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My dog is not evil.

Thank you.

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For the Love of Van, by Jane Lamar-Spicka (1947-2005)
Published in Urbanit Magazine, November 1999

"And in South Baltimore tonight, there was yet another dog-bite incident. A four-year-old child was viciously attacked by a neighbor’s Pit Bull. The child was rushed to Shock Trauma and listed in serious condition. The Pit Bull was seized by authorities and, they assure us, has been taken to Animal Control to be destroyed. In other news tonight......." *

As a Pit Bull owner, I have to admit, these stories always sadden me and anger me somewhat. I feel sad for the family of the injured child, of course, and angry for the unfortunate Pit Bull who ended up in the hands of a careless, uncaring owner. The problem with the "Pit" is not that it is a naturally vicious dog, but the fact that the ones who turn out to be aggressive are raised by an element of vicious people who enjoy the power of having 'them meanest dog on the block. As in: "Don't mess with me or I'll sic mah d-o-a-g on ya!"

I sit and watch these Pit Bull horror stories while Vanderbilt, MY Pit Bull, sleeps peacefully at my feet. (He is named as such because, not only has he made our lives richer, but he needs a serious bath in some designer perfume!) After a long, stressful day, Van plays the cheerleader to my husband, George and me. When we return home, he dances around and wags his tail in a frenzy of joy. If he were human, this would be the equivalent of a ticker tape parade. Furthermore, he is not aware of his size or strength and thinks he's a lap dog. As he squeezes me off the couch, I could swear he thinks that he's "Eddie" on Frazier!

The way we came to acquire Van is sort of a sad story in itself. It was Monday, (which is REALLY something to be sad about,) after a cold and rainy Thanksgiving weekend in 1996. I noticed that George was later than usual returning from work when the phone rang. He called and said he was at the veterinarian where we always take our cats. Since the cats were with me, I asked him what he was doing there. (You can see what's coming, don't you?) He then replied boyishly, "Remember the other night when we were talking about getting a dog?" (Now you KNOW what's coming!) He then went on to tell me about stopping at the corner gas station to fill up the pick-up when some people pointed out this cold, starving, abandoned little puppy. He then decided to it take to the vet to see if it would even survive. (There was also evidence of scars on his back legs where it looked like someone had been beating him, trying to make him into a "fighter".)

(A few years later, there was an item in the news about people in a near-by neighborhood who got busted for holding Pit Bull fights in their garage and charging admission. In a follow-up story, they showed the dogs on their way, most likely, to be destroyed. One of them looked exactly like Van and considering our proximity to this place, we think that Van might have been part of this pack. We also wonder whether if he could have been thrown out because he wouldn't be mean. Whatever, it's almost as though he understands the meaning of Lucky Dog!)

(Meanwhile back at the Spicka's) Over the phone, I couldn't help but notice this look-what-followed-me-home-can-I-keep-it expression in my softhearted guy's voice. Being a champion for stray animals and lost children myself, what else could I say but yes. I then remembered to ask him what kind of puppy we were about to become parents of and he told me it was a Pit Bull, a MALE Pit Bull. I DID have a moment of doubt: after all, these dogs did seem to get a lot of bad press. (But then, I remembered The Cocker Spaniel From Hell on my block when I was a kid. This beast would lie in wait for us to come by on our bikes so he could come out and bite us. My point? It's not just Pit Bulls. It's how one raises ANY dog.)

Anyway, when George got home with Van, the poor thing (the puppy, not George) sat in complete surrender on the kitchen floor. The cats, being curious as, well, ... you know, came out to meet their new little brother. The elder one, a Maine Coon, stuck her aristocratic nose in the air and stomped out of the room in disgust (Oh, no! One of THOSE!). The other, a tabby of twenty pound proportions and a definite candidate for Jenny Craig, walked up to this hapless creature, hissed, left the room and immediately tossed her Meow Mix on my dining room floor: her way of saying, "Welcome to the family and stay the hell out of my way!" When we told our friends we had a Pit Bull, they asked, "Aren't you worried about the cats?" We assured them that we wouldn't let the cats hurt Van.

For the next three days, Van stayed wrapped in blankets and only got up to eat and … whatever. On the forth morning when I went in to check on him, he made a little whining noise and licked my hand. I knew then he would make it. As sweet natured as Van appeared to be, a Pit Bull is, nonetheless, a dog that requires a little more responsibility than your regular mixed breed. First of all, their reputation of being one of the strongest breeds of dogs in the world is very, very true. George and I went and got a book on the historical background of the breed and we learned that the best way to raise them is ... very carefully!! Secondly, neighbors were constantly watching us to see if Vanderbilt is vicious or not.

"The heritage of the Pit Bull is deeply rooted in what has been called "The blood sports". The Pit Bull sprang from a canine ancestry that fought other animals: bulls, bears, other dogs and even lions." (page6,"The American Pit Bull and Staffordshire Terriers: Complete Owners Guide”, by Joe Stahlkuppe, Barrons, 1995). Later in the history of the breed, Pit Bull owners would stage dog fights for the purpose of gambling. Ironically, according to Stahlkuppe, the relationship between the trainers and the dog was friendly. The trainer would treat the dog with kindness to insure the dog’s loyalty.

Hey! Hey! How about MY Pit Bull? Admittedly, he DOES make a great prop. Hey! Did ya hear the one about the two door-to-door salesmen and the friendly Pit Bull? We often have people coming to up on our screened porch offering to cut our grass or make home improvements of some kind. (Excuse me!! We are musicians and have other priorities!) Ya see, des two guys came to our back door and wanted to repair our roof or ..., whatever. This sounded like a "guy" thing to me so I called George. On his way to the door he grabbed Vanderbilt, who is always excited when we have company. (Picture Dino on "The Flintstones.") And when he saw the two hapless salesmen, he started jumping and wiggling all over and literally went into a tailspin. They, of course, thought he was going to attack them so they took off like bats out of Hell. Awwww! too bad! What can I say? We're not bothered by unwanted visitors too often since we got Van The Friendly Ninety-lb Pit Bull Friendly is the keyword here.

The concern about Pit Bulls stems, and rightfully so, from their reputation as a fighter breed and their sheer brute strength: If not raised with love and HUMANE discipline, they CAN be dangerous. For those, however, who have ever been a fan of The Little Rascals, The Our Gang comedy, might remember Petey the Pup, the all-white dog with the black circle around one eye? That's right. He was, literally, your friendly neighborhood Pit Bull. Obviously, this dog was well-mannered or he never would have been allowed to associate with child stars!

*Not a real news cast.