Shortly after Kris Crawford launched her Knock Out Dog Fighting (KODF) education effort in June of 2008, we let our readers know about it. The program has met with great success and is in demand by community centers, schools, and juvenile detention centers throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
By involving an ever-growing roster of elite martial artists and other impressive role models, the program powerfully demonstrates that dogs deserve kindness and TLC, and that Pit Bulls, in particular, are loving and loyal companions at heart, not vicious fighters. Several weeks ago, the Santa Clara County District Attorney made KODF a key component of its anti-gang campaign. In the article below, Kris takes us inside a presentation at a Santa Clara County juvenile detention center and explains her ground-breaking effort to end the animal suffering associated with dog fighting by changing young minds.
Over 100 juveniles between the age of 14 and 18 are ushered into the auditorium and quickly take their seats. Although my dogs and I have done large presentations many times before, I have to admit I am a bit nervous. Despite their young ages, the audience is hardened and some of these young men and women don’t take advice from anyone.
Most speakers love to have a captive audience, but this is different. My presentation is part of the Knock Out Dog Fighting program that works with juvenile detainees at the Santa Clara County Juvenile Detention Center.
A member of the detention center staff introduces me and I begin my portion of the program, initiating a discussion about stereotypes with the detainees. “What do you think about when you hear the words Pit Bull?” Several voices shout out: Powerful dogs! Fighters! Killers!”
I crank up “Who Let The Dogs Out?” and call my Pit Bulls – Cheyenne, Dakota, and Tahoe – to join me in the center of the auditorium. “When I got these dogs, I had a choice about how to use their strength. I chose to use it to save lives.” I speak for a few minutes about the history of the breed and have my dogs demonstrate some of the many things Pit Bulls excel at, like search and rescue, tracking, agility, disc catching, etc.
I then turn the microphone over to my team members, who are definitely qualified to talk about strength and power. Strikeforce Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Lightweight World Champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson, Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello, and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
When Johnson (an idol for many of the detainees) asks how many of the detainees have Pit Bulls, more than half of them raise their hands. Johnson then asks, “How many of you fight your dogs?” It is very disturbing to see all but three of those same detainees proudly raise their hands.
Johnson shakes his head and begins talking about the relationship he has with his five Pit Bulls. “I would NEVER fight my dogs!” he says in a booming voice. “I am man enough to fight for myself. Dogs are in your life to bring you companionship, not to be fought. You should have Pit Bulls because you love them.”
The message is a radical one for this audience. Crime statistics indicate that 2008 brought a dramatic increase in dog-fighting cases involving young people. Kids are getting drawn to this dark subculture at an early age, motivated by neighborhood values that prize machismo and the glamorization of dog fighting by rap and hip-hop music stars. The high profile case of NFL superstar Michael Vick also generated more interest among young urban youth.
I launched the Knock Out Dog Fighting program to counteract these forces, bringing positive role models into schools and juvenile detention centers with the message that dog fighting is NOT cool, that it’s not a sign of strength, power, or greatness to torture, abuse, or fight animals.
Thankfully, our message is catching on. We are getting more and more requests from juvenile detention centers, schools, animal control officers, gang counselors, and others across the country for our posters, public service announcements, and appearances. The techniques we use to deliver our message work so well that we have recently teamed up to help the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office with their new anti-gang media campaign.
The members of Knock Out Dog Fighting are a very diverse group of Bay area professional athletes, dog trainers, and dancers who have formed a unique bond to work together to stop the distress of these animals. Our most active members are Johnson, Thomson, Buentello, IFBB pro bodybuilder Ray Arde, DJ E-Rock, NPC Figure Champion Mona Liza “MO” Reyes, Boxing sensation Andre Ward, Breakdancer Tek Liew, T.U.R.F dancer and founder of the Architeckz Jeriel Bey, and Kickboxer and MMA fighter Jose “La Bamba” Palacios. With their help, The Knock Out Dog Fighting program is changing the mindset of at-risk youth, most of whom grew up seeing the Pit Bull only as a status symbol or for a means to making a quick buck.
Today, we are engaging the young people in this auditorium at a deeper level, triggering their compassion and showing them that the loyalty and companionship of their dogs is priceless.
Our mission is to help them rise above their early circumstances, take control of their own lives, and be who they know they can be – strong, proud, and dedicated dog advocates. I know that some of them can become positive models in their own communities and that, working together, we can Knock Out Dog Fighting.
For more information, see www.KnockOutDogFighting.org.
Kris Crawford is the Founder and Executive Director of For Pits’ Sake, Inc. She and her Pit Bulls have been award winning activists for over a decade.
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