News
Loren’s Great Adventure
June 15, 2009, 12:32PM MT
By Jennifer S Hayes
Writer and pit bull on cross-country mission to raise awareness for shelter dogs
Writer and pit bull on cross-country mission to raise awareness for shelter dogs
By Christelle Del Prete, Best Friends Network Volunteer
Question: How does a shelter dog from Agua Dulce, California end up having lunch with a Best Friends volunteer in West Hartford, Connecticut? Answer: She gets an angel by the name of Michelle Sathe to take her on a seven-week cross-country road trip to raise awareness not only about shelter dogs everywhere, but also (and especially) about the plight of Loren’s brother and sister pit bulls.
An Ambassador for Her Breed
According to Michelle, Loren is the ideal road-trip companion. She adapts well to any situation and makes herself right at home wherever she happens to be. Most importantly, she loves people, and she’s making lots of friends.
“I knew that Loren would be a good ambassador for her breed,” Michelle says, adding that “it’s good for people who haven’t had much hands-on experience with pit bulls to meet one that’s so sweet.”
Michelle, a writer and publicist, began planning this trip about a year ago. Originally, she was going to take Buster, one of her two male pit bull mixes. Instead, Michelle decided to take a dog from The Brittany Foundation, a no-kill shelter where she has been volunteering for the past year and a half.
Brittany’s Dogs
Loren, who has been at the shelter for two years (approximately half her life), won Michelle’s heart immediately. Even when she was cooped up in her kennel, Loren was far more motivated by affection than exercise or food. Knowing that Michelle is very a committed volunteer, Nancy Anderson, the founder and manager of The Brittany Foundation, “didn’t hesitate” when Michelle asked if she could take Loren on her cross-country odyssey. “She deserves a vacation,” Michelle says.
Not that Brittany’s dogs have it tough. The rescue houses 90 dogs, 15 of whom are large breeds. Of the 15, at least six or seven are pits or pit mixes—a predicament that pit bulls all over the nation face. Brittany’s large dogs have 12’x12’ kennels equipped with dog houses, toys and blankets. “Brittany is one of the good shelters,” Michelle says, expressing gratitude for the organization and others like it (think: Best Friends) that not only take great care of the dogs, but also allows them to live out their lives at the sanctuary if they are not adopted.
Reflecting on the over-representation of pit bulls in America’s shelters, Michelle admits that bully breeds aren’t for everyone. Loren is picky about her dog friends, and is not very fond of cats. “She was also quite eager to chase a squirrel that ventured too close to us,” Michelle adds. Far more daunting, however, are the stereotypes perpetuated by the media, which Michelle describes as a double-edged sword: Since she is traveling alone, Michelle feels protected by Loren because the dog looks imposing. On the other hand, people misjudge Loren as vicious solely because of her appearance. In their travels thus far, a few people have reacted negatively to Loren because of the bad press her breed gets. A woman in Virginia, for instance, practically booed Loren as she hurried away from her, ignoring Michelle when she assured her that there was no danger.
For those who are willing to look past the stereotypes, however, Loren is one beautiful girl. She is young, healthy, and lean, with short, glossy red and white fur and the softest rose-pink nose. Her temperament, also rosy, endears her to strangers; after I had known her for only five minutes, Loren jumped up and draped her front legs over my lap as I sat on the patio of a Whole Foods. She allowed herself to be hugged and kissed while Michelle and I snapped photos, and she sat placidly by our feet while we ate lunch.
Although Michelle is unable to adopt her travel companion herself, she has high hopes that Loren will find a loving home: “Someone who is retired or working from home, or a stay-at-home mom with children over the age of three” would be perfect for her. “Loren’s a people dog.” She loves attention, and “when she meets her forever person, she’s just going to be in love.”
Michelle is hoping that the news of Loren’s adventure will generate some strong adoption applications for her back in California. She wants to encourage people all across the country to give dogs like Loren a chance and to support The Brittany Foundation and other humane rescues.
Her ultimate goal is to write a book about the trip, mixing in information about pit bulls in general, the challenges that people who have pit bulls face, and breed-discriminatory legislation, such as Denver’s Municipal Code Section 8-55.
How You Can Help:
• Michelle and Loren have about three more weeks on the road. You can check their itinerary, read their road blog, and help sponsor their trip on Michelle’s website.
• If you live in the Los Angeles area and are interested in adopting Loren, please contact The Brittany Foundation for information about their adoption procedures and an application.
• If you are not in the Los Angeles area, but are interested in rescuing a dog like Loren, please check your local shelter or rescue organization. As Michelle pointed out, “there are a million Lorens out there” just waiting for people to open their hearts and give them a break.
For more information:
• Join the Stop Breed Specific Legislation community.
Photos by Christelle Del Prete
Posted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends staff