The Neighborhood News Online

BRINGING LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING TO A MISUNDERSTOOD DOG

Inside an anonymous warehouse on Washington Blvd. lies a brilliant rose hued haven for disadvantaged pit bulls.  Be they rescued or abandoned, these temporary kennel guests will be loved, adored, re-educated, and hopefully, one day, adopted. One such “pit bull princess” is Claudia Batiuk, proud owner of Pit Bull Peninsula, a kennel  committed to retraining rescued pit bulls.  Batiuk points out that a pit bull is not a breed but the name has become a generic term used to refer to various breeds which include American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Batiuk is one vigilant woman and possesses the ability to read canine body language like any good dog whisperer. She asserts that these dogs are loyal and loving; they are people lovers and want nothing more than to please their owners.  They only become violent when worn down from abusive mistreatment, neglect, malnutrition or have been trained to be so.  As Batiuk observed, they manifest “the beauty and the beast” .

Depending on how long it takes to reeducate the animal,  Batiuk will have them at her kennel for an undetermined time,  anywhere between 3 months to 4 years. These dogs eventually become available for adoption through Karma Rescue and Animals Advocate Alliances. Once the dog is ready for adoption Batiuk finds it mandatory to also educate the prospective owner:  “Responsible dog ownership is a challenge because assuming responsibility for another living being is not as easy as it looks.”   Socializing the animal is important and cannot be downplayed; obedience school is essential and their response to training is always good. Adopting a pit bull, loving it, and training it as a breed ambassador is one of the most important things any of us civilians can do to combat the unreasonable fear that permeates our culture regarding this inherently friendly and loving animal, once used as the dog of choice to protect children. 
www.hugsandkissespetcare.com http://www.karmarescue.org/ http://animaladvocatesalliance.org/

This past July, the ASPCA assisted in collecting forensic evidence and conducting behavior evaluations of rescued dogs in a federal and multi-state investigation that led to one of the toughest crackdowns on dog fighting in U.S. history. Raids were conducted on various dog fighting operations in eight states, resulting in the rescue of more than 500 dogs.  Now, after months of rehabilitation, many of the rescued dogs are seeing a miraculous change in lifestyle.