The article provides a brief history of Love-A-Bull’s founding as well as an overview of the work Pit Crew volunteers do at Gullett, Perez and Blackshear elementary schools and Heart House, a free after school program for children from low-income families.

Pit Crew dogs have comforted soldiers coping with symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and helped children relax and gain confidence while trying to read.

“The Pit Crew is very effective in teaching our kids about pit-bull stereotypes, as well as how to interact with animals in a loving way,” elaborates Amy Fuller, volunteer director with the afterschool program at Heart House Austin. “Our kids struggle with bullying on a daily basis, so it is really meaningful for them to know that bullying is never acceptable, whether it’s with their peers or with pit bulls” as Fuller aptly summarizes the meaningful role the Pit Crew has in their community.

 PawNation bills itself as a resource about animals “from the funny and amazing things they do to how their owners can best care for them.”

The article’s author, Shelley Bueche, is an Austinite who writes about working dogs and contributes to two canine magainzes. Read her blog on Red Room.

Editor’s notes | Several errors appear in the article:

• After involvement with a previous therapy dog organization, Zaidman learned pit bulls were the second most common dogs used for therapy work with that organization.
• The Pit Crew is the first all-pit bull therapy group in the nation.
• Julie Eskoff is Pit Crew’s trainer.
• Lydia Zaidman, Meghan Turner, and Leala Ward co-founded Love-A-Bull.

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.