIGHTS belong to me, the owner. Freedom is what our country was founded on.

Hillsborough County Animal Services barely has the budget to keep its doors open now, and keep Animal Control Officers on the road at the same time. Dog owners have already paid a price as the cost of licenses and fees have increased in an effort to keep Animal Control Officers employed and on the road doing the incredible job that they do here in this county. Committees, sub-committees and citizens are working tirelessly to increase licensing compliance; again in an effort to cover budget deficits as they are now and projected into the future. How possibly could this agency find the means to tackle any of the additional and ludicrous changes in our tethering ordinance?

So, let’s stop and ask ourselves who knows best how to contain their pet than the actual owner himself? No one. This is better left to the discretion of responsible dog owners. Anything other than responsible is covered already under neglect and abuse.

Is there truly a humane manner in which to tether a dog? Of course there is. A medium length is probably around 10 feet and of suitable weight for the dog’s size and the dog’s strength. A small airplane tie down works well as an anchor and the chain should be attached by a swivel. The dog should be wearing a flat buckle collar and again attached to the tether/chain with a swivel and “O” ring. Swivels at each end will prevent tangles and loss of mobility by the dog. Collars should be secure enough that the dog cannot “back out of it” yet obviously not so tight as to cause discomfort or damage. ALL EQUIPMENT IS TO BE CHECKED ON A REGULAR BASIS….including the fit of the collar. A tether set-up is to include a dog house appropriate for the climate and proper shade. A misting hose, out of reach and set on a timer isn’t a bad idea for the summers either. Adequate sized water bowls or buckets need to be secured in a fashion that prevents being tipped or knocked over and cleaned and refreshed each and every day. Dirt or grass is preferable to the tethered area being concrete so long as the dog has access to dry ground. On either foundation cleanliness is of the utmost importance to the health and wellbeing of your dog. As well, humane tethering includes time-off the tether; time spent between dog and owner walking, playing, training, conditioning and above everything else a two-way of unconditional love.

So, please do not forget there is that very important meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 22nd, at the County Center Building, 2nd Floor, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, Florida at 6:30 pm. On behalf of all responsible dog owners I encourage you to attend and make public comment if you will on any of these talking points.

Thanks, friends.

2009-11-05T06:32:00.001-08:00

2009-08-21T16:49:00.001-07:00

Please be a responsible owner......

2009-08-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

After a quick walk thru the kennels at Hillsborough County Animal Serivces yesterday I was left with a visualization burned in my mind, and a pain in my heart that I have since been unable to get rid of. Seeing all the dogs who so desperately want homes is hard enough, but I entered this one kennel area and was greated by a very sad set of big brown eyes looking up at me. A small little Momma pit bull dog that reminded me so much of my little "Sissy" girl, standing there looking confused with 6-8 little red pit puppies hanging off of her, all suckling at the same time....the suckling sounds so very sweet and precious, little four-legged beings that are so very vulnerable and needy. They couldn't have been over 3 weeks old. Momma in need of being loved on and reassured that she is doing a good job caring for her babies; puppies in need of being snuggled, kissed, cooed over and played with.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I will dig my heels in to fight, and be just as tenacious as our breed when it comes to our personal rights. Our fore-fathers have paid a very high price indeed for all of our freedoms to make choices...including choices regarding our pets. But freedom hasn't been free regardless of the lyrics of "Me and Bobby Magee." With freedom comes tremendous responsibility....including responsibility to, and for our pets.

As hard as the State of Florida has tried over the past several years, thank heavens, the decision to spay or neuter our pets is still our own choice. Please be responsible and make the right choice. Mid Florida APBTA is a dog fanciers organization and we hope to encourage new American Pit Bull Terrier dog fanciers into our passionate hobby. We are committed to educating about proper responsible breeding practices. But, if you are not going to participate in a conformation event or activity that requires your dog to be unaltered, I urge you to give every consideration to spaying or neutering your pit bull at the appropriate age. Spay/neuter voucher programs are available and low cost clinics can be found.

Choosing to have your American Pit Bull Terrier spayed or neutered does in fact eliminate alot of headaches, and heartaches for you the owner. If you own a bitch who comes in season spaying eliminates the mess, it helps to eliminate the need to roam, it helps eliminate the propensity of cancer in the reproductive organs of an aging pet, and it helps to elminate your male dog from "marking." But the most important thing spaying or netuering your American Pit Bull Terrier eliminates is unplanned or unwanted litters of puppies.

The litter of pups I described in the beginning, that I can still see, hear and smell in my minds eye....they didn't ask to be brought into this world; they only ask to be nurtured while they are young so as to provide uncondtional love to you as they mature. The very sad and realistic fact is, most likely they and momma dog will be euthanized within 3-5 days and disiposed of like a plastic bag full of garbage. Can't we be a lttle more responsible when it comes to one of God's creatures?

