To Love and Cherish, In Sickness, Health and Pitbulls?

When local first grade teacher Nicole Campbell first began spending time with Brian Campbell, who eventually became her husband, he made a startling confession. For some, this announcement could have pulled the emergency brake on the whole relationship.

"He told me he had a pitbull," Mrs. Campbell says. "And my first reaction was "OH NO!"

"I thought dogs were dirty and dangerous," she laughs. "Especially pitbulls. Having grown up without a dog, I never knew how wonderful they are. Pitbulls seemed like the worst, most vicious type of dog anyone could have. But Daisy changed everything."

Mrs. Campbell was certainly not alone in her initial response to pitbulls. In a poll conducted by the popular National Geographic television show, The Dog Whisperer, 10,000 viewers listed breeds they believed most aggressive, and the pit bull was of course, one of the usual suspects.

In the case of 6 year old Daisy, who had been adopted by Brian Campbell as a young puppy and was trained with both kindness and respect, there was absolutely nothing to fear.

But Nicole Campbell didn't know that. "I used to get near the dogs of friends and "almost" pet them, but then not go through with it," she recalls. "So at first we took it really slow with Daisy."

Nicole and Brian Campbell married and Daisy got her very own "bachelorette pad" to sleep in down in their spacious and comfortable basement. "She had everything there; toys, a nice bed, a great space and of course we'd come downstairs to hang out with her."

But then a bit of time passed and it was Mrs. Campbell who "thought Daisy might enjoy moving upstairs into the living room."

Needless to say it wasn't long before Daisy became a welcome part of the family, able to go anywhere she pleases at home. Sometimes, when Daisy feels like it, she even sleeps upstairs in the bedroom with her owners.

"Most amazing is that my own parents have had a total change of heart about pitbulls," Mrs. Campbell reports. "When my mother comes over to visit the first thing she does is run over to Daisy and start talking baby-talk to her!"

Daisy is appropriately protective of her home, barking at sounds and strangers outside the house. But when relatives recently visited along with a toddler and baby, this pit bull became their self-appointed protector. When Mrs. Campbell gleefully began tossing the toddler into the air, Daisy looked worried for the child and watchfully began to whine.

In fact, according to the website Pets911, "in the 40's and 50's pit bulls were often referred to as “The Nannies of America”. The Little Rascals had a pit bull…the RCA dog was a pit bull…Helen Keller owned a pit bull. How did a breed go from being nannies to being feared?"

Great question. 
Tragic Answer: Blame Michael Vick and like-minded individuals lacking ethics and humanity, who for their own entertainment and profit, stage bloody dog-fights. These are the people who have misused and mistreated an entire breed.

This depraved human behavior has resulted in countless thousands of pit bulls being abandoned. Unfortunately, having been abused or neglected, many of these dogs are not adequately prepared (at first) for family life. But rescue organizations and shelters are doing great work at re-socializing these dogs so that they might be adopted. One of the most amazing traits of the pitbull is the ability to adapt and be social.

Other pit bulls who are loving, perfectly adoptable pets that have never been exposed at all to abuse or dog fights, linger in overcrowded animal shelters, destined to be euthanized because people fear the breed and pass them over for adoption.

Pitbulls, like any other breed of dog, are not born "bad." They happen to be an astonishingly loving breed, capable of great loyalty and charm. Pitbulls can be Lassie in disguise; wise, calm and full of sweetness.

On Petfinder.com there are endless photos of pit bulls available for adoption all across the country. With names like "Lovey" and "Cuddles," clearly the shelter-workers are trying desperately to encourage potential adopters to give pit bulls fair consideration. But the very difficult task of  "re-branding" the much sullied image of the pit-bull in this current climate is a challenging one.

"When Brian first brought home Daisy as a little white and black puppy," Mrs. Campbell confides, "he told his dad she was a Dalmatian." Understandable, since to many, bringing home a pit bull is tantamount to bringing home a fire-breathing dragon. "But once his dad fell in love with Daisy," she continues. "Brian told him she was really a pit bull."

The voiceover preceding the start of every episode of the television show Dog Whisperer, begins with the voice of trainer extraordinaire Cesar Milan, who very simply says, "I rehabilitate dogs. I train people."

Thanks to Cesar Milan, the message is out there.

And thanks as well to Nicole Campbell, who did not let fear compromise her willingness to learn.

It is no coincidence that Mrs. Campbell is an educator by profession.
Her experience with Daisy exemplifies how people learn; by acknowledging that it's okay to be afraid....but NOT okay to let fear prevent you from moving forward.