Tell PETA that nice families do adopt Pit Bulls!

PETA,

I%u2019ve been a vegan for most of my life. It%u2019s who I am. I even named my daughter Vegan because a vegan is a beautiful thing. I%u2019ve chosen the vegan lifestyle for one reason only; I love animals and I value their lives. A rat is a cow is a dog is a child, right? I truly believe that. I believe that all life is equal. But unfortunately you don%u2019t and that%u2019s beyond unfortunate. You%u2019re an animal rights organization. You claimed that phase and yet you don%u2019t stand by it. At least when it comes to Pit Bulls.

How can you support BSL? BSL kills innocent dogs and you support it. PETA supports the killing of innocent animals%u2026the destruction of life. These animals don%u2019t want to die. If given the opportunity animals fight to survive! And they deserve life%u2026their life is valuable. And you may be able to fool the common person and hide behind the %u201Cgrandfather clause%u201D but you and I both know that most of the time that isn%u2019t the case. As a Pit Bull owner, lover and advocate I%u2019m very familiar with both the plight of the Pit Bull and the consequences of BSL. I wrote to your organization recently urging you to rethink your position and was disappointed by your cookie cutter response. First, I would like to point out that I fully understand the abuse that some Pit Bulls suffer. It%u2019s horrendous and heartbreaking. But I choose to fight against those abusers. I choose to fight for Pit Bulls and to educate the public. That is what you should be doing%u2026it%u2019s your obligation as an animal rights organization. Rather than supporting the termination of the breed you should be on the forefront fighting for these dogs. Informing the public regarding how beautiful these dogs are. Educating communities on the ill effects that dog fighting has and what to look for and how to respond to it. Going into schools and working with children to prevent it from happening in the first place. But no, you think the best way to end the abuse is to terminate the dog. But it will never work. These abusers and criminals will continue to hurt these animals, but they will just move it underground where it will be even more difficult to detect. Or they will move onto another breed. Either way the abuse continues. BSL only accomplishes one thing; the punishment of responsible pet owners and their beloved dogs. Second, I want to make one thing clear%u2026I do NOT support breeding. I believe that pets should be spayed and neutered. I%u2019m not here to argue overpopulation with you. I agree that there is an epidemic pet overpopulation problem. That%u2019s not what this is about.

I guess I%u2019m just trying to say that it%u2019s obvious that you don%u2019t value the life of a Pit Bull. I guess the phrase should be a rat is a cow is any dog other than a Pit Bull is a child. You even went so far as to fight that the Vick dogs be euthanized. I%u2019m sorry but you are wrong. From the perspective of a real animal rights advocate and animal lover and from someone who values all life those dogs did not deserve to die. How can you justify the killing of those tortured souls? That%u2019s not justice. Justice for those dogs is exactly what they were given; the opportunity to experience kindness, love and happiness for the first time in their lives. The opportunity to live out their lives peacefully.

You claim that %u201CNice families rarely come to a shelter to adopt Pit Bulls%u201D And that %u201CAlmost without exception, those who want pit bulls are attracted to the "macho" image of this animal as a living weapon and seek to display it by putting them in heavy chains, taunting them into aggression, and leaving them out in all weather to %u201Ctoughen%u201D them." I totally disagree. In fact I disagree over 1,000 times as you will see from the attached petitions. Many of whom were once PETA supporters, but no longer are. These are good people; nice families and they do and have adopted Pit Bulls.

Just this past week Oregon Senator Bruce Starr tried to get a bill passed that would have banned Pit Bulls statewide. In only a few days, based on the response of the public he revoked the bill stating that "From the outpouring of interest I have received over the past few days, I have learned that pit bulls are beloved pets, friends and family members". I applaud Senator Starr for being able to reexamine his stance and admit that he was wrong. So again PETA I urge you to rethink your position on BSL. Innocent lives are counting on you.

                                                                        Regards,

                                                                        Jennifer O%u2019Donnell