Rescued: Josh Liddy and SWAYLOVE Pit Bull Dog Advocacy

Photo from Josh Liddy / SWAYLOVE..

Last week I discovered this documentary portrait of Josh Liddy, founder of SWAYLOVE.org, a pit bull dog advocacy group. Josh photographs pit bulls in animal shelters and works online to share the photos in an efforts to get the dogs adopted.

Josh is one person using his creative talents to save dogs in California.  He began his rescue efforts in memory of his own late dog, Sway. Read more about SWAYLOVE on Josh's web site or follow SWAYLOVE on Facebook.

The documentary is a Dog Park Production.  Note: One of the producers fell in love with a dog while shooting footage for this film and adopted one of the dogs.

Incredible Dog Challenge 2011: Surf Dog Ricochet Wins Second Place

Surf dog Ricochet came in second place in the large dog heat of the 2011 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge surf contest on June 10 in California.


Ricochet is the only known dog in the world who surfs with disabled surfers and special needs kids for therapeutic purposes.  This Golden Retriever has raised almost $90,000 in the past 18 months which, along with a sponsoring Rose Foundation grant, goes towards physical therapy for spinal cord injured, Patrick Ivison.  Ricochet's SURFice dog initiatives are part of Puppy Prodigies, a non profit organization that focuses on early puppy develpment and service dog training for people with disabilities.  


Watch Ricochet compete:

Worst in Show Ugliest Dog Documentary Film Debuts at Kansas City Film Fest

Worst in Show, the documentary that chronicles the annual Wold's Ugliest Dog contest, debuts Thursday, April 7, 2011 at the Kansas City Film Fest at AMC  Mainstreet. The screening starts at 4:14 pm.  Wayside Waifs President, Cynthia Smith will be a guest speaker with a special message about pet adoption.

The World's Ugliest Dog Contest is an annual contest held in Petaluma, CA as part of the Sonoma-Marin Fair, to decide which of the dog contestants is the ugliest and has been sponsored by Animal Planet for several years.  The documentary, Worst in Show, is an hour long indie documentary produced by Don Lewis and John Beck.

Pit Bull Awareness Day is October 23

This coming Saturday October 23 is Pit Bull Awareness Day.


If you live in the San Francisco bay area, You're invited to join Bad Rap in Berkeley for an Open House that includes up-close-and-personal howdies with K9 celebs Jonny Justice, Audie and Uba and their adopted families.  They plain to auction off autographed copies of The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant.   Take someone who doesn't currently own a pit bull and they'll give you a free gift for the favor (your guest can have one too.)

Bad Rap Open House
Saturday, October 23
11:30 am to 1 pm
Bad Rap training grounds - Second Ave and Addison, Berkeley, CA
Bring your camera (but please leave your dog at home for this one.)

Cause for the Paws in Napa Valley CA

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Cause for the Paws
A benefit for Napa Humane hosted by Mark, Anna and Gus Rivers Pope.

When:  Sunday, July 25 from 1 pm to 5 pm
Where:  The Grove at Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, CA

Enjoy a walk-around tasting of culinary delights and over 60 wines to taste;  live music; silent and live auctions, too.  Don't miss the adoptable animals from the Napa Humane Mobile Adoption Unit. Proceeds benefit Napa Humane.

Benefit for Bully Breeds in California

BULLYLICIOUS
Saturday, Feb 20 in Alameda, CA
A night of music, dogs, auction and burlesque.

What do hot girls, pit bulls, calendars and philanthropy have in common? Find out at "Bullylicious," a one-night event from 7 p.m. until midnight Saturday, February 20. The benefit for BAD RAP and Pinups for Pitbulls will be held at Autobody Fine Art Gallery in Alameda.Bullylicious will feature live music by 77 El Deora and Patty Schemel (drummer for Hole), with special guests and live burlesque featuring Little Darling, Bunny Pistol and Barbary Coast Burlesque. There will be a raffle, silent auction, scrumptious food, calendar signing booth and special appearances by Pinups for Pitbulls Calendar models Little Darling, Audiogirl and Ana Poe, as well as BAD RAP spokesdogs Jonny Justice, Muggy, Lola and Honky Tonk.

All proceeds will go to BAD RAP and Pinups for Pitbulls, organizations dedicated to improving the lives of American Pit Bull Terriers.BAD RAP, founded in 1999, has gained acclaim for its work in evaluating and rescuing the dogs seized from Michael Vick?s property, where a dog-fighting operation was shut down. BAD RAP'S goal is to secure the future of the American Pit Bull Terrier as a cherished family companion.

Pinups for Pitbulls produces an annual pinup-themed calendar to raise awareness about breed bans and breedspecific abuse, and to raise money for bully-breed rescue groups throughout the country.Event coordinators Donyale Hoye and Ana Poe encourage attendees to dress "like you want to party."