by Nancy Sep£lveda
Daily Lobo
UNM is trying to get pit bulls out of the doghouse.
El Centro de la Raza hosted a pit bull awareness and pet adoption fair Tuesday in the Mesa Vista Hall courtyard.
The event was held to educate the campus community about the breed and provide information on pet adoption, city pet ordinances, and dog care and training, said student Laura Hernandez, who helped organize the event.
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"We wanted to raise awareness of the myths surrounding pit bulls," she said. "We're promoting the idea that it's not the dog or breed that is aggressive, but certain pet owners who can influence them to be that way."
About 30 people attended the fair, which included information tables from animal shelters, dog trainers and animal advocacy groups.
Student Mercy Berman said it was exciting to see efforts to inform the UNM community about pit bulls.
"I didn't know there were any local awareness organizations, especially student-
affiliated groups," she said. "It's awesome to see students being educated about this breed."
College students can make good pit bull owners, said Rena
Distasio, founder of Responsibly Adopting Albuquerque's Pit Bulls.
"Pit bulls are popular with young people," Distasio said. "They thrive with a lot of exercise and make nice athletic
companions for running, biking and skating."
Distasio warned students who adopt pit bulls to be prepared for the level of commitment the high-energy dogs require.
"Educate yourself first and make sure the dog will be a good match for your lifestyle," she said.
There were two pit bulls available for adoption at the fair.
Lee Laney, who works for the Homeless Animal Rescue Team in Los Lunas, said 30 to 50 percent of dogs waiting to be adopted at his shelter are pit bulls.
He said there are many homeless pit bulls in Valencia County due to "backyard breeding."
Dog fighting is still popular in Valencia County, and many pit bulls are discarded if they are not aggressive enough to participate, Laney said.
Misconceptions about pit bulls might prevent them from being adopted, Hernandez said.
Pit bulls are wrongly associated with gang members because of the breed's false reputation for violent behavior, she said.
"That's not the case," she said. "All types of people own pit bulls."
Hernandez said it is important for students to know how to care for their animals.
"As college students, we get really busy, but we can't neglect our pets," she said. "They need proper nutrition, exercise and training."
