The REAL BULLIES: A Photo ESSAY
Bullies by name and not by nature.
‘Bully breed’ is an umbrella term used to identify a number of terrier-type dogs such as American pit bull terriers, bull terriers, bullmastiffs, Staffordshire terriers, bulldogs and boxers. Humans bred them specifically for dog fighting, bull and badger baiting, resulting in large, muscular dogs. Unfortunately, these dogs have become demonised by society thanks to media hysteria, inaccurate dog-bite reports and irresponsible owners. Headlines such as “Man mauled by vicious pit bull” have become commonplace, creating a widespread public fear of these dogs, and the introduction of breed-specific legislation in many countries.
This tough, aggressive and violent reputation we humans have created couldn’t be any further from the truth. In The Real Bullies, you’ll meet nine rescued bully dogs from across Queensland. You’ll learn about these highly emotional and intelligent animals, with their loyal, sweet personalities. Their adaptability to any situation makes them an incredible companion in a variety of situations (even in working areas of search and rescue and as therapy dogs). This photo series aims to open your heart to the possibility that these dogs make loving companions and family pets.
XENA
“I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYTHING AGGRESSIVE OR DANGEROUS BUILT INTO THEIR BREED. THEY’RE JUST SO CUDDLY. AND I GET THAT IT CAN BE SCARY, BUT I’VE NEVER MET A BULLY DOG THAT’S AGGRESSIVE; THEY’RE JUST SWEETHEARTS.”
Xena (2 years), was rescued by Qld Staffy & AmStaff Rescue. Not much is known about her past, but she was extremely underweight upon her arrival at the rescue. There are also a few physical clues of her past left on her body, including scarring around the face, sagging nipples and worn-down teeth. These symptoms point to her having had multiple litters of puppies, possibly in a puppy mill situation where she had poor nutrition. It’s possible her teeth eroded while her body redirected all calcium to milk production for her babies.
Having had her for a few months, Xena’s foster carer, Grace is absolutely smitten, saying she doesn’t let a whole lot bother her, she’s easy-going around other dogs and even during storms. Grace comments on her demeanour and funny personality. “She is a cheeky little girl. She does things she knows she’s not supposed to ... like the couch; it’s invitation only, yet every morning I wake up and she’s sleeping on the couch.” Grace also commends Xena’s gentle side, acknowledging that at 42 kg she is better suited to a family with older children. “She’s just so easy and chill, not a lot of energy. She just wants to be with you. Be with someone who’s just happy to sit there and cuddle her, watch movies on the couch with her.’
Keith
Meet Keith, the 7-month-old Australian bulldog who is adored by his foster-carer, Stacey. She and her husband take Keith to their workplaces, where their employees can’t resist those big brown eyes. Keith doesn’t come without quirks though. Stacey says, “He’s a real softie; a gentle giant but he just doesn’t know his size. I’ve not seen any aggression; he just always wants to be with you.”
Keith is a big chewer which gets him into strife sometimes. Keith’s original owners surrendered him for euthanasia because he ate a shoelace and a sock, and they didn’t want to pay $7,000 for the operation required to save his life. The vet contacted Safe Haven Animal Rescue Inc. who fundraised to save his life. Since healing from his operation, Keith has been with Stacey and her husband, Gideon for about a month. They’ve enjoyed training him and getting to know his personality. “He’s submissive with other dogs, and when around kids he often rolls on his back for a pat.” But due to his size, Stacey has recommends he should be adopted by a family with older children. When asked about her perception of bully breeds Stacey admits, “I guess it’s a lot of media bullsh*t really, isn’t it? I don’t think we should ever judge a book by its cover, let’s put it that way.
“It’s also about respecting dogs regardless of the breed. I just don’t think people treat animals with respect, and that means giving them space. Children should never go up to a dog they don’t know.” For now, Keith has landed on his feet. Although Stacey has bonded with him, she can’t commit to keeping him due to her blind, elderly Jack Russell terrier. “Keith’s only going to go to the perfect home; he can stay here until then.”
