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Inaugural Wagging Tailgate Party!

August 26, 2009, 1:54PM MT

By Denise LeBeau

Update: Pennsylvania SPCA and Best Friends festive pit bull adoption

In the spirit of second chances.

Updates from the first adoption rally in Philadelphia!

With a few dozen guests, and lots of great dogs ready for their forever homes, it was good news for pit bull type dogs in the home of the Eagles. There were over a dozen homes found at this first event, of which about half of them were 2nd Chance Dogs finding themselves their new forever families. Virginia finds her love match!

Dogs like Virginia, pictured right with her new mom Monica Herzog, were scooped up by adopters wanting to add the perfect new addition to their home.

The first Wagging Tailgate Party, Rally for 2nd Chance Dogs, in the news:

Philadelphia Inquirer

Sports Snipe

Best Friends Op-Ed from Francis Battista (What About Vick's Victims?)

The Event

Football season is the perfect reason to help pit bull type dogs in your area! Michael Vick has been given an opportunity to turn his life around, and Best Friends Animal Society would like to extend this opportunity to the pit bull type dogs that are languishing in shelters around the country. Here's what you can do to help give pit bulls the second chance that they deserve!

The first Wagging Tailgate Party, Rally for 2nd Chance Dogs, was held in conjunction with the Pennsylvania SPCA in Philadelphia on the same evening as the Eagles vs. Jaguars game at Lincoln Financial Field. Come out and show your support for the 2nd Chance Dogs.

This event featured adoptable dogs from the 2nd Chance Dog program from the Pennsylvania SPCA; over 80% of their canine population in Philadelphia is made up of pit bulls and pit bull mixes. We encourage the community to adopt and/or donate dog food and supplies to help ease the burden of caring for so many pits-in-waiting. Items like toys and treats (no rawhides please), portable animal play yards, Nylabones and food puzzles can make a tremendous difference in the lives of these shelter dogs.

To check out their full Wish List please click here. To make a monetary donation please click here.

To see a list of their available 2nd Chance Dogs, please click here. The first 10 adopters of these great pitties will get a free Pits 'n Perception t-shirt created by Best Friends' resident artist, Cyrus Mejia. This will be an event that's fun for the whole family, with cook out and more - if you're a dog lover you won't want to miss it!

What: Rally for 2nd Chance Dogs, the premier Wagging Tailgate Party

Where: Parking lot of the Pennsylvania SPCA, 350 E. Erie Avenue, Philadelphia

When: Thursday, August 27, from 4 pm until 7 pm

For more information on the Pennsylvania SPCA, please go to their website, click here.

Give Pits A Chance

Eagles games have become a lightening-rod for passionate debates about the pit bull issue. By attending a Wagging Tailgate Party at your local shelter during a game, you become part of the solution. While people may argue about what is the right or wrong way to treat a convicted felon that has done his time, dogs are dying in shelters. Joining a Wagging Tailgate Party supports the dogs that are most exploited because of the traits that make them the best family pet: loving, loyal and dedicated.

These community driven events will continue to highlight adoptable dogs, encourage people to donate food and items from the shelter's wish list, and provide education and awareness. Focusing on helping the dogs is what the Wagging Tailgate Party is all about. This is a wonderful and positive way for anyone that wishes that they could make a difference to get involved.

Best Friends will be supplying an easy-to-follow guide on how to organize your own Wagging Tailgate Party at your local shelter. To get the Eagles game schedule please click here.

For the latest on Pit Bull news, legislation and programs - go to Pit Bulls: Saving America's Dog.

image by Best Friends photographer

Comments

Posted August 27, 2009, 7:40AM by cat147

love this!!!

Posted August 27, 2009, 9:17AM by jasonw

If you live in or near Philadelphia or know like minded people, please encourage them to come out to this party. Ed Fritz, Campaign Specialist for "Pit Bills: Saving America's Dog" will be there to meet and answer any questions. Plus, it's gonna to be lots of fun and a great time!

Posted August 27, 2009, 10:14AM by crazysleepingcatlady

As always, Best Friends chooses to take the high road! Kudos for helping to bring us all back to the real focus at hand....bringing about homes for these beautiful, faithful, loving dogs and for all homeless animals. We can argue all we want about Michael Vick but that will not help to save these dogs and THAT must be most important.

Posted August 27, 2009, 10:25AM by carrie_fosters

ALMOST makes me wish Portland were a football town so I could participate in one of these. ; ) Great job on putting the focus where it should be!

