Making a Difference
Kim Ramirez Puts Her Pasion for Pit Bulls Into Action

by Rachel Long

Making a Difference
Kim Ramirez Puts Her Passion for Pit Bulls Into Action

If I had to guess, I’d say Kim Ramirez always has an extra leash in her car to help a stranded, injured or stray dog find her way to safety. Her love for dogs is only matched by her passion for helping homeless Pit Bulls. Her dedication to doing right by them and helping others better understand this misunderstood breed is unparalleled. Despite being a working single mom, she somehow finds hours each week to devote to volunteering. I’m proud to know her. You will be too.

Q: Where do you volunteer, why did you start, and how long have you been doing it?
RAMIREZ: I’ve been doing volunteer work on and off since my late teens, but I’ve been volunteering with BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible about Pit Bulls) since 2004. I started by bringing my own dog to their training classes, but as time progressed, I wanted to get more involved helping Pit Bulls. I had grown up around this breed, and it saddened me to see how exploited and misinterpreted they are. I’m not the kind of person who can see wrong doings without trying something to change it.

Q: What does your typical volunteer session look like at Pit Bull Hall (PBH) where you are the weekend manager?
RAMIREZ: It starts by quickly checking the dog log to see the status of the dogs. Then I bring the dogs out one by one to the back play areas where we do some light training. Sometimes I coach them on how to respectfully play with each other or how to chill out when energy levels are a bit too high. You can also find me chatting with a member of the public about a particular PBH dog or about Pit Bulls in general. In addition, I take dogs on outings like to Starbucks or to a nearby creek trail. Before leaving, I put fresh bedding down for all the dogs, give them a treat and do one last check to make sure every one is settled.

Q: How else do you help BAD RAP?
RAMIREZ: I’ve fostered a few dogs, transported dogs to foster homes or to obedience classes and completed home-checks for potential adopters. I’ve also helped people through email that are considering re-homing their dogs due to behavior issues. I talk to them about a particular problem or about proper management in the home. There have been more than a few who have decided to keep their dogs after talking with me. That makes me feel great. I also help with special events, sometimes bringing food for receptions or fundraisers. I also enjoy helping with outreach and education events. I’ve recently raised my hand to become more involved in the planning stages of shot fairs where people can get free vaccines and microchips for their Pit Bulls. This is such a needed resource for the community. They are a lot of hard work but so rewarding in the end!

Q: Why do you think Pit Bulls have a bad reputation?
 RAMIREZ: Over-breeding for financial reasons, not enough responsible homes, media sensationalism, and misidentification of the breed all work together to create a real problem for Pit Bulls. We could do work on one area to debunk myths, but when these factors all come together it’s like a snow ball effect, making it very challenging to get the truth out there.

Q: Have you fallen in love with any dogs at the shelter or that you’ve fostered?  
RAMIREZ: I’ve fallen for quite a few. It’s hard not to fall for these guys, especially when you start working with a particular dog and watch him or her blossom. But the dog that really stands out and taught me about stereotypical prejudice was Amy. Confiscated from a known dog fighter, she had been living in terrible conditions. After spending months in the city shelter, she landed a spot with BAD RAP at PBH. When I first saw Amy, she was a mess. She had no training, her coat was awful, and her tail looked like a rat’s tail from being