Keith’s loving and goofy personality is hard to resist and so is that squishy face.
ELLA & FRANKLIN
In Brisbane’s northwest, Ella, (11) an Australian bulldog x staffy and Franklin, (6) a red-nose Amstaff share their home with a rambunctious three-year-old Oliver. Oliver is an only child so he spends his afternoons playing in the backyard with his furry siblings. Irene, his mum, calls Franklin and Ella her first babies, and speaks of her love for this breed as a “babysitter dog”. When asked if she’s concerned about having Oliver around the dogs she said, “I would be more scared of [him] being around a chihuahua than a staffy”. She still maintains a watchful eye due to the dogs’ size, but she ultimately feels that “bigger dogs are more suited to families, even for kids with no boundaries. You need a tougher dog that can handle their energy.”
Ella the bulldog x staffy and her human Oliver.
“I WOULD BE MORE SCARED
OF BEING AROUND A
CHIHUAHUA THAN A STAFFY.”
While she notes that “staffies are the sweetest dogs I’ve come across”, Irene is anxious about the wrong people being attracted to bully breeds. She’s all too aware of the illegal practice of dog-fighting rings and puppy mills. Ella, her older pup was seized by the RSPCA from an illegal breeding farm in Glenarbon, a horrific case where dogs were being tested with steroids and others were tethered near the remains of other animals, with no food or water.
Franklin and his human, Oliver playing chasey around the back yard.
“It’s heartbreaking, I’m scared to leave them in my front yard because the wrong people could take them. If I had a different type of dog, I wouldn’t feel this worried.”
Meeting Ella, you wouldn’t suspect the sweet-as-can-be bulldog had suffered through such trauma, except for a few physical signs. Like Xena, her teeth have almost completely eroded away. Irene explains, “Because of that situation, Ella is not good with other dogs. Going for walks is a challenge.”
When Ella came to the family as a foster through the Qld Staffy & AmStaff Rescue she miraculously clicked with Franklin and that was it. Irene knew Ella was meant to stay. “Between the two pups, Ella wears the pants; she is the alpha.” The two dogs are very patient with an energetic three-year-old sibling, but Irene praises Ella especially. “Because of all the pups she’s had, she’s very good with Oliver. She lets him do anything, like playing doctor.”
Franklin is more athletic and vocal than Ella, and out of the two, people find his looks more intimidating. “Ella has that ugly-cute look about her so people often want to come up for a pat, but with Franklin not so much. We’ve had people cross the street when we’re coming or even tell us we have a pit bull.”
“ELLA HAS THAT UGLY-CUTE LOOK ABOUT HER SO PEOPLE OFTEN WANT TO COME UP FOR A PAT, BUT WITH FRANKLIN NOT SO MUCH. WE’VE HAD PEOPLE CROSS THE STREET... OR EVEN TELL US WE HAVE A PIT BULL.”
JIMMY & MOLLY
Molly & Jimmy playing with their favourite toy in the backyard.
In Kallangur, a suburb north of Brisbane, you’ll find two young bullies, Jimmy and Molly. Molly (red-tan coat with upright ears) came to Rebecca and Evan straight from death row. They fostered her through the Qld Staffy & AmStaff Rescue. The couple are unsure why she was given up but knew she had a strong case of heartworm to treat. When asked about her personality, the couple affectionately replied, “She’s a sweetheart and just wants to please you. She always has a smile on her face.” Jimmy, who the couple adopted four weeks earlier, is more independent and “marches to his own beat”, preferring to snuggle up on his own terms.” He’s the cheeky one, instigating play, and parading toys in front of Molly; however she’s smarter and can always outmanoeuvre him.
Through their experience, the couple are aware the breed is “very strong, so you have to be in command, but they just want to be near you and cuddle. They’re a part of the family and have so much love to give. They think they’re lap dogs, but their size makes that a bit difficult.”