First Session of Mid Florida APBTA Obedience Training

2009-08-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well all, I wish I had some exciting pictures from our first obedience class but I do not. LOL. I can tell you everything went very well and I believe all of us owners/handlers will be quite surprised at the end of the 8 week session. I think we all saw a little improvement in our dogs this, the first day. And, I honestly can say, I truly have practiced throughout the remainder of the day! Maverick really is picking up the watch me (well except when those squirrels went running by!), sit and stay.

Duane Bryant is conducting the obedience classes for Mid Florida and he is excellent with over 30 years experience in dog training. His breed of choice is the Rottweiler which is another very high drive, high performance and tenacious breed. We are so thankful to have him offering us his expertise and time at such a reasonable price! Duane's vision is so similiar to ours in that there is no limit to what we can do with, and for, these dogs. Mid Florida APBTA is and always will be an American Dog Breeders Association sanctioned club, but as you have heard us say so often we don't and won't stop there. Basic obedience opens up a whole new world to us.

Stay tuned as more is coming....one more thing, Duane is very intersted in our getting our junior handlers into obedience training with their puppies. If this is something you would be interested in please contact us now.

That's it for now......more later!

2009-07-21T14:51:00.001-07:00

July Fun Show Recap!

2009-07-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well, the July Mid Florida APBTA fun show has come and gone. I personally thought it was a great success with 83 total entries. There were some gorgeous pit bulls of all different body styles, types and characteristics. That is what our fun shows are about! Mid Florida is an American Dog Breeders Association sanctioned club, and we judge our conformation events by those standards, but all pit bulls are welcome to attend.
Since it is just absolutely too hot to ask our dogs to pull any substantial weight, Eva Noble offered a very successful weight pull workshop early in the morning. We hope those that attended now have a better understanding of the equipment needed, how to get your adult pit bull started, when you can safely begin your pup and what training methods and tools are available. We will soon be getting this information posted on our website (www.midfloridapitbulls.org)
We had the incredible opportunity to honor Hennessy, the female pit bull who saved her family from home intruders by awarding her a medal of bravery, a Proclamation declaring July 18th as Heroic Hennessy Day whereby all pit bull owners are to kiss their pit on the lips each and every year on this day forward, as well as two huge gift baskets put together by several of our very dedicated association members. Hennessy should have enough toys and treats to last for a quite a while! Thank you Hennessy and owners for joining us. We hope to see you back in the future!
We had a slew of fun events. Best Blue was awarded to Famous owned by Lesa Howell. Best Bully Male was awarded to Tomoko also owned by Lesa Howell. Best Bully Female was awarded to Memphis owned by Linda Castaneda. Best Brindle was awarded to Kira owned by Denise Wasdin. Best Black was awarded to LadyBug owned by Reid Hutches. Best Red Nose was awarded to Daddy’s Boy owned by Jimmie Lundeen. Best Rescue was awarded to Buster owned by Blue of Rugaz Rescue. Tim Floyd’s daughter was awarded Best Junior Handler with Bella and she did a knock-out job! Best Conditioned was awarded to a little scrappy dog that was "ripped" named Swamper owned by Justin Baltin! Judges Choice was awarded to Redman owned by Robert Gephardt. Best Puppy was awarded to Angel owned by Marion Strong. Best of Opposite Sex was awarded to Nigerina owned by Justin Baltin, and Best of Show was awarded to Havoc owned by Crystal Packard. We will get our age class winners up shortly! Stay tuned.
It was hot day for both dogs and handlers and we appreciate each and every one of you who came out and supported our event. And, our guest judge Max Rios informed me that next time he judges I need to be prepared to offer him a bottle of sun screen! You did a great job Max. We appreciate your continued support throughout the years.
Heath and happiness to each and every one of you and your pit bulls!

OPTIMISM + INFORMATION = HOPE

2009-07-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

Mid Florida American Pit Bull Terrier Association is proud to announce we have reunited our efforts to promote the American Pit Bull Terrier with Pit Bulls Pounding the Pavement. It is exciting to know that the Bay area has such experienced, educated and dedicated organizations to serve our community. Together as one, we can make a difference!

Mid Florida American Pit Bull Terrier Association is a sanctioned club of the American Dog Breeders Association. Our foundation lies with the ADBA registered American Pit Bull Terrier. We are dog fanciers who understand responsible and educated breeding for the correct purpose, and responsible and educated ownership. Our mission is to preserve this incredible breed. But Mid Florida APBTA isn’t going to stop with just being dog fanciers. There is much work to be done surrounding this breed, such as the battle of breed specific legislation, animal cruelty, irresponsible ownership and negative and incorrect media reporting. We are grateful to join forces and establish a hardworking family-bond with Pit Bulls Pounding the Pavement to achieve all of our goals.

