Pit Bulls

Today is Pit Bull Awareness Day - here are ten books on this breed!

American Pit Bull Terrier: Smart Owner's Guide from the editors of Dog Fancy Magazine - Dedicated to the American Pit Bull Terrier, one of the world’s most loyal, intelligent, and versatile breeds, this Smart Owner’s Guide, created by the editors at Dog Fancy magazine, offers the most up-to-date and accurate information every dog owner needs to become a well-informed caregiver for his dog. Illustrated with color photographs of adorable puppies and handsome adults, this easy-to-read primer is designed in a modern, lively manner that readers will find user-friendly and entertaining.
Each Smart Owner’s Guide offers a description of the breed’s character and physical conformation, historical overview, and its attributes as a companion dog. The reader will find informative chapters on everything he or she needs to know about acquiring, raising, and training this remarkable purebred dog, including: finding a breeder and selecting a healthy, sound puppy; preparing for the puppy’s homecoming, shopping for supplies, and puppy-proofing the home; house-training; veterinary and home health maintenance; feeding and nutrition; and grooming. Obedience training for basic cues (sit, stay, heel, come, etc.) and solving potential problem behaviors (barking, chewing, aggression, jumping up, etc.) are addressed in separate chapters, as are activities to enjoy with the dog, including showing, agility, therapy work, and more.
Entertaining tidbits and smart advice fill up colorful sidebars in every chapter, real-life heroes and rescue stories are retold in full-page features, and recipes, training, and care tips are also highlighted on special pages.

Angel on My Shoulder: My Life With An American Pit Bull Terrier by Jolene Mercadante - On a bitterly cold February day in 1992, a woman named Jolene found herself with a choice to make: the brindle puppy in a kindly stranger's left palm-or the red puppy in his right?
For Jolene Mercadante, a librarian and lifelong animal advocate, this was the first tentative step on a journey that would impact the way she lived the rest of her life. She had no way of knowing how Rumer, a single little soul the size of a sausage, was about to change her life.
Through all of life's great adventures-the perfect five-week-old baby; the lanky, rebellious teenager; the extraordinary, splendid adult-Rumer was a creature of humor and love. She joyfully shattered the unjust "pit bull" stereotypes. She might not have been a heroic rescue dog, a therapy dog, or a war hero; there are other pit bulls who can claim this fame. But Rumer did touch the lives of everyone who knew her, and that made her heroic in her own way.
"She did save us, she did rescue us, and she was our hero in so many ways."
Rumer was an ordinary dog who lived an ordinary life, but that's what made her extraordinary. This memoir is an unforgettable love story and an uplifting journey brought about by the life of a truly pure and beautiful soul.

I'm a Good Dog: Pit Bulls, American's Most Beautiful (and Misunderstood) Pet by Ken Foster - Filled with inspiring stories and photographs, this heartfelt tribute to the pit bull celebrates one of America's most popular yet misunderstood dogs. Perhaps more than any other breed, the pit bull has been dogged by negative stereotypes. In truth, pit bulls are innately wonderful family pets, as capable of love and good deeds as any other type of dog. Setting the record straight, Ken Foster sings the praises of pit bulls in I'm a Good Dog, a gorgeously illustrated, tenderly written tribute to this most misunderstood of canines. Founder of the Sula Foundation, which promotes responsible pit bull ownership in New Orleans, and the author of two acclaimed books about abandoned dogs, Foster has made it his mission to bring overlooked canines into the limelight. I'm a Good Dog traces the fascinating history of this particularly maligned breed. A century ago, the pit bull was considered a family dog, featured in family photos and trusted as loving companions for children. More recently, pit bulls have been portrayed by the media as stereotypes of everything they are not. Foster shatters that reputation through moving profiles of pit bulls that serve as therapy dogs, athletic heroes, search-and-rescue dogs, and educators, not to mention as loving pets. Foster also profiles many pit bull lovers, from Helen Keller and Dr. Seuss to actor Todd Cerveris, who took his pit bull on tour with him for the musical Spring Awakening. Proving that there's much to love and nothing to fear, I'm a Good Dog restores the pit bull to its rightful place as friend, family member, athlete and entertainer.

