[nagdu] Rescued pit bulls fight stigma by guiding people in need

[Ginger Kutsch]

Rescued pit bulls fight stigma by guiding people in need

By Sue Manning

Associated Press

Source:
http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20150214/LIFESTYLES/150219742

  

Former Marine Joe Bonfiglio, 24, and his pit bull assistance dog Zen, pose
for a photograph on the campus of Mercy College, in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.,
Wednesday.  

LOS ANGELES - When former Marine Joe Bonfiglio starts thrashing in his
sleep, his pit bull service dog jumps on the bed, climbs on top of him and
wakes him up to end the flashback. 

 

The dog named Zen has allowed Bonfiglio, 24, who was diagnosed with
post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from a five-month tour in
Afghanistan, to get back to everyday activities. He can now do things such
as shop at malls in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., because Zen helps calm Bonfiglio
when crowds trigger a panic attack. 

 

"I used to go to bars with my friends. And war movies. I am not going to see
'American Sniper,"' he said. "It would bring me back to a place I don't want
to be." 

 

Pit bulls aren't the typical choice for a service dog. They are feared,
banned in hundreds of cities and blamed for sometimes deadly attacks. The
Animal Farm Foundation in Dutchess County, N.Y., wants to change that stigma
through a program that trains and donates rescued pit bulls to push
wheelchairs or help people regain their mobility and avoid falls. 

 

The effort faces opposition from those who believe the breed is dangerous. 

 

The Assistance Dog Training Program is believed to be the only U.S. training
school exclusively for service dogs that uses pit bulls from shelters, said
Apryl Lea, the foundation's certified trainer. It's placed five dogs that
require two years to socialize, train and acquaint with handlers. 

 

A smaller group, Pits for Patriots, trains rescued pit bulls as comfort,
therapy and support dogs for veterans, police officers and firefighters but
has yet to place any service dogs. Comfort dogs are pets that get a few
weeks of training, while therapy animals receive at least six months of
training to help calm people who haven't received a diagnosis as severe as
PTSD. 

 

"Veterans and first responders can identify with pit bulls because they
either have seen a lot of trauma or been through a lot of trauma," said
Kelly Yearwood, co-founder Pits for Patriots in Chicago, whose group started
the same year as the Animal Farm Foundation's program, in 2011. 

 

The handful of major training schools and a few smaller ones all typically
breed German shepherds, Labradors and golden retrievers for the lengthy,
costly process to become a service dog. 

 

Shelters nationwide watch for canine candidates for the foundation's
program, which trains dogs based on Americans with Disabilities Act
guidelines, Lea said. With pit bull breeds making up a huge percentage of
dogs in shelters, she has to carefully decide which dogs are accepted. They
must have the right build, aptitude and focus to help a person get through
life with disabilities or injuries. 

 

"My job is not just to train the dog but to help the handler be a good
trainer, too," she said. 

 

But the program faces pushback. 

 

"There are over 100 dog breeds that are far more suitable to perform tasks
for persons with disabilities than pit bulls, especially rescued pit bulls
with unknown backgrounds," said Colleen Lee, founder and president of
DogsBite.org, a national group that tracks bites and works to reduce attacks
through bans and other laws. 

 

Pit bulls can be unpredictable and kill or maim when they attack, she said. 

 

>From 2005 to 2014, dog attacks killed 325 people in the United States.
DogsBite.org blames pit bull breeds for 62 percent of the deaths. 

 

"There is simply no need for pit bulls, rescued or otherwise, to be utilized
as service dogs for people with disabilities," Lee said. 

 

Pit bulls have helped people like Bonfiglio get back to their normal lives.
The former Marine has made such progress with Zen that he's now taking
cybersecurity classes at Mercy College in New York. 

 

"Zen is a fantastic dog; the best thing that's happened to me since I've
been home," said Bonfiglio, whose other family dogs also provide comfort.
"They are all great supporters. They don't talk back, just put a smile on
your face."