Urgent Death Row Dogs in NYC - Adopt to Northeast area

[jetsmom]

[QUOTE=dappled;8619626]
Pit bulls do not end up in shelters because they are aggressive. They end up in shelters because of terrible, horrible people who over-breed them with the intent of fighting them or because they perceive them to be aggressive.

Add to that, they stay in shelters because a second group of uneducated people believe them to be “scary dangerous dogs” and won’t adopt them. It’s a vicious cycle.

I have never in my life met a dangerous pit bull. I realize they exist, but so do dogs of every breed. A friend of mine just had to euthanize their basset hound because she was so aggressive.

Pit bulls are great dogs.[/QUOTE]
I haven’t met an aggressive pit either. I have 11 pet friendly rentals with no breed restrictions. Just that dogs must be over 8 mo of age, speutered, vaccinated and no bite history. I do not allow outdoor only pets. I raised my fencing (rock walls), and modified gates so they can be padlocked. My lease requires that gates be padlocked if they own a dog. I have doggie doors in all of my rentals, and tile everywhere except bdms.

I don’t want outdoor only pets, since unsocialized dogs can be more aggressive, and lonely or intact dogs will try to get out. I don’t want the liability of a dog getting loose and biting someone, so gates must be locked. I don’t want dogs left out full time, so they bark and bother neighbors.

Plus, if people are not empathetic enough with their own dogs, to not want them out in the heat or cold/rain, they aren’t going to be empathetic to the landlords about taking care of the place or paying rent on time.

The pits I’ve had in rentals are super friendly. One is a therapy dog that goes to nursing homes, and to elementary schools where kids read to him as he lays at their feet. (Helps kids with reading problems because he is non judgemental.

I waive the pet fee for renters that adopt a pet from a shelter.

[Nootka]

[QUOTE=Countrywood;8619561]
It’s very sad, and not all pitbulls are ex fighting dogs, most are not in fact since PB fighting is illegal in most regions. [/QUOTE]

Very true. Some of these dogs are culls from produced litters from those breeders. The breed is very over bred both from backyard breeders and otherwise. The fact that it is illegal means next to nothing to a lot of the people that breed these fighting pits. One pit can be worth upwards of $50000. Money is a driving force not logistics

[D_BaldStockings]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article71299502.html

note that there are NO pictures of the dogs. Only the label of pit bull mix.

On the subject of dogs originally used to bite / bait cattle (side by side with dogfighting) I would not trust them with other animals. ‘Grip’ is a happy thing for them - not aggression, just innate.
It just doesn’t translate well if applied to other living things.

And yes, they are often wonderful with humans.
It is sad that poorly bred dogs within a physical type have tarred all that type with the same brush.

[Countrywood]

It’s tragic if a dog bites, let alone kills a person, a dog responsible for killing a person is so rare it gets national media coverage for weeks. Yet people kill by numerous methods, including euthanasia, millions of pets/dogs a year. Let alone what we do to each other. Humans are the most dangerous species. Dogs have much more to fear from us, then we do from them.

[D_BaldStockings]

I was only trying to make the point that dogs should be ‘judged’ as individuals, not as ‘looks like’ ONE other dog that hit the bad news media.
And you are right that ‘fighting’ does not make them dangerous to humans -at all.

The odds are that since ‘pit types’ are such popular/populous dogs, there will be reports of bites.

Because of their size and power, those are likely to be more severe than the chi-shitzu bites.

[hoopoe]

most are not in fact since PB fighting is illegal in most regions

this is a very naive mindset

[Garythesquirrel]

[QUOTE=jetsmom;8619656]
I haven’t met an aggressive pit either. I have 11 pet friendly rentals with no breed restrictions. Just that dogs must be over 8 mo of age, speutered, vaccinated and no bite history. I do not allow outdoor only pets. I raised my fencing (rock walls), and modified gates so they can be padlocked. My lease requires that gates be padlocked if they own a dog. I have doggie doors in all of my rentals, and tile everywhere except bdms.

I don’t want outdoor only pets, since unsocialized dogs can be more aggressive, and lonely or intact dogs will try to get out. I don’t want the liability of a dog getting loose and biting someone, so gates must be locked. I don’t want dogs left out full time, so they bark and bother neighbors.

Plus, if people are not empathetic enough with their own dogs, to not want them out in the heat or cold/rain, they aren’t going to be empathetic to the landlords about taking care of the place or paying rent on time.

The pits I’ve had in rentals are super friendly. One is a therapy dog that goes to nursing homes, and to elementary schools where kids read to him as he lays at their feet. (Helps kids with reading problems because he is non judgemental.

