[performanceknls]

They misquote you even when they are on your side! I did this interview for a fundraiser my business does every year for our animal shelter. It's called the Pit Bull Rumble and we do demos every year and have a blast. I found this article and was reading it and I love how they misquoted me about APBT's being better at agility than BC! lol There are other things she exaggerated too.... too funny!

The News-Bulletin: Pit Bull Rumble with dogs, cars benefits County Animal Shelter

Pit Bull Rumble with dogs, cars benefits County Animal Shelter

Julia M. Dendinger News-Bulletin Staff Writer; [email protected]

Los Lunas With nothing more than one-word commands and concise hand signals, Lisa Berry guides Tempest through the agility course. The blonde American Pit Bull Terrier only has eyes for Berry as she leaps over bars and slithers through the slalom poles.

Over 15 years ago, Berry decided she wanted to be around pit bulls. "I have always loved them. I had some wrong ideas about them when I was younger, but as I've learned more, I am just fascinated with the things they can be taught to do," she said.

Very often Berry heard about all the things pit bulls "can't do" because of their temperaments and reputations. "I started training and showing them and got some really nasty reactions from people at shows," she said.

Undeterred, Berry pressed on and is now a successful trainer with 10 years of experience under her belt. After working with her first pit bull in agility competitions, Berry tried other breeds but was never satisfied.

"I worked with border collies, which are considered the best breed for agility," she said. "They are fast - sometimes too fast, and they will end up knocking bars down. The pit bulls are quick and more accurate."

On Saturday, Oct. 4, Berry will be bringing her love of the breed and several of her highly trained dogs to a local "pit bull rumble" hosted by the Valencia County Animal Shelter. The event is a fundraiser for the shelter and will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sport Complex/BMX Park on N.M. 314, 1.2 miles south of N.M. 6 in Los Lunas.

Berry said it is her hope that the event will let the community get to know pit bulls in a different way. "You only hear the negative stories in the media," she said, only looking slightly apologetic. "I know one local television station reported that someone had been bitten by a pit bull. When they showed a picture of the dog, it looked like a shar pei; it wasn't even a pit bull."

As with any dog, Berry said, a pit bull would become what an owner makes it. "These dogs are real people pleasers," she said. "As a breed, they do have dog aggression, but aggression towards humans has been watched for and is usually eliminated from the gene pool.

"If a pit bull is praised for being aggressive towards another dog or even a person, then it will think that's what the owner wants. These dogs were never meant to be people aggressive. If you train them when they are young, you can also eliminate the dog aggression as well."

Not only does Berry show her dogs in agility competitions but in weight pulling as well. "I don't know of any border collie that can go from an agility course one day to pulling 8,000 pounds the next," she said. "And that's not really a lot of weight. The top ranked dog can pull 35,000 pounds. These are very strong dogs; they aren't for everyone."

Berry also wants to help educate the public about the sweet, gentle side of pit bulls. One of her two certified therapy dogs, 10-year-old Tasha, takes a seat on your foot, leans patiently against your knee and gazes at you with amber eyes.

"She is the perfect example of just how gentle these dogs really are," Berry said. "She was fought early in her life and abused terribly by her former owners. But she has no ill will towards people. I take her into hospitals, schools, anywhere."

In addition to Berry and her dogs, monster truck driver Charles "The Pit Bull" Benns will also be at the rumble demonstrating the power of his car-crushing machine to support the shelter animals.

The female pit bull puppy Cupcake, who had her ears mangled a few months ago and was left at the shelter, will be on hand with her new family. Many of the shelter dogs will be on site at the event and available for adoption.

 

[performanceknls]

Oh I love how they turned my dogs into national WP champions!! where was I!! Agility yes but not WP, lol I was 10 days away from having my baby when we did this up:

Valencia County News-Bulletin: Pit Bull Rumble on Saturday

The Valencia County Animal Shelter is not the same shelter it was 10 years ago.

"We are constantly trying to improve the conditions there, and our reputation with the community," said Ruben Chavez, county code enforcement director.

And to that end, the animal shelter, along with several partners, is hosting the second annual Pit Bull Rumble this coming Saturday.

The rumble runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 3, at the sports complex south of Los Lunas on N.M. 314.

"We are excited to have our main attractions back to benefit the animals and the shelter," Chavez said.

Making repeat appearances this year are Charles Benns, with his Pit Bull Monster Truck, and Lisa Berry with Custom Canine Performance.

"We are so grateful for people like Charles and Lisa for donating their time," Chavez said.

Custom Canine Performance will be bringing American pit bull terriers that have competed and won national agility and weight pulling competitions to show off their skills.

