Please visit our facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Savethelansingmipits/  

We are reaching out in support of 53 dogs that were removed from a large professional dogfighting bust in Lansing Michigan.  We are aware that two petitions to euthanize a combined number of 16 dogs were filed by Ingham County prosecuting attorney on 7/21/2017 with a hearing scheduled for 8/25/2017.  We are asking that you do not grant this petition. These dogs are the victims and they deserve the opportunity to be evaluated on an individual basis and not all lumped together as dangerous and aggressive dogs.  Once a dog fighting dog does not mean always a dog fighting dog as many past victims of dog fighting rings have shown us over and over again.  And when do we, as a society, punish the victim?

A dog who has been the victim of cruel humans that force them to fight can be rescued from those that use them in one of the most inhumane ways possible and go on to live a life that has purpose.  There have been numerous books, movies and news articles written about these survivors showing their resilience and ability to adjust to life out of the ring.  Some have become therapy dogs.  Some have become breed ambassadors visiting school children to educate on pitbulls and dog fighting.  Some have gone on to become loving family pets in families that have children.  Many have earned their good citizen award which are issued by the AKC to dogs who pass a series of 10 tests....not something an aggressive or dangerous dog could do.  All of these dogs are breaking the stereotypes and showing that there can be a life after dog fighting.  When taken out of the horrors they were forced into these dogs show their true nature.  

More and more we are hearing stories of dogs that are spared from euthanasia after being seized from dog fighting busts.  The reason is because people care about and fight for these animals.  The stories of these dogs surviving such abuse and then being able to flourish after they are placed in new surroundings gives us reason to continue to fight for their lives.  They have been forced to fight for human greed and now we fight for them.  They deserve a chance to be a dog.  To be loved.  To be safe.  To not be judged because of the circumstances they were found in due to either being born into fighting or being stolen from their loving families and forced into fighting.  They deserve a chance to be seen as individual dogs and not lumped together in a category of "fighting dog".  They DO NOT deserve to be euthanized because they "serve no useful purpose" because as many past survivors of dog fighting have shown they have gone on to serve VERY useful purposes.  The #Michigan53 deserve a chance! 

The people that have signed this petition would like you to hear their pleas for the lives of these dogs to be spared.  They would like for you to read the inspirational stories about Handsome Dan, Cherry, Tillie, Little Red, Ray, Mel, Jonny, Hector, Mama Jade, Oscar, Grace, Timmy, Georgia, and so many more.  They would like you to talk to rescues and organizations that work with these dogs on a daily basis and have first hand knowledge of what these dogs are capable of...places like Handsome Dan Rescue, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Mayday Pit Bull Rescue, Bad Rap, Pit Bull Rescue Central and countless others.  They would like for you to give these dogs a chance to live.  Please do not allow these dogs to be further victimized. Please let them finally become the dogs they were meant to be.