3MTA3
12-02-2009, 02:01 PM
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Pit bulls, who once were the iconic American family dog, have become outcasts of society thanks to unfair stereotyping and misinformed media hype. As a result, pit bulls and pit bull mixes are flooding shelters.
Contrary to popular belief, most pits make great family pets. But because of the myths that surround them, the breed is often deemed unadoptable. As a result, pit bulls make up the majority of dogs being killed in shelters -- not because of anything they’ve done, but because of what they look like.
A Pit Bull On My Pillow (https://www.createspace.com/3395063), a children's picture book, aims to dispel such myths. In its 116 pages, author Cathy Klein Nakayama showcases various pit bulls in sleepy bedtime poses. The book is a cozy and colorful compilation of red noses, blue noses, black pits, spotted pits and more, as well as about a dozen pages at the end on dog care tips and responsible dog ownership -- something the author takes very seriously.
Ms. Nakayama, who is a Cardiology Nurse Practitioner, has been rescuing animals for years, only recently becoming active in pit bull rescue. She rescued Callie, a chocolate-colored pit, from death row at a high-kill shelter in South Carolina last year.
Callie, who graces the cover of the picture book snuggled next to the author's rescue bunny, is notorious for her mellow and loving demeanor, says Ms. Nakayama. That same demeanor enabled her to pass the Canine good Citizen exam. Callie now wears her service vest in public to serve as a pit bull ambassador to the world.
As Ms. Nakayama tells it, the picture book effort was two fold: to show children how sweet the breed is and to raise money for pit bull rescue. “I didn’t do this to win a Life Magazine award,” she said.
A percentage of the proceeds from each book purchased will benefit two North Carolina-based pit bull rescue groups: Carolina Care Bullies (http://www.myspace.com/carebullies) and Fugee’s Rescue (http://fugeesrescue.org/). The book retails for $18 on Amazon.com’s “createspace” platform (https://www.createspace.com/3395063).
The rescues take $5.43 per book sold while Amazon takes $12.57. What does Ms. Nakayama take? “The joy of teaching people about what darling, sweet, precious souls pit bulls are. And of course to see that more pit bulls make it out of the shelters.”
To purchase a book, please click here (https://www.createspace.com/3395063).
A Pit Bull On My Pillow: A children’s picture book helps debunk pit bull myths (http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5831-Animal-Welfare-Examiner%7Ey2009m12d1-A-Pit-Bull-On-My-Pillow-A-childrens-picture-book-helps-debunk-pit-bull-myths)
Pit bulls, who once were the iconic American family dog, have become outcasts of society thanks to unfair stereotyping and misinformed media hype. As a result, pit bulls and pit bull mixes are flooding shelters.
Contrary to popular belief, most pits make great family pets. But because of the myths that surround them, the breed is often deemed unadoptable. As a result, pit bulls make up the majority of dogs being killed in shelters -- not because of anything they’ve done, but because of what they look like.
A Pit Bull On My Pillow (https://www.createspace.com/3395063), a children's picture book, aims to dispel such myths. In its 116 pages, author Cathy Klein Nakayama showcases various pit bulls in sleepy bedtime poses. The book is a cozy and colorful compilation of red noses, blue noses, black pits, spotted pits and more, as well as about a dozen pages at the end on dog care tips and responsible dog ownership -- something the author takes very seriously.
Ms. Nakayama, who is a Cardiology Nurse Practitioner, has been rescuing animals for years, only recently becoming active in pit bull rescue. She rescued Callie, a chocolate-colored pit, from death row at a high-kill shelter in South Carolina last year.
Callie, who graces the cover of the picture book snuggled next to the author's rescue bunny, is notorious for her mellow and loving demeanor, says Ms. Nakayama. That same demeanor enabled her to pass the Canine good Citizen exam. Callie now wears her service vest in public to serve as a pit bull ambassador to the world.
As Ms. Nakayama tells it, the picture book effort was two fold: to show children how sweet the breed is and to raise money for pit bull rescue. “I didn’t do this to win a Life Magazine award,” she said.
A percentage of the proceeds from each book purchased will benefit two North Carolina-based pit bull rescue groups: Carolina Care Bullies (http://www.myspace.com/carebullies) and Fugee’s Rescue (http://fugeesrescue.org/). The book retails for $18 on Amazon.com’s “createspace” platform (https://www.createspace.com/3395063).
The rescues take $5.43 per book sold while Amazon takes $12.57. What does Ms. Nakayama take? “The joy of teaching people about what darling, sweet, precious souls pit bulls are. And of course to see that more pit bulls make it out of the shelters.”
To purchase a book, please click here (https://www.createspace.com/3395063).
A Pit Bull On My Pillow: A children’s picture book helps debunk pit bull myths (http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5831-Animal-Welfare-Examiner%7Ey2009m12d1-A-Pit-Bull-On-My-Pillow-A-childrens-picture-book-helps-debunk-pit-bull-myths)