Exhibit shows off pit bulls’ softer side

When Vyvyan Hathaway’s husband, Drew, brought home a pit bull puppy three years ago, she had a typical reaction.

“I thought she would kill us, kill the kids, kill our other pets,” Hathaway said. “I was afraid of pit bulls. I was very uneducated about them.”

Now Hathaway is such a defender of the breed she has an exhibit of about 50 pit bull photos at Park Pet Supply in East Atlanta and is hoping to turn the project, which also collects the stories of each dog, into a book.

“I wanted to start documenting the breed,” Hathaway, of Atlanta, said. “And I wanted more than their photos, I wanted their stories. I wanted to know how people got their dogs.”

The stories, she said, have often been heartbreaking.

“What some of these dogs have gone through will just make you cry,” Hathaway said. “People have found them dragging heavy chains embedded in their necks, they’ve rescued starving dogs, they’ve jumped a fence to rescue a dog being used for bait, they found them living on the porch of an abandoned home, ready to give birth. Yet these dogs rebound and become loving, trusting pets. It’s amazing.”

Hathaway started photographing pit bulls in her neighborhood and at a kennel where she worked part time. After posting a few of the photos at Park Pet Supply and asking for more pittie photo subjects, she’s been flooded with people who want their dog’s story told.

“It’s just taken off,” Hathaway said. “I’ve been amazed at the response to the project.”

Victoria Park, owner of Park Pet Supply, said she offered to hang the photos in her store when she found out about the project. The owner of a rescued pit/boxer mix herself, Park said she was thrilled that Hathaway was trying to show the breed in a better light.

“She takes beautiful photos that show the breed’s playful, loving side, a side a lot of people don’t know these dogs have,” Park said. “I’m hoping it encourages more people to get to know pit bulls before condemning them.”

Hathaway said she’d like to see that, too. She said pit bull owners have to grow “a turtle shell” quickly because so many people fear their dogs.

“I took Bella for a walk when she was only a 4-month-old playful puppy, and a woman freaked out and started screaming at everyone to get away from my dog because it was a pit bull,” Hathaway said. “When you have one of these dogs, you not only have to protect them from people who want to fight them but from upstanding citizens who don’t understand the breed and want to destroy them.”

Those who know the breed, like Ami Ciontos, founder of Atlanta Bully Rally, an advocacy group for bully breeds, say most people have heard only about the few bad incidents with the breeds.

“These dogs are really wonderful with people; they are silly and loving, but people don’t hear about that,” Ciontos said.

Ciontos hopes the dogs’ reputation may be softening. She said the Michael Vick case, which exposed dogfighting, showed many people the torture these dogs often suffer.

“For the first time, pit bulls were finally seen as the victims,” Ciontos said.

But uncontrolled breeding and a rough reputation still make it hard to place even the sweetest pit bulls, rescuers say. And at some shelters, like those in Fulton and DeKalb counties, up to 70 percent of the dogs taken in are pit bulls or pit mixes.

Hathaway says that’s a shame. In her home, her 65-pound pit bull adores her two stepsons and is afraid of her six-pound Maltese.

“She’s just a big, old baby. Many of them are,” Hathaway said. “It’s really, really sad the way we, as a society, now judge these dogs.”

Photos with Santa

It’s that time again. The jolly elf is already making appearances with pets for those favorite Christmas photos. Today he’s at PAWS Atlanta from 1-5 p.m. No sitting fee. Packages start at $25. Call to be sure appointments are still available. 5287 Covington Highway, Decatur. More info: www.pawsatlanta.org.

Holiday party and Lab reunion

Labrador Friends of the South is throwing a holiday party for Labradors and all other dogs. It includes photos with Santa, a silent auction full of giftable items, dog training exhibitions, food, vendors, $20 microchipping and, of course, adoptable Labs. Santa photos are $5 for a Polaroid and a digital photo e-mailed later. Nov. 15, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Pet Basket, 5155 Highway 9, Alpharetta. More info: www.labradorfriends.com.

A Doggone Cat Party

Georgia Homeless Pets is raising money for an animal shelter with a white-tablecloth event. The $60 tickets include a drink, heavy appetizers, music, dancing and live and silent auctions. The rescue, founded by veterinarian Dr. Michael Good, now keeps rescued animals in foster homes or at Good’s clinic. 6:30 p.m.-midnight Nov. 15, at the Hyatt Regency Suites Atlanta Northwest, 2999 Windy Hill Road, Marietta. Tickets: www.georgiahomelesspets.com or call 770-485-4977.

QUICK TIP

Invest in training your pets. In the long run, it will save you money and time, as they will be calmer, less likely to destroy things and less likely to be injured or injure others.

NEWS TO SHARE?

Know of pet news, events or stories? Tell Sandra Eckstein at seckstein@ajc.com or call 404-526-7260. For more pet news, go to ajcpets.com.