What about Ringo?

How long does it take for a dog to find their perfect match? Some dogs seem to find their forever home in a matter of hours after becoming available, those dogs are called puppies. There are some dogs that don't even last a week or two, those are our smaller breed dogs. Then there are dogs who sit at a shelter waiting and hoping and looking for months and months, those are usually are precious Pit bulls. As a volunteer it is very frustrating to see your favorite dog week after week sitting their just waiting to be adopted. For Ringo it has been 8 months! This is really shocking to lots of us since Ringo continues to become a better dog each week the staff and volunteers work with him. There are so many reasons to love this handsome boy and hopefully by the end of the blog people will be thinking of making him a part of their family...

Is Ringo good with kids?

The biggest, most important question people ask us is are our dogs good with kids. Lucky for us Ringo has been out at adoption events and has had plenty of dog days out. Ringo loves the attention, there were moments he would be mobbed by kids and Ringo just soaked it all in. What about the kids? They seemed to love Ringo just as much. He rolls over and lays to get the pets in his favorite spot - the belly =) For all those families out there, Ringo has been kid approved!

         

What is Ringo's energy level?

We have learned there are two sides to Ringo - the shelter, high energy level and the at home, can be relaxed energy level. Ringo, like most dogs, need daily exercise and activities to keep him from being bored. In the shelter, people can be turned off by his high energy level in his kennel. He is a rough and rowdy player with other dogs and with all the stimulation it can sometimes make it hard for him to focus. He is such a fun guy and trying to show how amazing this boy really is can be difficult. 

Lucky for Ringo, he has his buddy, Eric Gilbert who has been taking him home so you can see there is another side of Ringo when he is at home with his own people. He is relaxed, he loves to cuddle, he listens and is learning to be patient. Eric has been working with him on many basic commands. He is learning to sit and stay. He has been helping him with his leash skills, the leave it command and sharing. Eric can't say enough amazing things about this boy and is offering 3 free training sessions to anyone who adopts this handsome boy. 

Does Ringo play with other dogs?

Ringo? Other dogs? ABSOLUTELY! Ringo is a star in playgroups. He has lots and lots of friends and loves to play with other dogs. In playgroups at the shelter he hangs out with the rough and rowdy players. On his dog days out he loves hanging out and hiking with his dog friends.  He can play with the rough and rowdy or the small guys and his favorite game is to let the other dogs chase him. He has been a perfect gentleman with the smaller dogs and would really do great in a home with medium energy dogs. Ringo would love if if you had a dog friend for him to play with. Check him out in this video with a couple of his friends...

 

 Ringo wanted to leave you with a little note about himself...

Hello, Hello! Did you notice my amazing hazel eyes? My name is Ringo and my stunning good looks are just the beginning of my wonderful attributes. This boy absolutely loves the water. My favorite part of the day is going out for morning play groups with other dogs. There are small pools for me to jump around in and chomp at the water. My best dog friends are the rough and rowdy ones. I can sometimes be a little too much for other dogs, they can't handle all of this. The trainers say I get better and better each time and I continue to show more interest in people. They say I am one of their favorites and love to show me off to potential adopters. I have finally realized the people are the ones who are going to give me a good home and make sure I enjoy life. I am ready for adventure and fun, I am hoping there is a family out there with big area for me to play in. I have been waiting for way to long and I am pretty sure it is my turn to find a home. Come check me out so you can see how fun I am, we could be best buds for life. Ringo arrived Mar 25th. He is almost a year and a half, about 55lbs and was picked up as a stray.

 

Look how much Ringo has learned - Training Commands & Proficiency
Sit - 100% - upward hand
Drop it - 90% - used to drop a toy or item, 100% with treat exchange
Leave it - 90% - used to leave item on floor or table alone - treat, toy, food bowl etc
Come - recall, 100% in backyard, home, about 70% on a hike with a long lead
Stay - 70%, within 5 feet, over 10 feet away and walking behind 50%
Hup - 100% up into a car, couch etc
Off -75% down from an area or if he jumps up on a person or item
Stop - 50%, used to make stop prior to exiting a door or forward progress
Leash Training - 75%, when he pulls too much, use "Easy" and a little yank on lead and he slows up. With easy-walk harness 90%.
Down - 20% still working
Egh/Nope - No reward marker sound. If he's doing something you don't like

Ringo really is becoming an amazing dog. He is loving, friendly and just a happy boy! The ideal home for him would be an active family, people who will show him love and let him cuddle. A family who will show him off and let everyone know how amazing Pit bull mixes are. Ringo is a great dog and whoever adopts him will be a very lucky family. Let's not make him wait another 8 months!  

What a difference a photo makes...

A good photo documents, explains, entices, inspires, and even has the power to save lives. I can't say enough amazing things about the professional photographers that come to KC Pet Project every weekend to take pictures of our homeless pets.  Each of them are able to capture the personalities of each animal and that ultimately connects them with adopters.  