Incredibull Stella: How the Love of a Pit Bull Rescued a Family by Marika Meeks & Elizabeth Ridley - Marika Meeks fell in love with Stella the moment she saw her. The adorable pit bull puppy had been abandoned in a cold field in winter -- but her warm, friendly eyes and boundless affection could melt anyone's heart. Even so, Marika wasn't sure she was ready to adopt a dog. As a busy entrepreneur, wife, and mother of two daughters, Marika's life was crazy already. She was recovering from stage 3 breast cancer, and her family was still reeling from her brush with mortality. But Marika couldn't deny the way Stella made her feel -- the pure joy of this sweet-natured dog's unconditional love -- and she knew in her heart what her family needed... In a leap of faith, the family welcomed Stella into their home, and thanks to this incredible dog, the daily pressures of work, stress, and Marika's health problems seemed to slip away. As Marika's cancer receded and her family found renewed vitality, she began sharing Stella's story with the world. Now an international social media star, Stella helps Marika to spread their heartfelt message of advocating for pit bull breed awareness, explaining the benefits of pet ownership, and supporting shelters and other organizations that save animals' lives. If you've ever experienced the joy that only an animal can bring -- or felt the healing power of a pet's unconditional love -- you're going to adore Incredibull Stella.

The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption by Jim Gorant - This book tells the story of survival and our powerful bond with man's best friend, in the aftermath of the nation's most notorious case of animal cruelty. Animal lovers and sports fans were shocked when the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick's brutal dog fighting operation. But what became of the dozens of dogs who survived? As the author discovered, their story is the truly newsworthy aspect of this case. Expanding on his Sports Illustrated cover story, this book traces the effort to bring Vick to justice and turns the spotlight on these infamous pit bulls, which were saved from euthanasia by an outpouring of public appeals coupled with a court order that Vick pay nearly a million dollars in "restitution" to the dogs. As an ASPCA led team evaluated each one, they found a few hardened fighters, but many more lovable, friendly creatures desperate for compassion. In this book, we meet these amazing animals, a number of which are now living in loving homes, while some even work in therapy programs: Johnny Justice participates in Paws for Tales, which lets kids get comfortable with reading aloud by reading to dogs; Leo spends three hours a week with cancer patients and troubled teens. At the heart of the stories are the rescue workers who transformed the pups from victims of animal cruelty into healing caregivers themselves.

Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin - In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, took their terminally ill cat to the Ardmore Animal Hospital outside Philadelphia to have the beloved pet put to sleep. What would begin as a terrible day suddenly got brighter as the ugliest dog they had ever seen--one who was missing an ear and had half his face covered in scar tissue--ran up to them and captured their hearts. The dog had been used as bait for fighting dogs when he was just a few months old. He had been thrown in a cage and left to die until the police rescued him and the staff at Ardmore Animal Hospital saved his life. The Levins, whose sons are themselves adopted, were unable to resist Oogy's charms, and decided to take him home.
Heartwarming and redemptive, OOGY is the story of the people who were determined to rescue this dog against all odds, and of the family who took him home, named him "Oogy" (an affectionate derivative of ugly), and made him one of their own.

The Pit Bull Life: A Dog Lover's Companion by Deirdre Franklin - Ask any dog lover and they'll say their favourite breed is special but living with a pit bull is different. Pit bull owners know what a bad reputation the breed has. The Pit Bull Life is a celebration of the breed and its owner, with heartwarming rescue stories, a history of the breed, and photos of puppies and seniors. It is also a guide to help owners who need to stand up for their pets. This book provides information on breed characteristics, how to find a good match, and how to navigate the challenges of pit bull ownership.

Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon by Bronwen Dickey - When Bronwen Dickey brought her new dog home, she saw no traces of the infamous viciousness in her affectionate, timid pit bull. Which made her wonder- how had the breed--beloved by Teddy Roosevelt, Helen Keller, TV's "Little Rascals"--come to be known as a brutal fighter. Her search for answers takes her from nineteenth-century New York City dogfighting pits--the cruelty of which helped spark the founding of the ASPCA--to early twentieth-century movie sets where pit bulls cavorted with Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton; from the battlefields of Gettysburg and the Marne, where pit bulls earned presidential medals, to desolate urban neighborhoods where the dogs were brutalized. Whether through love or fear, hatred or devotion, humans are bound to the history of the pit bull. With unfailing thoughtfulness, compassion, and a firm grasp of scientific fact, Dickey offers us a clear-eyed portrait of this extraordinary breed, and an insightful view of Americans' relationship with their dogs.

Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent - When Michael Vick's dog fighting ring was discovered, more than forty dogs were rescued. But their struggle was far from over. Most animal advocates believed the former fighting dogs were too damaged to save, but Audie and his kennel mates would prove them wrong when public outcry and the publicity surrounding Michael Vick's punishment won them a chance at a happy life. Teaming up once again with William Munoz, photo-essay veteran Dorothy Hinshaw Patent gives an emotional account of one dog's heartwarming story, showing how Audie, who was only a puppy when he was rescued, was rehabilitated, adopted, and now enjoys the love he deserves.

Wallace: The Underdog Who Conquered a Sport, Saved a Marriage, and Championed Pit Bulls - One Flying Disc at a Time by Jim Gorant - Today, Wallace is a champion; but in the summer of 2005, he was living in a shelter, a refugee from a suspicious pit-bull breeding operation. Then Andrew "Roo" Yori entered the picture. A scientist and shelter volunteer, Roo could immediately see that Wallace was something special. When Roo learned that Wallace was about to be put down, he and his wife frantically fought to keep Wallace alive until they could adopt him, even though they already had two dogs. Once Wallace made it home, Roo knew the dog needed a mission, and serendipity led them to the world of competitive dog Frisbee. Pit bulls are everything that most Frisbee dogs are not, but that was fine with Roo because part of his mission was to change people's minds about pit bulls. Overcoming everything from injuries to prejudice against the breed, the unlikely pair persevered to become world champions.

Animal Rescue

Today is Clear the Shelters Day!  It's a nationwide pet adoption drive aimed at finding homes for the thousands of shelter animals.  Looking for a furry friend of your own? Head to your local shelter today and adopt!  Already have furry friends?  Shelters often are looking for donations of food and animal care products.  Check with your local shelter to find out what they need.
Here are ten books on animal rescue to read with a furry friend on your lap or by your side.

Call of the Cats: What I Learned About Love and Life From a Feral Colony by Andrew Bloomfield - When aspiring screenwriter Andrew Bloomfield moved into a bungalow in Southern California he soon discovered that he shared the property with a large colony of feral cats untamed, uninterested in human touch, not purring pets in waiting. But after a midnight attack by predators that decimated yet another litter of kittens, Bloomfield decided to intervene. He began to name and nurse, feed and house, rescue and neuter. Drawing on his time living in Asia among spiritual teachers, he takes us on the contemplative, humorous, and poignant journey of saving these cats, only to find it was they who saved him by revealing a world of meaning beyond his unrealized Hollywood dreams.

Finding Home: Shelter Dogs and Their Stories by Traer Scott - Bold, retiring, serious, sparkling, quirky, or lovable--the dogs in Traer Scott's remarkable photographs regard us with humor, dignity, and an abundance of feeling. Scott began photographing these dogs in 2005 as a volunteer at animal shelters. Her first book,Shelter Dogs, was a runaway success, and in this follow-up, Scott introduces a new collection of canine subjects, each with indomitable character and spirit: Morrissey, a pit bull, who suffered from anxiety related behaviors brought on by shelter life until adopted by a family with four children; Chloe, a young chocolate Lab mix, surrendered to a shelter by a family with allergies; Gabriel and Cody, retired racing greyhounds; and Bingley, a dog who lost his hearing during a drug bust but was brought home by a loving family that has risen to the challenge of living with a deaf dog. Through extended features we become better acquainted with the personalities and life stories of selected dogs and watch as they experience the sometimes rocky and always emotional transition to new homes. The portraits in Finding Home form an eloquent plea for the urgent need for more adoptive families, as well as a tribute to dogs everywhere.

