Featured Adopt-a-Bull: Aurora

 Aurora is the mother of the "Disney Litter". Ten, yes, TEN of her puppies have been adopted and now only Aurora and Meg (the last remaining puppy) remain to find a family that exist only in pit bull dreams, with a warm pillow of their own . . .

Aurora takes "The Nanny Dog" nickname for the breed very seriously with her wonderfully loving, motherly, and nurturing personality...

She adores children of all ages, big and small. Her most adorable personality trait is gently pawing or nudging you with her nose when she needs some extra lovin'. She plays well with other dogs and cats but would rather spend her time snuggling with her people. She has a low to moderate energy level and doesn't mind going on a walk once in a while or playing a bit as long as she is spending time with you. The basic commands are coming to her with ease and she would make an excellent family pet.

Read and see more about me on Facebook and Petfinder.

Featured Happy Ending: Oliver

“I don’t know why we don’t just keep that dog” was an off-hand comment I made to my wife the day I met Oliver (“Ollie”) that started the ball rolling towards his adoption. You’d think a man as old as me would learn to keep his mouth shut but, nope, I can’t do it. It’s like a compulsion put into men by God so their wives can adopt homeless pit bulls. At 0430 every morning my ears are completely cleaned by the tongue of one of the most energetic beings I have ever met. And until I get up he will constantly ask, “Is it time to go for a walk yet?” and “What time are we going to start playing catch?” If I’d only kept my mouth shut. I’m sure every husband out there has asked themselves that question a thousand times. By 0445, I’ll have my shoes on and Ollie, Pete (Ollie’s older brother and his favorite dog in the whole wide world), and I will load up into my old Dodge and head to the woods for a morning walk (aka rabbit chasing, mud puddle slurping, game of king of the mountain, morning constitution, etc) followed by a relaxing game of catch (usually about 50 wind sprints after his favorite toy -- a slobbery, mud-covered tennis ball).

Ollie was found wandering the streets of a trailer park in western NC, apparently abandoned by a family that had recently moved. He was placed in a kill shelter, was pulled by a local rescue organization and the nearly month-long ordeal ended when he was taken in by Carolina Care Bullies. He became a foster in our home in March and before summer had arrived Ollie became a permanent fixture in our home. Over the last few months Ollie has learned many important things: it’s best to pee outside; cat-chasing is for sissies; Pete, his older brother, will protect him from all harm and is a wise dog to emulate; Cessie his little sister (Pomeranian) will bite the snot out your lip if you aggravate her long enough; and Moma is the best reason in the world to get out of bed in the morning.

Ollie is a constant source of entertainment and love all rolled up into a 45 lb body. Everyone who meets Ollie always ask the same question, “What kind of dog is that?” It’s a tiresome question, so now I just answer, “He’s an Ollie - a rare breed from western NC known for their loving nature, tennis ball obsessions, and inability to control their licker”.

I have a weak spot for the discarded ones like Ollie because they have the same dreams as an old Soldier like myself … Home. Welcome Home, son.
-Ollie’s Pa

Words from the VP

Wow! Our first year as a rescue has been awesome - Amanda and I never expected it to grow this fast. We’ve come along way in our first year! We remember the early days, such as last years Pride Fest, when had to split the cost of a booth because we didn’t have enough money for a spot.

Facebook has given us so many great fans and supporters; we have friends - literally all over the world - that always encourage us. There are stressful times too; like when we work so hard to save dogs, but we don’t have room for the ones some feel we should save. Our true friends know how much we love the breed; we would save every adoptable pit bull if we could.
It’s so amazing seeing dogs in their new home, ones like Rhett that were on the ‘hit list’, that now get to go on boat rides with his new family. Amanda and I get really emotional when we see all the success stories in our rescue. Our fosters have made us successful; if it wasn’t for them we could have never saved so many. We have a top notch Board that helps keep things running smoothly. Then there’s my sweet Amanda who works tirelessly in all her free time making our rescue better - none of this would have been possible without her vision.
As we start our second year the dream continues to grow. We hope someday to buy some land and build a shelter so we can help more pit bulls, and it’s my dream to have a sanctuary for the less adoptable, so we can give them the happy life they deserve.
We want to thank everyone that made our dream come true and can’t wait to see what next year holds. Maybe someday it will take a stadium to hold all our adopters and fosters for the annual Bully Bash! Thanks everyone for changing the world for pit bulls.

