Pit Bull University coming to Fox Valley Humane Association

GREENVILLE - When Michelle Serocki got her first pit bull, Capone, harsh judgment and fear from those around her soon followed.

"Capone, he was such a great dog. ... He was so loving, he was really the epitome of what a pit bull is supposed to be," she said.

Yet, she said people would cross the street to avoid walking close to Capone in her neighborhood on the border of Milwaukee and Wauwatosa. There was sharp criticism from family members who believed her young daughter's safety was at risk, she said.

So, she co-founded the Brew City Bully Club, which aims to rehabilitate the reputation of pit bull-type dogs and reduce fear in the community.

It's now been a decade since she co-founded the organization and she said a lot has changed in that time. But she told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin there's still work to do to change the public perception of these dogs as being inherently vicious or dangerous.

"We just want to, one person at a time, just keep plugging away and just keep helping people to find the truth," she said. "And that's not to say that every single pit bull is the best thing since sliced bread. That's the last thing that I want to preach because that's not true, that's not true of anything. So there are pit-bull type dogs that have serious issues for sure and when you have a mentally unstable animal that's strong, that's a bad combination. That's a real problem."

But she said that's where a lot of the group's resources and outreach work is focused — helping with training, behavior, and ensuring that the animals that shouldn't be in public aren't.

Still, she said, unstable pit bull type dogs are not the norm. And, she argues, the significant attention paid to any attack by a pit bull undeservedly puts all these dogs in a bad light.

On the education front, the group offers a "Pit Bull University," which is coming to the Fox Valley Humane Association on Saturday. Registration costs $20 and is open through Friday. There are about 50 seats available.

The training for humans — not canines — aims to educate about pit bull mixes. The price of admission includes materials and a light lunch.

Usually, she said, attendees are primarily shelter workers, veterinary staff and pit bull mix owners.

The public often just identifies a pit bull by looks, she said. But she said the term "pit bull" doesn't actually refer to a breed but rather encompasses American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and mixes with those breeds.

In a "position statement" on pit bulls, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said while certain behaviors can characterize each dog breed, it's important to see dogs as individuals.

"It is likely that the vast majority of pit bull type dogs in our communities today are the result of random breeding — two dogs being mated without regard to the behavioral traits being passed on to their offspring," the ASPCA statement says, in part. "The result of random breeding is a population of dogs with a wide range of behavioral predispositions. For this reason it is important to evaluate and treat each dog, no matter its breed, as an individual."

Serocki said she counsels people considering getting a pit bull type dog that they need to be prepared for social push back. She also said many of these dogs are extremely high-energy; they need an active owner who can commit to training and regular exercise.

"If you get a boxer-pit mix, holy cow, you're talking energy for days," she said, while others are mixed with lower-energy breeds.

If someone is on the fence about getting one, she said, it's probably not the right time.

Amy Christensen, the Fox Valley Humane Association's shelter, programs and communications administrator, attended a Brew City Bully Club event years ago and got interested in how to advocate for these dogs with a bad reputation. She said she owns two pit bulls — Sophie and Marshall — and would never have another breed.

The Humane Association doesn't evaluate pit bull mixes any differently than any other dog that comes into the shelter, she said.

One common misconception is that these dogs aren't good with children, she said.

"What we say with any dog that goes home with any family, whether it's a chihuahua, a poodle, a pit bull, whatever it is, you are responsible for your child's interactions with that animal," Christensen said. "No child should ever be left unattended with an animal in my personal opinion until they are old enough to understand how to behave around an animal."

The Fox Valley Humane Association will recommend against a dog going home with a child primarily if it's a big dog that will knock the child over, she said. If a dog is aggressive, it shouldn't be going to a home yet anyway and instead should be worked with at the shelter.

Christensen hopes advocacy can change that moment when potential adopters at the shelter walk away from a dog once they find out it's a pit bull.

"There are a lot of minds that we need to change," she said.

IF YOU GO

What: Pit Bull University

Where: Fox Valley Humane Association, N115 Two Mile Road, Greenville

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

Details: $20 fee that covers materials and light lunch. Registration is open through Friday; pre-registration is required.

To register: www.brewcitybullies.org/PBU.php