October is here and there are so many special days, awarenesses, and holidays throughout. My personal favorite has to be National Pitbull Awareness Month. The meaning behind this begins with changing society's perspective and stereotypes against Pitbulls - which are also commonly referred to as bully breed dogs.

I would like to start by sharing five fun and educational facts about this breed. For starters, Pitbulls are loyal companions. They are often referred to as wonderful therapy dogs because of their loving, affectionate, and funny personality. Pitbulls are emotional doggies. We all have feelings, but the Pitbull is one sensitive dog. The great thing is they will easily forgive and forget so you don't have to worry too much. Pitbulls are always working to please their humans. A dog like this will always protect their human. They will do anything to make sure we humans are safe, happy and their energetic personality keeps anyone on their toes. Pitbulls are able to climb walls. They are like the Spider-Man of dogs - to be honest, how cool is that? With their muscular physique and strength, they are great dogs for hikers and nature adventures. Finally, Pitbulls love being surrounded by friends. They are so gentle, they used to be called "Nanny Dogs" because of their capability of taking care of children.

A little background story about why I decided to write about my Pitt: I believe all animals deserve a home, a loving family, and proper care. Pitbulls are often called aggressive, violent, and monstrous dogs because they have (unfortunately) been used in dog fights. Pitbulls with proper training, vet check-ups, and a loving family are the opposite of what society claims them to be. My dog is an American Bully (or BullyPit), his name is Chubs Oliva but we all call him "Chubbies." *Cue the aw's* When I met Chubs, I could tell he was an emotional puppy, energetic, and he was always hungry. Chubs was originally my younger sister's dog, but I decided to train him and he was basically given to me by her. Chubs holds a special place in my family's heart because he was everyone's therapy dog during the most difficult times of our lives. He would sleep with my mom, sister, and me at night when we could not sleep. When I would stay up until three in the morning, he would be laying by my feet, protecting me, and in a way cheering me on. Pitbulls are dogs that love to be around their humans; giving us kisses and asking for belly rubs.

Before Chubs, we had two Pitbull and Boxer mixed brothers, Maxx and Lukas - they were the sweetest, craziest, and funniest dogs we had. Their energies were a bit different, but they both were sassy little guys. Maxx was a prideful dog, he loved knowing he was the "man of the house" and he loved snuggling alongside my mother. Lukas on the other hand wanted to play 24/7. Lukas had the "zoomies" probably three times a day and he enjoyed eating ice cream. Although both dogs are no longer with us, we always remember the times they laughed, cried, and snuggled beside us.

I encourage and can put a good word in for the pitties I have had and have now. I have been surrounded by friends and family - who have owned pit bulls - they are loyal dogs. They love to snuggle, take car rides, meet new fur friends and they will always be there for you. Chubs is an example of that because my family can testify that he has always been a caring family member. He loves bacon, peanut butter, and whipped cream. He loves wearing his yellow puffer jacket in the colder months, enjoys chewing on his chew toys, and he loves watching movies with my family. He is afraid of the vacuum at home, gets really upset if we don't rush to take him out, and he will talk back if you bother him from his nap. Chubs enjoys listening to jazz, lofi, and some gospel music. His energy is off the walls, to be honest, I do not know where he gets this energy from, literally all day. But that is what makes pets so fun because we get to see their growth, personality, and fears. Next time you see a pitbull, may you be reminded that they are beautiful dogs just like any other dog out there. They deserve the care, love, and respect because society has been far too cruel to them.