Deirdre Franklin: Creativity, Advocacy, and Pit Bulls
Jamie talks to Deirdre 'Little Darling' Franklin about the creative process, her work with pit bull awareness, advocacy, and rescue, and the origins of her non-profit organization Pinups for Pitbulls and the wildly popular calendar and retail store in Asheville, NC.
BIO:
Deirdre Franklin is the founder, President, and soul behind Pinups for Pitbulls, Inc. (PFPB). Having founded PFPB in 2005, Deirdre tirelessly and unselfishly works to remain educated, current, and ready to combat Breed-specific and discriminatory laws. Deirdre has graduated from Drexel University and has obtained a master’s degree in Public Policy to add to her arsenal of discrimination-fighting knowledge. She has extensive experience with animal rescue, having been on the front-lines post-Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, during Hurricane Sandy in NJ, and through her years of volunteer work with animal shelters and rescue organizations. Deirdre worked as a foreclosure mitigation counselor and mediator up until she decided to continue her work with Pinups for Pitbulls, Inc. full time. She recently opened a boutique in downtown Asheville, NC called Darlings which also houses Pinups for Pitbulls, Inc. and provides her with a permanent location to educate and advocate on behalf of all dogs. She resides in Asheville, NC with her husband Jeffrey and their family of furry children: foster-failure Baxter Bean (pit bull mix) and rescued pup Zoe (harrier-mix).