[kanawa]

Folks, what we have here is an opportunity.

This is the email address of the station news director..... newsdirector@wxii12.com

Here's a sample letter that has been sent...

Your piece of February 14th has been brought to my attention. Bam
looks like a pit bull terrier. If so, you should give this dog and
his breed the credit they deserve for being loyal, brave and loving.
The media are quick enough to jump on "Pit bull mauls", even though
they're frequently wrong about the breed of dog. Let's see some
balanced reporting about "Pit bull terrier loves and risks life to
save". This type of dog has walked a hard road through history,
battling media misinformation and abuse by vicious humans.
Responsible, balanced reporting would go a long way towards
correcting the public misapprehension about the character of the pit
bull terrier.

[wolfpat]

Thanks for the ping. I think I used to know that Becky Hanlin. I'll check with a mutual friend of ours in the morning and get the scoop.

[dervish]

I sent it. The head looked like a pit to me too.

You can bet if that dog had bitten someone it would be called a pit.

Have you ever read Vicki Hearne, "Bandit, Dossier of a Dangerous Dog." She rescued a pit from "death row" and wrote about media prejudice against the breed. She was a dog trainer who was trained by the late great William Koehler. His training books are terrific.

[sandalwood]

Letter sent - thanks for the great idea!

"I noticed this story on Valentine's Day, and I also noticed that the dog is clearly a Pit Bull, at least part. In light of all the negative press normally bestowed upon the breed, I would appreciate the recognition of "Pit Bull" in this story. Lord knows, if he had bitten the women instead of saving them, you would have lead with "Pit Bull Mauls Owner" or some such.

I realize Pit Bulls, in fact all large breed dogs can be dangerous, but fair and balanced reporting of the honorable and gracious acts associated with the breed would really help alleviate the fear of ALL of these animals...some are very kind and gentle, despite their breed's reputation.

Thank you so much for your attention to this matter."

[Johnnyboy2000]

Sorry for my late response, but did the station report that Bam was a Pit bull. I am quite positive that he has a lot of Pit bull in him. He looks like he is a purebreed from the small picture I saw. The media never mentions that it was a Pit bull when they do something heroic like this, and I have seen numerous examples to back up my point. It it was a Collie the reporters probably wouldn't be able to shut up about the fact that it was a Collie. Pit bulls are great dogs, and this is an excellent example of their loyalty and love for people.