Woman Casts Pit Bulls in New Light
April 2003

Kris Crawford believes that pit bulls have gotten a bad rap. She is SAR Canine Handler for the Alameda County Sheriff Search and Rescue Squad and has trained her pit bulls to be search and rescue dogs for the unit. Crawford said that the same qualities that breeders want to cultivate in pit bulls for them to be successful in illegal dog fights -- namely courage, strength, dedication, intelligence and agility -- are invaluable in search and rescue work. "They also don't give up," Crawford said. "When you are out all night looking for a lost 5-year old, you want a dog that doesn't quit."

Her devotion to the maligned breed is attracting some attention. The cable channel Animal Planet met her on Wednesday morning at Old River Veterinary clinic here in Tracy, CA to profile her for a "Pet Story", a show that documents unique relationships between pets and their owners. A former resident of Tracy, Crawford now lives in Castro Valley but still uses Old River for veterinary services.

One of Crawford's pit bull dogs, "Dakota", has been on some high-profile searches. Last year, Dakota assisted police in the search for the body of toddler Luis Sanchez, who police believe was buried on the outskirts of Tracy almost two years ago. Dakota also helped in the search for Laci Peterson, and Crawford and Dakota were also called to Texas to search for the remains of the crew members of the space shuttle Columbia after it burned up on re-entry earlier this year.

"They have an incredible desire to please their owners," Crawford said. "They will do their best at whatever their owners tell or train them to do. Unfortunately, they are the most abused breed in the world right now because a lot of owners use them for illegal purposes such as dog fighting, which is illegal in most states."

Many people would be afraid to take on a dog that most people consider dangerous. But Crawford says she has confidence in her abilities as a trainer and her extensive knowledge and understanding of this breed.

Owners began breeding bull terriers in England in the 13th century for the sport of bull baiting, where a dog or several dogs were put in a ring and forced to attack and bring down a bull. Dogs were bred for their tenacity and strength until the immensely popular "sport" was outlawed in 1835. Following the ban on bull baiting, breeders began organizing fights between bull terriers. Again, the breeders bred these dogs for strength, tenacity and also started selecting bull terriers based upon agility, intelligence and devotion to their masters. During this period in the breeds history, although they were bred to fight other dogs, they were also bred to be human-friendly. Any dog that bit a human was eliminated from the gene pool. They were still required to be devoted and loyal to their masters, even in the heat of battle.

This devotion, coupled with their natural intelligence and inquisitiveness, is why Crawford uses American Pit Bull Terriers for search and rescue. "I use only positive means of training," Crawford said. "I've never had to resort to using force when working with this breed, even those that had come from violent pasts." Crawford spends a lot of time helping those who have adopted pit bulls train them to be good canine citizens.

"Pet Story" producer Tracy Evans said when she heard about Crawford and her pit bulls, "We want to show the positive and special relationship Crawford has with her three dogs," Evans said. Crawford has two other pit bulls, 7-year-old Cheyenne and 2-year-old Tahoe. Crawford and her dogs also visit sick children and the elderly at local hospitals, put on Safety Around Dogs and Dog Bite Prevention programs at schools and for children's groups, as well as do Overcoming Obstacles presentations for disabled children.

Before she became a search and rescue dog, now 6-year-old Dakota, had a serious leg problem as a puppy. Old River veterinarian Lesia Machicao said that Dakota had pieces of detached cartilage in her ankle and the bone was also not growing correctly, which made simply walking difficult for her. Dakota had surgery to try to correct the problems and Machicao is amazed at the devotion she and Crawford have and the level they perform at. "She's developed some arthritis, but that is not unusual," Machicao said. "What's amazing is she's still working at this level with it. It's a credit to this breed and also a credit to Kris, who has worked continually with Dakota's rehabilitation. Kris's dedication is amazing."

Like Crawford, Machicao said that she thinks the American Pit Bull Terrier has gotten a bad rap in the press. "Unfortunately, a lot of the public seems to be "educated" about this breed through the media," Crawford said. "The pit bulls that we hear most pften about in the media are not typical of the breed. For every one of these bad dogs that you hear about in the media, there are hundreds of them living happy lives in homes with children. As with any living creature, these dogs are a product of their environment and life experiences. All breeds can, will, and do bite. That's why responsible dog ownership is so very important, no matter what breed of dog you have."