40 fabulous pit bulls pulled from local shelters were placed into qualified new homes this past year. (See Happy Endings) Each dog and
his/her savvy owner is a true ambassador for the breed. We continue to focus our rescue resources on stellar, people loving dogs that were slated for euthanasia in local shelters. In 2003, we rescued from these pit bull crowded shelters: The Pinole Shelter, Martinez Shelter, Oakland Animal Shelter, Berkeley Shelter, Silicon Valley Humane Society, Hayward Shelter, Peninsula Humane Society, the Sacramento City Shelter and Inyo County Animal Shelter.

Most of the foster dogs came to our program from backgrounds of abuse and neglect and many needed quick vet care and TLC. For some, it's just a matter of a few good meals, some rest and a de-worming to get health back in balance. Others needed more aggressive treatment to help correct everything from lacerations to mange to starvation and severe anemia. Five foster dogs required surgeries this past year (spay/neuters excluded): Billy Jean suffered a badly fractured leg, Piggy had a cruciate tear in her knee, Tanya required extensive surgery to recontruct her shattered hip and blown knee, Posey required an emergency spay/abortion and poor Boomer had his toe removed. Veterinarian costs are always our biggest expense: We spent $11,066.00 at vet clinics in 2003. Donations from our supporters and fundraising efforts paid these bills, and generous veterinarians lowered their fees to help. We are especially indebted to Dr. David Grant and Dr. Sams for your big hearts and your surgical artistry and to the VCA Animal Hospital in Oakland for your wisdom, experience and compassion.

Photo Above: Maya came into the Pinole Shelter with several other pit bulls as 'evidence' in a cruelty case. She suffered malnutrition, neglect, mange and a deep wound from where a flea color had embedded into her torso. The DA dropped the case, and Maya - no longer needed for evidence - was quickly shuffled to the euthanasia room. Literally minutes before she was to be destroyed, a quick thinking rescuer grabbed her to safety. This incredible little optimist was adopted in '03 and is now cherished by her new home.

Some of the dogs that tug the hardest at our heartstrings are the geriatric and special needs cases. This year, 'BullyHaven' - a special project orchestrated by the tenacious Susi Ming-Strohl - stayed busy reviewing numerous hard luck cases from around the country. One special senior pit bull used for med practice in a Toronto vet school caught her notice. When this dog's life was on the line, she organized a long distance rescue. 'Brewster' is now safe and happy in her new home with a Canadian pit rescuer. Susi's current heartthrob is ten year old 'Malo', who has a promising career as therapy dog ahead of him. (Look for sexy Malo's centerfold in BAD RAP's new calendar!) With any luck, BullyHaven will be able to finish a renovation project in order to house additional special needs pit bulls in 2004.

Our education mission went full steam ahead in 2003. A motivated posse of pit bull experienced members volunteered many busy hours at numerous public outreach events, including: the massive 'America's Family Pet Expo' in Pleasanton, the 'Bark in the Park' Event in SJ, the 'Responsible Dog Owners Event' in Alamo Square in SF, The SFSPCA's Valentine Event, The 'City of Vallejo Street Fair', and the ever popular SF Pride Parade. BAD RAP demo dogs wowed the public while volunteers provided breed info and answered questions. Behind the scenes, the Steering Committee responded to over 1000 emails and phone calls from people seeking help and information in 2003.

Above: South bay Bad Rappers gather to inform and inspire at the Annual 'Bark in the Park' Event ~ Photo Credit: Scott Sharaun

Our partnership with the city of Berkeley continues with our shelter support work, our work with the Berkeley Police and the ever-popular Pit Ed Classes, originally developed by Amber Niewold. Dozens of sheltered pit bulls and adopted pit bulls have moved through the class on their way to better manners. Equally important, handlers gain confidence and learn how to be responsible pit bull stewards. It seems to be making a difference: Some of the dogs have moved on to earn their CGCs (Canine Good Citizen Certificates) and many of the tougher cases - dogs that came in terrifically under socialized and leash aggressive - are now able to mix with other pit bulls without a fuss. Shelter dogs become more adoptable after attending, and shelter volunteers get a chance to improve their skills. Friendships forged in class between pit owners provides camaraderie, and some dogs end up finding appropriate play buddies along the way. We're proud of this class and look forward to improving and expanding it in 2004 so more dog owners can attend smaller classes.

