“Many of us can relate to a Pit Bull. We are quick to be judged and misunderstood. We are innocent yet feared based on the way we look. I am a Pit Bull.” -Larry The Dog There’s nothing stereotypical about Larry the Dog, except for the iconic Pit Bull smile stretching from ear to ear. That’s exactly Larry’s mission in life: to show that the overwhelming majority of Pit Bulls are not dangerous animals like the media makes them out to be. His wildly popular social media presence is counteracting the negativity and spreading a more positive, honest message. He just requests that the world stop judging his entire breed based on unfortunate, but isolated incidents from a few individuals.
The 6-year-old Pit Bull mix began demonstrating his loving nature when he came into his human’s lives at just five weeks old. He immediately defied stereotypes by becoming fast friends with his older brother, Boone, a 25-pound Beagle mix. Now Larry clocks in at nearly four times that size, but still doesn’t have a single aggressive bone in his body. On the contrary, much of his popularity stems from pictures of him cuddling and sharing toys with his petite pal.
Besides the epic snugglefests caught on camera, Larry poses for countless solo shots that illustrate how gentle the average Pit Bill really is. There’s no end to his patience for photo shoots. Frequently appearing in bow ties and thick-framed glasses with a sky-high stack of treats balanced on his nose, this huggable goofball has charmed the socks off of nearly 380,000 Facebook fans and more than 46,000 Instagram followers, making his presence one of the happiest places in social media.
But Larry - who also responds to a slew of sugary-sweet pet names from Baby Bear to Mr Bobo - isn’t just using his accounts to show off tricks. Despite a repertoire that rivals the average Border Collie’s knowledge, he has a higher calling. His Facebook posts have publicized overcrowded shelters full of adoptable Pit Bulls in an effort to find homes for rescued dogs. And he’s not afraid to wag a finger - er, paw - at errant news articles bent on Pit Bull bashing. His selfies show him gently holding delicate objects like bananas and roses in his mouth. They demonstrate just how wrong those hateful stories really are.
Since gaining Internet notoriety, Larry has leapt off the computer screen to spread his message even further. Merchandise from his online shop is popping up everywhere as oodles of Pit Bull lovers join the cause. They’re proud to sport sayings like “Don’t bully my breed” and “LVR NT A FGHTR.” Not only do the items help to replace discriminatory language with positive messages, but a portion of their proceeds are donated to a local Pit Bull organization.
Yet across the country, Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is still threatening to tear well-mannered Pit Bulls from the arms of their loving families based largely on unfounded fear. Larry knows change won’t happen over night. In the meantime, he’s acting as a representative of a misunderstood breed by demonstrating that while he’s certainly a special pooch, he’s also just your average Pit Bull. Like the rest of his kind, he enjoys spooning on the couch, splashing in his kiddie pool, and giving big slobbery kisses to his loved ones.
Some of those smooches have made their way to his adoring fans. Larry has frequented public events like the Parade-A-Bull walk to strut his adorable stuff and personally deliver his message of love and slobber. Larry enjoys attending the annual Indy Pit Crew’s Pit Bull Awareness walk, where he was Grand Marshall at last year. He even brought his mom to local radio station WSVX to openly discuss the issues surrounding BSL. Pit bulls can be very good dogs, indeed.