The Found Dogs: The Fates and Fortunes of Michael Vick's Pit Bulls, 10 Years After Their Heroic Rescue by Jim Gorant - The Found Dogs follows up on the New York Times bestseller The Lost Dogs which chronicled the abuse of 51 pit bulls taken from Michael Vick's dogfighting operation, and the heroic attempts to rescue and rehabilitate them. Scarred and scared and initially bound to be euthanized, the dogs were saved by a fearless team of advocates who fought for their rights and futures. Now, on the tenth anniversary of the bust, The Lost Dogs author Jim Gorant picks up their stories where he left off, tracking the striving and thriving, trials and triumphs, and happiness and heartbreaks that have characterized their lives. The Found Dogs brings the story of The Lost Dogs full circle.

The Kitty Who Rescued Me After I Rescued Him by Shawn P. Flynn - Shawn Flynn and his fiance are excited to start their new life together. They are planning a wedding and have bought a new home. The last thing the two of them need right now is a new cat.
But their recently purchased house seems to come complete with a stray orange feline--a cat with a vibrant personality and a talent for mousing. So Shawn soon finds himself with a regular companion. Little does he realize that this cat will shortly become more important to him than he can possibly imagine.
As Shawn's personal life begins to shift in ways he never saw coming, Kitty remains a constant source of stability and comfort. Shawn gave Kitty a home, and now Kitty gives Shawn the love he needs to heal.

Mutual Rescue: How Adopting a Homeless Animal Can Save You, Too by Carol Novello with Ginny Graves - MUTUAL RESCUE profiles the transformational impact that shelter pets have on humans, exploring the emotional, physical, and spiritual gifts that rescued animals provide. It explores through anecdote, observation, and scientific research, the complexity and depth of the role that pets play in our lives. Every story in the book brings an unrecognized benefit of adopting homeless animals to the forefront of the rescue conversation.
In a nation plagued by illnesses--16 million adults suffer from depression, 29 million have diabetes, 8 million in any given year have PTSD, and nearly 40% are obese--rescue pets can help: 60% of doctors said they prescribe pet adoption and a staggering 97% believe that pet ownership provides health benefits. For people in chronic emotional, physical, or spiritual pain, adopting an animal can transform, and even save, their lives.
Each story in the book takes a deep dive into one potent aspect of animal adoption, told through the lens of people's personal experiences with their rescued pets and the science that backs up the results. This book will resonate with readers hungering for stories of healing and redemption.

My Life Among the Underdogs by Tia Torres - From one of the most respected figures in the dog rescue community come the harrowing, funny, and inspiring stories of nine incredible dogs that shaped her life. Tia Torres, beloved underdog advocate and star of Animal Planet's hit show Pit Bulls & Parolees, chronicles her roller-coaster life in this heartwarming memoir featuring some of her best-loved dogs. With inimitable honesty and characteristic brashness, Tia captures the spirit and heart of these intelligent and loving canines, while carrying us behind the scenes of her TV show, into the heart of post-Katrina New Orleans, onto the soundstages of Hollywood films, and even to the jungles of Sri Lanka. Tia has devoted her life to shattering the stereotype that pit bulls are dangerous, vicious predators. As the top dog at the Villalobos Rescue Center in New Orleans, the largest pit bull rescue in the United States, she and her team have rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed hundreds of animals that might otherwise have been destroyed. As she puts it, 'Most of the stories in this book are about animals (and a few humans) that needed someone to believe in them and a purpose in order to show their true nobility.

