You know when you’re on an airplane about to depart, and the flight attendants do a safety demonstration? They tell you: “In the event of an emergency, put on your own oxygen mask before helping others around you.” I always thought that was nonsense! In the event of an emergency, we should help the people […]

When pit bull dogs make headlines and the community wants to “do something,” the first question we should ask is: “What does the community perceive as the problem?” The answer is often “dog fighting” and a common reaction is to “raise awareness” about the alleged problem. But when you start digging deeper, you often find that […]

If your dog got lost, would you rely on breed identification to bring him home? There’s a lot of debate about the use of breed labels in promoting dogs for adoption. Some skeptics claim that visual breed identification is much easier and much more reliable than scientific, peer-reviewed studies have found. Then when you add […]

Question: What kind of dog are they talking about in these news quotes? “I’ve come across more than 500 cases of so-called _____ dogs. As I told you people last year, I have been bitten twice by so-called _____ dogs.” “Not one _____ dog scare in thousands has a real _____ dog behind it.” “In […]

  Why did I name this website “Beyond Breed?” I’m so glad ya asked! Let me explain. Why did I include the word “BREED”? Breeds are very much a part of the dog world. Breeds, as we know them today, were created through human intervention, and they are maintained through careful selection and regulation. For people […]

I’ve never lived with cats. Pop culture taught me that they’re all aloof and do their own thing. Videos like “Cat-Friend vs Dog-Friend” only strengthened my  pre-conceived notions. I met Rosa the Cat last week at Alaqua Animal Refuge. She was super outgoing. Quite the flirt, followed me everywhere. Rosa was even trained to “hug” […]

Have you ever been pre-judged by a stereotype or experienced prejudice? Ever been falsely accused of something? How did you respond? Turns out that negating the stereotype (“I am not bad!”) might actually be making it worse. What we should be doing is affirming the counter-stereotype (“I am good!”).             […]

I heard this quote from political commentator Ray Suarez on PBS, describing the 2012 Presidential candidates’ strategies for influencing votes: “It sounds kind of obvious, but the research shows that when someone you know talks to you about casting a vote in the first place or voting for the person that you prefer, that has […]

Is your community discussing breed-specific legislation? Here are 10 tips for speaking at a public hearing. (1) Stay for the entire meeting. I recently attended a public hearing in Middletown, New York, where a new dog ordinance was first on the agenda for discussion. After the dog discussion ended, the dozens of advocates in attendance […]

  First and foremost: I love my dog Fannie. I’m so glad we adopted her. And I adopted her thinking she was a Rottie mix, knowing that we’d encounter discrimination. It frustrates me thinking of how much money we’ve spent over the past 6 years finding apartments that allowed Rottweiler mixes. Many rental properties did not. […]