Pit bulls, with Sara Ondrako. Star Trek, and the people associated with it, have often advocated for political and social causes. Sir Patrick Stewart is no exception. He has championed LGBTQ equality, women’s rights, and a number of anti-domestic violence campaigns. In recent years, he has also turned his attention to fostering dogs—particularly pit bulls. This inspired the writers of Star Trek: Picard to include a pit bull named Number One in the show.

In this episode of The Line, hosts Brandon-Shea Mutala, Justin Oser, and Chrissie De Clerck-Szilagyi welcome Sara Ondrako, founder and CEO of the American Pit Bull Foundation (APBF). We discuss common misconceptions about pit bulls, what the inclusion of a pit bull in Star Trek: Picard may mean for public perception of the breed, and the APBF’s education, advocacy, and outreach programs. You can find out more about the APBF at apbf.dog.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Common Misconceptions about Pit Bulls (00:02:00) The Positive Pit Care Program (00:04:13) How to Interact with an Unknown Dog (00:10:42) Underground Dogfighting (00:15:46) Operation Sidekick (00:21:04) How to Foster or Adopt (00:31:25) Other APBF Programs (00:35:42) A Companion for Picard (00:38:40) Closing (00:48:21)

Hosts Brandon-Shea Mutala, Justin Oser, and Chrissie De Clerck-Szilagyi

Guest Sara Ondrako

Production Chrissie De Clerck-Szilagyi (Editor and Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Producer) Justin Oser (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)