My Old Dog: Rescued Pets With Remarkable Second Acts by Laura T. Coffey - No Dog Should Die Alone' was the attention-grabbing - and heart-stirring - headline of journalist Laura T. Coffey's TODAY show website story about photographer Lori Fusaro's work with senior shelter pets. While generally calm, easy, and already house-trained, these animals often represent the highest-risk population at shelters. With gorgeous, joyful photographs and sweet, funny, true tales of 'old dogs learning new tricks,' Coffey and Fusaro show that adopting a senior can be even more rewarding than choosing a younger dog. You'll meet endearing elders like Marnie, the irresistible shih tzu who has posed for selfies with Tina Fey, James Franco, and Betty White; Remy, a soulful nine-year-old dog adopted by elderly nuns; George Clooney's cocker spaniel, Einstein; and Bretagne, the last known surviving search dog from Ground Zero. They may be slower moving and a tad less exuberant than puppies, but these pooches prove that adopting a senior brings immeasurable joy, earnest devotion, and unconditional love.

Rescue Road: One Man, Thirty Thousand Dogs, and a Million Miles on the Last Hope Highway by Peter Zheutlin - How far would you go to save a life? This is the extraordinary story of one man who has driven more than 1 million miles to rescue thousands of dogs from hunger, abuse and neglect and give them a second chance at life and love.
For years, Greg Mahle struggled to keep the last of his family-run restaurants afloat in Ohio. When it finally closed, he was broke and unsure what to do next. Then a stranded van-load of puppies changed his life forever.
Join journalist Peter Zheutlin as he travels with Greg from Ohio to the Gulf Coast on his Rescue Road Trips to bring hard-luck dogs from the deep South to loving "forever families" up north looking to adopt a pet, with the help of many selfless volunteers along the way. From Houston's impoverished Fifth Ward--where thousands of strays roam the streets--and high-kill animal shelters in Louisiana, to joyous scenes of adopters embracing their new pups in the Northeast, Rescue Road is full of heart: an inspiring story about the unique bond between dogs and humans, and how going the extra mile can make a life-changing difference for these loyal canines-and for us all.

Susie's Senior Dogs by Erin Stanton - The viral Facebook and Instagram sensation Susie's Senior Dogs has amassed over 750,000 fans as it advocates for the adoption of elderly dogs. Now Erin Stanton (Susie's owner) has written a heartwarming, compelling collection of "happily ever after" adoption stories for our oldest and dearest canine pals. In this collection of success stories culled from the nearly 500 matches SSD has facilitated, Erin Stanton--and Susie--talk to dozens of adopters who've learned what a perfect companion a senior dog can be. From Rudy, the 12-year-old Puggle who's a calm and sturdy first dog for two young boys, to Rocky, the shy German Shepherd who now escorts his owner on daily walks around their ranch, Susie's Senior Dogs celebrates dogs from all walks of life. And of course, we'll hear Susie's own story woven throughout! Featuring both internet "dog stars" like Chloe Kardoggian and Wolfgang, as well as brand-new, never-told stories of senior dogs getting a new lease on life, Susie's Senior Dogs will keep readers smiling and tails wagging! This beautiful, upbeat book includes sidebars, Q&As, "Susie's Top Tips" and more, making it the perfect keepsake for animal lovers of all ages.

Tiny But Mighty: Kitten Lady's Guide to Saving the Most Vulnerable Felines by Hannah Rene Shaw - Hannah Shaw, better known as Kitten Lady, has dedicated her life to saving the tiniest felines, but one doesn't have to be a professional kitten rescuer to change lives. In Tiny but Mighty, Hannah not only outlines the dangers newborn kittens face and how she combats them, but how you can help every step of the way, from fighting feline overpopulation on the streets to fostering unweaned kittens, from combating illness to combating compassion fatigue, from finding a vet to finding the purrfect forever home. Filled with truly heart-warming tales of real kitty rescue!