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Where there is a need, there’s a way. A woman who believes in both is now finding an innovative way to help both the dog breed she loves and the men she believes deserve a second chance.
With 17 acres of land located near Los Angeles, a woman by the name of Tia Maria Torres is managing to keep the largest pit bull rescue in the U.S. with the capacity to handle 250 pit bulls. About three years ago she added the parolee element and found that the two make a good mix. The parolees work for shelter, cigarettes, food, and for the dogs.
The struggle comes from the money needed to keep the rescue center afloat. At one point, Tia opened up a brothel to pay expenses but a fire put a stop to that plan. She has now pinned her hopes on a reality show “Pit Bulls and Parolees” in hopes to cover the high dog food bills and vet bills the rescue group runs up. The show’s focus is on the relationship between the parolees and the dogs.
Each week an episode will focus on one dog, a rescue and a dog adoption. Although much of the chaos and other related drama will also be part of each episode.
She describes the horrendous treatment of pit bulls by NFL quarterback Michael Vick as having one positive outcome. She has seen a complete change in the attitude people have towards pit bulls. She says the dogs that died at his hands were “sacrificial lambs”. Since that story broke adoptions are much higher and people are now more educated about the plight of these dogs and the public now has a completely different opinion about the breed.