Course Overview
Pit bulls have been imbued with a variety of characteristics in American culture. They have been “nanny dogs” that watched over small children, much like Petey in the Little Rascals. In hip hop culture, they have symbolized urban masculinity as they do on DMX’s album cover for “Grand Champ” and Missy Elliott’s album cover for “This is not a Test.” And on rural farms and in urban backyards in the south, through fighting and breeding respectively, pit bulls also have become money makers.
In this course, students investigate what a holistic approach that recognizes that all dogs, especially pit bulls, are part of larger communities can teach us. How can this approach utilize social justice strategies to build coalitions and transform society while reducing the number of neglected, abused, and stray pit bulls? And how can you take the strategies and approaches that Lifeline Animal Project is implementing and apply them to your local environment?
Emory News article about the course
Emory News article about infographic assignment
Student project- Paws for Change: A Furry Fiction Anthology
Student project- Public Service Announcement about Force Free Training
Donna Troka, PhD 