Love-A-Bull, based in Austin, Texas, drew hundreds of participants in its National Pit Bull Awareness Day celebration, held Oct. 24 and 25. The nonprofit organization promotes responsible guardianship of pit bulls through education and advocacy, and focuses on outreach to provide accurate information, resources and positive messaging.
This year’s weekend of events was a resounding success, and offered valuable opportunities to connect with dog owners and those members of the public interested in learning more about pit bulls, through fun, educational activities, including Family Fun Fest, Movie Night in the Park and a pet parade/costume contest downtown.
John Garcia, co-manager of Best Friends’ Dogtown, was Love-A-Bull’s special guest and helped to draw crowds to both days’ events, as well as share insight and information about pit bulls. Garcia was on hand to conduct two in-service presentations to regional shelter and rescue personnel about the rehabilitation of the Vicktory Dogs (the 22 canines taken in by Best Friends from Michael Vick), talk one-on-one with countless attendees about a variety of issues and his work at Best Friends and encourage the public to view pit bulls as wonderful companions. He also provided context and follow-up to the night’s public screening of the National Geographic Channel’s episode of “DogTown” centered on the story of the Vicktory Dogs.
In addition to the screening of “DogTown,” at Austin’s Zilker Hillside Theater, Saturday’s Family Fun Fest offered crafts, henna and face painting, contests such as “Goofiest Grin” and “Best Tail Wagger,” a dunk-Michael-Vick tank, T-shirt printing, food and drinks, photographs with John Garcia and opportunities to meet adoptable pit bulls from local shelter and rescue groups. Love-A-Bull also gathered many signatures for an anti-breed discriminatory legislation petition, distributed information on its free training program, sold T-shirts, stickers and commemorative posters and raised awareness about its resources and initiatives.
Sunday’s pet parade/costume contest attracted a record crowd of over 200 participants with dogs in a variety of outfits, including a bat and bridge (in honor of Austin’s distinction as host of the largest urban bat colony in the world), a “lame duck” featuring a dog who had just had knee surgery, and a number of photogenic lions, frogs, lobsters, turtles and bumblebees. The parade stretched several city blocks around Austin City Hall, and included a stop at Lofty Dog (a local dog boutique) for goodie bags, and concluded at Austin Java (a dog-friendly restaurant) for music and costume prizes. This large group of costumed pooches (many of them pit bulls) proudly parading through Austin’s downtown served as a tribute to the commitment of responsible dog guardianship and sent a strong message about how so many pit bulls are loyal and loving family members.
The weekend showcased not only the efforts of Love-A-Bull, an organization with over 450 activist-oriented pit bull guardians and supporters, but also the passion and dedication that so many communities across the country share with others on National Pit Bull Awareness Day every year.
To learn more about Love-A-Bull and to view more photos from the events, please visit www.love-a-bull.org.
If you were unable to attend, but still wish to support Love-A-Bull’s advocacy, click here.
Interested in learning more about ending the myths, discrimination and legislation against pit-bull-type dogs? Become a fan of the “Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog” campaign on the Best Friends Network.
Photos by Samantha Foss