I waive the pet fee for renters that adopt a pet from a shelter.[/QUOTE]

You are an awesome landlord!

[yankeeclipper]

As a break from the Pit Bull debate and for your chuckling pleasure :D, I thought I would post an email I received following an attempt to make the local breed animal rescue aware of the Maltese dogs on the Urgent Death Row Dogs Rescue website. Please note, that I am not actively involved in any of these animal rescues. The first sentence sure makes me want to get involved … LOL

On Wednesday, April 13, 2016 10:36 AM, Metropolitan Maltese Rescue <metromalts@malteserescue.com> wrote:

I don’t know where you would get the idea that the Maltese are being euthanized, because that idea has no basis in reality.

NYC Animal Care and Control is a shelter staffed by wonderful people and they work fabulously with rescue groups, including us. We are aware of each and every dog and cat that enters the shelter on a daily basis, via email blasts they send out to the rescue groups, like us, who are members of their New Hope division and are qualified to pull animals from them.

We were registered to take the dogs you cite mere minutes after they entered the shelter on Sunday, though as they are young and easily adoptable they probably will not need our help.

Thanks for your concern, and please sign up to be a volunteer with us, which can be done on our website. It seems you are interested in working with our group. http://www.malteserescue.com/

My Response:

That’s excellent!! I am so happy that the dogs on the NYC URGENT DEATH ROW DOGS website listed are SAFE! The website name certainly implies that these dogs are in a HIGH KILL shelter and only days away from an untimely death.

Kudos to you and your staff for rescuing those cuties!

Bless your kind hearts…

[french_fry]

[QUOTE=yankeeclipper;8620010]
As a break from the Pit Bull debate and for your chuckling pleasure :D, I thought I would post an email I received following an attempt to make the local breed animal rescue aware of the Maltese dogs on the Urgent Death Row Dogs Rescue website. Please note, that I am not actively involved in any of these animal rescues. The first sentence sure makes me want to get involved … LOL

On Wednesday, April 13, 2016 10:36 AM, Metropolitan Maltese Rescue <metromalts@malteserescue.com> wrote:

I don’t know where you would get the idea that the Maltese are being euthanized, because that idea has no basis in reality.

NYC Animal Care and Control is a shelter staffed by wonderful people and they work fabulously with rescue groups, including us. We are aware of each and every dog and cat that enters the shelter on a daily basis, via email blasts they send out to the rescue groups, like us, who are members of their New Hope division and are qualified to pull animals from them.

We were registered to take the dogs you cite mere minutes after they entered the shelter on Sunday, though as they are young and easily adoptable they probably will not need our help.

Thanks for your concern, and please sign up to be a volunteer with us, which can be done on our website. It seems you are interested in working with our group. http://www.malteserescue.com/

My Response:

That’s excellent!! I am so happy that the dogs on the NYC URGENT DEATH ROW DOGS website listed are SAFE! The website name certainly implies that these dogs are in a HIGH KILL shelter and only days away from an untimely death.

Kudos to you and your staff for rescuing those cuties!

Bless your kind hearts…[/QUOTE]

The various “SAVE THESE POOR INNOCENT DOGS ON DEATH ROW AT NYC ACC” groups are not in ANY way affiliated with the ACC. On the contrary, they are extremely biased against the great work the ACC does…which is probably why you got the response you did.

Many rescues have great relationships with the ACC and are a large part of the reason the ACC’s euthanasia rate has dropped to only 13%. They strive to only euthanize animals for health or behavioral reasons and do a pretty darn good job of it.

They are mandated to take every animal that is surrendered to them and have recently implemented programs that have not only slashed the euth rate, but have connected people who intended to surrender their pet with resources that allowed them to keep them.

And still some insane groups demonize them…

[french_fry]

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/nyregion/animal-adoptions-rise-amid-reforms-at-new-yorks-shelters.html?referer=

[frisky]

Rusty the jack russell in the Urgent Manhattan section is absolutely adorable.

One day, I will adopt a pitbull. All the pitbulls I meet at the dog local dog parks are wonderful happy wiggler dogs. Just a lot of fun.

[jetsmom]

[QUOTE=Garythesquirrel;8619943]
You are an awesome landlord![/QUOTE]

Thx. I can’t rescue all the dogs that need it, but I try to make it easier for people that do have pets, keep them safe from getting out and encourage adoption.

