Award Winner Does It All For Pit Bulls And People
May 2004

 

UAN proudly presents the coveted 2004 Animals' Choice Award, which is a national award that recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding commitment to help animals in need, to Kristine Crawford and her organization For Pits' Sake in appreciation of her outstanding contribution to the lives of many Pit Bulls and humans.

The assortment of breeds commonly known as Pit Bulls have become the nation's most popular shelter residents, and therefore most endangered dogs. Pit Bulls are often subjected to cruel practices designed to encourage aggressive behavior, and the media focuses on sensationalized stories involving the breed. Thanks to Kristine's work, negative public opinion and attitudes towards Pit Bulls may properly focus on the people who have manipulated them, instead of on the breed itself.

Kristine and her Pit Bulls Dakota and Tahoe are a certified search and rescue (SAR) team that has participated in many search and rescue efforts, including the search for the body of Laci Peterson and the astronauts of the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia. Because of their hard work and the many obstacles they've had to overcome, they have been the subject of Animal Planet shows, National Geographic's "Dogs with Jobs" and numerous newspaper and magazine articles.

Despite the extra effort needed to combat stereotypes, Kristine finds Pit Bulls to be ideal for SAR work because of their intense drive, determination and strength. "When my search pager goes off, my dogs are waiting at the door, ready to find a lost person, to save a life, to bring closure to a family by finding their deceased loved one," Kristine describes. "They do not know that people are biased against them or that they have to work harder than other SAR dogs to earn their spot. All they know is that they have work to do, and they are ready regardless of weather, time or obstacle, and they will never quit."

This talented team is also certified for animal-assisted therapy and Cheyenne, Dakota and Tahoe spend time giving comforting licks to hospital-bound patients. For Pits' Sake offers nationally recognized programs to promote safety of lost children, dog bite prevention and responsible dog ownership. Kristine volunteers her time to perform these tasks. She also pays for her own training, equipment and her own way to and from searches, as well as material for the community programs that she offers at no cost to the public. She recently stayed up all night with one of her canine SAR dogs searching for a lost toddler in rugged backcountry, yet she still reported to work at her "real job" in the morning.

UAN presented Kristine with the 2004 Animals' Choice Award honoring her achievements at an Animal Disaster Preparedness Day event in Sacramento, CA, where the team demonstrated their amazing skills.

Not only does Kristine's dedication save people, but by training and exposing her Pit Bulls to the public at large in such a meaningful way, she elevates their status and helps to debunk myths and stereotypes that threaten the breed.

UAN congratulates Kristine Crawford and For Pits' Sake for their compassionate and valiant effort to turn the tide of public opinion through the good deeds performed by these courageous dogs.