Just had to share!

Here is our co-director Michele's dog Harley relaxing over the weekend. It is definitely indoor snuggly weather in NJ. Between all the snow and the bitter cold, who wants to go outdoors! Certainly not Harley.....


Harley was a rescued street pup and is Michele's biggest inspiration for working to save the breed. These dogs have a way of sneaking their way into your life and then turning you into an advocate before you even know what's happening. That's the power of the Pit Bull!

Evolve.

The other night I watched a clip from a well-known trainer’s TV show, cringing the entire 7 minutes, wanting to run screaming from the room – no, better yet, reach through the computer screen and do whatever I needed to do to get this guy to quit hurting this poor dog. By the end of the clip, my fists were clenched and my heart was pumping. “Chill out”, I thought to myself. “Getting this worked up isn’t healthy or productive.”

Later, in response to this same clip, some comments were made on Facebook. One comment, echoing an opinion repeated time and again, said something like: “Everyone has their own methods, [this trainer] is only trying to help this dog and his people – who are you to judge!”

The techniques I witnessed in this clip, commonly used by Mr. TV Trainer, were muzzling, a tightly noosed-leash, forcing the dog to the floor, flipping the dog on his back and holding him down, and general psychological brutalization until the dog becomes exhausted physically and mentally, and just gives up. These are techniques stemming from an archaic and brutal mindset that was essentially the ONLY mindset in dog training for a long period of time: use force, fear, pain to get the dog to “submit”. At any cost.

I took my first obedience training class around 1988. Every dog wore a choke collar in class. Every dog was supposedly “bad” because he was trying to dominate his human. Every dog supposedly "needed" to be jerked, pushed, and pulled into compliance and “submission”.

Over the course of the next 10 years, I worked under 5 trainers, all who used the same method, all of whom scoffed at the idea of using food to “reward” a dog’s behavior. I will never forget what one trainer said to me, “I want my dog to work to please ME, not for a FOOD BRIBE!” It made sense at the time, but my training mindset hadn’t yet evolved to the point of being able to comprehend that my dogs weren’t working for me when they sat-heeled-stayed-downed-performed a nice recall; they were only working to avoid the inevitable leash-jerk.

The problem was that this training method often didn’t work. Dogs remained aggressive, got worse, and sometimes were euthanized. When I came face to face with the “euthanasia suggestion” made by a trainer regarding my OWN dog and some behavioral issues that weren't responding to the "jerk til he behaves" technique, I launched into survival mode – my DOG’S survival – which started an evolution of my training mindset.

Something wasn’t right, here. I didn’t think my dog needed to die. Maybe I needed to evolve and try something else.

Right around the time the limitations of this jerk-push-pull method began to become clear to me, I started hearing more about training with the dreaded “food reward” and something called clicker training. More information in the form of books and videos was becoming available. I started reading, watching, listening, and experimenting with these evolutionary training techniques. And guess what? They worked! In fact, they worked so well that eventually I completely gave up everything I had been previously taught about dog training, and put this new education into fulltime practice. Talk about a mindset evolution.

I’m honestly not sure what happened to those original 5 trainers I once worked with. Whether they, too, eventually evolved, or instead continue to metaphorically dwell in the Dog Trainer Dark Ages, I may never know. The method they once taught me has not died out, that much is known. All I have to do is turn on my TV, and there I see Mr. TV Trainer using those same, un-evolved, archaic techniques (albeit explained in more sparkly, New Agey language, suitable for wide-scale public consumption).

If those techniques employed by Mr. TV Trainer and my original 5 trainers are so un-evolved, limiting, and non-functional, why are they still around? Well, hmmm. Why do some people refuse to be educated about Pit Bulls, and why, despite all the information and evidence to show they aren’t a “dangerous breed” do some people insist on banning and killing them?

Educating oneself – in effect, evolving one’s mindset – is not always a comfortable process, especially when you are married to ideas that you’ve been acting upon for a long while. There was a time that I thought Pit Bulls were a “bad breed”, just because that’s what I’d been told. But I wasn’t attached to that idea; for a while I didn’t think much about the breed at all. Eventually I came upon information that lead me to became a huge breed advocate; it was an easy transition. Evolving my mindset about dog training methods wasn’t so easy – I had been using with some measure of success a specific method for a long time. It took probably a period of 4 or 5 years before I completely gave up the “old” method, and my training mindset evolved to the point of fully accepting the new.