Posted August 27, 2009, 2:19PM by KMJK3

This is an excellent cause, I currently have 2 pits one is a 9 yr old pit adopted from the Burlington County Animal Shelter at the age of 3 yrs. The other is a 3 1/2 Female also adopted from the BCAS. I had one other she passed Approx 3 years ago at the age of 9 , we found her at 3 months old in a pet store in pennsauken, nj(we were not shopping for a dog, but I could not walk away leaving her there for pure fear of who would buy her and what they would do with her. They are the best pets to have they love you unconditionally, and want to do what ever you want them to do, they are loyal, smart dogs. And it is the human that teaches them that can destroy this breed. I am so glad this is being brought to light. God bless you all.

Posted August 27, 2009, 3:45PM by Kata

Good initiative, but your site states in the story here that Mr. Vick is a "convicted felon that has done his time"; well, if he has served his time then he is no longer a convited felon. Correct? Please do not disparage another while trying to make a plea for what appears to be a rather good cause. Hopefully, other will view your site and use their energies positively like your members. Thank God for forgiveness...where would we be without it?

Posted August 27, 2009, 5:17PM by mxipp

Great idea! I hope you draw a bigger crowd than the football game.

Posted August 27, 2009, 6:13PM by pdwlgw

What a great idea! I can't go -- I'm not in Pennsylvania. But if you ever host a party like this in Oakland or San Francisco, I'll be there. I don't know the right way to describe Michael Vick. The most common dictionary definition of "felon" seems to be: "one who has committed a felony." I suppose that a convicted felon is someone who has committed a felony and been convicted of it. I don't know the best way to describe Michael Vick. I do know that Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles don't interest me or need my help. The kind, deserving creatures in shelters do interest me, and they do need my help.

Posted August 27, 2009, 8:26PM by edward

Man, that was a good event. Plenty of positive energy. The folks at the PSPCA were very good hosts and we all had a great time playing with some terrific dogs. I won't know how many were adopted until tomorrow, but I did witness some! I hope this catches on and we have wagging tailgate party's for the whole season! DOGS RULE! Ed

Posted August 28, 2009, 8:8AM by Kayachka

This is such a great idea! I volunteer with several rescue groups (two of them pit bull-specific) in the DC/Virginia area, hopefeully we can plan something similar for when the Eagles play here. Please email kayachka@gmail.com if anybody is interested in helping out.

Posted August 29, 2009, 8:33AM by Geralyn DeBruno

I wasn't able to get to this event until around 5:45, was a little disappointed that the turn out wasn't better, but perhaps there were more folks at the event earlier in the day. So glad to read there were adoptions made that day. I hope, with all my heart, that these events continue and that more people are educated about the horrors of dog fighting and cruelty to animals. As devoted animal lovers, we need to do more to get the word out. I walked through the PSPCA facility looking at all the dogs available for adoption, knowing hundreds more were out there needing help. Made me mad that I couldn't do more than donate some money. I have three dogs at home and right now can't afford to adopt any more. I still wonder what the Eagles organization was thinking when they hired a known animal abuser, welcoming him with open arms. I guess the supporters of Vick are trying to make up for their own personal failures by forgiving him. After all, Reid has two sons in prison, I'm sure he hopes that they receive the same level of forgiveness when they get out, although their mistakes were not of the same magnitude of Vicks. I just can't believe that the Eagles are going to such lengths to try and win a championship. Pathetic & sad. People who harm animals will do the same thing to humans....the Eagles organization has to know this. Vick's eyes don't show any emotion when he speaks, his well rehearsed words, of remorse. People will believe what they want to believe, but this guy is only sorry he got caught and lost a lot of money in the process. Possibly the best way to make Vick contribute to the welfare of abused animals is to make him contribute financially to there rehabilitation & care. The Eagles organization should be made to match all contributions.

Posted August 30, 2009, 8:5PM by LauraN

Congrats on a great initiative & the successfull adoptions.

Posted September 09, 2009, 8:19AM by Riley_Pinkerton

WOW..this is really ironic. The PSPCA used to euthanize pit bulls without even temperament testing them. They only started because Animal Planet required they have them available for adoption. I understand the idea of this, but next time, Best Friends, maybe you should do a little more research into the organization you are supporting. I am glad that pit bulls have become a more "popular" breed because now, at least, they have the option of being adopted out.

Posted September 17, 2009, 4:36PM by Kayachka

I am interested in having a Pit Bull Tailgate party when the Eagles play the Redskins on October 26th. Is anybody interested in helping plan one? Unfortunately the stadium is in Prince Georges County, MD, which has a county-wide ban on pit bulls, so we will need to be creative about where we host the event. Please contact kayachka@gmail.com