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March is Pit Bull
Education Month at the
Humane Society for Hamilton County
 Noblesville,
Ind., March 10, 2009 – In an effort to raise general
awareness about Pit Bulls, and dispel some of the common
misconceptions about the breed, the Humane Society for
Hamilton County is holding a Pit Bull Education Workshop at
the shelter, 1721 Pleasant St in Noblesville, on Saturday
March 14 from 1-3 p.m. The event is free and open to the
public, including current Pit Bull owners.
“Pit Bulls are a widely misunderstood canine breed,” said
Humane Society for Hamilton County Executive Director
Rebecca Stevens. “To paint the breed with such a broad brush
stroke as aggressive and dangerous just isn’t accurate. The
reality is that altered Pit Bulls have been found to be no
more aggressive than other altered breeds including Border
Collies, Cocker Spaniels and Golden Retrievers.”
Indeed, according to the American Temperament Test Society,
Inc., in temperament tests of various breed, the American
Pit Bull Terrier did better in temperament tests, passing
84.3 percent of the time, than such breeds as the Australian
Shepherd, Bichon Frise, Cairn Terrier, German Sorthaired
Pointer and Lhasa Apso. (More information about the
temperament test can be found by logging on to
http://www.atts.org/index.html).
Humane Society for Hamilton County volunteer canine
behaviorists will be on hand to provide demonstrations using
various shelter Pit Bulls. In addition, the shelter will
talk about the origins of the breed, its history, and Pit
Bull facts. The public will also be able to “Kiss a Pit,”
featuring Chulo, the shelter’s very own Pit Bull ambassador.
“We really need to reach the community with the facts to
create a better understanding about the breed and about
animal welfare issues in general because a dog can become
aggressive and or dangerous no matter what its breed if it’s
neglected, abused, or trained to be aggressive. Folks need
to be provided unfiltered information about the breed and
experience a Pit Bull in person so the next time they see
something on the news, or read something in the newspaper,
they can recall their own personal experience with a Pit
Bull and form their own conclusions.”
Members of the community interested in attending the
workshop are encouraged to RSVP at
hamiltonhumane@yahoo.com.
PIT BULL FACTOID: Pit Bulls were once known as the “nanny
breed” because of their excellent disposition towards
children.
About the Humane Society for Hamilton County
The Humane Society for Hamilton County (HSHC) is a
non-profit 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. It is not a
United Way Agency, and is not affiliated with any other
animal welfare group in the United States. The HSHC also
serves as the animal control facility for Hamilton County,
and, as such, receives partial funding from Hamilton County.
The majority of the HSHC budget is funded by private donors.
The HSHC will not euthanize animals for space and time, and
will treat sick and injured animals if there’s an outlook
for recovery and a high quality-of-life. Many animals are
hit-by-car injured, heartworm-positive, malnourished, or
otherwise wounded and/or sick. The HSHC will provide most of
these animals with life-saving treatments, surgeries and
medications as their best chance for a second chance and
until they are placed into forever homes.
The mission of the Humane Society for Hamilton County:
Saving Lives. Educating Communities. Completing Families.
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