An evolved, enlightened training method brings with it a new respect for, understanding of, and appreciation of dogs. That training method I once used now seems not only old-fashioned, but downright cruel – and totally unnecessary. When I watch Mr. TV Trainer and others like him, a sense of frustration builds: why can’t they just evolve, too???

One day, perhaps, all mindsets about training – and about Pit Bulls – will evolve to a more enlightened state. Many people already have enlightened attitudes about training and about Pit Bulls; they are setting good example, educating, and encouraging elevated thinking. I’m hopeful and optimistic; just like the breed I work with on a regular basis, clicking and treating them towards better behavior.

Prologue:

My dog – the one my EX-trainer told me needed to die – went on to live a long, happy life following the evolution of my training method. That problematic behavior went away. As it turns out, he was the most amazing dog I have ever had the pleasure of sharing my life with, and the inspiration behind The Real Pit Bull, Inc.

The dog that Mr. TV Trainer was trying to “help” in the clip I mentioned above ended up back in a shelter eventually; I’ve heard he was subsequently euthanized.

Refusal to evolve has its price – and in dog training, as in the "Pit Bull Wars", the dogs are the ones who sadly have to pay it.

~Mary

Doesn't this just make you feel all warm and fuzzy??

St. Louis group building refuge for dogs rescued from dog fighting.....READ MORE!

We love you, Mutts N' Stuff!! Give Phoenix a smooch!

More nonsensical sound bites....

Parade Magazine printed some crummy quotes from DC Councilman Jim Graham, in its recent article “Preventing Fatal Dog Attacks”.

“Anyone who has been near a pit bull can tell you why they need to be banned,” Graham says. “There is something endemic in this breed that prompts violence and cruelty when raised in the wrong hands.”

ANYone? REALLY, Councilman? Sure about that statement?

And I guess the Councilman didn’t get the memo on the Vick dogs. Talk about dogs being ‘raised in the wrong hands’. Just as predicted, those Vick dogs sure turned out to be 'violent and cruel’.

All we are asking for is a little responsibility – research and educate yourself before you make statements that hold the power to influence legislation that would tear families apart and cause the unnecessary death of companion animals.

Oh, who will save us from the PANdemic of stupid!

When the Past & Present Collide

With all the talk about fighting dogs recently – the big busts, for instance, and the finally-wide-spread realization that fighting dogs are actually victims that deserve a chance at life – we thought we’d talk a little bit about breed history, and how it relates to the dogs today: both those rescued fighters AND the typical Pit Bull that shares a home with humans as a companion dog.



Pit Bulls as a breed were originally created to fight other dogs in the pit. This much we know as fact. Something else we know as fact: Pit Bulls from the very beginning have also been…Companion Dogs! The scrappy, brave fighting dog also a family animal? You betcha! The APBT breed has historically walked parallel paths – one of fighting dog, one of family, farm, and companion dog. Through the course of the breed’s history, these two paths often crossed and at times they were barely distinguishable from each other. A fighting dog might be a companion dog might be a fighting dog; and sometimes a dog was just a companion, sometimes just a fighting dog. But the breed had two distinct roles and it often hopped from one to the other.

Eventually, the fighting path began to fade away, grown over with the thoughts and ideals of more humane, enlightened attitudes. What was left for the APBT? The job of purely companion dog within the modern dog fancy. People continued to keep the breed as a pet, a show dog, a working dog. Hey! These are the jobs these dogs are REALLY good at, anyway. There is a reason that the breed has flourished since the outlawing of the so-called ‘sport’ of dog fighting.

When people ask, “Why are Pit Bulls good companions when they were bred to fight other dogs?”, the simple answer is, “But they have always been companion dogs too! We just eliminated one crappy element: the dog fighting!”



Well, not REALLY eliminated. Because despite its felony status, dog fighting still continues on today. Pit Bulls, although legally freed from the cruelty of dog fighting, are still in reality subjected to this brutality.

