Pit Bulls And Parolees TV Review

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Parents' Guide to

Pit Bulls and Parolees TV Animal Planet Reality TV 2009

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 22 Reviews
• Kids Say 6 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Dog rescue series is more troubling than inspirational.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this reality series -- which supports the rehabilitation and adoption of pit bulls -- offers positive messages about rescuing animals and giving people (and animals) a second chance at life. Aided by sometimes-graphic images, rescuer Tia Maria Torres discusses how the breed has been abused…

Why Age 15+? Language

Words like “hell”, “crap,” and “damn” are audible, while those like “s--t” and “

Violence & Scariness

Graphic images of abused dogs and pit bulls attacking each other. Extremely sick

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Some parolees talk about being former drug users/dealers. Some of the neighborho

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Brief images of Torres kissing A.J..

Products & Purchases Not present Any Positive Content? Positive Role Models

Torres works hard to rescue needy pit bulls and hires parolees as a way to give

Positive Messages

Overall, the series promotes the idea that giving animals and people love, respe

• Parents Need to Know

  Parents need to know that this reality series -- which supports the rehabilitation and adoption of pit bulls -- offers positive messages about rescuing animals and giving people (and animals) a second chance at life. Aided by sometimes-graphic images, rescuer Tia Maria Torres discusses how the breed has been abused and often misjudged by the American public; some of the pit bulls act viciously out of fear or pain, but they're mostly shown being affectionate toward humans. Dogs are occasionally shown being humanely put down by veterinarians when they're suffering. Expect some salty language (though the strongest words are bleeped) and lots of discussion about/references to ex-convicts' legal woes and former criminal acts (including illegally carrying guns, doing drugs, and committing check fraud).

• Language

  some

  Words like “hell”, “crap,” and “damn” are audible, while those like “s--t” and “f--k” are bleeped.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Violence & Scariness

  some

  Graphic images of abused dogs and pit bulls attacking each other. Extremely sick dogs are sometimes shown being put down by a veterinarian. Some of the rescued dogs appear vicious (usually out of fear). Some parolees discuss legal troubles, including carrying illegal guns. Lots of comparisons between the Rescue Center and prisons. Police are occasionally shown at the ranch due to the parolees' presence on the premises.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

  a little

  Some parolees talk about being former drug users/dealers. Some of the neighborhoods that Torres and her staff enter to rescue dogs are known for gang-related drug activity.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Sex, Romance & Nudity

  very little

  Brief images of Torres kissing A.J..

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started Close

• Positive Role Models

  a little

  Torres works hard to rescue needy pit bulls and hires parolees as a way to give them a second chance in life. She's a dedicated mother and an informal foster mother to twin teen boys. The parolees want to make a positive change in their lives and are committed to helping the dogs. Torres’ husband is an ex-convict who founded the parolee program; he's currently fighting felony charges. The parolees are from diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds.

• Positive Messages

  very little

  Overall, the series promotes the idea that giving animals and people love, respect, and a second chance will allow them to contribute to society. It also stresses the need for supporting ex-convicts' rehabilitation and advocates the need for understanding pit bulls' “good side” and adopting them. All of these messages are mixed in with Torres' focus on her husband's innocence and problems with the justice system.

Where to Watch

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• Pit Bulls and Parolees

Pit Bulls and Parolees

Parent and Kid Reviews

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• Parents Say (22)
• Kids Say (6)

age 11+

Based on 22 parent reviews

Parents say that this TV show about rescuing dogs and providing second chances to parolees is both heartwarming and controversial, with viewers divided over the personal lives and appearances of the cast. While many appreciate the messages of love and redemption, some viewers express discomfort with specific elements like the portrayal of weddings and tattoos, declaring that these distractions detract from the show's core purpose of animal rescue and rehabilitation.

• rescue work
• personal lives
• divisive opinions
• redemption themes
• animal welfare

Summarized with AI

See all 22 parent reviews age 12+

Based on 6 kid reviews

See all 6 kid reviews

What's the Story?

PIT BULLS AND PAROLEES follows dog rescuer Tia Maria Torres as she \ runs the day-to-day operations of the Villalobos Rescue Center, the largest pit bull shelter in America. With the help of daughters Mariah and Tania, foster sons Kanani and Keli'I, and a small \ staff of parolees, Torres rescues hundreds of abused and/or abandoned pit \ bulls with the hope that they can eventually be placed into loving \ homes. As she rehabilitates and trains the dogs, she teaches the \ former convicts how to give of themselves while caring for and \ respecting the animals. But while she offers the maligned dog breed and \ the former prisoners a second chance at life, she also struggles with the \ current incarceration and upcoming trial of her husband, Aren "A.J." \ Jackson, who's in jail awaiting trial on felony charges.

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Is It Any Good?

Our review: Parents say (22 ): Kids say (6 ):

Pit Bulls and Parolees is a sounding board for the outspoken Torres, who takes every opportunity to demonstrate how pit bulls can be good pets despite their natural strength and violent reputation. Arguing that they're the most abused and misjudged breed in the country, she readily shows graphic pictures while describing the extent of the injuries and illnesses that her rescued pooches have suffered from. Meanwhile, she and her staff continually parallel the dogs' difficult plight with the real-life experiences of ex-cons, who are also looking for social acceptance.

While Torres is clearly passionate about helping animals and people, her positive messages are uncomfortably mixed in with declarations about her husband's innocence and the injustice of his situation. Adding to the discomfort are scenes of A.J. addressing the court in prison garb and shackles during his hearings. Plus, it's hard to completely trust the dogs and the people Torres helps when the animals exhibit hostile behavior and the parolees vaguely describe some of their past criminal acts. Overall, this show offers a mixed bag of messages that leaves you feeling more troubled than inspired.

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Talk to Your Kids About ...

• Families can talk about how pit bulls are typically seen by the public. Do you think the breed's reputation has a connection to the way the media has chosen to portray the dogs?

• What about the ex-convicts? Do you think parolees have a harder time rejoining society because of the way former prisoners are depicted in movies and TV shows? Why or why not?

• Do you think that animals who've become aggressive as the result of abuse or neglect can really be transformed into good family pets? Or will they potentially be dangerous after being retrained?

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TV Details

• Premiere date : October 30, 2009
• Cast : Aren Jackson , Tia Maria Torres
• Network : Animal Planet
• Genre : Reality TV
• TV rating : TV-PG
• Last updated : October 9, 2025

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Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Pit Bulls and Parolees

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