CHICAGO – Blackhawks Left Winger Bryan Bickell has a message for Chicagoland residents: Learn the truth about pitbulls and adopt one today!
Bryan Bickell and fiance, Amanda Caskanette have partnered with Found Chicago and Adopt-a-Pet.com for a campaign aimed at debunking myths about pitbulls and raising awareness for shelter pets.
Beginning this week, Chicagoland residents will see a billboard featuring Bryan and Amanda with their pitbull, Bailey, in Streeterville along with televised public service announcements. A second billboard will go up in Lakeview later this month.
“Pitbulls and other dogs that look like them are discriminated against because most people don’t know the truth,” states Bickell.
“We’re excited to join forces with a great organization like Found Chicago, and with Bryan Bickell, to educate people about the true, loving nature of pitbull-type dogs,” says Abbie Moore, executive director of Adopt-a-Pet.com. “It’s our collective hope that the billboards and the public service announcements will make people give these maligned dogs a second look. We know if they do, they’ll fall in love.”
Bryan and Amanda will be celebrating the launch of the campaign with Blackhawk teammates Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford, and All Star MVP Patrick Sharp on Thursday, March 22, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Dogs & Diamonds at Mon Ami Jewelry, 23 N. Wabash. Bryan, Amanda and attending Blackhawk players will be available for media interviews and photos throughout the evening. Dogs & Diamonds is a fundraiser benefiting Found Chicago’s life-saving programs.
“Found Chicago, Adopt-a-pet.com, and Bryan and Amanda recognize the importance of the Chicago Loves Pits campaign as it is one that we hope will help these amazing companion animals that are too often abused, mistreated and discriminated against. We want people to see these wonderful dogs for who they truly are: loving, kind and loyal pets,” says Alicia Boemi, Found Chicago’s director of programs.
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About Found Chicago:
Found Chicago is the only non-profit rescue and re-homing center focused on individualized medical and behavioral rehabilitation for homeless dogs and cats that would otherwise be euthanized. Found’s community rehabilitation programs help dogs, cats and humans through our work with autistic children and returning veterans. Found’s also offers a training and rehabilitation center that is open to the public and their dogs who need help. Found offers training classes, board & train, 2-week boot camps and more. All training and rehabilitation is facilitated by the two best trainers and behavior counselors in Chicago, Curtis Scott and Jeff Jenkins. All funding from Found’s training programs goes directly to rescuing, rehabilitating and re-homing homeless dogs and cats in Chicago. Learn more at foundchicago.org.
About Adopt-a-Pet.com:
Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, helping over 11,500 animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their homeless pets to adopters. Over 200 Chicago-area animal shelters rely on Adopt-a-Pet.com’s services to help them find homes for the pets in their care. Every month, Adopt-a-Pet.com displays photos and descriptions of adoptable pets to over two million people trying to adopt a pet. Funding for Adopt-a-Pet.com is provided by the passionate pet lovers at Nestlé Purina and Bayer Animal Health