Loveabullthe only magazine dedicated to the Amercan Pit Bull

Flower Power: how one NYCphotographer is challenging breed-specific

stereotypesApril 2016, Iss. 21

USD: $3.99

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#dontbullymybreed: the top ten most popular hashtags for your next pitbull post, pg. 2

Feelin’ Blue: instagram’s @theblueboys take over the internet and our hearts, pg. 3

Flower Power (cover story): French-born artist Sophie Gemand’s colorful photographs are changing the way the world views our favorite breed, pg. 4

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Loveabull

#dontbullymybreed

hashtags are one of the best ways to make your instagram, facebook or twitter posts standout.

here are some of the most unique and

popular tags being used by pitbull owners

and advocates from around the world

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque porta, erat non lobortis placerat, odio tortor mollis ex, quis ornare nunc nibh vehicula nunc. Donec dolor velit, euismod at ante nec, suscipit volutpat lorem. Nullam rhoncus tempor ulla-mcorper. Maecenas facilisis, tellus ac aliquam molestie, nisi nisl blandit augue, at porta ex eros in felis. In nunc tellus, pretium eu elit non, accumsan mollis lectus. Nullam ac quam lorem. Vestibulum condimentum nulla quis accumsan tincidunt. Nunc ornare metus et urna volutpat bibendum. Vestibulum massa arcu, ultrices ac lacus et, iaculis egestas nunc. Donec vel nunc vitae lorem dictum sollicitudin. Praesent id blandit neque. Mauris vestibulum odio id nunc aliquet commodo. Duis dignissim dolor quis velit semper dictum. Nam et enim eu elit tincidunt convallis sed vitae lorem. In maximus lectus lorem, sagittis cursus ipsum fermentum ut. Aenean blandit semper diam, quis consectetur diam bibendum porttitor. Nulla mauris justo, condimentum sed lectus vel, pellentesque egestas orci. Nullam dui nibh, pharetra nec dolor eu, ultricies tempus arcu. Fusce interdum bibendum libero, quis semper lectus facilisis quis. Donec eu sagittis nunc. Donec vestibulum quam nunc, non consequat libero vestibulum sed. Integer mollis, massa non eleifend tincidunt, urna velit viverra risus, sit amet euismod magna ipsum ac ipsum. Donec sed auctor augue. Ut laoreet auctor mauris ut venenatis. Pellen-tesque at nulla id dui gravida iaculis. Ut imperdiet accumsan neque, vitae vestibulum massa imperdiet non. Vestibulum quis lacinia mi, sed porttitor lorem. Sed ut suscipit elit. Fusce sodales nulla ante, ut malesuada felis aliquam vitae. Vivamus a nulla in mi accumsan tempus. Fusce quis malesuada ante. Proin sapien turpis, feugiat id vehicula et, accumsan a dolor.

#endBSL #aplacetolovepitbulls #show

meyourpits #bullylove

#pitstagram #lovernotafighter

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FLOWER POWER how one woman’s photographs are changing the way the world sees Pitbulls

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Sophie Gamand is hoping her new photo series will help people see pit bulls as dogs who embody the “power of love and the softness of flowers.” “They are always photographed, it seems, in very urban settings or visual styles: harsh light, sharp images, hard, gritty,” she says. “I wanted to explore the other side of the spectrum and portray pit bulls in an unexpected way.” Gamand is the France-born, Brooklyn-based photographer whose series on wet dogs perfectly captures the adorable miseries of bath time. With “Flower Power,” she put handmade floral headpieces on blocky-headed rescue dogs — treats and lots of petting helped keep her models still — in order to “challenge the way people view pit bulls,” she says. But the aim here is not just pretty, pretty photos (that remind us, in a really good way, of renaissance fairs). An estimated 1 million pit bulls are euthanized in shelters across the country every year, and so the bigger goal here is for the changed perspective to lead to more adoptions — like of these sweet babies here,

who are all looking for families to love them, with or without the fancy hats. “I believe it is important that we should remember we created and manipulated dogs to make them what they are today,” says Gamand. “We subdued an entire specie to fulfill our needs. That should give us a responsibility towards them.” See more of Gamand’s work on her website — Flower Power prints are available for purchase here; proceeds benefit Second Chance Rescue and Sean Casey Animal Rescue. Sophie Gamand is hoping her new photo series will help people see pit bulls as dogs who embody the “power of love and the softness of flowers.” “They are always photographed, it seems, in very urban settings or visual styles: harsh light, sharp images, hard, gritty,” she says. “I wanted to explore the other side of the spectrum and portray pit bulls in an unexpected way.” Gamand is the France-born, Brooklyn-based photographer whose series on wet dogs perfectly captures the adorable miseries of bath

