Pit bull owner fights the stereotypes

LEGITIMATE SPORT? THAT'S THE QUESTION AT THE HEART OF CONTROVERSY IN THE NORTH VALLEY. A PET OW...  More »

LEGITIMATE SPORT? THAT'S THE QUESTION AT THE HEART OF CONTROVERSY IN THE NORTH VALLEY. A PET OWNER SAYS PEOPLE KEEPING ACCUSING HER OF TRAINING HER CHAMPION DOG FOR FIGHTING. CRIS ORNELAS MET THE WOMAN AND THE DOG TODAY... HE'S HERE WITH TONIGHTS TOP STORY. IT'S A LESSON IN NOT JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER... CAN WHAT APPEARS TO BE CRUEL ACTUALLY BE FUN? AND CAN AN ANIMAL KNOWN FOR BLOOD SPORT ACTUALLY BE A CHAMPION IN A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SPORT? 'lets go get it!'THIS IS HACHI... A FEMALE PIT BULL TERRIER. ABOUT A YEAR AND HALF AGO HER OWNER STARTED ENTERING HER IN WEIGHT PULLING COMPETITIONS. SHE SAYS HACHI LOVES IT AND ITS A WAY TO BURN OFF EXTRA ENERGY THAT'S COMMON TO THIS BREED. 'the pit bull that doesn't get any exercise and is chained to his house all day that is animal cruelty' BUT PEOPLE WHO SEE THEM TRAINING ALONG THIS NORTH VALLEY DITCH BANK ASSUME THE WORST. 'people drive by what are you thinking how about i chain a brick to you you are going to hell doing that things i probably shouldn't say on camera''people see her doing strength training and they think what else could a pit bull do it must be to fight' SHE SAY PEOPLE HAVE CALLED DEPUTIES ON HER FIVE TIMES AND EACH TIME THE DEPUTY LOOKS AT HACHI AT HER SURROUNDINGS AND LEAVES. 'They are all very professional, very apologetic sorry for wasting your time but we have to come out when someone calls'DESPITE THE DISTRACTIONS HACHI HAS GROWN INTO A CHAMPION CLAIMING MULTIPLE RIBBONS AT COMPETITIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 'the competition she went to this past weekend she actually had most weight pulled by pulling 2,760 pounds'HER OWNER EVEN HAS PAPERS CERTIFYING THAT HACHI'S HIPS, HEART AND THYROID GLAND ARE HEALTHY ENOUGH FOR HER TO COMPETE. NOW SHE'S JUST TRYING TO CONVINCE EVERYONE ELSE THIS IS WHAT HER DOG LOVES. 'i think that if they just stopped for a second and looked at the situation that they wouldn't have such a negative feeling towards it' WE CHECKED WITH LOCAL AND NATIONAL ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUPS ... THEY SAY WHILE WEIGHT PULLING ISN'T THEIR FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD... THEY ADMIT IT IS LEGAL AND A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED DOG SPORT.  « Less