Dogs in Transition: Pit Bulls and Mill Dogs, at Syracuse University

This exhibition will feature the Pits and Perception collection http://cyrusmejia.com/art/pits-and-perception as well as my newest series titled Mill Dogs Revenge http://cyrusmejia.com/art/mill-dogs-revenge This new series of paintings is about dogs rescued from puppy mills (commercial dog breeders). Hope to see you all at the reception; 12 noon to 2pm September 25, 2010.

Dogs in Transition: Pit Bulls and Mill Dogs

Fact: Each year around 5 million homeless pets are put to death in U.S. shelters.
Fact: A large percentage of the dogs killed in shelters are identified as “pit bulls”.
Fact: Each year about 5 million dogs are “factory farmed” in puppy mills for the market.

Our behavior is being driven by fear on the one hand with greed and desire on the other, and these dogs are paying the price!

Pits and Perception and Mill Dogs Revenge are collections of paintings that call attention to the plight of pit bulls and puppy mill dogs. But I see these as more than paintings, they are a prayer and a call to compassionate action.

So many of the evils in our world can be traced back to the same sources; fear, greed and desire. War, financial collapse and environmental destruction! But where do we start if we wish to make the world a better place? How do we keep from being overwhelmed with the problems and apathetically doing nothing? Margaret Mead once said “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”! My hope is that these artworks can, in some small way, help to enlighten and empower people to make a difference.

If we were to suddenly overcome our irrational fear of pit bulls, communities would stop passing breed discriminatory laws and shelters would stop the systematic killing of these dogs. If all our decisions about adding pets to our family were informed by compassion and awareness rather than desire for a particular type of dog the greedy puppy mill business would disappear and shelters would become adoption centers rather than places of death!

Yes, there’s a very long way to go. But with one thought, one decision, one life at a time we can make a difference. Kindness to animals can build a better world for us all. So you see, pit bulls and mill dogs really are dogs in transition!

Cyrus Mejia