Sincerely,
Terry,
VP of Carolina Care Bullies

Exercise.Exercise.Exercise

From pbrc.net

A healthy pit bull needs exercise! How much exercise each individual dog needs depends on his/her personality, metabolism, and fitness level. Some pit bulls seem to retain almost puppy-like energy even well into adult years, while others can be mellow ‘couch potato’ types. In general, these smart, athletic dogs enjoy a challenge both mentally and physically. Without the proper amount of exercise, dogs may engage in other, sometimes inappropriate or destructive, behaviors out of boredom or frustration. Exercise should include physical and mental stimulation. A tired dog makes for a happy, well behaved dog and a happy owner. A daily 20-minute walk may not tire out your dog. Unstructured off leash time in the yard may also not be effective in meeting your dog’s mental and physical stimulation needs.As a general rule, each dog should get a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Here are some ways that many of our PBRC volunteers exercise their dogs. Many of these options can also incorporate obedience training into the exercise program, giving your dog the best of both worlds.
• Recall practice up and down a flight of stairs http://www.pbrc.net/poppysplace/Activities/RecallGame.html
• Biking with your dog with a safe bike attachment such as the K9 Cruiser
• Jogging with your dog
• Teaching your dog to run or jog on a treadmill. This can be a lifesaver in the winter months!
• Treadmill video (carpet mill): http://www.colbypitbull.com/treadmillside2.asfTreadmill
• Treadmill Training: http://www.squidoo.com/dogtreadmill
• Playing fetch in a fenced area
• A flirt pole or The Chase It Dog Toy. This toy is an ideal toy to incorporate training and self-control while your dog has fun. Requiring a sit or down before allowing play, is just one way to add training to fun time.
• Push-ups for dogs: Have your dog sit, then down, then sit, and then down… you get the point!
• Tug of War. There is some controversy over this game. However, we believe that most dogs enjoy playing tug and it can be played safely and correctly, given some ground rules. Add obedience work into this fun game, so that your dog learns to say, “please” with his behavior to earn what he wants. You can incorporate cues such as ‘sit,’ ‘down,’ ‘wait,’ ‘take it,’ and ‘drop’ into the game.
• Provide mental stimulation for your dog with interactive, ‘stuffable’ food toys such as Kongs. These toys are durable and a wonderful way to make crate time enjoyable. Remember that in a multi-dog household, Kongs and other chew items or food toys can be viewed as high value. You may need to separate your dogs when they have such treats to avoid conflict.
• Is your dog a retriever? Playing fetch or Frisbee is a great exercise activity!
If your dog doesn't know how to retrieve, now's a good time to teach it!
• Long walks or if you are a jogger, take the dog running with you!
• Consider purchasing a K-9 cruiser and taking your dog bicycling you!
Mental exercise can also tire a dog out while giving him/her something to do, a chance to learn, and also have positive interactions with the owner. Consider doing short training sessions with your dog(s). Practice some obedience or teach a new trick or task. Remember that dogs learn best if the sessions are short (5-10 minutes) and upbeat

More exercise articles and resource links:
3 Quick Tips to Keep Your Pit Bull Out of Trouble and Healthy Too By Jason Mann
http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Quick-Tips-to-Keep-Your-Pit-Bull-Out-of-Trouble-and-Healthy-Too&id=80398

Activities For You and Your Pit Bull
http://www.pitbulllovers.com/sports-for-your-american-pit-bull-terrier.html

Cool Activity links:Dock Dog competions! http://www.dockdogs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=45&Itemid=364

FlyBall video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X64NC0oQdPI&feature=related

Pit Bulls and Agility: http://www.pitbulllovers.com/training-articles/pit-bull-activities-agility.html