Updated Sept. 1, 2011
More love for the Brazos County pitties:

• My Long Way Home has added a blog post about Vici and Esperanza, which includes a call to action.
• KBTX.com published this story about the pair: Locals take action against dog fighting

A puppy and mother pit bull that were beaten and burned two weeks ago in southern Brazos County are rapidly recovering from their injuries, TheEagle.com reports. The dogs are being treated at Texas A&M University’s Small Animal Hospital.

Love-A-Bull has partnered with Brazos County Crime Stoppers and Brazos Pet and Welfare Society to make a matching contribution toward a reward for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible for the attack. So far the reward is about $2,000.

TheEagle.com previously reported on how these two dogs seem to have been tortured as part of a dog fighting ring and how Vici and and Esperanza were doing early in their care at Texas A&M.

The university’s Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences staff is posting updates about the pit bulls’ recovery on the department website.

To donate directly to the university’s fund that will help cover the dogs’ medical expenses, visit AggiLand Animal Health Center & Pet Resort website.

Tagged: advocacy, chipin, dog fighting, fundraiser, pit bull, rescueFiled under: Uncategorized

Please help Love-A-Bull give this sweet girl a second chance at life.

Somebody loved me once. They took the time to paint my toes, all dainty and pink. But then, something happened. I got lost, and I was by a school.

Kids! I know kids! Kids are good! I wag my tail, I am happy!

I run up and do my pittie wiggle butt!

Wait! What are you doing? OUCH! That hurts! Why are you burning me? What did I do?

Please help me! I am on fire!

Then, they are gone.

After a few hours, a man comes. He takes me to a noisy shelter, but they can’t afford to care for me.

I am only 6 months old. Is this where my life will end? What will happen to me?

I am safe and sound now with Love-A-Bull, but they need help caring for my wounds and getting me all taken care of

Scars on Penny's back heal.

so I can find a safe place to call home.

Please contribute to my Penny’s Second Chance fund! I am told I have lots of medical expenses, but Love-A-Bull thinks I’m SPECIAL and I deserve a second chance.

Please visit Love-A-Bull’s ChipIn page for Penny. Those who wish to contribute over the phone or in person can also call Oak Hill Veterinary Clinic at 512-288-1016. Please specify that you would like your donation to go toward Love-A-Bull’s fund for Penny.

Tagged: adoption, advocacy, fundraiserFiled under: Uncategorized

The dog that was rescued during an eight-state dog-fighting raid and helped by an online Love-A-Bull  fund raiser has been diagnosed with a treatable ailment.

Doctors determined T-Bird has a colon polyp. While manageable, the disease could present problems for T-Bird in the future.

After only a few days, Love-A-Bull supporters helped raise more than $2,000 for T-Bird’s medical care, an effort that organizers hoped to accomplish within two weeks.

Volunteers believed T-Bird needed surgery to remove a large mass, but were not sure of its cause until a biopsy performed earlier this week led doctors to the answer.

Before his rescue in 2009, T-Bird spent an estimated three years inside a cage as part of a dog fighting operation. He spent the following two years in a kennel as evidence.

Despite a rough life, rescuers report T-Bird has a sweet disposition.

Those who wish to contribute to a fund for T-Bird’s future care can call Oak Hill Veterinary Clinic at 512-288-1016. Please specify that you would like your donation to go toward Love-A-Bull’s fund for T-Bird.

Read more about T-Bird below:

HSUS | Eight-State Dogfighting Raid Largest in U.S. History

HSUS | Guilty Pleas Entered in Multi-State Dogfighting Raids

Tagged: advocacy, dog fighting, fundraiser, pit bull, T-BirdFiled under: Uncategorized

Jim Gorant’s book “The Lost Dogs” is a stunning and beautiful account of the events before, during and after Michael Vick’s 51 dogs were rescued. The book is organized in three parts, each describing those events.

Gorant is a master of detail, pace and storytelling. Sometimes Gorant tells the story from a dog’s point of view, an incredibly powerful device.

Other times, the book focuses on the investigation and what authorities did to build a court case.