RPB has always recommended that rescued Pit Bulls be treated the same, regardless of their backgrounds: dog dumped by someone who lacked the means to care for him, or dog rescued from a fighting bust. A Pit Bull is a Pit Bull is a Pit Bull. A fighting dog isn’t so different from the companion dog snoring on your couch (gawd we love those bulldawg snores!) It’s just that one dog had the misfortune of being born into a dog fighter’s yard. The other landed on your couch.

And sometimes....a dog goes *from* the fighter’s yard TO a savior’s couch!

This has been happening more and more as of late, due to new attitudes about the rescued canine victims of fight abuse. Dogs being confiscated from dog fighter raids are starting to trickle down into rescue on a greater scale. And guess where they end up? In new homes, as companion dogs. Wow!

In a sense, times have changed little. Some Pit Bulls are still companion dogs. Some Pit Bulls – sadly, tragically – are still fighting dogs. And some Pit Bulls are just lucky enough to be given the opportunity to make that leap from fighter to companion dog.

We hope and pray to doG for the day when NO Pit Bull will ever to be placed on the path to fighting dog. But until that day comes, the way is paved for the rescued victims to cross over onto the path of loved, cherished, family companion.

The majority of Pit Bulls today will never be within sniffing distance of a fighting pit. But they are still playing one role they've always played throughout their history, in good times and bad: loving, intelligent companion, partner, best friend, and family member. And these dogs are so good at what they do that we think their future in this job is pretty much nailed down.

To learn more about breed history and dog fighting, visit our fresh page, Dog Fighting: Then, Now.

High price tags don't keep these dogs out of the system....

As a follow-up to our "American Bully" blog, we thought we'd post some pix of bully-style dogs that showed up in rescue recently. These dogs are often paraded around like expensive accessories by their humans. But despite paying wads of cash and status earned among peers, at the end of the day, when the person at the end of the leash decides a dog is too much work these pricey "American Bullies" often get dumped in the shelters like trash. This is happening at an alarming rate - but considering how many bully-style breeders there are out there, the numbers are not surprising.

If you are looking for a nice companion, maybe you'll consider one of these sweet mush-faces. And remember, Don't Feed The Unethical Breeders - keep your money out of their hands.

Guiness was heartworm positive and very sick when he ended up in the loving care of Bama Bully in Alabama.


Odie wasn't far behind - pneumonia-stricken, this boy needed help, and he got it, once again thanks to Bama Bully.


Sassy was emaciated when she came to New Hope Pit Bull Rescue in South Carolina. She's filled out a bit since then, as you can see.

Both Bama Bully and New Hope PBR are members of the Pit Bull Rescue Alliance, founding members along with The Real Pit Bull.

Guardians of the Breed's Future

What's the difference between an owner and a guardian? Anyone can choose to own a Pit Bull, but someone who takes it upon themselves to be a 'breed guardian' is going the extra mile to not only properly look out for their own dog, but for the future of Pit Bulls everywhere.

The term 'guardian' in animal circles is a controversial one. Legally, the designation 'owner' gives a person more leeway as far as what they can do to their dog and how exactly they care for it. Some feel that removing the legal term 'owner' and replacing it with 'guardian' puts too much power in the hands of the state - and that too many restrictions will be placed on how people can care for or train their dogs. Dogs are currently viewed as property that one 'owns' under the law. What humans can legally do to their 'property' is pretty wide open - and there are limited legal means available to prosecute all but the most heinous animal abuses, as discovered by anyone who's been in the frustrating position of trying to get something done about a starving, neglected dog chained out in a yard somewhere. In the eyes of some, a legally changed designation for companion animals might be a leg up in the fight against animal abuse.

RPB chooses to use the word 'guardian' to drive home a very important point: anyone can OWN a dog, but being a true guardian of your dog, and its breed as a whole, takes something more. Pit Bull owners who take on the added role of breed advocate - unceasingly educating themselves, always uber responsible, going the extra mile for their own dogs and other Pit Bulls, continually assuring they positively portray the breed to the world, and taking the time to educate others - are, in our opinion, deserving of a title a little more extravagant than 'owner'. Such people are the true guardians of the breed and its future, doing all in their power to contribute to a bright and beautiful world for the dogs we all cherish.

In a perfect world, all Pit Bulls would have guardians – heck, all dogs regardless of their breed would! In this world, the guardians are the ones who are paving the way for the breed's continued, bettered existence in this world.