Both of these organizations are made up of dedicated and committed individuals that will work tirelessly to promote responsible pit bull ownership, who will spread the truth by educating the owners and the public about this awesome breed, and the issues of misunderstandings that surround this breed. Together we will continue to work diligently to promote this incredible dog, serve our community’s needs with training and diversified activities for both the dog and its owner, all the while remaining true to our beginnings…..the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Mid Florida APBTA is the oldest established pit bull organization in the Tampa Bay area born into existence back in the 1980’s. We have survived the test of time because we stand as stoic as our dogs, and have chosen to stay true to the breed and dedicated to the dogs themselves. We always have been and always will remain….here for the dogs. We understand the challenges of owning this breed, will forever help owners overcome these challenges, and labor tirelessly to maintain the right to own the breed of our choice.

Pit Bulls Pounding the Pavement was the brain-child of a dedicated and hardworking member of Mid Florida APBTA, CJ, who had the foresight to see the need in our community for the pet bull owner, has the heart for a pit bull in need, and has the drive and determination to develop this very unique and innovative program to promote this breed and improve its overall image. In fact, Pit Bulls Pounding the Pavement’s efforts were so successful it has since been mimicked not only here in the Bay area, but in other parts of the country as well.

With the efforts of Mid Florida APBTA and Pit Bull Pounding the Pavement working together we have the community’s best interest and needs at heart. From the dog fancier owning the high performance athletic pit bull who wants to experience the conformation dog show, weight pull competition or learn how to work and condition a breed of dog that needs to work, to the family lickey-loo pet-bull whose loyalty cannot be matched…you will find Mid Florida APBTA and Pit Bulls Pounding the Pavement….. TOGETHER AS ONE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

New and exciting activities and opportunities are being developed as this is being written….dog shows, walks, training and much, much more. Watch for the upcoming announcements on our various websites. Get yourself and your dogs ready….we’ll soon be rock’n the State of Florida once again!
www.midfloridapitbulls.org
www.pitbullspoundingthepavement.com
www.myspace.com/midfloridaapbta
www.myspace.com/pitbullspoundthepavement
www.meetup.com/Mid-Florida-American-Pit-Bull-Terrier-Association/
www.midfloridapitbulls.blogspot.com/
www.pitbullspoundingthepavement.blogspot.com/
www.twitter.com/MFAPBTA
www.flickr.com/groups/1058503@N20/

Mid Florida APBTA's June Fun Show

2009-06-15T06:22:00.001-07:00

Should be a fun day! We hope everyone can come out and join us!

MID FLORIDA TOP DOG POINT STANDINGS

2009-05-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

Mid Florida American Pit Bull Terrier Association's TOP DOG competition is going strong!! We've got Envy owned by Carla Thomas only 1 point behind 2nd place and Fred Kelly's Buck'em and Max Rios Kid Bolio not far behind!! With 6 fun shows remaining TOP DOG and TOP DOG Runner-up is wide open!

Does anyone have information on the Tebow/Tebo dog? These two dogs are listed under two seperate handlers but we want to make sure this is correct. If this turns out to be the same dog when we combine the points Tebow/Tebo will become a contender for a CUP!

It's not too late to jump in the friendly competition now.....see everyone on Saturday, June 20th.....

All Too Often and It’s Disappointing Indeed

2009-05-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I attended one of the largest ADBA point shows I have ever attended; huge classes were made up of incredibly conditioned specimens of the American Pit Bull Terrier. Every long lean muscle, cut, defined and popping; true athletes through and through. Since my dog wasn’t in tip-top shape many of my conversations were about how these participants got their pits into such extraordinary form? So discussion began about slat mills verses carpet mills verses electric treadmills; which builds muscle, which burns fat, which tones. Flirt pole and spring pole usage was discussed; which of these a particular dog prefers to work and for how long? Drag weight conditioning routines surfaced; some using deadweight, some using drag sleds or carts. How much weight verses drag distance? What combination of each works best for which results? Road work, hand walking….. nothing better than that some will say. Also, you always need a scale, you must record accurate weight along with your conditioning program, you will want to replicate that perfect combination when you hit on it. And, of course any pit bull owner is going to share what their pit loves to work on the most….because pits love to work! And, most importantly these are pampered pooches. These people will themselves go without before their dogs are in need of anything. We are not talking dog fighters. We are talking dog fanciers!

Beyond the muscular discussions, one exhibitor to another is always going to inquire about how the next achieved such a magnificent coat! How do they manage to maintain multiple dogs in their homes without the unforeseen ruckus? First and foremost any responsible owner of an American Pit Bull Terrier will own a break-stick or parting-stick and know how to properly use it. I am afraid the general public (non-pit bull people) will never understand it is instinct indeed for these dogs to want to fight other dogs; no training is required or necessary. Two family dogs may get along together very well for an extended period of time and it is most often something small such as a kibble on the floor, a lizard in the grass or something totally insignificant to us that will trigger this instinct. Quite simply this just comes with owning this breed.

