About National Pit Bull Awareness Day
History: In early 2007, Bless the Bullys introduced the idea of an annual National Pit Bull Awareness Day, encouraging pit bull advocates everywhere to host celebratory events in an effort to garner positive media attention, promote responsible ownership and combat existing stereotypes. The National Pit Bull Awareness Campaign is a nationwide effort to bring positive awareness and attention to the American Pit Bull Terrier and their responsible owners.
This year’s National Pit Bull Awareness Day is October 27, 2012!
National Pit Bull Awareness Day (NPBAD) generally falls on a weekend in October, however due to the warmer than usual weather in Texas, we tend to celebrate the first part of November instead.
Goal: National Pit Bull Awareness Day was established as a day to educate and foster positive communications and experiences in the communities in which we and our dogs live. It is a special day to focus on these incredible dogs and their devoted, responsible owners; a day to change perceptions and stereotypes.
In 2009: Love-A-Bull celebrated National Pit Bull Awareness Day with events featuring John Garcia of Best Friends Animal Society, the primary rehabilitator/trainer of the dogs seized from Michael Vick. He conducted two standing room only in-services for local rescue and shelter staff, as well as led our Pit Bull Parade and hosted our screening of National Geographic’s “DogTown” episode in Zilker Park. That year’s Fun Fest drew over 500 attendees, vendors, rescue groups and attracted various forms of media coverage.
In 2010: Love-A-Bull hosted animal welfare crusaders, Rescue Ink, and Shorty “Pit Boss” Rossi (from Animal Planet’s “Pit Boss” television show). Rescue Ink and Shorty were the “Grand Marshals” of the Pit Bull Parade up Congress Avenue, which drew upwards of 1,000 four-legged participants (pit bulls the vast majority of them) and 3,000 two-legged participants. Over 60 vendors and rescue groups set up booths at the Fun Fest, which also featured training demos, question and answers with our special guests, games, giveaways, contests and a silent auction. The event generated news coverage on all local, several regional and a handful of out-of-state news outlets (including cnn.com). Love-A-Bull was also featured prominently in the episode of “Pit Boss” filmed at our event, which aired nationally.
In 2011: We had a wonderful menagerie of special guests from all over! BAD RAP Co-founders Tim & Donna, musician John Shipe, actress Holly Marie Combs, YouTube sensation Sharky, Karma the Flying Pit Bull with brothers Bruzair and Justice, and K9 Nose Work® demonstrations presented by Julie Eskoff of Rancho Mondo Northwest Canine Resource Center. While some rain the night before (and then again that afternoon) threatened to keep us wet, we had a great turnout and with sunny weather in the end. The Pit Crew, Sharky & mom Helen, plus two of Love-A-Bull’s co-founders in a pedicab led the huge gathering of families and their pit bulls – some in excellent costumes – that paraded up Congress Avenue arriving at Republic Square to over 65 businesses, rescue groups, and food vendors set up in the park. And Deb O’Keefe, owner of a pit bull named Blue, from Austin’s 101X was our emcee for the weekend.
