No Place Like Home Rescue of Michigan

03/26/2026

03/21/2026

02/17/2026

You’ve probably seen pit bull advocates wave around the American Temperament Test Society (ATTS) scores as “proof” that pit bulls are just as safe (or even safer) than other breeds. But here’s what most people don’t know: the ATTS was never designed to measure a dog’s suitability as a family pet.
🔹 Origins of the ATTS
The ATTS was founded in 1977 by a hobbyist in the sport of “Schutzhund” which is bite work. Its purpose was to test working dogs for their ability to remain steady in the face of distractions and threats. It was never about identifying safe companion dogs for homes, families, or children.

🔹 How the Test Works
The test is brief. Dogs are exposed to a series of increasingly uncomfortable situations, beginning with a friendly stranger and ending with a “threatening stranger.”
• Dogs that appear fearful, timid, or avoidant score poorly.
• Dogs that remain bold and even aggressive score higher, depending on breed and context.
The ATTS itself states:
👉 “95% of dogs who fail do so because they lack confidence.”
👉 “Comparing scores with other dogs is not a good idea.”

🔹 Why Breed Comparisons Don’t Work
Scoring is adjusted by breed, training, and intended function. That means:
• A Labrador that nips a threatening stranger will score much worse than a protection trained German Shepherd that bites in the same scenario.
• A timid Lab that backs away may fail, while the Shepherd that responds with aggression may pass.
• The exact same behavior can receive wildly different scores depending on the breed and the judges’ interpretation.
In short: the ATTS is not apples to apples across breeds.

🔹 The Family Pet Problem
The ATTS favors boldness over caution. But in real life, most families would prefer a pet that avoids conflict rather than confronts it aggressively. A dog that “passes” ATTS by showing no avoidance and responding with aggression is not the kind of temperament you want around kids at the playground or sleeping next to a toddler.
Ironically, when bloodsport enthusiasts wave around the ATTS results, they are proving the exact opposite of what they want: that pits are NOT suitable as family pets in normal homes.

🔹 The Bottom Line
Before quoting ATTS scores:
✔️ Understand it is not a test of pet suitability.
✔️ You cannot compare scores across different breeds.
✔️ Aggression may be rewarded, not penalized.
✔️ It was never designed to measure safety in the home.
So when pit bull advocates boast that “pit bulls score higher than goldens and labs,” they’re misusing the data. What the test actually measures is confidence in the face of threat and not safety around children, neighbors, or other pets.

Families deserve clarity, not cherry picked talking points. Public safety should always come first. 💔🐕
-JL

02/12/2026

The Feb. 4 attack has left a tight-knit Western Slope community reeling. Police remain tight-lipped as the investigation continues.

02/11/2026

"You’re a good mom. You’re a kind, loving person who trusts others.

You believe what the dog community tells you. You accept what the rescues say. You listen to the messages, absorb them, and abide by them.

“Pitbulls aren’t human aggressive! They were bred to be gentle to their human handlers!”

“Dog aggression is not human aggression! They are two different things!”

“Pitbulls are nanny dogs! Mine has never hurt anybody!”

“Never leave your kids alone with your dog! Be responsible!”

So Nicole was responsible. She trained, raised, and loved a pitbull because pitbulls are nanny dogs. She always supervised her child around her dog, just like a good mom should.

When her pit fought with other dogs, she wasn’t alarmed. Because the many voices online reassured her that dog aggression isn’t human aggression.

Then, on July 2nd, 2025, her beloved pitbull fulfilled its purpose on earth. Despite being a good mom who was present with her child, the pit grabbed one year old Blakely and fatally mauled her. Nicole was hurt during the attack as she tried with all her might to save her precious baby.

But the pit bull lovers had failed to explain to her that she is physically incapable of stopping a bloodsport dog. And that even if she could, one sn**ch and thrash would cause severe damage.

The pitbull rescues forgot to tell moms like Nicole that any genetic traits in dogs, whether pointing, retrieving, or mauling, can appear even if the original purpose doesn’t exist. Collies herd lawn mowers. Retrievers retrieve sticks. And that July evening? Nicole’s pitbull mauled her baby.

The pitbull promoters won’t learn and grow from this horrific nightmare. In fact, thousands of them will mock Nicole. They’ll blame her, ask what the baby did to the pit, try to drag her through the mud, even laugh at her dead baby. She has stepped into a never ending nightmare. To the end of her days, she will be in a prison that every mother dreads and few are placed.

But the pitbull pushers? They’ll go to sleep tonight, not thinking for a second about the unspeakable horror that unraveled in this family’s home.

Moms, give yourselves permission to say no. You don’t have to be kind. You don’t have to give chances to dogs. You don’t have to trust random lying strangers on the internet or believe what a multi billion dollar pet industry tells you.

Protect your kids first, always. Because at the end of the day, nobody else will be in that prison with you.

RIP, Blakely. May your brief stay on this planet help to save many other innocent children."

01/21/2026

12/12/2025

Justice was served.

12/07/2025

A grandfather and granddaughter were mauled by pitbulls on East Warren Street late Wednesday afternoon.

09/26/2025

New Offer for animal lovers!
For a donation you can order an original 5 x7 watercolor painting or 4-6” needle felted animal.
Art is a great gift idea.
Email [email protected] photos of your pet to [email protected] and allow 6-8 weeks for completion.