Volunteering with the photographers is one of my favorite things to do at the shelter. Each weekend I am meeting the new faces and getting learn a little about them, their personality and their past. Just by reading their kennel cards I can find out how the ended up becoming homeless; were they abandoned, found as a stray, surrendered by their owners? The minute I meet them I get a sense of their personality.  For some of them it will be their first day outside since their 5 day stray hold and they are excited about the fresh air and grass on their feet. Other dogs are completely confused with the new environment and look to me for guidance.  There are some dogs that are completely shut down because they are used to their home and their owners; the only way I can get them outside is by carrying them.  Every weekend it is new dogs with new stories and I get to help tell their story with the photographer.

Wild Wendall doing his best to not get photographed!

I have to say that sometimes these dogs make it incredibly difficult for us. We have squeakers, treats, we clap our hands and jump up and down. Sometimes we have another dog right behind the photographer to get their attention. Kasi Orr with Reames Photography, is a master with those high energy pups that don't sit still. She doesn't mess around and isn't afraid to get dirty or move around for the right shot. She is always willing to help me update photos for dogs who have been at the shelter for so long.  Wild Wendall has such a spunky attitude and Kasi helped get that across in a variety of pictures. She has been an amazing asset to the KCMO animal shelter and I can't imagine not having her as a volunteer photographer. She knows how to have a good time and is patient with every volunteer and dog she photographs - we are so lucky to have her.

Kokomo confused and nervous, looking for love.

Their are those dogs that are the complete opposite of Wendall. I have literally fought back tears trying to hold these babies to stop them from shaking. I will never forget one of Kaye Ness' first sessions at the shelter. She is an amazing lady with a heart of gold. I knew after I met her that day that she was a keeper and would help us get these dogs the photographs they need. She met Kokomo, a Lab/Shepherd mix that was so nervous and scared. It was almost impossible to get her to relax and stop shaking. As soon as the pictures were edited, Kaye spread the word about Kokomo and how she needed a loving home. It didn't take long when Kaye finally decided to take her into her home to help her gain the confidence she needed along with providing lots of love. The best ending to this story is that Kokomo, now Princess, was adopted by our other photographer, Kasi Orr. She has made her a permanent part of the family and Princess is living happily ever after.

Grady showing off his sophisticated side.

The most fun we have with our photographers is dressing up the dogs. Nothing too crazy, just a little bow for the girls or maybe a tie for the boys. The most memorable would have to be Grady. Chad Ackerman saw this boys personality the second he met him. Grady was an older boy and quite the gentleman. He was mature and so debonair as you can see in his picture. The hat and tie was seen around the area on a promo flyer for an adoption special. I don't think it took a day and someone came to adopt this handsome man. Chad really gives the dogs personality by adding small little touches. A recent Halloween photo shoot proved to be a success for lots of our favorite longtimers. We are lucky to have him and the volunteer support to get these photos.

Along with the three photographers above, we have a few others that dedicate their time to both the dogs and cats. I have spent the majority of my time with Kasi, Kaye and Chad. I encourage all the volunteers to take a weekend day and help out with the photographs. It is an easy thing to do with kiddos as well. They can participate with helping get the dogs attention and even being a part of the photo to show how great the dog might be with kids. The photo sessions don't take long when we have the help, 2 hours tops. It is a way to meet the new pups and help share their stories.  Photography is a powerful tool. The photos are literally life saving for many of our animals. The sharing of these photos has helped multiple dogs and cats find forever homes. 

I will leave you with a few of my favorite photos of me and dogs that have melted my heart. Please consider volunteering and helping with photos, again it is literally LIFE SAVING!

Love-A-Bull, Hug-A-Bull, Kiss-A-Bull!!!

Pit bulls often make up 50% of the resident dogs at the KCMO shelter.  This blog will hopefully give some insight into why and what we can do to help this breed.  There are so many things I want people to know: How they got such a bad reputation, What BSL is and why it’s not effective, how mistreated they are, how backyard breeding of Pit bulls is creating an overpopulation, and how incredibly cute, handsome, loyal, and loving they are. This list goes on, but there are some important things that I want to share and I hope people will pass on...


Did you know that Pit bull is actually not a breed:
The term "pit bull" encompasses many breeds and mixes, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Bull Terrier.

American Pit bull Terrier

There is a huge range of breed mixes that are commonly identified as "bully breeds" or "pit bull-type dogs". Many dogs entering shelters with unknown backgrounds are identified as "pit bull type dogs" and can be a mix of these breeds, as well as a variety of other types such as bulldogs or mastiff breeds. There is no such thing as a "pure bred" pit bull.

Bull Terrier

Staffordshire Terrier

The reason this is so important is because Pit bulls are judged and discriminated against ALL THE TIME. People are judging an entire group of dogs: all three of the purebred dogs, many purebred dogs with similar physical qualities such as the American Bulldog or the Cane Corso Mastiff, and then also including in this group are NUMEROUS mix-breed dogs that resemble either the American Pit bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Terrier or the Bull Terrier.  If we take any dog with a large square head, stocky chest, semi-straight tail, docked OR floppy ears and/or other “Pit bull” characteristics that is a LOT of dogs. There is simply a LOT of dogs out there that can be called “Pit bulls”.

