The Knock Out Dog Fighting program has been working to end violence in our communities and stop the torture of dogs used for dog fighting for over a decade. We continue to break new ground by reaching
different audiences with the message that abuse, whether to a human or animal, is not a sign of strength, power or greatness. Kris Crawford says.
Our youth intervention program for schools, community centers and juvenile detentions facilities consist of one time assembly presentations or ongoing weekly classes and workshops. We have programs specifically geared to hot spots for gang activity that have an emphasis on behavior modification for At-Risk, High-Risk, Impacted and Intentional youth and adolescents.
One of the things that is unique about our program is we don't just go to schools or juvenile detention facilities and tell kids not to fight dogs....we work with them so they stop abusing animals AND we give them healthy alternatives. We don't go in and say don't do this and don't do that. We bring in positive role models that tell them you CAN do this and you CAN do that and them we show them how! We foster hope by helping them come to the realization that they are capable of much more than they have ever dreamt possible. We engage them so they can rise above their circumstances and become champions and help us end the distress of these animals...to help us Knock Out Dog Fighting.
CONTACT US if you are interested in having us come to your school, community center, or juvenile detention center for a one-time assembly program or any of the programs or workshops listed below.
Community Center and School Programs - Kris Crawford
Our community center and school programs help develop moral character in children and young adults. The program instills an appreciation for animals and teaches children how to treat animals with respect. Teaching empathy for animals helps to nourish the inner character of children and young adults. Educating our youth to act humanely produces communities with adults who act humanely. The Knock Out Dog Fighting school program focuses on developing a more compassionate and humane ethic in youth. Building empathy and humane behavior in children is critical. It does little good to give young people the intellectual skills to succeed if they don't learn the importance of caring for those around them. Our members are role models to many of these children so we are trying to be part of the solution by teaching the next generation empathy and that cruelty and abuse is wrong.
Programs are designed so that there is something for everyone. Some of the participants may not have dogs or some may not be athletic, so we've created programs so we can work with kids with a variety of interests.
Juvenile Hall Program - by Kris Crawford of For Pits Sake
The basic premise behind each of the segments in our Juvenile Hall programs is self-motivation, self-discipline, choices, and what it takes to be a champion. The members of Knock Out Dog Fighting are elite athletes and role models who help at-risk youth make better choices, develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles. This reduces the potential of involvement in at-risk activities...like dog fighting.
Youth is a time of making mistakes and learning to overcome them. Change is not easy. It is often a process of one step forward and two steps back. Our members have a unique gift that enables them to inspire these young adults to look deep down within themselves and ask, "What is it in my heart that I really want to be?"
In addition to humane education Knock Out Dog Fighting offers healthy alternatives to gang-related activities. The workshops in our Juvenile Hall, Community Center and School programs are designed so that there is something for everyone. Some of the participants may not have dogs or some may not be athletic, so we offer a variety of programs. (
featuring Kris Crawford and Kristine Crawford of For Pits Sake
- Pit Bull Dog Training - Many urban youth grow up only knowing the pit bull dog as a tool for stature building and a way to make a quick buck in dog fighting. Recent studies show that the most active and numerous dog fighters are 13 to 17 year-old urban youth. Kids are getting drawn in at an early age motivated by neighborhood values that prize machismo and the glamorization of dog fighting by rap and hip-hop music stars.
This workshop is designed to stop the cycle of violence by helping cultivate the moral character of these young adults by working with them to develop a greater understanding of the human-animal bond, empathy for animals and positive reinforcement training. Our pit bull training director is the world class pit bull search & rescue and obedience dog trainer Kris Crawford.
- Mixed Martial Arts - Mixed Martial Arts athletes are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world. It takes more than athleticism, it takes patience, self-motivation, drive and self discipline to be successful. The workshop helps participants get fit, lead a healthy lifestyle, increase self-esteem and confidence. In our program, we don't teach participants to punch and kick, we work to build character. During class we work on the fitness and the mental aspects of mixed martial arts, we see their energy, confidence, and spirit rise while he or she becomes strong and confident. We're not just talking about physical strength - but the kind of strength it takes to resist peer pressure and other negative aspects of life. Program Director is Gladiator World Champion, King of the Cage Champion, IFC Tournament Champion, ISKA Kickboxing Champion and UFC Veteran Dave Velasquez.
- Physical Fitness - Our physical activity and nutritional education workshop helps stem the rising tide of adolescent weight gain and also helps build self-esteem. It takes drive, perseverance, self-motivation and discipline to be physically fit. Detainees learn drug-free bodybuilding and fitness techniques and the importance of cardio training. We also discuss topics that instill self value, positive body image and self acceptance; characteristics that have real and lasting value that detainees will carry with them for a lifetime. Our physical fitness program is designed so that adolescents obtain the decision-making skills and social support necessary for making healthy nutrition and physical activity choices. Program Directors are IFBB bodybuilding and fitness expert Ray Arde and NPC Figure Champion Mona Liza Reyes.
