Exploring Life & Business with Sara Ondrako of American Pit Bull Foundation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Ondrako.

Hi Sara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been drawn to animals for as long as my memory stretches. In the early 2000s, I began specifically being drawn more and more to pit bull-type dogs. When I started working in veterinary hospitals and in animal welfare, it became blatantly apparent just how misunderstood, overbred, neglected, abandoned, and abused these dogs were. There was a massive people problem when it came to pit bulls but people seemed to believe there was a massive pit bull problem. I was determined to change that.

After witnessing so much suffering in these dogs – more so than any other dog I worked with, I was extremely called to, you could say, to help. After years of rescuing dogs and not making a dent in the problem, I pivoted to attack the root of the issue as to why these dogs were euthanized at such a high rate and so terribly misunderstood. This is how the American Pit Bull Foundation came to fruition. With a mission to promote responsible dog ownership through education, programming, and assistance.

To make a real impact long-term as opposed to adding to the bandaid fixes already in place. I’ve spent every year of APBF’s existence building meaningful, collaborative partnerships with other community welfare organizations to work together for greater impact. As the organization has grown, our purpose has become even more focused with our four pillar programs supporting our mission: Humane Education, Outreach, Advocacy, and our flagship program saving the lives of pit bull-type dogs and veterans, our Shelter Dog to Service Dog program, Operation Sidekick.

Through all of my work over the years helping owners one on one solve behavioral concerns to avoid surrendering their dogs to the shelter system blossomed my passion for behavior has a niche. I became a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant after years of continuing education and hands-on experience working to keep families together.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Ha!! No. It has been far from smooth but I whole-heartedly believe that we are the strong nonprofit that we are today and I am the strong leader that I am today because of the adversity that we have not only faced but overcome. When I first began this work, pit bulls came with a bad reputation, and therefore working with these dogs earned me an automatic label as unstable or crazy.

Someone once left us a Google review stating that placing pit bulls with veterans was like placing kids with pedophiles. We’ve had some major discriminatory uphill battles that trickle over into funding in terms of receiving grants and competing for donations. No one ever questions or discriminates against kids with cancer organizations but we were looked over due to ignorance time and time again.

When I first began accepting interviews from reporters and radio hosts, they only wanted to talk about pitbull bite cases or debate with me the “inherent danger” of these dogs. As years progressed as did my interviewing skills, those guest spots slowly have changed into happy adoption stories of pit bull-type dogs, how pit bull therapy dogs help kids read, and how our pit bulls are being trained to effectively aid veterans struggling with PTSD.

It’s been an amazing change that required some thick skin for the volunteers and myself in overcoming the stereotype that used to accompany pit bull-type dogs. COVID also swung a rather large blow our way in terms of having to temporarily shut down most of our programs as they required in-public work 90% of the time. We’ve gradually been adding back in our in-person programming and slowly gaining our funding back from the pandemic’s halt on everything, including purse strings.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about American Pit Bull Foundation?
The American Pit Bull Foundation was founded in 2010, receiving 501(c)3 status in 2011. The mission of the organization is to promote responsible breed ownership through education, programming, and assistance.

The organization fulfills this mission through four primary programs: Humane Education, Advocacy, Outreach, and Shelter to Service. We are primarily known for our flagship program Operation Sidekick which whelps, raises, and trains rescued death row pit bull-type dogs as service dogs for veterans with PTSD.

We are well known for being a leading authority on a national level for pit bulls and we remain a regular go-to for journalists, reporters, and other media sources for insight that adds to reputable content. We are so very proud of the amazing changes that we have been able to be a part of in helping re-align the pit bull reputation back into the all-American family dog and lead by example in demonstrating their amazing ability to be not only wonderful family companions but also contributing members of society through their working abilities.

We’d love for readers to know that we can’t operate without their support. Everything we do – from the children we teach to the veterans we donate our service dogs to – is made possible by public funding. Our service dogs on average cost about $10,000 to raise and train from the time we rescue them until the time they go home with their veteran. That’s about $20,000 less in terms of cost in comparison to the average purchased service dog due to our ability to incorporate volunteers and business partners.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned has come directly from the dogs that I work with, and that is to never give up. Pit bull-type dogs were selectively bred with will and determination like no other and that tenacity is what gets things done in the face of adversity. It’s what keeps organizations like ours alive when others fail. It’s easy to give up. Never giving up is what sets our dogs and our team up for success.

Pricing:

• $150
• $10000

Contact Info:

• Website: http://apbf.dog
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/apbfcharlotte
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/americanpitbullfoundation
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/APBF_dog
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ApbfDog

Image Credits
American Pit Bull Foundation