Above: A smiling Kelly and her foster dad Mike take a well deserved break after Saturday's Pit Ed Class ~ Photo Credit: Margaret Johnson

BAD RAP officers Amber Niewold, Leslie Nuccio, Susi Ming-Strohl, Tim Racer and Donna Reynolds were joined by three new pit bull devotees in 2003. Good fortune brought the gifted Linda Chwistek to our volunteer Steering Committee. Her own pit bulls have been active in agility, training and tracking circles, so we were thrilled when she offered to facilitate a weekly CGC Coaching Class. Since she started this work in August, six pit bulls have earned their AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificates. Ten dogs are scheduled to be tested in February. (Good luck guys!)

We were thrilled when Berenice Mora and Tom McMahon signed on as new BAD RAP officers. Berenice brings breed savvy and rescue smarts to the group, and has an impressive record of tackling even the biggest special event coordinations with ease. Tom brings his love for the breed and his special brand of finesse to his new volunteer position as Foster Home Coordinator. The project is so fortunate to have the expertise of these folks at the helm. Photo left: Berenice Mora and her foster dog Foley at this summer's America's Pet Expo Event.

There are numerous multi-talented volunteers shouldering the work of BR...too many to list. But we must thank: Karen Karten for your generous design skills, Pride Parade round up and online coordination efforts... Daphna Sharaun for coordinating south bay events...Vanella Vanini, Deassa Hurst, and Sherin Halfon for rustling up much-needed donations...Heather Capps for your awesome product design talent...Tom Becker for your life saving tech support and donations...Ellen Bradburn for organizing a great fundraiser...Shavon Hutchison for your help in the Pit Ed classes...and the many others who've dropped everything to do that last minute transport, home check, who've taken a dog through class, given up a day for an educational event, written a letter or made a phone call or opened their homes for the important work of fostering.

Never a dull moment when dealing with pit bulls during these trying times! BAD RAP took on the obstinate sneaker moguls (Nike) when their winter 2003 ad, titled 'The Battle' , pimped a violent scene of a pit bull and rottie in a face off. Our call for action resulted in a massive letter writing campaign as dog owners all over the country shared their outrage. Interestingly, we received our worst fight case ever during this period, aptly named 'Nike' after the corp engaged in glorifying this type of abuse (Photo: Right). Thankfully, this gentle animal healed from his wounds and was adopted into one of the best homes we could hope for. The Nike Corp on the other hand, has never taken responsibility for its advertising blooper or offered to make amends.

Later, on the morning of September 3rd, we woke to the frightening news that a breed biased Oakland Police officer had panicked at the sight of one of our demo dogs and opened fire, nearly hitting the 5 month old daughter of one of our co-founders, Amber Niewold. Thankfully, no one was hurt. As a result of this near tragedy, we are currently in negotiations with the OPD to bring Pit Ed lessons to officers. We hope to help defuse some of the myths and hysteria surrounding the breed so officers who encounter pit bulls in their work can make saner decisions. Stay tuned as we work through the red tape and bring this project to life.

In November '03, a high profile blunder by a SFSPCA volunteer and pit bull owner created a domino effect of breed bashing all across the country when a police horse was jumped by an off leash pit bull in Golden Gate Park. Responsible pit owners everywhere hope and pray that Nettie's owner has finally heard the karmic yoo hoo and is now ready to keep her dog on leash (Pleeeeeze).