So, no matter how responsible you feel you are, your pit is certain to pick up a nick or scrape while playing, because these are bulldogs and they play hard, or by sparring when the opportunity presents itself because these are pit bulls and it comes natural to them. But the nicks and scrapes can be concealed as show exhibitor discussions continue. A black magic marker on a black dog, shoe polish or your color choice of chalk concealer, or visit your local tack store to see what equine exhibitors use. There are a variety of tricks to the “show” trade. Check out your supermarket hair products aisle for hair sheen…look for the pink spray can. Nothing makes a coat look smoother and shinier than this. Let you imagination run wild!

It always feels good to be at a dog show because other show exhibitors love their pits just as much as I do. They will pamper them, they will exercise them, they will feed the best possible food their budgets allow, they will do without themselves to provide for their dogs or financially prepare for a road trip. Canadians will travel to Florida and Floridians will travel to Utah. Those from Utah will travel to Texas and Texans will not blink an eye to drive to New Jersey! No distance is too far if you have the ability to be away from work and money in your pocket to cover gas and hotels. Heck, hotels are not a requirement when camping is available! At each and every location there is family that understands the trials and tribulations of owning this breed, the daily scrutiny one endures, a family who supports and encourages each other thru the loses in the show ring, and a family that celebrates each others’ wins, and a family that understands every indulgence I offer my pit bulls.

So where does the ‘all too often and disappointment’ come in? It was when I overheard a hosting club member say they wouldn’t be back at this show site next year; not with the current site management, but especially because of what had recently happened here. Anyone who knows me knows I had to ask what had happened. She turned and pointed….”that building right over there is where they had all the Wildside Kennels dogs…had a SWAT team and everything surrounding the building….laid all the dogs out right down this road (pointing up and down a loooonnnngggg paved driveway) after they had been killed……” This was Wildside Kennel country. The show ring was full of the most magnificent specimens of the APBT that I had ever seen. The courts will determine based on evidence, if there actually is any, if Wildside Kennels is guilty as charged.
But the foundation kennel dogs have already been wiped out. My stomach churned and my head started spinning.

Once I got back home I started perusing the message boards looking for posts made by some of my new found show friends. Quickly, I ran across a video of news footage from Alabama. Police Bust “Alleged” Dog Fighting Ring. “Police busted an alleged dog fighting operation, and more than 20 dogs were rescued. (Rescued??? WTF????) One man is in custody in connection to the raid, but he has not been charged.” Here are a few more quotes from the video….“officers even seized a treadmill!” (OMG) ”these dogs are put on treadmills for hours at a time.” (not!) “these dogs obviously were being fought, we could not put them around other dogs, or they will fight each other,” (this is called genetics bonehead!) “treadmills that is evidence of dog fighting,” “devices to enhance bite,” blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…. I personally own every piece of conditioning equipment shown on video footage of the bust. I’m sure the media chose the dog with the worst injury to film for the news and that dog had a small cut on his nose. I’ve had worse with two of my conformation show males sparring thru the kennel fence! How about we just ruin another life and kill another 20 dogs! My stomach churns once again…..

You know, I have no idea if this guy is guilty or innocent, but all too often we, owners of the American Pit Bull Terrier deal with these situations. You own multiple pit bulls, you own tread mills or slat mills, you own a break stick, or have built a spring pole in your yard and own a drag sled. These things are not only show conditioning equipment but play-toys for the average American Pit Bull Terrier! But all across this country there are “intent laws.” Someone who knows absolutely nothing about this breed has the authority to determine what your intent is when owning all of the absolute essential items mentioned above, when in actuality these things help to make you a responsible pit bull owner! And, heaven forbid if you use tethering with a chain as a form of containment for your pit bull. All of these things combined will land you UNDER the jail until you have hocked your last personal possession, mortgaged your home several times over, emptied out your bank account and scraped together all the money you can find from under your mattress in an effort to obtain a decent attorney to combat this lunacy that has turned your life upside down!! And, the most bizarre thing of all is most often there isn’t any evidence to convict! But, the mission is accomplished. The dogs are dead. Kennel by kennel, dog by dog, the original American Pit Bull Terrier is being annihilated. GENOCIDE in its truest form.

In closing I’m going to borrow a couple of statements from the message board…(authors I hope you do not mind) I couldn’t have said this any better.

“The problem with this whole scenario is what they do right off the bat…..
1) They invade your privacy based on assumptions.
2) They take your dog/dogs.
3) They remove personal property based on flimsy assumptions.
4) It puts the burden on the citizen to prove himself/herself innocent.
5) Most of the time it can create a financial hardship…if you can’t afford to fight you lose no matter what.
6) These public reports forever damage the victims standing in the community.
7) It creates cash flow for the organizations that perpetuate the “raids” which in turn means more “raids.”
8) It is this Vicious Circle…NOT a Vicious Pit Bull…that is to blame.

