With one whistle, Cody Rackley silences 26 barking dogs. And they aren’t just any dogs. They’re the stereotypically aggressive pit bulls everyone seems to be afraid of—except Rackley’s whistle isn’t angry, and neither are the barks. They’re more like 26 voices saying, “Me! Me! Pay attention to me!”
Rackley and Jill Anderson, along with Jill’s father, Mike, are the owners and operators of the Sheltering Oak Sanctuary in Lompoc, which began with the rescue of a single pit bull named Shadow.
Shadow was a 15-year-old dog whose owners had decided he was past his prime, so they tied him to a tree with a note that read, “He’s too old, we don’t want him.”
Shadow’s Fund started after his death, aiming to help senior and high-risk dogs in shelters. Then the program began to grow. From there, the organizers began rescuing unwanted, senior dogs.
In five months, they had rescued five dogs. The next week they had a deluge of 13 pit bulls who passed their temperament test.
Pit bulls need a slightly different environment than other dogs. They aren’t like those purse ornaments that movie stars carry around; they need daily exercise and play. At Sheltering Oak, they get that.
After Rackley whistled and the dogs quieted, the still, morning air was tickled by soft, soothing music. Rackley proceeded to let several pits out of their pens. Seeing a strange reporter in their midst, they darted toward him and … nuzzled his legs and flopped on their backs for belly scratches.
“Pit bulls don’t show well in shelters,” Rackley said. “It’s super high stress, too crowded, too noisy.”
At the ranch, the dogs get plenty of room. They have a fenced-off play yard and there are two more planned so all the canines can be out rather than having to exercise in a rotation. The dogs aren’t kept in stark cubicles reverberating with tinny echoes of their own barks. They have their own 12-by-12 horse corrals that are open so they have around-the-clock outdoor access. And it’s not just animals that are getting care.
Sheltering Oak provides opportunities for at-risk youths to be part of something outside their normal scope. Rackley told a Sun reporter of two girls who had witnessed a horrific accident and weren’t speaking to anyone. By the time they left the shelter that evening, the girls had become chatterboxes who couldn’t be stopped.
There are also plans to have youths plant and tend a garden and then sell the produce at farmers markets. Rackley is even hoping to get prisoners out to train dogs as part of their own rehabilitation.
“It’s a new paradigm for rescue: helping the community, helping the animals in need,” Rackley said.
They don’t want to focus solely on dogs that are already in dire straits. A more proactive goal is to help animals headed toward the shelter to avoid that move.
One of the toughest parts about getting these dogs into loving homes is their reputation. Sheltering Oak dog lovers take the animals to wine tasting events where attendees gush over the four-legged friends, petting them and having a great time.
Upon learning they’re petting a pit, people invariably cringe, saying something about being afraid of pit bulls. The answer sanctuary directors have adopted is: “Not this one.”
Anderson doesn’t dispute the reputation pits have. The dogs were once selectively bred to be fighters, but they were bred to be animal aggressive, not human aggressive. No breeders wanted to have their dogs biting them when pulling them out of the ring. Anderson explained dogs that bit their handlers were euthanized and taken out of the gene pool.
She pointed out that the American Temperament Test Society found the pit bull terrier, this feared mauling machine, consistently passed more temperament tests than the collie, Dalmatian, cocker spaniel, and golden retriever.
Sheltering Oak Sanctuary works with people who want to adopt pit bulls, and will even help families find pit bull-friendly housing. Anyone looking for a super-affectionate four-legged companion should head out to 1565 San Miguelito Road in Lompoc, or call 735-3165.
Highlights
• The town of Guadalupe is gearing up for the second annual “Salad Bowl Festival,” set for Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission is free to the event held in and around Central Park in downtown Guadalupe. It will include a salad dressing recipe contest, farmers market, 5K run and half-marathon, live music, food, beer and wine, and more.
Organizers will present “Excellence in Agriculture Awards Celebration” on Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. at Guadalupe’s Muse Building. This year’s award recipient is the California Women for Agriculture, Santa Maria Chapter. Tickets cost $50.
For more information, visit saladbowlfestival.com.
Biz Spotlight was written by Intern Michael McCone. Highlights were compiled by Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Oct 13-20, 2011.
