When people see a pit bull and freeze. The jaw. The muscle. The reputation nobody asked for. Years of dogfighting history stuck to the breed like a label that never comes off. One rescuer decided to peel it off, one kiss at a time.
Who started it
Tino Sanchez dedicated himself to changing the way people see pit bulls. His experience with pit bulls completely changed his perception of the breed. He started the nonprofit organization, Peace Love & Pit Bulls, to save pit bulls from the fear that follows them, by creating a rescue and training program.
When it started
The concept for the kissing booth started off small. By 2012 and 2013, photographs and video of pit bulls lined up in a booth with a cutout, licking strangers, were everywhere in Los Angeles, and eventually on the internet. Similar pit bull kissing booths got HuffPost coverage as early as May 2013. The stall got an immense buzz.
Why it started
Pit bulls have a reputation that they never desired. Bad owners. Dogfighting history. Decades of stories. Together they built a stereotype that clung to every pit bull, good or bad. Tino did not need arguments. He wanted proof. A tail-wagging pit bull speaks louder than even a statistic.
The purpose
The booth can do 4 things simultaneously. It reveals to people the true nature of the horrible reputation, raises funds for rescue and training programs. It pushes back against breed bans and unfair housing rules. And it puts adoptable dogs in front of people who may want to adopt one.
Where These Booths Pop Up and Who Finds a Home
The kissing booth isn't an idea from just one group. This same thing is being implemented. At rescue events all over the US. The Pits in San Diego sets it up at places like Liberty Station and Petco Unleashed, right next to their Adoption Alley. Love-A-Bull in Austin brings it to their Pit Bull Awareness Celebration at venues like Buzz Mill and Mueller Lake Park. CARL also has its own version, which takes place around their Valentine's Day adoption drive.
The booth never stands alone. There are dogs to be adopted standing right next to it. Visitors receive a kiss and meet a dog in need of a home. In that one little moment it becomes an adoption story.
What people learned
- A dog is not a breed of dog. It's how they raised it, trained it and loved it.
- The visitors came in with a sense of fear.
- They walked out with dog kisses on their faces.
- In less than a minute, fear was replaced by love.
- That lesson is not to learned in a lecture! One wet nose can.
Street dogs , Indian Pariah dogs in India are also subjected. To the same unfair fear. Just one bark will cause someone to cross the road. But most of the street dogs are gentle, loyal, and all they want is a little kindness. They recall who did and didn't feed them.
The pit bull story and the story of the street dogs in India is based on the same misconception, simply in different countries.Neither deserves the fear people give them. Both just need someone open minded enough to look past the dog standing in front of them.
