Walk and wag for pit bull awareness

THERE is no stopping Durban North resident Nicole Linden’s mission to change society’s current perception of pit bull terriers. The 25-year-old animal lover will once again be hosting a pit bull awareness walk to raise some much-needed positive awareness for the misunderstood breed.

Speaking to the Northglen News recently, Linden said she had once again been angered by the way the dogs are portrayed. This after various media ran an article about a domestic worker who had been bitten by a pit bull.

“I was mostly angered by the photos that were used. They did everything in their power to make the breed look bad. Worst of all is that the articles were published on 1 October – the start of Pit Bull Awareness Month,” she explained.

Linden said she was tired of pit bulls being seen as vicious hounds bred only as guard dogs.

“Pit bulls are not naturally aggressive, they are actually very loyal and lovable,” she said. Her own pit bull, Rocky, she said, is testament to this.

As one of her first awareness efforts, Linden took Rocky to the Villa Sunfield Home in Durban North, where he could interact with the elderly residents.

“He loved it and the people at the home loved him. Many of the people at the home are terminally ill, however they still managed to sit up and greet him. They all beamed when he came around. He was so gentle, as if he knew that they that he needed to be extra careful around them,” she said.

To date nearly 100 people have committed to taking part in the next awareness walk.

The KZN Pitbull Awareness Walk – Part 2 will be held along the Bluff beaches on Saturday, 22 October from 8.30am. All breeds are welcome, and are to be kept on leads at all times.

Entry is free. Share your fun photos of the day with #Fortheloveofpitbull posts on social media. The exact location of the walk will be announced on the Facebook page closer to the date. Contact Nicole Linden via e-mail on rockylinden01@gmail.com.