- TURF Dancing and Break Dancing - Breakdance, breaking, b-boying or b-girling is a street dance style that became popular in the 1970's as a constructive youth culture alternative to the violence of urban street gangs. TURF dancing originated in Oakland, CA by influential dancer Jeriel Bey. TURF dancing is an evolution and fusion of various funk style dance forms such as gliding, waving, popping, and boogaloo. Breakdancing and TURF dancing culture are remarkable disciplines that utilize the athleticism, drive and self-motivation of both dancers and athletes. This street dance workshop teaches alternatives to a range of social ills from gang violence to teenage obesity. Both dance styles take elements of hip-hop culture and spin them in a positive direction that doesn't glorify guns, violence and easy money. Program Directors are Jeriel Bey TURF dancing originator and CEO of the Architeckz and Tek Liew YMCA Breakdancing instructor and Hybrid Crew breakdancer.
- Connecting Principles - The ability to adopt positive behaviors enable detainees to deal more effectively with the challenges of everyday life. Our Connecting Principles workshops are based on the idea that health and wisdom reside within each person and that when someone is in touch with this core identity, insights arise that guide them through life’s experiences. This workshop is also about creating a space in which detainees can discover hope for a better life. No matter what their experiences have been to date, in a mental state of calm and ease, new possibilities for change reveal themselves and foster hope and positive expectations. This workshop can help prevent high-risk behaviors, teach anger management, improve communication and refusal skills, and promote positive social adjustment.
Connecting Principles is an evolving, expanding approach that honors its roots in cognitive psychology but trusts the power of the present moment to direct the course of the class and the timing of the individual insights and understandings. Program Director is Liz Alameda, County of Santa Clara Probation Supervisor Group Counselor, certified Health Realization practitioner and founder of Connecting Principles.
- Science Fun - Not all juvenile detainees are athletes or artists so we also offer a workshop that makes learning science fun. Science is part of our everyday lives, from the mechanics of basketball to choosing products we buy to understanding the almost-magical technology pervading modern life. The For Kids Sake Project Science Fun workshop takes learning to a whole new exciting level by teaching valuable science connections while having a lot of fun in the process; i.e. solar baked s'mores! This workshop empowers the participants, giving them a sense of how solar science is done by letting them BE the scientist. The Science Fun workshop consists of multi-disciplinary, interactive exercises and activities based on the Sun and solar science. Program Director is Debbie Scherrer from the Stanford Solar Center.
- Emergency First Aid - Many juvenile detainees have had exposure to violence at some point during their young lives. Some have even been taught how to take a life....we teach them how to save a life. This workshop is designed to give adolescents the confidence to respond to an emergency situation with skills that can save lives. This comprehensive course trains individuals to prevent, prepare for and respond to any type of emergency. Participants will learn and practice CPR, choking rescue and the following first aid skills: bleeding control and treatment of burns, fractures, seizures, poisoning, and heat and cold-related emergencies. All classes in the 6 week period must be attended in order to receive the American Red Cross Standard First Aid and CPR certification. Program Directors are Erik Kayote Blackwolf, Oakland American Medical Response Paramedic and Mariano Caunday, Senior Environmental & Health Specialist and Emergency Response Coordinator at SRI International.
Law Enforcement Training by Kris Crawford of For Pits Sake
Our law enforcement training program is an 8-hour workshop for animal control officers and law enforcement and is presented by leading pit bull experts, animal control officers, law enforcement officials and prosecutors with experience in dog fighting investigations. Participants learn through use of audio, video, hands-on examples and case studies of pit bulls, dog fighting investigations and prosecutions how to identify signs of dog fighting, how to properly investigate possible dog fighting operations and how to effectively prosecute offenders. Temperament testing techniques for evaluating the disposition of dogs rescued from dog fighting operations are covered in a separate class.
Law enforcement and prosecutors cannot keep ignoring cruelty to animals. They MUST eliminate the “No, we don’t have time to investigate reports of animal abuse – it’s just a dog” mentality. The idea that police and prosecutors have more important crimes against people to worry about – than responding to reports of animal abuse – looses much credibility when such abuse is proven to be linked to serious, aberrant, and deadly criminal behavior. The line separating an animal abuser from someone capable of committing human abuse is much finer than most people care to consider. People abuse animals for the same reasons they abuse people. Some of them will stop with animals, but enough have been proven to continue on to commit violent crimes to people that it's worth paying attention to. Education is power and this course clearly and methodically teaches you how to Knock Out Dog Fighting in your community.
Public Service Announcements - Kris Crawford and Kristine Crawford of For Pits Sake
Our Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are designed to build awareness about the importance of Knocking Out Dog Fighting. Our PSAs invite young adults to be part of the solution to stopping cruelty and abuse. As professionals in their fields, our members are poised to positively influence how young adults behave because they are viewed as role models. (Kris Crawford, Kristine Crawford, For Pits Sake)