[Countrywood]

jetsmom, that is great what you are doing…I wish there could be a landlord adovacy program, or at least share among them which insurance companies are pet friendly. I 'd imagine a yappy barking dog that never stops is much more a nuisance for tenants/neighbors…

Many landlords have an additional pet fee, either security deposit or monthly…I understand why they have it, (carpet replacement possibly), but that also makes it tougher for people with pets but still an improvement over the typical no large dogs allowed rule .

[dappled]

I understand no dog rules, or no large dog rules, but a no pit bull rule makes me absolutely livid. It’s flat out discrimination, and it would honestly make ME not want to live in that place.

[Countrywood]

Many condos and HOA associations have breed specific rules…usually no PB, and no "aggressive " breeds (which they dont’ define, I guess that means any big, scary looking dog)

Ironic that an aggressive breed is the Chihuahua. They are not banned, as being tiny they don’t frighten people (even though ankle biter teeth hurt)

I suspect many landlords may not be personally prejudiced against PB, they just see others have that rule so they adopt it. Maybe they were turned down for building insurance or don’t want to pay a higher insurance rate if that is the option for allowing PB

[Marshfield]

[QUOTE=dappled;8620483]
I understand no dog rules, or no large dog rules, but a no pit bull rule makes me absolutely livid. It’s flat out discrimination, and it would honestly make ME not want to live in that place.[/QUOTE]

Landlords are often restricted by their insurance company. It may very well have nothing to do with their own opinion on the breed

[Sswor]

On the flip side, a no pit bull rule at an apartment/condo complex/HOA would be an attractive selling point to me.

[scierra]

Jetsmom, I’m going to take a page from your book. When my rental is up on the market again I’ll do what you’re doing. What a nice thing to do. I am going to contact the good rescues to let them know too. I’m hoping that will help getting a good tenant.

I know that when I was renting and had 2-3 large dogs I was very appreciative for the landlords who rented to me. I was overly responsible for the dogs, and took good care of the property.

[dkcbr]

1. In the abstract, I understand that it’s frequently considered breed discrimination and prejudice to express any reservations, or feel unsafe or even just a bit unsettled around pit bulls specifically. And most of the pits I know personally are very cute and well trained by competent, conscientious owners. Some play flyball which is a noisy sport full of high-energy dogs racing back and forth in an electric atmosphere, which provides lots of temptation for misbehavior by dogs who are not solid in temperament and training.

But

2. There do seem to be a lot of pit bulls purpose-bred for dogfighting or maybe just to walk around and look “mean” (inner city phenom I’ve observed). And some of the shelters in my area are stuffed with pits or pit mixes, which makes me wonder about the bloodlines behind them, as well as their background to date.

So

It’s hard for me to reconcile these two apparent realities, because it means that many rescue pits that get adopted out to JQPublic may or may not be a problem. And to my mind, many JQPs do not do a great job of training and handling dogs in general. I see way too many people being dragged around by large, active dogs to feel totally comfortable with lots of people’s ability or commitment to training.

So when one of these large, active dogs is one that may have been specially bred for dogfighting…well… I feel a bit uneasy in a way that I don’t feel around a golden or lab or dalmation or sheltie or many other breeds or types.

Yes, there are aggressive goldens, etc. but still…still…with the breeds such as pit bulls that may have been bred with fighting in mind, owned by people who aren’t particularly dog savvy, I also understand a landlord or insurance company’s reluctance to embrace them. (Or other breeds specifically bred to fight, guard, etc.)

I realize it’s impractical to require people who rent or buy a house to present “credentials” for their dogs in the form of CGC, TDI, CD, etc. to their landlords or insurance companies, though. So I guess we will all have to take a leap of faith that our neighbors’ dogs are well trained, civilized members of society and under control at all times.

[Countrywood]

There are a zillion places that don’t allow pets , simply rent a place that does not allow pets and no worries. I’d worry far more about who my neighbors are than what kind of dogs they own. I had to live next door to dangerous neighbors at two places I owned ( in so called good neighborhoods). Let alone who is living next door in a rental…some landlords screen better than others and some people pass a bg check but are still nuts ( or loud and disruptive)

The fear of a dog bite is way out of proportion and often happens by by a person being careless, petting a dog they dont’ know, allowing a child to run up to it etc.

I will say there is a problem with dog on dog aggression, pit bulls and any breed. But pits seem to do more serious damage but not always, dog on dog aggression can get very nasty no matter the breed. That’s a natural instinct with dogs so have no idea how to solve it as dogs are out in public and must pass each other on street, in yards etc unlike pet cats who mostly live indoors or stay in a small area near their own house.