http://www.bradenton.com/local/story/129549.html

Sadie the pit bull fights stereotype

By DONNA WRIGHT

dwright@bradenton.com

Nothing makes Sadie happier than donning her Outward Hound life jacket and goggles for a spin on the family boat.

A cushy lifestyle offered by her new adoptive parents Amy Maxfield and Wade Shelter, of Clearwater, sure beats the kennel at the Humane Society of Manatee County.

The two-year-old pit bull mix languished away at the Humane Society for more than a year, passed over by prospective pet owners who feared the breed's reputation for vicious aggression, said Donna Stiteler, Humane Society director.

Those fears were heightened after the arrest of Michael Vick, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback in connection with a dogfighting scandal. Vick agreed to accept a plea deal Monday that will likely involve a prison sentence.

Pit bull advocates, who know the breed's family tree, say their brutal reputation is contrary to their nature. Yet many people fear the breed, including Maxfield, until she met Sadie.

"If you would have told me I was going to pick a pit bull, I would have said, 'No way,' " Maxfield said. "I believed all of the media hype about pit bulls. There was no way I was going to adopt a pit bull."

Sadie was a "throw in the door" dog, Maxfield said. "That means somebody just walked up to the Humane Society a year ago, opened the door and threw her in with no explanation and then fled."

Sadie's gentle temperament saved her life and won her a coveted spot in the kennel until someone came along to adopt her, according to Stiteler.

Sadie, Maxfield said, is a perfect match.

"We were looking for a dog with adaptive intelligence, a dog who could think for itself but was still a coddler," Maxfield said. "I am totally in love with this dog. She loves everything and everybody, including the neighbors' dogs. She is a quick learner who loves to please. That's very characteristic of pit bulls."

Pit bulls are also very loyal and, when not mistreated, they are very gentle as well, says dog trainer Rebecca Neal, who volunteers at the local humane society and serves on the agency board.

The American Kennel Club even refers to pit bulls as "nanny dogs" because of their loyal, loving behavior toward children.

So how does this gentle reputation mesh with the brutal stories of dogfights and vicious attacks?

Mean pit bulls, Neal said in a recent interview with the Bradenton Herald, are the product of the worst kind of breeding - one that emphasizes aggressive behavior.

But that doesn't mean pit bulls are bad dogs, Neal said.

"If they are raised in an environment where they are treated well, they make great pets," she said.

While Maxfield calls Sadie her "dream dog," she also cautions the breed is not for everyone.

"Pit bulls or a pit bull mix is not the right breed for the first-time dog owner," Maxfield said. "People who are considering a pit bull need to do research. They have to be someone who is committed to the dog and its needs."

Maxfield and her husband take Sadie on 3 mile walks at least once a day plus several games of fetch the ball or chase the chew toy.

In return, Sadie showers them with affection.

"These are the kind of matches we love to make," Stiteler said. "We have so many dogs like Sadie who just need good homes."