Whatever you choose to call yourself - owner, guardian, parent, caregiver, dogmom, dogdad - it is you, the responsible, caring, ethical advocate, who is safeguarding this breed. And for that, we recognize, admire, and applaud you. The breed would be lost without you!

CGC Testing for Pit Bulls

The AKC Canine Good Citizen test (CGC) is a great way to showcase your dog's good manners - and then have them officially recognized. AKC started the CGC program to help encourage responsible dog guardianship and promote dogs as safe, reliable furry citizens. The test - which is officiated by certified evaluators - is open to all dogs, regardless of age, breed, or mix. A dog will be tested on ten items, each designed to show basic manners and the guardian's ability to control their dog.

For formally abused, rescued Pit Bulls, the CGC has become a bit of a badge of honor - sort of an 'nah-nah told ya so' in the face of the naysayers. Dogs like Leo, rescued from Michael Vick's dog fighting operation, as well as countless others, prove to the world that abused dogs CAN learn to trust and go on to live normal lives. For many of them, the CGC is the official 'stamp' of approval proving it's more than just talk - these dogs really ARE as good as we all say they are. Guardians of all Pit Bulls, regardless of where they came from, can take that extra important step to show they are committed to being responsible and show the world that Pit Bulls are sound, stable, wonderful dogs. The CGC is that step.

The CGC test items are:

Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
Test 3: Appearance and grooming
Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
Test 7: Coming when called
Test 8: Reaction to another dog
Test 9: Reaction to distraction
Test 10: Supervised separation

Get your Pit Bull CGC certified through Pit Bull School. Or come out to Pit Bull-palooza this Sunday, June 7th, to have your dog tested.

Click Bulls!

RPB is firmly dedicated to positive, pain free training methods/techniques, and strongly promotes the clicker training method. Any breed can learn new behaviors through clicker training, but Pit Bulls - with their enthusiastic and human-connected personalities - seem to especially benefit from this humane, hands-off training method that allows dog and handler to work as a team. Clicker training can be used to teach dogs traditional obedience exercises, tricks, and intricate behaviors not readily taught with less-precise training techniques. It can even be used to help resolve behavioral problems.

So what's clicker training? In a nutshell, it is a method which uses a 'marker' (in this case, a small plastic clicker) to 'bridge' (connect) a behavior with a reward (food). The click tells the dog he or she did the right thing, and that a reward for that right thing is now on the way. Because the clicker connects very clearly in the dog's mind the delivery of the food with a behavior, new behaviors can be learned in a very short period (in some cases, in a 5 or 10 min training session). The dog doesn't have to figure out what the reward's for (a problem with some other methods), it's very clear!

What's so great about clicker training is that it allows a dog to be an active part of the learning process. Instead of 'doing' something 'to' your dog, with clicker training you and your dog are both participating together. Clicker trained dogs tend to be very happy, willing participants in the training game. There's no fighting, clashing or conflict - it's all about learning in a pain-free, non-frightening way. Clicker training does not employ prong collars, choke chains, shock collars, or other 'traditional' training tools or techniques like scruff shakes or alpha rolls.

From the angle of breed advocacy, clicker training is a chance to show that APBTs are sensitive, smart dogs who don't need to be manhandled, jerked around, alpha-rolled, or otherwise physically dominated in order for them to learn new behaviors or be under control. Pit Bulls are actually very sensitive, intelligent, deferential dogs who learn best when respectful, non-invasive, and gentle training techniques are used.

If you are interested in learning more about clicker training, and are in the central/north NJ area, you may wish to check out Pit Bull School clicker classes, taught by RPB founder/director Mary Harwelik. If you are outside the area, there are plenty of online resources to help you locate a trainer or even learn online how to train your dog using this scientifically valid, cutting edge training method. Here are some of our favorites:

ClickerTraining.com
ClickerLessons.com
ClickerSolutions.com

And please continue to watch our blog for more information on clicker training, Pit Bull School, and positive promotion of our breed through positive training!

The 'Logic' Of BSL

This Bay City Times (MI) article demanding a statewide ban of Pit Bulls is so full of contradictory nonsense that it really makes ya wonder if the editors over there failed to even show up for work the day it was printed. You know that the pushers of BSL discrimination are getting desperate when they point to Rottweiler, American Bulldog, and Aussie mix attacks as good reasons to support a Pit Bull ban.

