Greenland's rescue dog Louie, a mix between Pit Bull, Husky, German Shepard, and Rottweiler.
Image Credit: Olivia Greenland
August 15, 2020 - 1:27 PM
Kamloops photographer Olivia Greenland has always loved pit bull breeds, and she wants to raise awareness about the discrimination they face.
That's why she is launching Don't Bully my Breed, a project capturing photos for a 2021 calendar of bully breeds in the community like mastiffs, bulldog crosses and Staffordshire terriers.
"What sparked my idea for this project was the recent attack in Kamloops and how often myself and other bully breed owners receive flack about the way their dog looks," Greenland said.
The attack happened two months ago, when a Kamloops man was killed by a pit bull, June 29.
A mastiff, named Jax.
Image Credit: Olivia Greenland
She said incidents like these give the breed a bad reputation, which not all bully breeds deserve. She explained that more often than not, it's the owner's poor treatment or lack of training that contributes to violent behaviour, not the breed itself.
"I feel quite strongly about the (breed-specific) laws," she said. Breed-specific legislation are bylaws banning or more harshly penalizing specific breeds, such as pit bulls, in order to prevent violent incidents.
"I'm hoping that this project can raise awareness, because a lot of people don't even know what BSL is."
A bully breed mix spotted at a B.C. dog park.
Image Credit: Olivia Greenland
Fortunately for bully breed lovers, Kamloops and the surrounding areas do not have any breed-specific legislation. The closest municipality with these legislations is Osoyoos, which classifies bully breeds as restricted dogs and charges owners a $200 fine if they are found off their property without a muzzle.
Greenland hopes that those against pit bull breeds will see the adorable calendar photos and realize that bully breeds are often misrepresented and misunderstood.
"I really just want to bring awareness to it, while at the same time being able to give back to a rescue," she said.
Haiti, a Cane Corso.
Image Credit: Olivia Greenland
She is asking residents to nominate their favourite local animal rescue on her Facebook page, and she will tally up the votes to choose where to donate.
When Greenland put out a call for pit bulls or similar breeds to model for her calendar, she was astonished by the number of volunteers.
"It’s funny, I didn’t think I’d be able to get even twelve dogs," she said. She ended up with more dogs than months in a year.
Breezy, a registered American Bully.
Image Credit: Olivia Greenland
"I’d like to collage the photos for each month, so I can get as many dogs into it as I can," she said.
Greenland plans to release the calendar in the fall.
To preorder a calendar, contact Greenland through her Facebook business page OG Photography.
Greenland's rescue dog Louie, a mix between Pit Bull, Husky, German Shepard, and Rottweiler.
Image Credit: Olivia Greenland
To contact a reporter for this story, email Brie Welton or call (250) 819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2020