The media is effecting what society thinks about Pit bulls and are doing it on purpose:
The media has helped create a bad reputation for Pit bulls in many different ways. The media is constantly creating a belief that Pit bulls attack more than any other breed of dog.  They continue to only report Pit bull attacks. These attacks are nationwide news making it in to hundreds of newspapers and on nationwide broadcasts. If a Lab or a Golden Retriever attacks it might make it into a news story.  This clearly leads the public to believe that Pit bulls are attacking all the time while no other dogs are.

The media also adds to this by always putting the words “Pit bull” and “Attack” together in the headline.  When people see “Pit bull Attacks” in the headlines they don’t even have to read the rest of the story. They already have an opinion in their head. Once they see it enough times, you start to think that all Pit bulls attack all the time. 

Breed Restriction Legislation (BSL) is absolutely ridiculous:
Breed Specific Legislation is legislation and rules about specific breeds of dogs thought to be “Dangerous Breeds”. This is often directed at Pit bulls and when BSL is in force there can be complete BANS on Pit bulls in entire cities or even states.  REMEMBER - there is no actual Pit bull breed. The word Pit bull describes many dogs with different genetic backgrounds that have similar physical characteristics.

SO...these cities have put in place a blanket ban on Pit bulls to make people feel "safer" in their communities. They don't look at how a dog acts, how a dog is treated, or how responsible their owners are.  Instead they ban an entire GROUP of dogs that may or may not have similar behavioral characteristics, but do have similar looks.  So who decides if a dog is a Pit bull or not if it is based on looks...

This is a huge problem because it gives animal control and city legislators free reign to decide whether your dog is a Pit bull or not.  The biggest problem of all is they aren't targeting the criminals and the bad dog owners. Criminals and bad dog owners continue what they are doing while good, responsible dog owners are faced with either moving, finding a home for their dog outside of the BSL jurisdiction, or hiding their dog knowing that they’re risking the dog being confiscated (like a piece of property) to possibly be put down.

BSL is a ban on Pit bulls that doesn’t really look at what the problems are. Irresponsible backyard breeders with un-altered males and females living together are a problem. Owners that keep their dogs chained and tethered their entire lives are a problem. Dog fighters are a problem. Drug dealers and criminals who have no idea what it really means to own a dog are a problem. BSL makes people “feel safer” but are they?

To find out if your city has a ban, you can check out this website:
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/Locations/kansas.htm
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/Locations/missouri.htm

Backyard breeders have created a Pit bull overpopulation:
There are SO many Pit bull type dogs in shelters these days and many of them don't make it out alive. This is partly because of breed specific legislation and partly because every irresponsible Pit bull owner on earth seems to think that they need to have Pit bull puppies to make a couple bucks.  Did you know there are some shelters that euthanize Pit bulls the second after they walk through the door. They are not allowed to adopt out Pit bulls therefore they immediately put them down. Thank goodness this is NOT the case at KCMO!


All of the backyard breeding increases this overpopulation problem and continues the mix-breeding of Pit bulls, since remember, there are no purebred Pit bulls. Because of their size and typical good health Pit bull type dogs tend to have a lot of puppies, often as many as TEN puppies in one litter! Because Pit bulls are often bred by inexperienced people and irresponsible owners, females may be bred too young and too often, and the puppies likely won’t get de-wormed or be given any vaccines. Then they are sold to people who will continue the process. 

If people would adopt Pit bull type dogs from the shelters, instead of buying them from backyard breeders, we could decrease the numbers of Pit bulls euthanized every day (2800 Pit bulls are euthanized a day) and maybe this would give backyard breeders less of an incentive to keep breeding.   Also, Pit bulls adopted from shelters are already spayed or neutered, so even if an owner is irresponsible and lets their dog roam or the owner thinks that having puppies would be fun the adopted dog CAN’T reproduce.

Pit bulls are wonderful loving dogs and deserve a second chance:

One very important characteristic of a Pit bull, is their amazing love of people. 
They are companion animals who have enhanced the lives of many through their devoted people-loving natures, bravery, and intelligence.  They love physical affection and attention and are eager to please.  With the right owner a Pit bull can be the most loyal and loving dog in the world.

If you bring a Pit bull into your life, you’re taking on a big responsibility. Many people have never met a Pit bull. As a responsible Pit bull parent, you have the power to educate the public and change people’s minds about this misunderstood breed. The best way to accomplish this is to have a well-controlled, well-socialized, well-behaved dog at your side.  If you’re knowledgeable about the breed, you can help people understand what great dogs Pit bulls can be.  There are resources everywhere.  We really need people to step up and learn more about this breed and understand them.  Laws need to be changed.  Please check out the below and make yourself knowledgeable about Pit bulls.  Help these dogs get the second chance they deserve...