"She and her group are bringing their animals to show the public what they (the dogs) can do when they are properly trained," Chavez said of Berry. "We are very excited that these folks are willing to take from their time to help the shelter."

And this year, the county animal shelter is feeling the impact of an economy in trouble, just like everyone else.

"When you have a financial shortfall, you have to meet it because there is a level of service you met last year," Chavez said. "Right now, for parvo shots and other inoculations and medications used at the shelter, we have seen up to a 150 percent increase in cost. These kind of things the budget has to adsorb.

"So the little things, like being able to microchip every animal that leaves here, water bowls, treats, they go by the wayside."

Not only does the shelter need help with supplying basic services, but is hoping to continue to make improvements. Chavez said one goal they have is to install a cat hotel so that they can live in a colony atmosphere instead of individual cages.

And it isn't just the animals that could use some help, Chavez said.

"The staff and volunteers spends hours each day hand-washing the food and water dishes," Chavez said. "We would like to get a commercial dishwasher that can do the job in minutes instead of hours."

Little things such as signs for events are something Chavez said the shelter would like to get.

"We've noticed that when we've been out at public events, we don't have signs so people don't know who we are," he said. "We need to be more proactive with the community, to partner up with some of the local rabies clinics and do more of those."

The shelter is also actively transporting animals to Española, Albuquerque and as far as Denver. Chavez said the shelter has a van that needs proper equipment to continue doing that.

"So far this year, we have done around 800 transports. We need a unit that can handle that capacity," he said. "I would much rather transfer an animal than put it down."

When the first rumble was held last year, Chavez said a lot of the efforts were to raise money to pay medical bills for Cupcake, a young female pit bull. Last August, Cupcake was left in the shelter's overnight surrender shelter. Her ears had been cropped extremely short and become infected.

Shelter volunteers and staff nursed Cupcake until the small white puppy could be taken in by a local rescue group, Almost Home New Mexico.

The puppy was eventually adopted by a family and has made a full recovery.

"Believe it or not, she is actually a pretty healthy animal now," Chavez said. "From what I understand, she is around 60 or 70 pounds. She will be joining us on Saturday."

Other activities planned for the day include the presence of a second monster truck, courtesy of Benns. Chavez said for a small donation, spectators can ride in the jet fueled truck around a small course.

Vendors and local entities will be out with informational booths, including Valencia Shelter Services and local animal groups and service providers.

Some brand new cars from Brad Francis will also be on display, Chavez said.

"But those, we cannot smash," he laughed.

The cars that are allowed to be smashed will meet their end around noon, Chavez said.

And the students in the Valencia High School culinary arts program will be there early cooking and selling breakfast burritos.

"They will start selling them around 8:30 a.m., and they will cook until the sausage runs out," Chavez said.

Later in the day, hotdogs, chips and sodas will be available for sale. A kids jumper will also be set up for the day.

"This is free to the public. This is a way to give back to the community," Chavez said. "If you are kind enough to eat a burrito or a hotdog, that's all we ask.

"We really want to get the kids out for this; they are a vital part of learning
We adults seem to have forgotten. We really need to reach out to our youth."

 

[performanceknls]

Cool I found the flyer!
http://www.quixotehumane.org/Pit_Bull_Rumble_2k10 flyer.pdf

 

[aus_staffy]

Shame about the misquotes but at least it's good publicity!

 

[performanceknls]

Well it looks bad on my part! I got several phone call from my BC friends who gave me a hard time about that! I had to explain that is not what I said! and the WP ch is a little bothersome, I do not want to take credit for something I have not done. I think I told them I was bringing Bailey and she is a national WP champion, maybe that is where they got it from. But I definitely did not win that with her or train her that was all OFK.

 

[aus_staffy]

Yeah I understand how you feel. You must have some 'splainin to do!

 

[Xiahko]

If you train them when they are young, you can also eliminate the dog aggression as well.

Oh really now? Please tell that to Bruno. LOL

 

[performanceknls]

Again another misquote I was talking about controlling the DA not training it out of them but for the paper I guess it sounds better the way she put it! lol Yeah it is full of things out of context or just plain wrong. It was a nice piece for the paper I just wish they could actually quote me correctly!

 

[Eric]

Again another misquote I was talking about controlling the DA not training it out of them but for the paper I guess it sounds better the way she put it! lol Yeah it is full of things out of context or just plain wrong. It was a nice piece for the paper I just wish they could actually quote me correctly!

Lol I knew that had to be a misquote haha I think it's cool that you called out the news station about the wrong breed of dog being labled as a pitty. I'm sure someone from that station that ran the story read it and realized it was them who said it/showed the picture.