A fresh idea can change the world. That is what Deirdre “Little Darling” Franklin hopes to do with her organization, Pinups for Pitbulls (PFPB). Chances are you’ve seen one of Franklin’s eye-catching images—they’re hard to miss. Classic pin-up style modeling paired with adorable Pit Bull-type dogs make for images that are as share-worthy as they are attention grabbing. And that’s the point. We talked to Franklin to learn more about the inspiration and mission behind PFPB.
SNIPPET:
Why do you think Pit Bulls are so misjudged?
When I was working on my master’s thesis on breed specific legislation I had access to peer reviewed journals and nearly every newspaper article out there. Not one study existed proving that breed bans had worked or that Pit Bulls were inherently more dangerous than other dogs. However, in the newspaper section I came across 17,000 articles damning these dogs. There is a deep disconnect between science and logic and what the media prints. We are working triple time to undo these stereotypes and myths.
What needs to change?
It’s time for people to understand that banning a dog because of the way he or she looks is not going to keep you any safer. All dogs have teeth. Instead, focus on the enforcement of leash laws, breed-neutral spay and neuter laws, and help to reduce or ban chaining in your community. These are the main factors that contribute to most dog bites and can easily be avoided with education.