Since 1989 it has been illegal to own a pit bull in Miami-Dade County … But one woman says the same breed that has been banned for more than 25 years is responsible for keeping her alive.
Raquel Cruz served our country. “I served in Desert Storm, Desert Shield.”
But she had her own battles to fight when she returned home.
“I have post traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue. I take much medication for it,” Cruz said.
Cruz showed 7News photos of her dog. “That dog was there for me. He was my best friend.”
“He passed away, which I still get emotional over him.”
Raquel said her condition got worse after Red died, so she decided to find a service dog and she knew she wanted another pit bull.
“It took me a while, but this little dog just fell in my lap at 7 weeks old,” Cruz said.
When she met Blue it was love at first sight. “Blue is my guide. Blue is my partner. Blue is my best friend,” Cruz told 7News.
The connection they had made him the perfect candidate to be her service animal.
“Just in case that I trip over, he’ll come right next to me.”
“He will also be trained to fetch my medication, as my ailments get worse, we will train him to deal with those issues as we go along.”
But Raquel lives in Miami-Dade County, where pit bulls are illegal.
“We let the owner know they are breaking the law, and they are given a period of time to resolve the matter, which means giving the dog to a rescue organization or someone outside of Miami-Dade County,” said Lilian Bohorquez, from Miami-Dade Animal Services.
The thought of losing Blue terrifies Raquel.
“Something happens to him, and I don’t know what I’d do.”
Dahlia Canes had the same fear. She didn’t want anyone to know about her dog Chocolate. She founded the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation to help fight the ban.
“In her honor, I fight to delete the myths that there are about this fantastic breed of dog,” Canes told 7News.
Dr. Raul Jiminez has seen a lot of pit bulls in his 32 years as a vet and says the ban is wrong.
“The majority of pit bulls are very good dogs. They’re family dogs,” Jiminiez said.
He blames bad owners for the bad image.
“Brutality and stupidity from owners, and that’s the reason why,” he added.
The bad image makes it hard for changes to be made. In 2012, Miami-Dade citizens voted against removing the ban.
“In 2012, there was a straw ballot out there to do away with the pit bull ban and 63 percent of voters voted to keep the ban in place.”
Raquel admits she even believed the stereotype at one time.
“I was one of those people that thought that this was a breed that was violent, was aggressive, had the lock jaw. Boy, was I wrong!
Now, she wants to show others how wrong they are.
“I just want to show that even a dog like this, that’s banned in Miami-Dade County, can be a service dog,” Cruz said.
Blue is still in training, but Raquel knows he’ll be an amazing service dog and advocate for other pit bulls.
“These are our best friends, and we should treat them as our best friends, not ban them,” Dahlia said.
The Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation is planning to hold their annual gathering for the first time in Miami-Dade County in November. To learn more about the event, click here.
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