“Rule number one, never believe anything that comes from the media. There is no rule number two.”

This happens all too often and it’s disappointing indeed!

May Weight Pull & Dog Show

2009-05-06T17:57:00.001-07:00

HERE FOR THE DOGS....

2009-04-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

Something older but worthy of sharing again!
August 19, 2008 - Tuesday

Since very recently taking over the Mid Florida APBTA profile this is the first of hopefully many informative and thought provoking blogs. To kick things off, we would like to address a few topics as they relate to Mid Florida APBTA fun shows and various other events. Before we get into that allow us to share with you the foundation of our mission. First and foremost we are here for the dogs. Over the past 8-10 years things have drastically changed for our dogs. BSL is rampant all across our country. Where BSL has failed or is being challenged, mandatory dog laws (spay/neuter, micro-chipping, anti-tethering) are passing with break-neck speed. Close your eyes and visualize the mushroomed effects of an atomic explosion. You can liken that to the overly exaggerated media hype as it overtakes our breed of choice; soon to be swallowed up entirely. The animal rights activists have such a stronghold on John Q. Public, you are looked at as if you have a third eye at the mere mention of kenneling your dogs outside. We would expect a visit from the Nazi police at the mere mentioning of the fact that we consider our dogs to be property, rather than our being the guardians of our dogs. (We can save that topic for a future blog of its own.) We are an American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) sanctioned club. That certainly does not mean we must stop there and only there. The sky is the limit if we are as tenacious as our dogs.

The ADBA was established in 1909. If the changes that we have felt over the last 8-10 years have been so stifling to us can you begin to imagine what Guy McCord must feel if watching from above? So times have changed and so must we. It is well past time to have circled the wagons. And, it is much too far into the game to have not outlined our offensive plays. One of the very biggest changes that must NOW occur is breaking the divide; imaginary or real. We have a responsibility to our dogs. We must openly embrace all who love this breed. We must encourage every owner and every potential owner to join forces with us in this battle to save our dogs. And in order to do that we must be open, educational, respectful, encouraging and uplifting to all. We must be eager to see the beauty in every dog; spayed or neutered, living in a show home or living the very special life of a rescue who was hand picked by someone with a heart as big as the world when others walked by to leave him to die. We must open our doors and welcome those that come with their beautiful house pets and find creative ways for them to feel an important part of our mission to preserve the American Pit Bull Terrier…..because they are. Not only that, we must uplift one another.

With that being said, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. last time I checked this was still America; home of the free. Free to form our own opinions, free to train our dogs as we please, and free to present our show dogs as we each individually wish. If you want to bring your dog in the show ring and stack him and have him stay that way till next month that is your personal right. If you want to bring your dog in the show ring and allow him to act out his breed type dog aggression that, as well, is your right. Know and accept the consequences of either decision because either does, in fact, have their own individual consequences. It is the mere theory of relativity.

Judging is an interpretation of the written conformation standard. It may cost you $3 or $5 at a fun show, or $18 at a sanctioned point show. That doesn't matter. You're still going to win some and you're going to lose some. That's just the way it goes. What one judge interprets as conforming to standard, the next may very well not. So, if interpretation makes you uncomfortable, might I suggest competition on the weight pull track where it is your dog, the weights, and the stopwatch? Either way it is your responsibility to your dog to represent him with class, dignity and graciousness. What our dogs cannot withstand, given their current unstable position in our country, is any display of poor sportsmanship.

In any organization there is ALWAYS room for healthy constructive debate. Each and every one of us can learn more about these dogs. And, we, the officers of Mid Florida APBTA, would appreciate and encourage you to come to us with your suggestions and opinions on how we can better showcase our dogs and our organization. How we can better educate. How we can better encourage others into the sanctioned show ring or weight pull track. How we can better reach the media about what our dogs really are. We can be all things needed for our dogs and dog owners. It is only when non-communication occurs that problems develop and fester. We should be here to encourage and uplift all dog owners, be it the papered dog, non-papered dog, the unaltered dog or the spayed dog, the couch potato pet, the stacked dog or the dog showing dog aggression. At our monthly fun shows we are all equal; no one person, style of showing or personal opinion is better than another. We should be thankful to have one another and positively embrace our differences. We should discuss them and learn from them for our own educational purposes as well as the education we attempt to perform in our community. Furthermore, any pit bull organization should have zero tolerance for harmful public negativity.

