With what is possibly the most poster-worthy mug of all dogs everywhere, you should get to know Boulder, who has come to be known as Uptown Columbus' most famous canine citizen.
You can usually find him sitting just within the open doors of his owner's business on Broadway, watching the many passersby and welcoming any who stroll into the store, or else dozing lazily at the feet of the strangers and patrons milling around the check-out counter. He is also a regular fixture at the local dog parks and often joins friends for social outings at the various local restaurants that allow dogs.
Large and square of body, with brindling all over, Boulder cuts an impressive, if not intimidating, image to people he's yet to meet, but they always seem to make fast friends, as Boulder's charming personality is too much to be denied, even by the blatantly "breedist." Playful and mischievous, he has been known to occasionally snatch the errant scarf or child's toy and encourage a good chase or hug for its return. I have yet to encounter a person who has not fallen in love with this teddy bear of a dog after having made his acquaintance.
This may come as a surprise to some readers, as Boulder is what people commonly refer to as a Pit Bull or Pit Bull Mix. Adopted from a local shelter, he has recovered from malnutrition and a severe case of demodectic mange to become one of the most beautiful dogs you will see walking the streets of Columbus with his owner, a person who is a revered example of responsible ownership.
Stories like Boulder's are popular and, thankfully, are steadily growing in numbers in response to organizations around the Chattahoochee Valley area that are doing their part to educate the community about not just responsible ownership, but the characteristics of it's fastest growing type of dog, the "Pit Bull." I use quotations here because "pit bull" is a very general term which most people use to incorrectly label every loose or aggressive dog, or any dog with a muscular body or square head.
This very faux pas is what has landed one writer from the area in hot water this week, as an article of his came under fire for harsh words regarding a dog that was systematically classified as a "pit mix" by a department that admits they list every incoming animal by its most obvious physical attributes, but considers them all "mixes" and nothing more. Esther Howell spoke with Drale Short, division manager of Animal Control of Columbus, who emphasized that the most important thing regarding human and animal safety is the proper restraint and confinement of all animals by their owners.
Assigning inherent traits to an entire group of dogs is not only a falsehood of the most uneducated sort, it's an irresponsible assumption that leads people to irrational and sometimes violent conclusions regarding animals that have no genetic predisposition to the same. Just as not all hound dogs hunt, not all pit bulls fight, the same of which can be said for mixes thereof and dogs that simply resemble them. The hackneyed idea of all "pit bulls" being unpredictable mutants out looking for the chance to maul animals and children is just that, an overused simplification of an outdated idea which warrants no further use or acknowledgement.
As an overall community, people need to get back to the understanding that dogs are just that, dogs. There is a correct way to raise, socialize and train them and a correct way to restrain, confine and handle them. There is no properly raised, trained, and confined dog of any breed that can do anyone any harm.
The loss of Marina Sophia is clearly a tragedy; there is no pain like losing a loved one unexpectedly. That pain, however, should not be misdirected into the persecution of a group of dogs when the guilt lies squarely on the shoulders of the people who were negligent. Let us not forget who has dominion over all animals, and use this incident not to cause even more hurt, but as a springboard to the education of responsible dog ownership in this community.
Caroline Traywick, author of this article, headed the Pit In demonstration Friday in front of the Ledger-Enquirer offices on Broadway.
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