By SARAH HITE shite@www.mydallaspost.com
An argument with a friend changed Jen O’Donnell’s life.
In 2001, 31-year-old O’Donnell got into a heated exchange with a friend about whether Pit Bulls are friendly, family-oriented pets. To prove her case, she and her now-husband, Brian, adopted one of the bully breed dogs, named Dozer, the very next day from the SPCA of Luzerne County.
Dozer succumbed to cancer in January 2009, and now O’Donnell and her family are in the throes of making sure Pit Bulls and other dogs find loving homes, too.
“Dozer is the reason we love these dogs,” said O’Donnell.
She started Sweet Bark Pit Bull Rescue, a nonprofit foster-based dog rescue, in May 2010. The organization focuses on finding homes for bully breed dogs, a category comprised of several different breeds, including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs and others.
O’Donnell said Sweet Bark aims to rescue dogs that have typical characteristics of these breeds.
“You know, the big head and the muscular build,” she said.
The Dallas native said there are a lot of misconceptions about Pit Bulls, as the breed is often plagued with stereotypes about its aggression and bad temperament.
“They’re being victimized,” she said. “They are basically just like any other dog.”
She’s hoping to counteract those negative notions with Sweet Bark, which is a play on the phrase “sweetheart.”
“I wanted people to see the dogs in the light that I see them,” she said.
The organization has rescued 16 dogs since its inception and found homes for 11 of the rescues. O’Donnell has five fosters working with Sweet Bark, most of which are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Sweet Bark depends on fundraisers and adoption fees for expenses, which include boarding, veterinary bills and basic needs for the dogs. Fosters are usually responsible for food, but Sweet Bark accepts donations for toys, collars, bones – anything that keeps a dog happy and healthy.
Sometimes dogs need to be boarded for a while before they can be sent to a foster home, which was the case for Buster, an American Pit Bull Terrier. Buster was abandoned in a garage in Mount Pocono for two and a half weeks and is now undergoing training for temperament because he is still a little leery around people.
“When I got Buster, I had him in the car and I was taking him to the boarding facility when they called at the last minute and said they couldn’t take him because they didn’t know his shots history,” she said. “I was like, ‘What am I going to do with this dog?’”
O’Donnell doesn’t take in any fosters – she’s got her hands full with two young children and four Pit Bulls of her own – but she strives to help any and every dog she can, even if it means involving the family.
“My mom actually fostered Six (a Pit Bull rescue) and eventually adopted her,” she said. “She was battling cancer and I think having Six there helped her through it.”
Several of the dogs rescued have been saved from imminent death. Matilda, a Pit Bull, was recently taken in by Sweet Bark just 48 hours before she was set to be euthanized. Shiloh, another Pit Bull, had just 12 hours left in the shelter from which she was rescued.
“You can’t put a price tag on a life,” said O’Donnell. “We’re able to give them a life.”
O’Donnell’s educational and professional background prepared her for the position of pup preservation. She majored in biology at King’s College, hoping to become a wildlife biologist. She also worked for the Trucksville Dog and Cat Hospital and volunteered at local shelters.
“It’s always been a part of my life,” she said. “Even when I was little, I used to take in all the strays. I loved being around animals.”
O’Donnell got involved with Pinups for Pit Bulls, a nonprofit education organization that aims to raise awareness and funds for Pit Bulls, in 2009. She was even able to pose in one of the group’s annual calendars with Dozer before he passed away.
“That was really nice,” she said.
This month, O’Donnell will host a free spay and neutering clinic, called “De-Sex in the City,” for five Pit Bulls sponsored by Lost and Found Dog Rescue. She said Pit Bulls are the most bred dogs and are more often abandoned and abused. She hopes to hold similar programs throughout the year to keep the bully breed population under control.
But right now, O’Donnell is just focused on the animals.
“I want to help any dog. I don’t discriminate,” she said. “We’ll take in older dogs, dogs with cancer, even non-bully breed dogs.”
As for her own bully brood, she said Pit Bulls have a lot to offer a family, including her two children – 3-year-old Sid and 6-year-old Vegan.
“Almost all of the foster dogs have been around my kids,” she said. “Pit Bulls offer a lot of silliness and fun. They’re great cuddle dogs.”
