From Kennedy Morgan, a Spot Magazine fan and president of Portland Great Dane Community:

I've entered a picture of my Vegas Rose in the picture of the week contest with the Kuranda bed company. We have one of these beds and they're pretty awesome (fantastic for huge dogs). Please stop by and vote for my pretty girl so a local shelter will get a free bed.

Thank you!!

Vote for Vegas (in the photo titled Dane Down Time) sleeping on her Kuranda bed and if her photo wins the Willamette Humane Society in Salem will be getting a new Kuranda bed! Vote for Vegas here.

To the Editor,

I just read the letter in your [Sept. 09] magazine from Kylie Belachaikovsky of Lane County Animal Services (LCAS) and just wanted to write to say THANK YOU to Kylie, LCAS and to Spot Magazine for how the Pit Bull Terrier/Bully Breed issue is handled by all.

I was partly aware of how Pit Bull Terrier and Pit Bull Terrier mixes were perceived by the public over 20 years ago when the public attention started to shift from Rottweilers to Pit Bulls as the most dangerous breed.  Several years ago as I became a fan of the Animal Planet show 'Animal Cops' I became even more aware of the plight of this much, and wrongly, maligned breed.  So much so that six years ago when my husband and I were looking to get a dog, after several years of mourning the loss of our beloved Rottweiler Zeus, I was dead set on finding either a purebred or mix Pit Bull Terrier.

Being a Rottweiler lover I found the perfect combination in a dog half Rottie with a quarter Mastiff and half purebred Pit Bull Terrier. I wanted to do something, anything, to help the plight of the Pit Bull Terrier. We got a second pup from the same wonderful people we’d gotten our first pup from and have determined ourselves to raise them to be ambassadors of both their respective and much feared breeds.  I am doubly proud to announce that I believe we have succeeded as our two very large and even menacing-looking half Rott half Pit dogs are beloved by all who meet them (at least those who don’t run away in fear based on their appearance).

In the meantime I also do whatever I can whenever I can through the power of the written word whenever a situation or issue goes public about Pit Bulls. I’ve written all of our local TV news shows asking them why they report a dog attack involving a Pit Bull as a ‘Pit Bull attack’ and report any others simply as ‘dog attacks’ without mention of the breed. I remind them of their responsibility to report fairly, factually and objectively, as the public's opinion of Pit Bulls is largely shaped media reports. I’ve written all of our Oregon State Representatives to ask them not to allow Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) to become a reality in our state earlier this year when it was a possibility that a bill to ban Pit Bull Terriers from Oregon was about to be introduced to the House. I was surprised by how many state representatives wrote me back personally stating that in their opinion BSL was not the answer to issues with Pit Bull Terriers and that in their opinion it wasn’t a dog issue but a people issue.

I’m preparing a letter to Parade magazine in response to a very negative article on Pit Bull Terriers printed in last Sunday’s edition. I’ve also hooked up with a local APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier) support group (support for the breed not for people) which stays in touch through meetup.com and also holds special events to benefit the breed by educating the public by presenting positive role models of the breed.  Currently we are on a campaign to get our Pits and Pit mixes certified with Good Canine Citizen Certificates through the AKC (American Kennel Club).

I understand that public education is the answer and I just wanted to thank your magazine, Lane County Animal Services and Kylie for all you do for the betterment not only of this breed but of all animals. Keep up the great work everyone . . . we’ll get the public properly informed about ‘dangerous breeds’ one of these days if we work at it long enough and speak up often enough.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Huerta

P.S.  Here's a photo of my boys Zeus (black and tan/brindle) and Odin (brindle).