Mostly, the book shows the former Vick dogs to be just dogs, reacting to their situation the only way they knew how.

“The Lost Dogs” reads like a novel and I often lost myself in the story, missing characters when I wasn’t reading about them and wishing the story would never end.

Being new to pit bull advocacy, I had been putting off reading about Vick because I knew it would be upsetting. Gorant’s account does include some upsetting details, but the story is really about the dog’s triumph.

At times, I put the book down, overcome with disgust or heartbroken as I imagined my dogs chained to an axel in a clearing in the woods. Or too afraid to step out of an open kennel.

Most times, I couldn’t stop reading.

I found myself rereading passages either because Gorant’s words were so elegantly rendered or because the scene described was so heartwarming. I often laughed out loud or cried from sheer joy or pride for the dogs.

Although difficult to read at times, this is a book I plan to add to my personal library partly because I think any animal advocate would find it informative and inspiring, but mostly because Gorant’s words do the former Vick dogs justice.

Former Vick dog fighting mansion to become dog sanctuary

As I prepared to publish this review, I learned that Tamira Thayne, who founded Dogs Deserve Better nearly a decade ago, moved DDB’s headquarters into Michael Vick’s former dog fighting compound.

Vick called the Smithfield, Va. operation Bad Newz Kennels as a nod to his hometown of Newport News, Va. Now, Thayne is calling the 15-acre property Good Newz Rehabilitation Center. She is currently caring for nine dogs at the center with plans to eventually care for about 100 dogs there.

Thayne, who worked to help rehabilitate some of the Vick dogs, released this statement on her blog in March.

To contribute to Good Newz Rehabilitation Center, visit the group’s website.

Tagged: advocacy, dog, dog fighting, fundraiser, michael vick, pit bull, rescue, reviewFiled under: Uncategorized

After 3½ years and a very rough start to life, T-bird is ready for his chance at living outside of a cage. T-Bird was part of eight-state dog-fighting raid in 2009 that turned out to be the largest in U.S. History. After his “rescue” this sweet boy spent the next two years in a kennel as “evidence.” T-Bird has finally made it out of a kennel but is now facing serious health issues and needs surgery to have a large mass removed. After spending his entire life a victim of a dogfighting ring, and locked in a kennel, like Vick’s Victims, he deserves a chance. T-Bird just needs a chance to fly…

Please help Love-A-Bull raise the funds to get T-Bird his second chance. You may donate via Chipin or donate directly by calling Oak Hill Veterinary Clinic at (512) 288-1016. Please specify that you would like your donation to go towards Love-A-Bull’s fund for T-Bird.

Please pass along and share the link to T-Bird’s ChipIn with your friends and other supports: http://loveabullsadoptabulls.chipin.com/t-birds-second-chance

Read more about T-Bird and his case by clicking on the links below:
http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2009/07/dogfighting-raid.html
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2009/09/guilty_plea_dogfighting_091409.html.

Tagged: adopt, dog fighting, fundraiser, news media, nonprofit, pit bull, rescueFiled under: Adopt-A-Bulls

We’re very excited to be chosen as a participant in this year’s Barkitecture event!

This event is hosted by Animal Lovers of Austin, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, and the 2nd Street District. Barkitecture is an architectural dog-centric fundraiser featuring doghouses created by Austin’s own architects, designers and builders (see Participants).

Date: Saturday, October 1st
Time: 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: 2nd Street District

Love-A-Bull and all of the rescue groups will be located between Lavaca and Guadalupe Street in front of the Austin City Hall building. (Free parking at City Hall until 5 pm).

To keep updated on the event details, check out Barkitecture on Facebook. Or visit the website at www.austinbarkitecture.com.

You can also download the new 2011 Barkitecture poster and share with all your friends: (click image below)

Tagged: community, dog, event, family fun, fundraiserFiled under: Events, Former Homepage

Join us on Feb. 12, starting at 5 PM at Nomad Bar, and support Love-A-Bull!

Tagged: dog, event, fundraiser, nonprofit, pit bullFiled under: Events

Tagged: beer, event, fundraiser, keg, nonprofit, pit bullFiled under: Events