Mid Florida APBTA has come a very far cry from where we were even five years ago. We have worked very, very hard to move away from only having one or two guest judges and the remainder of the season's shows being judged by one officer or another. To successfully bringing in sanctioned ADBA judges or experienced and successful breeders and show exhibitors; individuals who have a yard with numerous titled champions or a well established bloodline. We have taken great measures to move in a positive direction and will continue to do so. Sometimes we hit a homerun; sometimes we strikeout. One thing is for sure, we won't quit stepping up to the plate.

So, when we all gather at a Mid Florida APBTA fun show, sanctioned show or a Mid Florida APBTA community event, we are there for the dogs, and we are there for each other. Differences of philosophies, unless debated constructively and with respect, need to be left at the curb. If your personal opinions are so strong that you cannot set them aside we respect you to the fullest extent should you choose to move on. Maybe the next organization you affiliate yourself with will meet your every expectation. Wherever you decide to land, be there for the dogs.

For now there is much work to do with limited resources and minimal manpower. Yes, each and every one of you is important to us because you are important to your dog. We must create a venue to educate, and we must educate on all levels. Responsible owners must educate the irresponsible. Seasoned judges must mentor the new. Experienced show or weight pull participants must take the time to light that same fire within the inexperienced. And, we must educate the media so they quit destroying. We must also create a venue for laughter, camaraderie, lifelong friends and special memories. We are more than a fraternity; we are family. Let something tragic happen to one of us and see how quickly we all come together despite any differences. Anyone who attended the ADBA '08 point show in Louisiana fully understands this. We must also create a venue to preserve the many facets our dogs served in our country's history, as well as the history of the dog itself.

To wrap this thing up, this club can be, and actually is, what each and every one of you wants it to be or makes it. It is whatever you personally want to pull from it. It can be all things to everyone. Seasoned show exhibitors can practice their personal handling skills while giving their dogs experience in a show ring. All the while getting excited about the thrill the person next to you is feeling because you too remember that feeling when you received your first little trophy. People may be there to decide if this is the breed for them, or to locate a reputable breeder for a show or pull dog, rather than a $100 pup out of the newspaper. Rescued dogs can seek out their forever homes. The list goes on and on. But, it will take creativity, balance, and unselfishness. Make this club what you want it to be for you, others, the community and more importantly for the dogs.

And, yes, we can do all this and more.

2009-04-19T18:41:00.001-07:00

April's Fun Show....

2009-04-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Well, April's fun show has come and gone and today is 'recovering Sunday' for me. We had a great turnout again this month and we can't thank you enough for coming out and supporting this breed and our organization. Mid Florida APBTA will continue to strive to be the best that we can be, and we are always eager to hear your suggestions that will help us ful-fill the needs of our American Pit Bull Terrier community!

We had 12 dogs registered for our weight pull competition and the competition was tough indeed. We started out pulling at 300 pounds and finished at 1299. Leo, owned by James and Suzy (almost) Wolf took the Most Weight Pulled trophy, and Levi, owned by Kristopher Mayo took the Most Weight Pulled Per Pound. Special kudos to Lucy Loo, owned by Debbie and Lloyd Malott. Lucy hung tough pulling 1049 pounds without the enticement of her yellow tennis ball. She's definitely an up and coming contender!

There is alot of hard work involved in setting up the weight pull track and running this event. A huge thanks to Eva the Diva, our judge and scorekeeper; to Lloyd and his "dolly" (not Debbie, silly, his handcart!) for hauling all those weights around all day; to our never without a smile Fred, our cartman; and last but not least to Sara, our "hook-up" girl. (For all of you who are not familiar with weight pull, I'll let your imaginations run with that one!)

Mike Morgan of Old Family Reds and American Freedom Kennels was gracious enough to come out and spend the afternoon with us and judge our conformation events. Mike has over 20 years experience in breeding quality American Pit Bull Terriers and is responsible for many ADBA Champions and Grand Champions. We had 59 registered dogs
for conformation, and although that number is good we still had ribbons unclaimed in some conformation age classes! So what if you have never shown your dog before. That is exactly what these monthly fun shows are for....experience and of course fun!!

Newcomer Ronin, owned by Eric Brown took the Best Puppy trophy. Best of Opposite was awarded to Fina, owned by Eva Noble and Best of Show was awarded to Maverick, owned by Lisa Hutches.

Thanks again everyone, for brining your dogs out and spending the day with us. It was a great day in the park!

2009-04-17T13:35:00.001-07:00

Who We Are and What We Do....

2009-04-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

Mid Florida American Pit Bull Terrier Association is a sanctioned club of the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA). We have been in existence in the Tampa Bay area for nearly the past 20 years; some old-timers say even longer! Since my involvement with Mid Florida, for approximately the last 8 years, I can tell you it has been an organization made up of members who are truly dedicated to the American Pit Bull Terrier, members who, without a doubt, love and are devoted to this magnificent breed. It would be mind boggling indeed to total the number of years of experience our organization has with the American Pit Bull Terrier. And, those experiences include a very wide range indeed such as owning these dogs as pets, as show dogs, as competitors, as breed stock, as working dogs, and always as family companions. Our membership has been, and is, as versatile as our dog of choice; the American Pit Bull Terrier.