SF Bay Area pit bulls dealt with other quieter, but equally frustrating trials and tribulations in 2003: Breed prejudice has caused a record number of landlord evictions for pit bulls. Insurance carriers continue to drop or disallow policies to disturbing numbers of pit owners.

At the same time, backyard breeders continue to churn out overwhelming numbers of litters, and shelters are forced to euthanize high numbers as abandoned pit bulls pour in. The 'Blue Lust' craze brought ongoing headaches as profiteers pumped out substandard dogs and flooded craigslist ads and other venues to keep up with current hunger for not-so-rare 'blue nosed pit bulls'. Sadly, some of the most troubled pit bulls we tested in 2003 were poorly bred blues riddled with health and/or temperament flaws.

Photo: The young Pinole girl pictured here represents so many pit bulls who end up in the shelter system. She's emaciated, overbred, scarred and covered in mange. Despite these hardships, she still pressed herself into the bars asking for human contact. Unfortunately, we were not able to save this little one. She'll be joined by approximately 20,000 pit bulls bred, abandoned and put to death in bay area shelters in 2004. (Please don't blame the shelters...Blame the breeding frenzy for this crisis!)

We're very devoted to the rescue cause and as resources allow, will continue to seek out breed ambassadors in local shelters. But we recognize that our best hope towards creating lasting change is going to be through proactive education efforts. The problems this breed faces are much bigger than any of us, but the deeper we fall for this breed, the more committed we are to shining a light in their dark corners. So for 2004, we will begin to set our sights on futher developing the education arm of our mission.

Demand for our Pit Ed Classes is at an all time high, and some weeks we're barely able to keep up with the emails and phone calls from owners and finders who want help and advice with dogs at home. For the first time, we'll be seeking grants to help us expand our classes and to support our Owner Support Hotline. We will also be creating an Education Packet, to be distributed to first time pit bull adopters in local shelters. Photo: Deassa Hurst preps Fiona before her debut in a big parade.

We'll be reaching out to more shelters in the bay area this year, with a special focus on bringing breed education to our allies in the north bay. The Sonoma County Animal Network has kindly invited us to facilitate a second workshop on pit bull specifics for shelter managers and dog trainers in the north bay. Additionally, we're now planning a public forum in Marin County to help this part of the bay better understand the breed. We're also exploring an opportunity to bring a humane welfare program into public schools. Fingers crossed for the stamina and resources needed to meet the many challenges ahead!

May the bully tough spirit of the pit bulls continue to inspire and encourage all of the good people who support positive changes for these deserving dogs. Many blessings to all the pit bulls and their people in 2004!

Below is a list of the donors who kept us going in 2003. We thank everyone who believes in our mission and feeds this work with your contributions...We would certainly be in danger of dropping the ball without your incredible support!

