Dog trainer Andrea Smith has a soft spot for one breed in particular: the Pit Bull. Refusing to label them “bad dogs” as their reputations suggest, Smith focuses on rehabilitating rescued Pit Bulls that make it out of New York City’s shelters. She believes misunderstanding and mishandling of pit bulls is driving their high shelter intake numbers and euthanasia rates in New York City and nationwide. It is a trend she is determined to reverse, one dog at a time.

Andrea Smith works with a rescued Pit Bull in her New York apartment.