For quite some time Mid Florida APBTA has hosted monthly ‘fun shows.’ These are actual conformation dog shows judged by the ADBA conformation standard and weight pull competitions conducted following ADBA weight pull rules. These monthly fun shows are held in an effort to offer our community activities where they can bring their APBT’s out and allow them to ‘strut their stuff’ in the show ring! Or, demonstrate their strength and tenacity over on the weight pull track. All 'pit bulls' are welcome to participate; the spayed or neutered, papered or not, the very special rescue pit bull and your pet bull family companion. You know your dog is a champ so bring'em out for a chance at a ribbon or cup! Also, these fun shows give us the opportunity to come together as owners in masse, and present our dogs in an open community environment to the general public who may know nothing about the breed except what the media has written….which is very scary indeed!

To better understand ‘who’ we are allow me to share a little bit of information about the organization that we are sanctioned by, the American Dog Breeders Association. The ADBA was established in 1909 and quickly became the premier registry for the American Pit Bull Terrier. “In 1976, the A.D.B.A. was petitioned by the owners of the breed, who possessed a very competitive spirit, to develop a standard on the breed by which conformation dog shows could be held. They did not want a standard that copied those of the UKC or AKC, but a standard for those dogs that they owned and continued to breed for the traits of intelligence, character, loyalty, and the athletic conformation that the breed was originally bred for hundreds of years ago. Thereby, they could continue competition, in a legal endeavor. Thus, the formation of the A.D.B.A. Conformation Standard.” The ADBA continues to grow in the US and countries overseas. The ADBA is the largest registration office of the American Pit Bull Terrier. The ADBA registered American Pit Bull Terrier is the #1 breed of dog exhibited in the USA today, through conformation dog shows and weight pulling events sponsored by the American Dog Breeders Show Inc. Mid Florida APBTA is honored to be sanctioned by the ADBA and is proud to present dogs demonstrating the original breed type; a well conditioned athlete.

Besides our monthly fun shows one of our main goals is to host an ADBA sanctioned point show consisting of both conformation and weight pull. These are attended by APBT owners all across the southeastern United States. Unlike our fun shows dogs are required to be ADBA registered to participate. We have set a tradition of hosting our point show over the Thanksgiving weekend for the past 3 years.

Throughout the year you will find us at the Pure Breed Dog exhibit at the Florida State Fairgrounds, the AKC Responsible Dog Owners’ Day, Pit Bull Awareness Day and other venues as they arise. It is our hope to educate the public about this breed and always work to prohibit breed specific legislation in the state of Florida as well as all across the country.

Why an American Dog Breeders Association dog?

2009-04-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

Why do I choose to own an American Pit Bull Terrier? Now, I’m not talking about owning a bully breed, I’m not talking about a owning a pit bull type dog of questionable parentage, and I’m not talking about owning an Am Staff. There is nothing wrong with any of which I just mentioned, but I’m talking about why I choose to own the ‘real deal.’ And, if the phrase ‘real deal’ offends you, so be it. Quite frankly, I’m tired of trying to be politically correct in an effort to bring a diverse group of people together for solely the benefit of the dogs. That concept only seems to work as long as my side seems to be moving towards the other. I can’t say I see much effort at all from the other side ‘moving to meet us in the middle.’ That only tells me, that my choice of dog must still be viewed as a part of the ‘pit bull problem.’ Matter of fact, I've been told that specifically! Silly me, I’ve always thought it to be education and irresponsible ownership that was at the root of the pit bull problem. What a pity and injustice for the dogs, and shame on you ‘holier than thou self’ that thinks otherwise.

Now to answer the original question….deep inhale; slow sighing exhale……Why do I choose to own an ADBA registered American Pit Bull Terrier? Why, because my ancestors who fought, and lost their lives in wars past, provided me the Constitutional right to do so. PERIOD. No more explanation should be needed. And, if you are tired of hearing about constitutional rights, too bad because my ancestors didn’t loose their lives for naught; I cherish my freedoms. Big brother is working hard to take as many away as possible, and those of you who choose to put your nose in my business about what my pit bull should act like, is helping big brother along the way I might add. You too will one day feel this same pinch and will find yourselves fighting for your own cherished rights….you can take it to the bank.