Aye yi yi.

Rescuing High Profile Dogs

The opinion mill is stirring now that the dogs seized in the raid of Wildside Kennels have been killed and the cries of grief are being heard from rescues, sanctuaries and individuals. While many groups wanted to go out of their way to save these dogs, there is another side of the fence that is saying something doesn't seem right or fair when rescues and other organizations make room for these 'big name' dogs when just as many if not more typical, everyday Pit Bulls are dying locally every day.

RPB's stance is that a group should work within its home base state to rescue dogs and not spend unreasonable time, money, and resources trying to bring dogs in from all over the country because some dog somewhere else has some special appeal. It is the duty, afterall, of a rescue to look after the welfare of the Pit Bulls in its own area.

However, Pit Bull rescue people are in a unique situation, because of the prejudice our breed faces. Sometimes, bending over backwards to accomodate a nice dog from a far-away shelter that hasn't exactly been Pit-friendly up to this point ends up helping more dogs in the long run. The power of a successful adoption and team work between organizations - even across states - should not be underestimated.

In these fight bust cases, the overall message that gets sent when these dogs are given a chance is that Pit Bulls, regardless of where they came from or what their breeding is, are worth something and are dogs that can live within society; they aren't the monsters of media infamy, nor do they deserve to die just because HSUS or PETA says they do. The success of the Vick dogs surely has made some people stop and notice. What if no one stepped up to help those dogs? We would be short a heck of a lot of really powerful media that would have never been generated by rescue of those 'everyday' dogs. One reason RPB joined the other groups that had filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Vick dogs was specifically to help future bust dogs - big name or not, here in NJ and beyond - get a chance. If the Vick dogs could get a lot of positive press, proving that fight bust dogs could certainly make wonderful pets, what could that do for other dogs down the road? And the Pit Bull breed in general?

Although from the vantage point that allows one to see the grand scheme of things, the BYB bred dog whose owner just got sick of and dumped at the shelter is worth the same as any of the Vick or Faron dogs, rescue people need to make difficult decisions about rescuing some dogs over others. Every ethical rescuer asks themselves before making these decisions, "Which action ultimately has the most positive, far reaching effect on the breed as a whole?"

On a more everyday, mundane level, rescues make choices like this all the time - when they choose the happy, correct, friendly Pit Bull over the adorable, sweet, but extremely fearful or reactive Pit Bull. Why? Not because one dog has more or less worth, but because rescue is NOT just about *that dog, in the moment* - it is about all future Pit Bulls that are effected by the actions of every rescue, and the actions of rescued dogs.

Pit Bull rescue isn't straightforward. All dog rescues deal with issues of money, limited time, and limited resources. But additionally, Pit Bull advocacy groups must deal with breed image, public scrutiny, anti-breed laws, and the powerful large-scale humane organizations like HSUS and PETA often preaching very anti-breed rhetoric, all as they juggle their ultimate goal of helping as many dogs as possible and reclaiming the dignity of and a future for the APBT.

Rescuing a Pit Bull is never just about rescuing 'a dog'. It is about saving all Pit Bulls that come after; it's about saving a breed. And the actions of ethical Pit Bull rescuers reflect that reality.

Temperament Evaluation & The Essential Pit Bull Booket

Temperament evaluation for Pit Bulls that will be placed into homes is of utmost importance. It truly is important for ALL dogs no matter the breed. Although humane adoption groups are advocates for the dogs first and foremost, they should ethically also be advocates for humans and hence look to place dogs that have the temperaments that would make them good companions and productive canine members of society. Making exceptions or shrugging off troubling behavior very often ends badly for all parties involved – including the dog!

The situation with Pit Bulls is dire. The breed is under a microscope and hence every negative incident that occurs is a nail in the breed’s coffin. When a Golden Retriever or a Dachshund or a Dalmatian bites someone seriously, there is no concerted effort to destroy the breeds or ban them from society. But when a Pit Bull lays teeth on a human, all hell breaks loose. So while it is of course necessary to carefully evaluate and THEN place ANY breed of dog into a new home (a bite is a bite, after all, no matter the breed – they all hurt, they all are potentially physically and mentally scarring), with Pit Bulls, organizations need to go the extra mile just to safeguard the breed’s future.

