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Tucson Activists Announce Date for Walk Event to Raise Awareness for Victims of Serious Dog Attacks

October 2012
Tucson, AZ - On Saturday October 27, two grassroots activists from Tucson will host a first ever event of its kind in the country: A walk to raise awareness of victims of pit bulls and other dangerous dogs. Activists Melissa Baze and Matthew Pimple created the event to honor these local victims, who like in many U.S. cities are part of an ever-rotating new dog attack headline on the evening news. The pioneering event will be held at a Lincoln Park. Admission is free.

Tucson-Based Activists Announce Walk Event to Raise Awareness for Victims of Pit Bulls and Other Dangerous Dogs
The grassroots organized walk event for victims of pit bulls and other dangerous dogs is the first of its kind in the country.
Tucson, AZ, June 11, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Local grassroots activists and the Facebook Pit Bull Regulation Project Group announce the first ever, Walk For Victims of Pit Bulls and Other Dangerous Dogs - Tucson, AZ, to honor the victims of serious, and sometimes deadly dog attacks and to raise awareness in the community of the dangers associated with vicious dogs. The event kicks off Saturday, October 27, 2012 at high noon at Lincoln Park on South Pantano Road in Tucson, Arizona. Admission to the event is free.
After continuously reading about local dog attacks, primarily carried out by pit bulls, Tucson-based activists Melissa Baze and Matthew Pimple decided to create an event to remember these victims. "To date, there has been nothing done to honor and remember these victims," said Baze. "Too often the focus of these attacks gets misplaced, and worse, instead of acknowledging what the victim has endured, the person is blamed for 'somehow provoking the dog to attack,'" Baze explains.
The Tucson activists hope that other grassroots activists in Arizona and across the country will follow in their footsteps. "I want a Walk For Victims of Pit Bulls and Other Dangerous Dogs in twenty U.S. cities next year," said Baze. The organizers have a website, walkforvictimsofpitbulls.blogspot.com, and a Google Group email list. Local dog bite victims, their family members and friends, and neighborhood activists are encouraged to join the email list to stay informed.

Tucson, Arizona Backdrop

Readers might recall that the pit bull issue surged to the forefront in Tucson in August of last year after a pet pit bull inflicted catastrophic injury on his owner Michael Cook. The victim underwent the amputation of both arms and required over 100 pints of blood before succumbing to his injures. Michael Cook died August 23, 2011. In the aftermath of his death, KGUN9-TV  began to investigate the "pit bull issue" and discovered all too quickly the breed's rabid defenders.1

Notably, the Tucson activists chose the date of October 27, which this year is the unofficial Pit Bull Awareness Day in parts of the country. Like the awareness video in 2008 by DogsBite.org, YouTube artist Zupf's depiction of the day in 2009 and a Massachusetts Mother in 2011, who ripped humane groups for using the day to promote an "aggressive PR and marketing campaign" to make the breed more desirable, the annual day in 2012 comes with a sting to pit bull lovers.


Related articles:
11/06/11: Tucson TV Station Airs Segment About Pit Bulls: Are They Really Dangerous?
10/22/11: Mother of Two Responds to 'Pit Bull Awareness Day' in Massachusetts
08/23/11: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Tucson Man Succumbs to Injuries After Attack
10/24/09: 2009 Pit Bull Awareness Day by YouTube Artist Zupf - DogsBite.org
10/25/08: On Pit Bull Awareness Day, DogsBite.org Releases Video of Attack Victims

Labels: Activist, Arizona, Event, Grassroots, Melissa Blaze, Michael Cook, Tucson, Victim Advocacy