how one woman’s photographs are changing the way the world sees Pitbulls

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time. With “Flower Power,” she put handmade floral headpieces on blocky-headed rescue dogs — treats and lots of petting helped keep her models still — in order to “challenge the way people view pit bulls,” she says. But the aim here is not just pretty, pretty photos (that remind us, in a really good way, of renaissance fairs). An estimated 1 million pit bulls are euthanized in shelters across the country every year, and so the bigger goal here is for the changed perspective to lead to more adoptions — like of these sweet babies here, who are all looking for families to love them, with or without the fancy hats. “I believe it is important that we should remember we created and manipulated dogs to make them what they are today,” says Gamand. “We subdued an entire specie to fulfill our needs. That should give us a responsibility towards them.” See more of Gamand’s work on her website — Flower Power prints are available for purchase here; proceeds benefit Second Chance Rescue and Sean Casey Animal Rescue. Sophie Gamand is hoping her new photo series will

help people see pit bulls as dogs who embody the “power of love and the softness of flowers.” “They are always photographed, it seems, in very urban settings or visual styles: harsh light, sharp images, hard, gritty,” she says. “I wanted to explore the other side of the spectrum and portray pit bulls in an unexpected way.” Gamand is the France-born, Brooklyn-based photographer whose series on wet dogs perfectly captures the adorable miseries of bath time. With “Flower Power,” she put handmade floral headpieces on blocky-headed rescue dogs — treats and lots of petting helped keep her models still — in order to “challenge the way people view pit bulls,” she says. But the aim here is not just pretty, pretty photos ( that remind us of a Renaissance Fair, in the best way possible, of course!) An estimated 1 million pit bulls are euthanized in shelters across the country every year, and so the bigger goal here is for the changed perspective to lead to more adoptions — like of these sweet babies here, who are all looking for families to love them, with or without the fancy hats.

by Michelle Hardy

“We subdued an entire species to fulfill our needs. That should give us a responsibility towards them.”--Sophie Gemand, Flower Power photographer

Feelin’ blue

how instagram’s favorite pits @theblueboys have taken over the internet--and our hearts

A pair of Staffordshire Terriers have become an internet sensation thanks to their love of snug-gling up together - wearing baby onesies! Darren and Phillip, also known as The Blue-boys, live with Jennifer McLean and her fiancée Lachlan in Brisbane, Australia. Jennifer, originally from Liverpool, began tak-ing photos of her pooches because of the ador-able way they chose to snuggle up together. She told Mirror Online: “I’d spot them doing something really cute and upload a photo to my Facebook - after which the response from my family and friends was always ‘HOW did you get them to do that!?’ “They have an inseparable bond and will never be found more than a few metres apart.” Darren, aged 4, and Phillip, 3, were both the runts of their litters and were the last dogs to be chosen due to their incredibly small size. They are both still relatively small for full-grown Staffies - which perhaps explains why they

love a snuggle in their PJs. Jennifer said: “I never really intended on them being known for wearing onesies - but they really (really) love wearing clothes. “As soon as they are dressed in their pyjamas they immediately want to snuggle. “They will find a spot on the couch and bury their noses into one another and that’s it for a few hours.” “It started out with actual dog clothes and then to kids’ jumpers and then one thing led to an-other and before I knew it I was shopping in the baby section buying onesies. “I’ve had a few shop attendants ask me who I’m buying for and when I tell them it’s for my dogs the response I get is mostly that they think I’ve completely lost it.” Jennifer created an Instagram account and a Facebook page to share pictures of Darren and Phillip with other Staffy lovers. She also tells us that she hoped the pictures

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of her dogs could change the minds of anyone who believed Staffies were a vicious breed. “We are very passionate Staffy owners because they are honestly the most loving and loyal animal I’ve ever encountered. “My mission from the start has always been to show people what these dogs are really like and to hopefully change some people’s minds on the idea that these dogs are vicious.” And it seems to be working. Their Instagram ac-count, filled with adorable pictures, has built up over 41,000 followers. Jennifer added: “These little boys are our whole lives. They make us laugh every day so it is nice to be able to share it with 40,000+ people who love them just as much. What’s next for the Blueboys? Well, Jennifer and Lachlan are getting married next year. “Darren and Phillip will be there in their little tuxes and buttonholes. They are my something blue.” “I really think our wedding album will just end up being photos of dogs in suits!” Hopefully they’ll remember to get some pictures of the bride and groom, too. --mh

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