Una de las razas de perros que más desprestigio ha sufrido debido a que se les usa en peleas o como animales de protección son los pit bull. Ahora una fotógrafa busca cambiar la percepción que muchas personas con la campaña “Pit Bull Flower Power”.

De acuerdo con datos de Statista, en Estados Unidos existen poco más de 77 millones de perros. Hay muchas razas de estos animales pero una que provoca polémica son los pit bull, que muchas personas consideran violentos o que pueden atacar sin previo aviso.

Lo anterior ha provocado que sea una de las razas menos adoptadas en los refugios de mascotas, por lo que miles de perros pit bulls son sacrificados cada año, se calcula que más de 800 mil, porque nadie los quiere adoptar por temor y  los estereotipos sobre esta raza.

Desde hace tiempo, la fotógrafa francesa Sophie Gamand comenzó una campaña llamada “Pit Bull Flower Power” en la que busca mostrar en imágenes la ternura de estos canes y promover su adopción. En la cuenta de Instagram de Gamand, donde tiene más de 64 mil seguidores, se pueden ver algunos ejemplos.

#PitBullFlowerPower has been featured on @hellogiggles and I couldn’t be happier 💚 These are 4 of the pictures they chose for their article, some of them are still waiting for homes! 💚 IVY from Redemption Rescues (@hemiverse) on Long Island, New York: this sweet mamma has seen all her puppies get adopted… But no one has come for her so far. She is perfection! Sweet and loving, and did you see her heart-shaped tongue on her portrait? 😍 💚 NAKITA from @thelostpaws in Phoenix, Arizona. She is also a sweet loving dog. She loves playing with toys, riding cars and playing in water! She is about 1.5 year old. 💚 ADRIENNE from @tohanimalshelter is a deaf beauty with some of the most soulful eyes! And apparently, she’s been adopted!! 🎉 💚 THELMA from @tohanimalshelter: another girl with soulful eyes! Thelma loves being near her person and giving kisses. She also enjoys the company of other dogs. These four girls are perfection! The only reason they are still waiting for a home is that they are part of the “pit bull-type dog” category. But they are sweeter than lots of schnauzers I know (no offense schnauzers, you often have an attitude! 😅😅). And they are some of the most gorgeous doggies you’ll see today. #AdoptDontShop #endBSL #DontBullyMyBreed #pitbullflowerpower #PhotographySavesLives #sophiegamand

Una foto publicada por Sophie Gamand (@sophiegamand) el 4 de Feb de 2016 a la(s) 5:20 PST

I want you to meet a very, very special doggy. His name is Mickey (he has his own Facebook page: Watch Mickey Beat Cancer). 2 years ago, Mickey was involved in a tragedy, when he bit a 4 year old boy and disfigured him. The circumstances surrounding the accident led people to fight for justice leniency toward Mickey, who was to be euthanized. His story inflamed the media (what? another vicious pit bull out there?) and he was even called “the devil dog”. Now, I could not pretend to advocate for pit bulls with my #PitBullFlowerPower project, if I didn’t meet the controversial ones, too. So during my recent trip to Arizona, I had the chance to meet with Mickey and his lawyer, and crowned him. Mickey cannot get out or be adopted. He will remain in a kennel for the rest of his life. It got me thinking a lot about how we treat dogs, euthanasia versus sanctuary, etc. I wrote a blog post about him. Link in bio! This blog is a little long, but please take a moment to read! I am also selling prints of Mickey’s portrait to raise funds for his vetting (he was diagnosed with cancer). If his story touched you, please consider buying one of those. I will donate 100% of the proceeds: www.printstore.sophiegamand.com — Big thanks to @mcso_mash_unit and John A. Schill for making this happen! #PitBullFlowerPowerARIZONA

Una foto publicada por Sophie Gamand (@sophiegamand) el 2 de Feb de 2016 a la(s) 7:08 PST

Please re-meet Charlotte from @tohanimalshelter. She is still available for adoption and qualifies for free adoption this month! Here is what the shelter wrote about this gorgeous, sweet #PitBullFlowerPower model: Looking for a real live teddy bear? One who also is gorgeous, a blue nose bully, and who thinks she is a lap dog? Look no further, we found you the perfect snuggle companion! Meet Charlotte! Charlotte is a 3 year old teddy bear/ dog who’s zest for life is down right contagious! Charlotte came to us as a stray, in December 2014, found in someone’s yard. She was totally freaked out upon arrival at the shelter, but after some work with staff members, she is blossoming into the teddy bear that she is. Charlotte is VERY friendly with other dogs but can be shy of new people. As silly, goofy and loving as Charlotte is, she does not show well in her kennel here. She is very agitated and isn’t happy, and we already know that this is going to make it very hard for her to get noticed when adopters come visit us. We are hoping that someone sees her gorgeous mug right NOW and is moved to come see her, and not judge her for her cage behavior… because we are telling you, get her out of the cage, spend some time with her, let her feel safe, and you will see the Charlotte that everyone here is already obsessed with! Please call for more information: 516-785-5220 or come visit us at: 3320 Beltagh Avenue, Wantagh NY 11793 . #pitbullflowerpower #AdoptDontShop #SophieGamand

Una foto publicada por Sophie Gamand (@sophiegamand) el 1 de Feb de 2016 a la(s) 1:03 PST

Here is Dan’s #PitBullFlowerPower portrait! This sweet boy is officially still looking for his forever home (@mrbonesandco). At 4 months old, he is quite the perfect little pupil. He is learning quickly to become a gentleman! He loves people and kids. 3 families have been co-fostering him these past months and he’s adapted very well to each of us. He is a happy, playful pup. Fill out an application at www.MrBonesAndCo.org! On a side story: I was skyping with my French grandmothers (89) and introduced her to Dan. She’s had dogs her entire life, and is pretty much a tomboy. Well, thing is, in France too, pit bulls have a bad rap. As a matter of fact, they are kind of banned there. Dan was sitting on my lap, and started to give me kisses on the chin. On the computer screen, I saw my grandma nearly pass out and saying “omg please be careful, don’t let him bite your face!!”. I tried to reassure her that Dan is a puppy, that he is sweet, that there is no risk, especially since I am in control and he understands limits. But yet I could see in her eyes that she didn’t quite believe me. A pit bull is a pit bull, isn’t it? Even at 4 months old? Even when I lived with him for a few days and I know him? Obviously, you always have to be careful with dogs. But last time I skyped grandma with my Maltese foster, she didn’t seem too worried. My friends, we have a lot of work to do. Not just in the US, but worldwide too! And it starts here and now, one person and one dog and one story at a time. Please take a moment to share your story below! I’d love to hear from you, all around the world. #pitbullflowerpower #AdoptDontShop #endBSL #flowerdog #sophieGamand #AdoptDanMBC

Una foto publicada por Sophie Gamand (@sophiegamand) el 25 de Ene de 2016 a la(s) 5:45 PST