Josh Imhof | staff writer

Nicole Garritano’s interest in pit bulls began in 2003, when she adopted her first pup, Nissa.

Garritano spent the next 10 years educating herself, volunteering and building relationships with pit bull advocacy organizations.

In 2014, she decided she wanted to start an organization with friends and connections she had built during her time volunteering.

“I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but I certainly didn’t want to do it on my own,” she said.

This idea turned into The Proper Pit Bull. They exist to educate, advocate and provide outreach for pit bulls in need, while breaking the stigma against the breed.

“I didn’t know a lot about them, but I started to learn that they’re a very misunderstood breed, and there’s a stigma attached to them,” she said.

Garritano said this stigma is strong, with many people labeling pit bulls as aggressive, dangerous and untrainable.

She said this is because of negative media attention and a lack of proper education and training.

“You ask a lot of people that sometimes don’t know any better. They say, ‘Oh, I don’t like pit bulls.’ If you ask them why, they’ll be like, ‘I saw something on the news,’” she said. “Also, they’re getting into the wrong hands. Some people want to use them as a guard dog. They’re not a guarding breed.”

Garritano said that pit bulls are instead a nurturing breed.

“They’re very, very stable dogs. They just get a very, very bad rap. They’re sensationalized,” Garritano said.

In the 10 years since its creation, The Proper Pit Bull has maintained these values and grown into a strong community driven organization.

They foster relationships with established shelters, such as Animal Friends and Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, along with what they call “preferred trainers,” dog trainers whose values align closely with their own.

The Proper Pit Bull operates on a philosophy of positive reinforcement, a system of training that rewards wanted behaviors, rather than punishing ones considered bad.

“We only support force-free trainers. We do not support balanced, which is a mixture of both. So if there are shelters or rescues that are using those aversives, we’re not aligning ourselves with them,” she said. “Dogs do not need to be afraid when it comes to learning and they certainly do not need to be hurt to learn. That philosophy is very archaic. That’s very old school.”

Training team manager Ashley Phelps echoed these sentiments. She has been in the rescue industry for almost 20 years and is a graduate of Animal Behavior College.

“If we’re shocking a fearful dog, we can actually increase that fear and suppress that behavior to the point that the dog explodes, and that’s when it becomes dangerous,” she said. “I’ve raised dogs for my whole life. They’re more likely to repeat behaviors that are positively reinforced, so I really value and focus on just rewarding those behaviors that I like.”

In addition to proper training, the rescue also believes in enrichment, which it promotes through its Enrich-a-Pit program. Through this program, the organization is able to donate mentally stimulating toys, such as Kongs, slow feeders, snuffle mats and more.

The organization is already taking donations for its holiday drive.

“We collect really good, sturdy enrichment products for the holiday season, and then we go and deliver them to our shelter and rescue partners,” she said. “We probably give them 500 plus dollars in enrichment items a piece.”

The Proper Pit Bull also provides outreach through the Scholar Pit program. This program is dedicated to providing funds to any pit bull owner looking to further their dog’s training, or for those who are just starting out.

The organization will also help them find classes to best fit each situation, whether that is with a large group or a private lesson.

Dogs who find success in these programs are eligible to become Poster Pits, pit bulls that exemplify the positive qualities attained through training.

One of these dogs was Odin, whose owner Jess Pollis is the volunteer manager at the organization.

She said many people were initially afraid of him because of his stature, but soon warmed up to his sweet and endearing personality.

“Give them a chance and educate yourself. Talk to somebody who has a pit bull and learn more about them,” Pollis said. “Education is so important.”

The Proper Pit Bull’s next outreach event is Drag Queen Bingo, which will take place at the Universal Banquet Hall in Penn Hills on Oct. 5. The night will include activities such as raffles, food, games and photo booths.

All proceeds will go toward the holiday Enrich-a-Pit program, as well as future community outreach events that will take place in 2025.