In order to help shelters and rescues struggling to do right by their dogs, The Essential Pit Bull was written. The booklet aims to help organizations identify sound, normal dog behavior and specifically behavioral traits known to be demonstrated in temperament-correct Pit Bulls. The evaluation in the booklet is typical in many ways, but broken down in such a way as to describe ideal – and not-so-ideal – behavioral responses as they pertain specifically to Pit Bulls. And since we all know that no breed is for everyone, The Essential Pit Bull offers plenty of suggestions for placing Pit Bulls into homes that would do best with the breed.

The booklet also categorizes dogs based on responses to tests. Instead of a simple pass/fail grade, the EPB evaluation breaks behavioral responses down further in order to help organizations make the very best decisions when placing their dogs.The categories are A (suitable for novice homes), B (typical Pit Bulls), C (dogs best suited to very experienced homes), and X (dogs not suitable for adoption that should be humanely euthanized).

A breed-specific temperament and evaluation booklet could have been written about any breed. All breeds have unique quirks and traits that define Breed Essence. This booklet just happens to be about Pit Bulls.

The new booklet The Essential Pit Bull, is now available to rescue and shelter groups through RPB’s shop @

http://www.cafepress.com/realpitbull

"Fight dog paraphernalia"? Really?

A springpole or a treadmill or a historical book on fighting dogs does NOT = evidence of dog fighting, no matter how many times certain humane groups or the media say otherwise.

Springpoles have been painted as an especially ominous 'tool', and we're often told how dog fighters use these things to strengthen the jaws of Pit Bulls. "Pit Bulls are forced to hang with their jaws from ropes dangling from a spring in an effort to strengthen their jaws", a news blurb might 'inform'. Well, the truth of the matter is that a dog cannot be forced to hang from anything they don't want to hang onto, and springpoles have nothing to do with 'strengthening a fighting dog's jaws' and everything to do with fun and appropriate exercise for LOTS of dogs, regardless of breed.

But don't take OUR word for it. Check out this video of a bunch of BORDER COLLIES enjoying their springpole. And yes, that's a Pit Bull guy trying his best to keep up with the springpole pro Collies.

Cultivating Gratitude

On this day held aside to give thanks and count blessings, we may sit and take stock of the previous year, spend time with our family, look into the eyes of our gentle dogs and offer a silent 'thank you' to the universe for having blessed us with such amazing Pit Bull-shaped souls. This is the one day of the year where gratitude is the main focus and being thankful takes front and center stage. But in life in general, and particularly in our work as advocates and activists, it can be difficult to cultivate a grateful attitude that becomes a part of who we are and how we live day to day.

We see much pain and suffering we are unable to ease, feel trapped because 'there is only so much' we can do, feel hopeless when the problem seems so big. Focusing on these things can become draining, and too much attention drawn to 'failures' can be defeating and actually undermine our cause and the work we do for Pit Bulls. Sometimes, we begin drowning in the negative, virtually ignoring the life-rafts of our successes which are right within our grasp.

It is important to take stock daily of what we DO have to be thankful for in the Pit Bull advocacy community, and to cultivate gratitude for what we've personally been able to accomplish for the dogs, as well as the wonderful people working for the same causes.

This past year we have a lot to feel grateful for, and we've seen things we never thought we'd see: More groups & individuals than ever working and sacrificing for Pit Bulls; people willing to come together to work for the greater good; the results of a celebrity fight bust which generated more positive press for the breed than seen in the last 1o years combined; a day set aside for country-wide celebration of the breed that seems to be growing more every year; and all the little, quiet successes that you may not hear about - the dogs that have been saved, their wounded souls made whole again. Every single one of these rescues is a miracle and we should all feel a strong sense of gratitude for each and every one.

Cicero said, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.

Gratitude props us up, and is a platform on which we are meant to use our other virtues. It is a mindset of positivity, of thankfulness, of gratefulness that gives us strength do what we have to do for the dogs.

So today, on this Thanksgiving, take stock of what you feel grateful for. And each day, cultivate an attitude of gratitude for what's been accomplished, for all the success - both big and small - and for all the other people who are doing amazing things for the APBT. Perhaps we can take a lesson from our dogs, who, in many cases despite incredibly hard, abusive, painful lives, show us more gratitude than could ever be measured, each and every day.