DATE: November 17, 2009

MEDIA CONTACT: Lydia Zaidman (718) 791-5493

http://www.love-a-bull.org
info@love-a-bull.org

AUSTIN, Texas — Love-A-Bull, a local nonprofit education and advocacy organization, is proud to announce that it has recently been awarded two grants from the Animal Farm Foundation. Love-A-Bull has received the Project Support Grant to fund a program recognizing pit bulls attaining the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) distinction, and the Achievement Award Grant for outstanding achievement by one group member dog.

The Animal Farm Foundation was founded in the 1980s to improve the lives of dogs labeled as “pit bulls” and to protect all dogs from discrimination and cruelty. The Foundation awarded Love-A-Bull the Achievement Award in recognition of Mocha, a Staffordshire Terrier, and her achievement as a Canine Good Citizen and Certified Therapy Dog, and her appearances at public events and in the media. The grant specifically notes that Mocha “is opening hearts and changing minds about all dogs who appear to be pit bulls through her achievements, especially in the community of Austin, Texas.” Mocha’s guardian, Lydia Zaidman, is a co-founder of Love-A-Bull.

The Foundation also recognized Love-A-Bull’s training program, awarding funding for each canine member of the group who achieves the Canine Good Citizen status, a rigorous ten-step temperament and behavioral test administered by trained professionals through the American Kennel Club. The grant is intended to promote responsible pit bull stewardship, the primary focus of Love-A-Bull’s mission.

To underscore the importance of training, which is central to responsible dog ownership of any breed, Love-A-Bull offers its members a free, four-week training program, with sessions filling continually throughout the year. The training sessions are held at Southpaws Playschool and are led by experienced, professional trainer, Jessica Wilson. To date, more than 90 dogs have participated in the training, with more than 10 Love-A-Bull members’ dogs attaining the CGC distinction, and 4 working as Certified Therapy Dogs in hospitals and schools. More information on the free training program can be found on Love-A-Bull’s website at http://love-a-bull.org/programs/training/

Mocha, Canine Good Citizen and Certified Therapy Dog, Animal Farm Foundation Grant Award Recipient

About Love-A-Bull: Love-A-Bull is a 501(c)(3) organization, composed of over 450 local owners committed to responsible ownership of pit bulls and working to share information with the public on issues such as spay/neuter, rescue and training, active advocacy against breed-specific legislation, and promoting a more positive public image of these dogs. www.love-a-bull.org

Hundreds of people and their dogs were in attendance throughout the weekend events. We gathered tons of signatures for our anti-BSL petition, talked about our free training program, spread awareness about pit bulls and owner issues, and raised funds for our programs and initiatives.

Congratulations to our raffle winners! Please contact lydia@love-a-bull.org to claim your prize.

• Southwest Airline Tickets: John Pope
• $500 Tattoo Gift Certificate: Dwain Williams
• $250 Lee Mannix Training Certificate: Deb Whitaker
• $235 Blanton Museum Package: Joe Soto
• Custom Jewelry by Eleven17Finery: Amy Herzog
• $100 Gift Certificate from Midtown Grooming: Melissa Alvarado
• OnGuard Bike Package: Patricia Hutt
• $50 Gift Certificate to Cafe Josie: Susan Peters

Check out some of the photos of the events (below) and lots more here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=329268&id=543660631&l=89078ce855 and http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027189&id=1030100074&l=ccf3f60e1a

Family Fun Day (Oct. 24)

Joe Seabrooke wearing a Michael Vick jersey--in the dunk tank!

A bumblebee puppy

The crowd at Family Fun Day

John Garcia and Samantha Foss from Best Friends

Pet Parade and Costume Contest (Oct. 25)

Getting ready for the pet parade

A lion

Arr, matey! Pirate dog

Best Friends' John Garcia and Love-A-Bull co-founders Lydia Zaidman and Meghan Turner

Bat-dog

One of the contest winners: the Bat Bridge, and a bunch of bats!

On October 24 at Zillker Hillside Theater, Love-A-Bull will celebrate National Pit Bull Awareness Day with a Family Fun Weekend, including a free public screening of the National Geographic Channel show Dogtown. This episode features John Garcia working with the dogs rescued from Michael Vick. The screening is put on by Rolling Roadshow and will begin at dark.

More information on the Rolling Roadshow webpage at: http://www.originalalamo.com/Show.aspx?id=6930

Please come join us for this fun event!

Tune in to 101.5 FM on Wednesday, 10/21, at 9:15 AM to hear Deb interview our special guest of honor, John Garcia, Best Friends’ rehabilitator of Michael Vick’s dogs. He’ll also talk about our weekend full of events.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (PLEASE CROSS-POST)
DATE: August 28, 2009
MEDIA CONTACT: Lydia Zaidman (718) 791-5493 or training@love-a-bull.org

PIT BULL NONPROFIT GROUP OFFERING FREE TRAINING TO MEMBERS

AUSTIN, Texas — Love-A-Bull, a local nonprofit education and advocacy organization, invites pit bull owners to join the group in order to register now for free, 4-week basic skills dog training. The next session runs from Saturday, September 26th through Saturday, October 17th, from 4:30 – 5:30 pm, at Southpaws Playschool.

Love-A-Bull promotes tools for responsible pit bull ownership, and is pleased to offer this opportunity in partnership with trainer, Jessica Wilson, and Southpaws Playschool. It is the only one if its kind for pit bull owners in the Austin area.

