ohmidog!

Tomorrow is National Pit Bull Awareness Day, and B-More Dog Inc., a Baltimore-based organization  advocating for responsible dog ownership, is urging its members and pit bull owners everywhere to show off the breed’s good side.

The day was created last year by Bless the Bullys, a pit bull rescue and education organization based in Tennessee, in an effort counter the negative publicity surrounding pit bulls

“This event’s goal is to focus on the pit bulls and their owners who aren’t making the news: Responsible, devoted owners that responsibly care for their dogs and do their best to make sure their dogs are good ambassadors for the breed,” B-More Dog officials said in a press release.

“This year, B-More Dog encourages responsible pit bull owners in the Baltimore area to celebrate National Pit Bull Awareness Day,” they said. “Walk your well-behaved dog in your local park or neighborhood. Find out how to certify your dog as a Canine Good Citizen or seek training advice for your rowdy dog. Talk to your local pet store about putting out fliers that explain the myths vs. the facts about pit bulls.”

B-More Dog (short for Baltimore Dog Owners Guild) was formed to promote responsible dog ownership, and to enhance the relationships of dogs and their owners by fostering responsible care and stewardship. It got its start in the fall of 2007 after a proposal was made to pass breed specific legislation in Baltimore County. 

The proposed law, which would have required all pit bull owners to muzzle their dogs and confine them in locked kennels, was not passed — but those who own and love pit bull type dogs took it as a warning.

“Many of us felt that we needed to do more to help the American pit bull terrier regain its status as a valuable working dog and cherished family pet,” the non-profit organization’s website says.

“Pit bulls and their owners are fighting for their rights and reputations right now. Pit bulls face abuse, neglect, torture, and overbreeding by people who do not have the dogs’ best interests at heart; their owners face negative stereotypes and prejudices, simply because they choose to own pit bulls. 

“We hope that through education, mentoring, and outreach, we can help pit bull owners become better ambassadors for our breed and eventually reduce some of the misunderstandings about pit bulls and the people who love them.”

This one comes from Karen Ngo’s new book, Indognito: A Book of Canines in Costume, published this fall.

Other photos from the book — and many more costume ideas, some less elaborate than this one – can be viewed on her website.

According to her website, Ngo, originally from San Francisco, worked in the fashion industry as a creative director in New York City, while leading a secret life as a dog photographer.

She was also the owner of Scout, the first dog boutique in New York’s East Village, which closed in 2005.

Her dog images have been published in magazines and on calendars and stationery, and in a previous book, Haute Dog. Indognito is published by Little, Brown and Company and can be ordered through Amazon.com.

Ngo resides in Brooklyn with her dogs Martini and Emma.

(Photo from Idognito, by Karen Ngo)