DEVOTION: STUBBY DOG

Rediscovering the Pit Bull because
Pit Bulls don’t deserve their bad name!

Laura Petrolino with Paisley, Peanut & Bruschi

By Laura Petrolino, Vice President of Operations for the StubbyDog team™;
Photos by Flyin Fur Pet Photography

StubbyDog™ was formed in 2009 and launched in 2010. We observed all the wonderful organizations and their amazing work on behalf of Pit Bulls—from rescue and rehabilitation to shutting down dog-fighting operations and tackling legislative injustices, etc. Unfortunately, despite all their terrific work, there still remains well over a million Pit Bulls being killed in shelters every year. 

So what was missing?

An organization whose sole mission is to change the discussion and public perception and, in turn, to make the world a kinder place for these wonderful dogs!

Our goal is for people to no longer view Pit Bulls as a special category of dog but, instead, as just a dog.

StubbyDog is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), focused on changing public perceptions of Pit Bulls. Our mission is to help people rediscover Pit Bulls as lifelong friends. We have made a big commitment to rescue and advocacy as part of our daily work. In addition to reporting on current issues, we work very hard to educate our readers on the in effectiveness of breed discriminatory legislation (BSL). We also have a very successful “Rescue Dog of the Week” program, in which we work with shelters across the country that have Pit Bulls in need of adoption.

In 2011, our focus was on building a strong and active community of Pit Bull advocates while developing an editorial position of value. With a Facebook fan page tipping 25,000 fans and a website that has tens of thousands of viewers daily, we feel we have met this goal. But, our overall strategy is to change the conversation. Rather than continue the old negative and apologetic conversation about Pit Bulls, we generate a new positive storyline—one that shows them holistically as heroes (e.g., rescue dogs), healers (therapy dogs, etc.), athletes, and loyal and loving pets.

We will use this momentum to make this next year all about outreach and introducing ourselves to an ever-growing audience. We will continue with our multi-media model through a variety of initiatives. Expect to see some big stuff from StubbyDog in 2012!

For more information or to contact:
Please visit their Website at: www.stubbydog.org
Become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/stubbydog
Follow them on Twitter: www.twitter.com/stubbydogs