Love-A-Bull, composed of over 400 local owners, works to share information with the public on issues such as the importance of spay/neuter, rescue and training, active advocacy against breed-specific legislation, and promotion of a more positive public image of pit bulls and pit bull mixes. The free training program started in January of 2009, with the goal of helping members’ dogs gain Canine Good Citizen (CGC) status through a rigorous evaluation conducted by the American Kennel Club for all breeds. To date, more than 80 owners have taken advantage of this free program, with 10 Love-A-Bull members’ dogs having attained the CGC distinction, and 3 dogs working as certified therapy dogs in hospitals and schools.

Members of the group who have participated in the program have found consistent improvement in their dogs’ behavior and continue to highly recommend it to other pit bull owners. To join Love-A-Bull or to learn more about the free training program, please visit www.love-a-bull.org.

About the Participants:

Love-A-Bull was organized to educate and to advocate on behalf of the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Terrier, and Bull Terrier (all breeds commonly referred to as “Pit Bulls”) and Pit Bull mixes. Love-A-Bull encourages its members to serve as role models of responsible ownership and engage in activism, including support of rescue, and promotion of spay/neuter programs, and to oppose breed-specific legislation.

Southpaws Playschool is located at 2324B South Lamar; Austin, TX 78704. The mission of Southpaws Playschool for Dogs and Puppies is to provide a safe, pleasant and stimulating environment in which clients can leave their dogs and puppies with confidence during working hours. They sponsor activities at the facility and in the community that promote enhanced human/canine relationships. Southpaws Playschool believes that giving back to the community is important and sponsors activities that will benefit service animals and animal rescue organizations.

Jessica Wilson is a Certified Canine Training and Behavior Specialist through Triple Crown Dog Trainer’s Academy. She has experience with a variety of canine behavioral issues such as separation anxiety, aggression, housebreaking problems, leash pulling, fence climbing, digging, barking, and many other problems that dog owners frequently encounter. She is also well-versed in all aspects of obedience and home manners training, including preparation at the competitive level. She also has experience with footstep tracking, search and rescue, dock dog training, agility, rally, scent discrimination, and more. She currently offers training at Bobbi Colorado’s Canine Camp in Oak Hill.

Love-A-Bull, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, promotes education, advocacy and responsibility on behalf of pit bull owners, and seeks to improve the public image of pit bull-type dogs.

###

PIT BULL NONPROFIT SEEKING PARTICIPANTS IN FREE TRAINING PROGRAM

AUSTIN, Texas — Love-A-Bull, a local nonprofit education and advocacy organization, invites pit bull owners to join the group in order to participate in free, 4-week basic skills dog training. The next session runs from Thursday, May 28 through June 18, from 7 – 8 pm, at Southpaws Playschool. Love-A-Bull promotes tools for responsible pit bull ownership, and is pleased to offer this opportunity in partnership with trainer, Jessica Wilson, and Southpaws Playschool. It is the only one if its kind for pit bull owners in the Austin area.

Love-A-Bull, composed of over 300 local owners, works to share information with the public on issues such as the importance of spay/neuter, rescue and training, active advocacy against breed-specific legislation, and promotion of a more positive public image of pit bulls and pit bull mixes. The free training program started in January of 2009, with the goal of helping members’ dogs gain Canine Good Citizen (CGC) status through a rigorous evaluation conducted by the American Kennel Club for all breeds. To date, more than 30 owners have taken advantage of this free program, with 10 Love-A-Bull members’ dogs having attained the CGC distinction, and 3 dogs working as certified therapy dogs in hospitals and schools.

Members of the group who have participated in the program have found consistent improvement in their dogs’ behavior and continue to highly recommend it to other pit bull owners. To join Love-A-Bull or to learn more about the free training program, please visit http://www.meetup.com/love-a-bull/pages/Love-A-Bull_Member_Programs/

About the Participants:

Love-A-Bull was organized to educate and to advocate on behalf of the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Terrier, and Bull Terrier (all breeds commonly referred to as “Pit Bulls”) and Pit Bull mixes. Love-A-Bull encourages its members to serve as role models of responsible ownership and engage in activism, including support of rescue, and promotion of spay/neuter programs, and to oppose breed-specific legislation.

Southpaws Playschool is located at 2324B South Lamar; Austin, TX 78704. The mission of Southpaws Playschool for Dogs and Puppies is to provide a safe, pleasant and stimulating environment in which clients can leave their dogs and puppies with confidence during working hours. They sponsor activities at the facility and in the community that promote enhanced human/canine relationships. Southpaws Playschool believes that giving back to the community is important and sponsors activities that will benefit service animals and animal rescue organizations.

Jessica Wilson is a Certified Canine Training and Behavior Specialist through Triple Crown Dog Trainer’s Academy. She has experience with a variety of canine behavioral issues such as separation anxiety, aggression, housebreaking problems, leash pulling, fence climbing, digging, barking, and many other problems that dog owners frequently encounter. She is also well-versed in all aspects of obedience and home manners training, including preparation at the competitive level. She also has experience with footstep tracking, search and rescue, dock dog training, agility, rally, scent discrimination, and more. She currently offers training at Bobbi Colorado’s Canine Camp in Oak Hill.

Love-A-Bull, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, promotes education, advocacy and responsibility on behalf of pit bull owners, and seeks to improve the public image of pit bull-type dogs.

###