See This Uplifting Project In Montana Help Rescue Dogs

Montanans are passionate about their pets. So much so that there are events that are created so our furry companions can be a part of the fun. Paws Up Ranch will be hosting the 15th Annual Canine Classic. The Missoula Paddleheads have designated every Wednesday game this season to invite fans to bring their dogs to the ballpark. The Missoula Lard Butt 1K Run is dog friendly too.

Montana Pittie Project

There are group of women in Montana that have made it their mission to help dogs find loving homes. Specifically the "bully" breeds, like, French bull dogs, boxers and pit bulls, to name a few. They are called the "Montana Pittie Project".

Helping Save Dogs and Bring Them to Montana

Recently I spoke with Kat Clarkin about the project. In the past two and half years they have helped rescue over 600 dogs. They are a foster based program, which means they don't have a facility. They use foster families to help the transition of getting these dogs into their permanent homes. Kat said:

Our program consists of "dog tested" dogs that we pull from high kill shelters. Generally they only have minutes to live before they are euthanized. We send them to fosters, in Texas and California, those are the two main places where we foster the dogs. We get to know them, we vet them, we bring them back to life essentially. We put them on a transport van, because pit bulls are not allowed to fly. We bring them to Montana to drop with our fosters and our adopters.

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Mack

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The Project Follows the Dogs Through the Entire Process

The Montana Pittie Project keeps in touch with the people who adopt the dogs after the dog has found a home. They work tirelessly to make sure the pets are a good fit with the adoptees. Their main goal is to make sure the dog is happy. There is so much that goes into this project. The adopters in Montana get to have some screen time with the foster families in other states to learn about the dogs, their medical records, their history, etc.

They Will Help the Dogs Get Training Too

If there are any behavioral issues the Pittie Project will also send the dogs to a trainer. The stigma that can go along with the "bully breeds" is something that the project has tried to break for years. According to Kat:

These dogs were bred to be family members at the beginning. They were then bred to try to be fighting dogs, but they were culled if they bit a human. They were basically bred to love humans. The love for humans has never been bred out. Through all these "designer breeds" we are getting that aggressive tendencies. That was bred into certain areas of the U.S. I am not saying they aren't a dangerous dog, because they are strong, but they are no stronger than a German shepherd... Pit bulls are very empathic they feed off the energy of the owner or the handler. If somebody who has a pit bull is a very anxious person, that dog will be anxious as well.

There is a lot of misinformation about some of these breeds and the Montana Pittie Project is trying change people's minds one adopted dog at a time.

These Montana Women Are Saving Dogs

The Montana Pittie Project is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization made up of members in different parts of Montana.  Kat Clarkin, Arlee, Nicole Vacura, St. Ignatius, Katrina Schmith, Helena,  Hanna Weis, Butte, Renee Wayne, Missoula.  If you would like to help out, donate, or are interested in adopting you can visit their website. Keep your eyes open around Montana for fundraisers to help this organization in the future.