An individual recently contacted me after reading the Huffington Post piece about the dogfighting tip line and asked, "Why do you do what you do for pits? Do you want attention?" I found this question so appalling I've decided to answer this question publicly, and in doing so will leave nameless the open mouth-breather who asked it -- just as a one-time courtesy.
Doing "what I do for pits" for the past seven years has lost me many friends and gained me countless enemies. I've been verbally attacked and have received death threats. I've had to serve cease-and-desist orders. I'm constantly criticized for what I say and how I say it by people, both in and outside of the animal community. I've been ambushed on live radio shows by so-called "dog experts" and pit bull hate groups (yes, they actually exist). I'm constantly asked and expected to "do more" by self-proclaimed "advocates" who, do nothing more than sit on their couch eating Doritos while posting from their computers.
The last TV show I was on, a writer approached in front of the entire cast and crew at the after-show party and said loudly, "I don't like those pit bulls you stick up for. They're loaded guns. And my neighbors have a pit bull and I don't like them either!" He continued to express his disdain (about dogs he clearly knows nothing about) at me to the uncomfortable point that people had to walk away. I ended up talking to him for an hour as he drank his beer and then got in his car to drive home, which ironically made him the loaded gun, and statistically far more dangerous to human lives than any dog of any kind could ever be. The last manager I met with told me "You need to do one or the other. Either do your foundation stuff or your career," then passed on representing me.
These are just some of examples of the kind of "attention" I get for standing up and speaking my mind.
I will never choose between my career (my passion) or my foundation (my purpose), and for someone to suggest I do is totally senseless. My career helps facilitate my foundation, which has saved (and continues to save) countless lives. The SUFP Foundation exists because an Angel came into my life and literally taught me how to do something bigger with the 24 years I've invested in what is one the most fair weather businesses on earth. As a result, what I do professionally and personally now has purpose. I planned a march on Washington DC while being a series regular on a sitcom all while writing, performing stand-up, producing live charity events around the country, taking care of my life, my Angel and running a foundation. I have donated every minute I've put into educating, advocating and saving the lives of pit bull-type dogs because I believe in protecting the innocent, voiceless souls who are being tortured, neglected, fought, killed and wrongfully vilified by ignorant and dangerous human beings.
So... to be very clear, I don't "want attention." What I want is for my species to stop killing inherently good beings who cannot defend themselves. What I want is for parents to be better at being parents and teach their children to respect animals. What I want is for people in a first-world country with endless resources to get off their lazy asses and participate in making our communities safer for humans and pets and understand that animal abuse is a social issue that affects us all. What I want is for the federal government to step in and abolish BSL once and for all and stop using millions of taxpayers' dollars to enforce ineffective and discriminatory bullshit laws. What I want is for people to be responsible and stop buying dogs from breeders when millions are dying in shelters. And I want people to spay and neuter their fucking pets. The list goes on and on, but the result is always the same... to save lives and make communities safer for humans and pets.
I don't do this to make friends, for approval or a pat on the back. You don't like me? I don't care. You don't like dogs? I don't care. You don't think an "advocate" should use swear words? I don't give a shit. You don't want to get involved? Then please do not be shocked if someone you love is assaulted, robbed, raped or murdered by a troubled individual who first abused animals and no one did anything about it.
I do this to save dogs, and if this notion is unfathomable or difficult to understand, then I suggest you take a good long look at yourself in the mirror, dig deep into your broken soul and ask yourself if it's you and your lack of self worth who, in fact, seeks and needs attention and then try to do better at life. And when you're done doing all those things, I cordially invite you to blow me.
#HappyLaborDay
Read the original HuffPost blog post here.