http://milkbone.icmodus.com/?id=8275
There's only one day left to help change the public perception of Pit Bulls. Those who know/love and/or own a Pittie know we are fighting an uphill battle for the breed's reputation. Bad...horrible...or stupid owners on one hand and bad...horrible stupid politicians on the other with responsible owners getting caught in the middle of ugly BSL issues. Vote Ruby, the Pit Bull to be Milkbone's Spokesdog. The first one in their 100 year history. Out of the thousands of enteries, Ruby and her human sister , Sadie, made the final 100!!! Now it's your turn to vote! You have to register but then it's very easy and you can vote once each day through , November 18. What an incredible coup for all of the responsilbe owners if she wins! Who knows we might even be visiting a city near you in 2009! Thanks so much for your help and support! www.milkbone.com
FYI......Pat and Ruby are scheduled to appear on Twin Cities Live, channel 5, Twin Cities Minnesota, Monday November 17, 3-4pm
Pit bull turned politician: Local therapy dog hopes to win national 'spokesdog' contest
By ANDREW WALLMEYER
awallmeyer@acnpapers.com
(Created: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 3:30 PM CDT)
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Submitted photo
Ruby poses with Sadie Bettendorf, 2 1/2, this past Forth of July in what has become the passive pit bull's official campaign shot.
BAYPORT - Ruby Bettendorf works the crowd like a pro, smiling and shaking hands as she politely asks Croixdale residents for their vote, encouraging them to tell their friends and family members to do the same.
This campaigning pit bull might not wear lipstick, but she was still attractive enough to be chosen from a field of thousands as one of 100 finalists for Milk-Bone's 100th anniversary "spokesdog."
Having advanced in the primary, Ruby and her owner Pat Bettendorf, of Scandia, are now trying to drum up votes for an online election that runs through Nov. 18. If they win, they will receive $100,000, a digital camera, and be flown around the country next year to appear together at up to 10 promotional events.
Bettendorf said Ruby's temperament and experience as a therapy dog has prepared her well for the stresses of being the center of attention in unfamiliar environments, and he hopes her candidacy will help people look past negative stereotypes about pit bulls.
"I knew the kind of temperament it takes to be a therapy dog, and when I saw Ruby that first weekend we fostered her, I said, 'Oh yeah, she's got it," he recalled. "She was just so calm. With all the commotion and all the stuff that was going on, she was just as smooth and cool as could be. And happy."
Bettendorf said the pit bull has gotten a bad rap as a breed recently, due largely to a handful of bad owners.
"Pit bulls used to be the No. 1 family dog in America in the first half of the 20th century," he said, noting that the Little Rascals and Helen Keller had pit bulls, and the breed was used in the logo for Buster Brown shoes.
"The sad thing is they're easily trained and they would do anything to please their owner; they'd give up their life for them," Bettendorf continued. "It's really sad the way some people have loaded them up with drugs and trained them to be violent and aggressive. ... Now they have this bad reputation that isn't necessarily deserved. The vast majority of pit bulls are great dogs owned by wonderful people."
Those who have gotten to know Ruby in the three years she has been coming to Croixdale said they couldn't imagine a better representative of the breed.
"She's always very calm, and she just likes to snuggle up with people and let them pet her," said activities director Mary Jo Ducklow. "The residents really enjoy having her come in."
Bettendorf, 59, has worked with therapy dogs since 1995, and said it was apparent right away that Ruby had the right character for the job, despite her rough upbringing.
She and her brother were found starving in an abandoned house in September 2003, when they were about six months old. After a few months and several requests from St. Francis Animal Rescue, Bettendorf agreed to care for Ruby over Thanksgiving weekend.
He soon put Ruby in therapy dog training, and before long she was making the rounds at local hospitals and nursing homes. Her big break came when she appeared on stage in the Lakeshore Players production of "Cheaper By the Dozen" in September 2006, prompting several local media outlets to take notice.
So far, Ruby has been featured in the Gazette, the Country Messenger, Press Publications, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, WCCO-TV, WFTC-TV, a New York City newsletter and an Associated Press report that appeared in newspapers as far away as Switzerland. In February 2007, She was inducted into the companion animals section of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association Animal Hall of Fame.
On the campaign trail, Ruby's message is clear.
"She's running simply on 'Calm, cool, steady, and cute,'" Bettendorf said. "She's got the temperament to be a spokesdog. She's absolutely unflappable."
And what does she promise to do if elected?
"As much as she'd like to promise two Milk-Bones on every plate, she can't, because that's against the rules," Bettendorf said. "But as someone who's known her since the beginning, I can say you couldn't find a better representative."
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To vote for Ruby visit http://milkbone.icmodus.com.
Subject: Last Day to vote...w need your help 
Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:11 pm
