Sir Patrick Stewart is an animal lover. Last year, he fostered a Pitbull named Gracie and posted their time together on social media in an attempt to destigmatize Pitbull adoption. To further his crusade, Sir Pat is now partnering with the ASPCA to raise awareness about dogfighting. They are hoping to stop the abominable practice and to help rescue and rehabilitate fighting dogs so they can find homes. Last Sunday was National Dogfighting Awareness Day and Sir Pat and his new friend Orson posted this video. There are no graphic images in it, but it will break your heart because dogfighting still exists.
The video was filmed at the ASPCA’s Canine Annex for Rehabilitation and Enrichment (CARE) where Sir Pat and his wife Sunny met some of the rescued dogs. The ASPCA were kind enough to supply the photos for this article and I appreciate that the images they are using are mostly inspirational. I get overly emotional about dogfighting, like most do, because as Sir Pat said, it’s the ultimate betrayal to a companion who just wants our love. You can go here to read more details about the dogs and the horrible existences they have. That link also lists how to spot signs of dogfighting. I honestly, for the life of me, cannot wrap my head around the fact that dogfighting still exists. Shame on anyone that contributes to this atrocity in any way.
Personal shout out to ASPCA, too. My daughter volunteers with their cat adoptions. Since she’s too young to be an official volunteer (you have to be 13), I’m the volunteer on record and accompany her to her weekly shift. I’ve witnessed first-hand the good work they do to get animals out of doomed situations and into homes that can support them. Please take a moment to support their fight against dogfighting at www.ASPCA.org/BreakTheChain. Even if you can’t afford to donate, maybe you can sign the petition or forward the link on to raise awareness. To reward you for doing so, I give you this:
An important book for the times, from dear friend @sallykohn #TheOppositeofHate pic.twitter.com/9Gd7EWcSXj
— Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) April 8, 2018
Photo credit: ASPCA received via promotional email, Instagram and Twitter
So so so lovely!
Totally agree. Thanks for posting this. Much love for Sirs PS & his partner in crime Ian. 😉
This man is a jewel!
It’s not just that Patrick Stewart does so many worthwhile things – it that he looks at all of these things with such wonder and such joy. Now that the other things in his life aren’t as big in importance (career, other people’s opinions), he is really getting to shine and do what HE fells is important.
Great move, Sir Pat!
Love it. Anyone who loves animals is a good person for me. Shows compassion and empathy. I hope that people who participate or enjoy any spectacle with animals rot in hell. Period.
Love it.
Those commercials are so hard to watch. But thankfully there are people out there trying to help these animals.
I would like the ASPCA a lot more if they gave more of the money they raise through their weepy ads to local shelters and rescues. I also have very serious concerns about its support of animal rights extremists and opposition to common sense legislation related to animal care.
Hecate, does your daughter volunteer with the *national* ASPCA (the producer of this Patrick Stewart awareness video) or a local SPCA shelter? Almost all local SPCAs are NOT affiliated with the national ASPCA, and the overwhelming majority of monies donated to the national ASPCA is NEVER passed down to local SPCAs.
The ASPCA has only ONE shelter and it is located in NYC. The ASPCA is mainly a lobbyist group. I implore everyone who feels the need to give to benefit animals in their areas to find a LOCAL SPCA or Humane Society. My husband is on the board of directors for the Connecticut Humane Society and I can tell you that the donations that come in benefits the ANIMALS. And they do not receive one dime from from any government agency.
Also (about this Patrick Stewart post) – I can tell you that Patrick is one the sweetest people from any of the Star Trek series. One tiny detail Hecate got wrong: the dog Patrick and Sunny fostered last year is named Ginger (her Instagram is @missgingergurl and her adoptive parents kept her Instagram active). Patrick and Sunny desperately wanted to adopt Ginger for their own, but because the UK has strict laws regarding Pitbulls (and Pitbull mixes) there was no way for them to bring Ginger with them when they go back to the UK (Pat and Sunny have homes in both California and the England and stay for a portion of each year at their home in England). Patrick was heartbroken about not being able to keep Ginger, but Ginger’s new parents have taken her to visit with Pat and Sunny multiple times and I know that Pat is trying his best to get the UK to change their stance on Pitbulls.
I’m so glad he’s raising awareness because I can’t believe that people still do this.
Right? How can anyone get any enjoyment out of this? I realize that I’m an animal lover so I’m a little more emotional about it than maybe the average Joe, but I will never understand. I lived in Hampton Roads when Michael Vicks property got busted and I will never forget how awful it was.
I don’t know how any one could watch a dog fight, just the first whimperings alone would make me vomit.
Kind-hearted man.
That’s wonderful! Stewart seems to pick his charities carefully rather than jumping on bandwagons, which I think signals genuine commitment when the cameras are off.
I could not love this man more.