Two recent experiences have eliminated my prejudice against the pit bull breed:

1) volunteering at my local animal shelter, where there appear to be far more pit bulls up for adoption than other breeds. This has been my first exposure to this breed - every person's "pro" comment is true!

2) John Garcia's testimonial on Ellen's show. Wow... he personifies the words "committment" and "passion".

Please everyone who reads this: get involved in volunteering in your local community to promote animal rescue efforts, education, spay/neuter promotion, fund-raising. You don't need any money to help - time and personal energy is our most precious resource. Sign up to help with your local animal shelter!!!

Our local shelter is entirely staffed by volunteers and the adoption rate is in the high 90th percentile. Make that happen in your community, too!

Ellen- thanks for pointing out that american pit bull terriers are DOGS NOT WEREWOLVES! Thanks for helping stop the prejudice. BEST FRIENDS ROCKS!

Awesome segment with John Garcia and Georgia! I am a pit bull lover and owner and am so grateful for all the positive press these wonderful dogs can get. Thank you to Best Friends, BAD RAP, All or Nothing Pit Bull Rescue, PBRC, and all the other pit bull rescues for giving our bully dogs the second chances they deserve. If we could only stop stereotyping pit bulls as vicious time bombs and see that they are loving, faithful, forgiving, family companions. Ellen, help us spread the word to stop dog fighting and end breed specific legislation. Thanks again for your work and love towards animals and for the spotlight on Best Friends and Georgia! (www.DenverKillsDogs.com will open your eyes about BSL)

We too rescued a former fighting pit bull! what a great segment!

check us our at:

www.trinitythepitbull.com

Hello Ellen: RE the pitbull episode yesterday, I so appreciate your positve promotion of this breed and the rehabilitation of Vic's dogs. John Garcia is right, the biggest weapon a pitty has is tongue and tail. I wish I had the extra money to give to the no-kill shelter, but my husband and I are currently searching the Pittsburgh and surrounding area pit bull rescue shelters to take in a second one. Currently I have the sweetest pit in the world that I would love for you to meet! Her name is Lily and she was a shelter rescue. We got her as a sister for my first shelter rescue, Cosmo. Wish the Obamas would have picked a shelter dog and/or a pit bull. Would have been nice to show the country how wonderful both are to own! My brother rescued a Weimaraner here in WV that he named Bleu as a brother for his other Weim, Skye. He and his partner took them to their home on Burgundy St. in New Orleans via car. Would love to
share the pic of that with you, too. Keep on doin what you are doin...the world needs your positive vibe and role model!~Allison Courtney

Thank you Ellen for bringing much needed attention to your viewers about these animals. There's another group of dogs that are in dire need of attention and it's NOT a subject that the mainstream media seems willing to do a story on..... Even run of the mill "animal lovers" turn a blind eye. Is it because it's not in our own backyard ? Should that even make a difference ?

There is a huge, huge dog meat trade in China, the Philippines, Korea and parts of Thailand. I am certain that with public pressure from other countries and financial aid for the struggling Animal Rights groups, that the dog meat trade can be reduced greatly.

Dogs are inherently emotional and friendly to humanity ... the slaughter of dogs for human consumption is excessively cruel. These dogs are condemned to a life of suffering and fear before they are brutally butchered. No Animal Should Live and Die Like This.

If you google " Dog Meat Trade" you'll see and read for yourself the plight of these animals. "Humane Society International" has an American website. You can also check out the Asian Animal Protection Network, the Sirius Global Animal Organization, One Voice: China's Dog Meat Trade, Chinese Companion Animal Protection Network, the Korean Animal Protection Society (KAPS) ... Please spread the word, write letters.

I was hoping to get a mailing address to which I could mail Ellen some of the information I have on the subject, with the hope that there could be a lifeline sent out for these poor creatures.
Please help to establish a compassionate resolution, end the suffering and educate the public by supporting the various animal welfare agencies in these countries who need our help.

"Apathy is the glove into which Evil slips it's hand" - a quote by Bodie Thoene

Hi Ellen,

Thank you for featuring Best Friends and for encouraging everyone to donate. My husband and I are guardian angels w/ Best Friends and truly know what a wonderful, amazing organization this is.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and from our two rescue cats!

Spreading the word is one of the best ways to reach our goal of no more homeless animals.

Thank you again!

Oh Ellen - thank you so much for having Dogtown represented on your show. I TIVO the show and it is truly one of my favorites. If I lived in the area I would be a volunteer there. It is on my list of places to go before I die.

Being the dog lover you are, I wanted to share one of the cutest dog videos I have ever seen. I just received it from my daughter via email today and had to share it with everyone I know. I am sure I can't forward it to you so I will try by giving you the website. An absolute MUST SEE for all dog lovers and those who need to be converted! And, it is worthy of being on the Ellen Show.

Thank you for your wonderful show and most of all for being you! Merry Christmas! Patty

www.dogwork.com/dogsnow/

Thank you so very much for having John Garcia on the show. I love him, and I love you!!! And I love dogs, and I actually have a pit bull that I adopted in 2002, when he was 18 months old and about to be euthanized. You should meet him! He is the sweetest thing around!! A month ago when I took him to a huge construction site to play (and there are a couple of lakes there) he decided to make it his mission to save the water birds from drowning. He would trot right by the birds on the land, just giving them a sideways glance (ie "You're OK, you're on the land.") and wade out and swim after the swimming birds, He caught one 6 times and gently pushed it up on the shore, got out and sat beside it, and then it would jump back in the water. He would simply wade back in and retrieve it again. After 6 times, and it jumped back in, he just stood there and watched it swim away, with the most perplexed look on his face!
3 weeks ago he was attacked by a labrador retriever who is a guard dog for a business and had escaped under the fence. That dog bit my Otie all over, but Otie did not bite back. He simply wrestled the dog and pushed him away from me. You see, love conquers all, and John is right that well-loved pit bulls are "cup cakes" inside. By the way, I have a campaign to stop a widespread institutionalized cruelty to dogs that most people are not aware of, it is so well concealed. My website is stoplynching.com

As an owner of 2 rescued Pitties, I thank Ellen and Best Friends for willing to educate and inform the public about the true nature of these much magligned breeds. I realize it will take a long time for their undeserved bad reputation to be rehabilitated, and meanwhile, thousands of Pitties are being euthanized every year because people are unwilling to adopt them. However, it is a start that some media is taking interest in reporting the truth and perhaps one day the general public will be able to see them as they are: just dogs.