Meera Agrawal, Regina Allen-Schafer, Andrea Ball, Kimberly Baumback, Tom Becker, Teresa Benson, Karen Berger, Stephen B. Bergen & Cristina Morgan Bergen, Lisa Bergstrom, Christine Blaauw, BP Foundation, Joni (and Wil) Brimley, JoAnn & William Brown, Douglas & Linda Cancel, Sheri Cardo, Boyd Carey, Susan & Ray Chambers, Mary Beth Chan, Linda Chwistek, Margaret Choenchom, Joyce Cole, Susan Cole, Raymond Conrad, Jo Ann Corbin, Susan Costella, Angela Crane, Suzanne Creel & Stephen Berniard, Jr., Christine Cunningham, Stephanie Davis, Dealey, Renton & Associates, Kellin G. Defiel, Lilly Diep, Patricia DiSiena, Heiko Doerr, Maury Domengeaux, Stephanie Doute, Sally Marie Down, Judy Dobberpuhl, Matthew & Jo Duffy, Dory Eckstein, Marisa Elbert, Jerry Elkins, Ellen FitzPatrick, Sandra Flinchbaugh, Robin (Windy) Foster, Marina Franco, Susan & Dennis Furukawa, Colleen Furze & Joni Fullwood, Sara Gann, The Garrett Family, Lauren Glassman, Golden State Phonograph Society Grant, Brad Gray, James & Mary Gotelli, David Gross, Robert Grosshandler, Leslie Haller, Janice Hanson, Karen Hata, David & Jeannette Haas, Heather Hawkins, Sharon & Windh Hewitt, Laurel Hodghead, Marion Hofer, Aimee Hofstra, James Holroyd, T.E. Houston, Karen Howe, Paige Intrieri, Kai & Margaret Johnson, Susan Johnson, Faith Jones, Betty Kantrowitz, Peggy Kelly, Margaret (Molly) Kenneth, Rebecca Kenton, Amy & Rod Kux, Elaine Kuo, Nicole Montalbano, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, Peggy Kelly, Margaret (Molly) Kenneth, Laurie Kilmartin, Barbara Kusanovich, Stephanie & Paul Ladeira, Paula LeDuc, Deborah Lewis, Christine Lin, Linda Lindelef, Lisa Lindelef, Christopher Lindquist, Ingrid Llewellyn, Rachel Macias, Alexis Madrid, Roland Magill, Lisa & Reid Malek-Zadeh, Rick Malek-Zadeh, Chris Marcel, Joette Hampton Martin, Noie Massey, Linda May, Lynne McEwan, Jeff & Maxine McCann, Orla McCann, Katie McCormick, Lynne McEwan, Sunseerie McKinnon, Moira McNeill, John P. & Carol J. Merrill Jr., Anita Michel, Millenium Pharmaceuticals Inc., Louise Mitchell, Danielle Morgan, Denis Morella, Cathy Morrison, Allison Moss, Angie Mulholland, Mark & Maria Lee-Muramoto, Murray Associates, Blake & Meredith Naughton, Nooshi Nayak, Fiona Nolan, Marjorie O'Connor, Bonnie & Satoshi Okano, Tracy Orbin, Mitch & Stella Park (in honor of DJ), Eleni Papanikolas, Patricia Paul, PCW Communications, Lynne Phetteplace, Ana Poe, Zac & Lisa Pineda, Daniel Planellas, Jennifer Price, Shirley Pruitt, Steve & Nicole Rattay, Farah Ravon, Danielle Reiter, Johanna Reneke & Gary Andersen, Jonathan Richman, Todd & Chrysler, Danielle Robbins, Kendra Rogers, Timothy Rogers, Meredith Rond, Laura Romero, Rachael Rosen, Noelle Rossi, Lara Ruark, Susan Rudolph, Jeri Ryan, PH.D./Critter Consultant, Robyn Senior, Sharon & Gerald Shaltz, Daphna Sharaun, Donald R. Shipley, Tracy Lynn Sirota, Kimberly L. Skidmore M.D., Amanda Snoddy, Sonoma County Animal Network, Mike and Barbara Sorter, Lauren Sphar, Vaughne Sprowls, Yvette-Orman & Steven Stahr, Joanne Stemmer, Elizabeth Strauss, Laura Svoboda, Celia Szente, Hedieh Takestani, Talking Heads - Nooshi Nayak, Laura Rachael Taylor, Maho Teraguchi, The Focal Point LLC, Kimberly Toci, A.J. Trombetta, Catherine M. Tumilty, Teri Uyeda & Juan Ibarra-Rivera Jr., Chantelle Valdez, Gene Valla, Alexander Van Valin, Van Buren Enterprises, Alicia VanNoy, Jeanne Warner & David Buskell, Don West, Donald J. West, Kimberly Westberg, Carrie Williams, Christine Wilson, Caroline Winata, Sharon, Windh, & Jen Hewitt, Amy Woodbridge, Rachel Young, Andy Zack, Lisa Zeimer, Michelle Zeiter, Zephyr Real Estate and Claire Lynne Zilbergeld.