Now, mind you, before I can answer the question I think it important to define what an American Pit Bull Terrier is. More specifically what an ADBA registered American Pit Bull Terrier is. The American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) was founded in 1909. A lot took place over the next 66 years but I quote from ‘History of the ADBA,’ “In 1976, the A.D.B.A. was petitioned by the owners of the breed, who possessed a very competitive spirit, to develop a standard on the breed by which conformation dog shows could be held. They did not want a standard that copied those of the UKC or AKC, but a standard for those dogs that they owned and continued to breed for the traits of intelligence, character, loyalty, and the athletic conformation that the breed was originally bred for hundreds of years ago. Thereby, they could continue competition, in a legal endeavor. Thus, the formation of the A.D.B.A. Conformation Standard.” Key points here…standard that did not copy UKC or AKC….legal endeavors……continue to breed for intelligence, character, loyalty, athletic conformation that the breed was originally bred for hundreds of years ago. Tired of hearing about hundreds of years ago? We are not. That is precisely one of the many things we love about our breed. We can study pedigrees, we can identify the various ‘lines’ and which breeders had their hands in the make-up of the very dogs we care for and pick up after each and every day. We do not want our dogs to change. We strive to preserve the very same genetics of the dogs from hundreds of years ago. Why do we choose to own this breed of dog? Because of our deep love and admiration of them for just the way they are....their intelligence, their character, their loyalty, their athleticism. No, these are not necessarily the dog for anyone and everyone and it is important you fully understand what you are getting before you go out and buy your first American Pit Bull Terrier. These dogs are high energy and high performance and you had better have the time, loyalty, and stamina that it takes to work off your dog's energy each and every day if you wish him to be in the house as your couch potato at night.

Mid Florida encourages and embraces all types of pit bulls or bully dogs to come and be a part of our organization. We do love them all and enjoy having them all spend the day with us. We also want you to be fully aware there are characteristic differences in American Pit Bull Terriers verses 'pit bulls" verses bullies. We love and accept pit bull type dogs and we love and accept bully dogs; we only ask that you accept ous, the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Our dogs are well cared for, well fed, with more than adequate housing, they get regular exercising and conditioning…we fulfill their need to work and perform. Their love for us is undying and they are courageous, loyal, and dedicated enough to die protecting us. We are each others soul-mate. They are funny, silly and clownish enough to make us laugh when we are mad, and gentle and intuitive enough to know and kiss our tears away when we are sad. They can read what is in our hearts and we can read what is in theirs. No, they are not the dog for everyone. Yes, they are high maintenance, especially those who display the trait of dog aggression. And, let’s face it dog aggression in today’s dogs, as well as the history and heritage that most often includes dog-fighting, is what this question is really about anyway. So let’s quit dancing around what we are really talking about.

Our dogs do not run loose causing harm to other animals and certainly not to people. And, do not put me in the position of needing to explain that dog aggression and human aggression are very different indeed. We're taking care of our business appropriately. Don’t begin to tell us our dog of choice should change with the times. Dog aggression becomes a problem when an uneducated or irresponsible owner is involved. So, put your effort into those areas and leave us and our ADBA registered dogs alone. We give you no reason to be critical. We have gone without incident. Yes, we own treadmills, carpet mills, flirt poles, spring poles, and breaksticks. Yes, those of us with numerous dogs have not only learned the dance, but have perfected the crate and rotate waltz as an orchestrated event.

Yes, we hail to the names of Lightner, Clouse, Wallace, Colby, Tudor, Carver, Garner, Crenshaw, Hemphill, Wilder, Boudreaux, Boyles, and others. Absolutely not because we are glorifying dog fighting, but because they are responsible for creating this incredible dog curled up beside me on the loveseat whose head is resting peacefully, lovingly and contentedly on my legs. Not because he ‘bows up’ to another dog….that just comes with the territory of owning this breed. But, no longer will I be made to feel embarrassed by it or made to feel like I should change it, because I am not.

So, do what you wish with your dogs, that is your business. But for heavens sake do not set the breed up for failure by going around touting pit bulls are just like any other dog because they are not; or, worse yet, that a pit bull should be or act like any other dog.

Funny thing is I thought we had bridged this gap and worked our way past this point. I thought we had agreed that education and irresponsible ownership is where the problem lies and that we were setting philosophical differences aside to work together to tackle this problem….and, making good strides at that. But apparently, the easier solution is to change the dog. Not on my watch. I am sorry. What really saddens me the most is how this hurts the dogs. It’s more important for an agenda such as that of …(I’m looking for a stronger word but can’t seem to find one) promoting spay and neutering and changing a dogs genetic make-up being more important than getting to the real nuts and bolts and doing the hard work of educating about all pit bull characteristics and responsible ownership.

Why is it that every other breed of dog can hold on to their original reason why the breed was developed, their heritage, and maintain their individual breed integrity? Why can’t the American Pit Bull Terrier? And, don’t tell me because they have to change with the times because bird dogs are still bred to be bird dogs, and likewise with other breeds. Maybe that is the question people need to be asking instead of why I choose an ADBA registered American Pit Bull Terrier.