Animal advocacy

Pit bull owners unite in Livonia

Kristian George is as tenacious as the breed of dog she passionately advocates for all year long.

On Saturday, the Livonia native led a march through her village for proud owners of American Pit Bull Terriers. Her organization Fit4Pits Advocates works to raise public awareness of the mistreatment of pit bulls. Its members appear regularly at public events with their dogs.

“Pit bulls are misunderstood animals,” said George when recounting an experience she had while walking her four year old pit bull, Diamond.

“We passed a mother and daughter, and when the daughter bent down to pet Diamond her mother pulled her away. She said that “if that dog grabs a hold of you, it will kill you.”

Other marchers shared similar experiences.

“People cross the road all the time just to avoid walking past the dog,” said Jessica Lane, who owns an eight year old pit bull named Brutis. “They’re just as good as any other dogs,” claims Lane. “They’re labs at heart.”

“A good owner equals a good dog,” added Cristie Boufford whose dog Pede was the youngest at the march. “If you raise them well and socialize them with other dogs early on, then there’s no problem.”

Although there were nearly a dozen dogs present at the march, there were no maulings or bloody attacks. The most aggressive actions from the dogs came in the form of curious sniffing and excited tail wagging.

This stands in contrast to the public perception of pit bulls as bloodthirsty killers.

The mother of two young children, Sarah Connor, admits that at first she had reservations about owning a pit bull. “I did a lot of research before we got him,” she said. “My mother thought we were crazy for getting a pit bull, but a few weeks later after she got to know Vinny, she got a pit bull too!”

The ebb and flow of popular causes is self evident. It is easy to attend a march or rally, but is much more difficult to stay the course and commit yourself to a singular goal over a long stretch of time.

Although still a small affair, the annual march has bolstered its numbers over its 3 year history. Starting with just two marchers in its first year, this past Saturday over 20’ advocates came out in support of their beloved pets.

Those seeking more information about Kristian’s story and mission can visit fit4pitsadvocates.weebly.com.