Evan, who grew up in Ireland, said he hasn’t always had the best opinion of the breed. “Staffies were always seen as a dangerous breed back home. You kind of always associate the staffy with the tough guy. Even to this day, the parks in Ireland have signs up saying staffies must be muzzled. Every dog has the potential to snap; it’s how you treat them.” He believes that people who train bullies to be vicious have damaged these sweet dogs’ reputation.
Since meeting Rebecca’s old staffy years ago, Evan has completely changed his view of the breed. The two agree that they’re the perfect family dogs. “They’re very eager to please, intelligent and easy to train. They’re not a dog you would leave outside to do their own thing all day; they really crave human affection.
“PIT BULLS WERE GENERALLY LESS AGGRESSIVE WHEN FACED WITH CONFRONTATIONAL SITUATIONS THAN MANY OTHER TYPICAL ‘FRIENDLY’ BREEDS. IN FACT, THEY CAME IN SECOND AFTERTHE GOLDEN RETRIEVER.”
“IF YOU COULD JUST SPEND HALF AN HOUR WITH MOLLY, YOU WOULD FALL IN LOVE.”
- Rebecca (Molly’s owner)
There is plenty of scientific evidence disproving myths about the breed. For example, studies from the American Temperament Test Society showed that “Pit bulls were generally less aggressive when faced with confrontational situations than many other typical ‘friendly’ breeds. In fact, they came in second after the golden retriever.” Testing as of January 2023, actually put the breed at a pass rate of 87.6%, compared to a 85.9% rate when compared to the golden retriever.
In Australia, there are five breeds (including the American pit bull terrier) that are targeted by breed-specific legislation. These dogs are banned from importation and most states and territories have placed restrictions upon their ownership. Blanket ruling brands these dogs as dangerous and contributes to the public’s fear of them. Unfortunately, the other permitted bully breeds like staffies, particularly American staffies, look so similar to the American pit bull terrier that they’re often subject to the same attitudes. But Rebecca and Evan have one message for those scared of the breed. “If you could spend just half an hour with Molly, you would fall in love.”
MOO
The last of our bullies you’ll meet is the adventurous 12-month-old Moo. Born with a cleft-lip, Moo has been in foster care since he was born. His carer, Tracey describes him as, “Just a character, very loving and cuddly, he makes you laugh every day.”
Tracey says that regardless of his cleft-lip, “A lot of people actually say he’s adorable.” But often children will ask what’s wrong with him? To which she replies, “There’s nothing wrong with him, he was just born without that part, but it doesn’t affect him in any way; it just gives him a different look.”
And when it comes to children, Moo absolutely adores them. His human siblings Jesse (7) and Billie (12) are very hands-on with his training, including walking. As a pup he is still learning, but Tracey takes special care in teaching her kids how to walk him confidently. Tracey’s been heavily involved as a foster carer for Safe Haven Animal Rescue Inc. and has years of experience caring for all types of bully breeds. “I don’t believe any dog breed should be defined by people; they’re all individuals. So it all comes down to how you raise them and how you treat them.
It’s the same with humans - if a child gets abused as they’re growing up (in a lot of cases), they end up doing the same.”
Tracey hopes Moo will find the perfect forever home soon, but she has experienced her foster dogs going to ill-suited owners in the past.
Her message for families looking to get their first pup is this: “You might think a particular breed is what you want, but they might not fit in with your family. They might be too energetic or not energetic enough, and fostering is the perfect way to see what suits you.”
Now that you’ve met ‘The Real Bullies’, maybe you’ll consider opening your heart to a bully in need like Moo. Maybe next time you see one coming your way, you won’t cross the street or assume they’re aggressive. Maybe you’ll educate a neighbour or a friend about their true nature.
I’D LIKE TO THANK THE TWO RESCUES WHO HELPED CONNECT ME TO THESE AMAZING ANIMALS – SAFE HAVEN ANIMAL RESCUE INC. AND THE QLD STAFFY & AMSTAFF RESCUE. THE WORK THEY DO IN SAVING THESE ANIMALS HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED BY THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY OF DOG LOVERS.
Moo and his human sibling Jesse going for a walk.
