National Pit Bull Awareness 2021

When Jodi Preis of "Bless the Bullys" kicked off National Pit Bull Awareness Day, we all knew it was something special, and I wonder if she knew it would have this giant impact. 

You can find additional information about events, etc., at http://www.nationalpitbullawarenessday.org/.  

National Pit Bull Awareness Day means something to all of us involved in and not in the Pit Bull world. Many stand up and fight for the rights of this special breed regardless if they are owners or not. I believe that everyone at some point has been touched by the love and loyalty this breed embodies. For Erin and I, and for LIX, this breed means everything.   

Our Story

Those of you who are new to LIX and our story, welcome! Our mascot, the dog on the box, is Diesel. Diesel was a glorious Pit Bull/Mastiff mix adopted by Erin as a puppy through my rescue.  

Diesel was part of a litter my highly experienced foster home whelped and was fostering until they could be adopted into appropriate homes. Pit Bulls at that time came with a LOT of adoption requirements due to housing and city issues nationwide. Apartments wouldn't, and still many times don't allow tenants to have Pit Bulls. This brings me to Erin and Diesel.  

 Erin was maybe 23 when she applied for a puppy through my rescue. These puppies were a mix of a large sentry breed and a Pit Bull, they were going to be big and look enough like a Pit Bull to be thrown out of an apartment, so we were super diligent. She drove 3.5 hours to meet him, and the foster home said she had to come back after she thought about it, so she went home and then came back. Erin owned her own house, was responsible and dedicated, and already had a Pit Bull at home – Mecca… the epitome of tolerance. Diesel went home with Erin, and she and I became fast friends. We combined efforts and resources to run our own rescue for many years in the PNW.  

 We did a lot right and forced a few situations for the good of the dogs. When you have your hands on as many dogs as Erin, and I did, you develop hardiness, an obsession, a passion, a non-stop drive to protect these little fat-headed dogs and their people. We traveled the path so many did, do still, and do now. We are tremendously grateful for the people we met, the fosters we had, the dogs we lived and currently live with, and the amount of boldness and fire we developed in protecting these dogs.

How can you do your part to advocate for Pit Bulls?

Advocacy comes in many forms, from the support the dogs and their owners need to simple acceptance and understanding, even if you don't have Pit Bulls. It also comes in the form of fighting against breed discrimination at the grassroots level and legislation at the city council; many towns still ban or have prohibitive language in their code that many people aren't aware are there. Advocating can also take the shape of participating in a shelter, rescue, foster, or any volunteer activities.  

Awareness is critical. Awareness is the theme of this month for our lovely fat-headed dogs and our friends and family who have the honor of living with these amazing animals.  

We've come a long way over the years, and so many, like California Bully Rescue (our featured partner this month), are working tirelessly for these dogs and all of us who love them. California Bully Rescue does terrific work. Through a combined effort, we at LIX designed a National Pit Bull Awareness Month shirt, and 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the shirt go to California Bully Rescue.  

We honor all of you fighting the good fight for these darling fat-headed dogs and all their glory. 

Keep up the great work!