Hey, ya'll. If you're anything like me, you're absolutely obsessed with dogs. I currently have five dogs, and let me tell you, I want MORE.
And if you have the smallest ounce of purity in your heart, you probably follow a ton of dogs on Instagram. Be it an account dedicated to pictures of dogs, or one dog in general — I mean, that's what Instagram is for, right?
Out of the many accounts I follow (and there are a lot, believe me), one in particular stands out: World, this is Noelani G., fellow dog-lover and lifelong pit bull advocate.
Noelani has been finding, fostering, and sending pit bulls to their forever homes for years.
While Noelani's been fostering pit bulls for some time now, she's no stranger to owning a dog. She has five pitties of her own: Indy, Malachi, Mayby, Nala, and Angel.
Indy was Noelani's first pit bull, who quickly grew into a 50-pound dog. While Noelani was living her best life with Indy, she quickly noticed a pattern of discrimination toward her.
"Dog-friendly apartments wouldn't rent to us because of her breed and strangers would make vile comments when I was out with her," she told BuzzFeed. "To us, she was a loyal, playful family dog. To others, she was a monster and a dangerous dog you hear about in the media."
After sharing her experiences online and talking to other pit bull owners, Noelani became inspired to take a stand against the stigma pit bulls face. She then became affiliated with Fresno Bully Rescue, a pit bull rescue in Fresno, California, and fostered her first pit.
Fast-forward to today, Noelani has fostered more than 100 dogs, most of which have been pit bulls. While her work has made a difference in the hearts of many, she knows there's more work to be done to help erase the stigma.
"I want to tell everyone I'm a proud pit bull owner and supporter. I want people to ask me about my dogs so I can change their mind," she told BuzzFeed. "Pit bulls, first and foremost, are dogs. And dogs, regardless of breed, are individuals."
"Please do not assume every dog you see with a blocky head will act a certain way. There are millions of friendly pit bulls who live happily in family homes you'll probably never hear about in the media."
Above all, Noelani wants everyone to give pit bulls a chance — which, TBH, I can't blame her. I myself have a pit bull and he's the kindest, most pure-hearted dog there is.
"The one trait they all do seem to have in common is their eagerness to give and receive love, and this is why advocating for them is so easy."
Looking to add a four-legged friend to your family? There's tons of pit bulls of all ages looking for forever homes on Adopt a Pet and Petfinder!
