We are overrun with pitbulls and pitbull crosses

[SquishTheBunny]

[QUOTE=Coyoteco;7368029]
The dynamic here as I understand it is that people will adopt a pit bull rather than another dog because they feel that the pit bull is more at risk. So, the collie gets euthanized because the person wants to save the pit bull and assumes the collie will get adopted by someone else.

I had heard “of” this phenomena, and recently heard people talking at a kill shelter saying exactly that “I want to adopt a pit bull because they need more help.” Yet, the chiuahua and the lab sit there unadopted and will probably be killed.

It’s a real problem when a municipality “outlaws” any breed - all those nasty “unintended consequences” showing up again.[/QUOTE]

This was not true at all in my area. When I worked at animal control, the small dogs would go in a day or two. We rarely had any Pomeranians, shih-Tzu’s, poodles etc. stay longer than a few hours.

The ones who would stay the longest were the pitty crosses. Beagles were the next slowest to go because in a shelter situation they are LOUD and obnoxious.

I adopted a pitty cross from there because she was there for 9 months, then it was her turn for euthanasia. I couldn’t let her go that way, and brought her home to live with my german shep, other pitty and Pomeranian. The herd got along great. She was a lovely dog (did have separation issues) but would never hurt a fly. She had a good 10 years with me before she died suddenly in my back yard. Never once did she growl or lift a lip. Even after being attacked by a german shep, she would never fight back.

[Lil_Nibs]

Stupid, stupid people, they make me sick. It will be one year ago this week since I adopted Percy, my pitty and he is the most fantastic dog ever. He came from BARCS in Baltimore through that ever-enabling former mod, Erin Harty, bless her heart.

[independentalter]

[QUOTE=SquishTheBunny;7368510]
This was not true at all in my area. When I worked at animal control, the small dogs would go in a day or two. We rarely had any Pomeranians, shih-Tzu’s, poodles etc. stay longer than a few hours.

The ones who would stay the longest were the pitty crosses. Beagles were the next slowest to go because in a shelter situation they are LOUD and obnoxious.

I adopted a pitty cross from there because she was there for 9 months, then it was her turn for euthanasia. I couldn’t let her go that way, and brought her home to live with my german shep, other pitty and Pomeranian. The herd got along great. She was a lovely dog (did have separation issues) but would never hurt a fly. She had a good 10 years with me before she died suddenly in my back yard. Never once did she growl or lift a lip. Even after being attacked by a german shep, she would never fight back.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I don’t think the pretty purebreds are being killed in lieu of the pitties.

I spent a (horrible terrible awful) day in the Euthanasia room at a huge city shelter. Never saw anything except a pittie or a pittie-mix in there. There was a small room of little dogs and a massive warehouse-type area for large dogs because the little ones get sent to rescues so fast. Which is a great thing for the little ones!

Thankfully most buildings around here don’t have any breed restrictions so a good number of pitties do get adopted out.

[summerhorse]

It’s the same here and still the puppies keep coming. And that doesn’t count the rural dogs that run loose and reproduce like crazy. They are filling up the rescues and shelters and nobody wants them. I’ve given up getting a shelter dog here, IF one comes in that I like, it is gone before it’s feet have time to hit the floor. And it seems purebred breeding is on the wane. There are very few breeders of breeds I like (if any) within driving distance of my home.

[Riley0522]

@vacation1;7366177

There’s been a hugely successful reduction in shelter euthanizations for dogs over the past 30 years, but the reverse is true of pit bulls. Their numbers have increased relentlessly. I think that despite the CL ad claiming they don’t want fighting lines, the reason for this endless reproduction isn’t that pit owners don’t “get” speuter, it’s that unlike most dogs, the pit has an economic value. You can actually make some money selling them and fighting them. Yet pit bull activists reject mandatory spay/neuter for pit bulls. If 99% of the dogs in my shelter looked like my dog’s twin, I think I’d be begging lawmakers to make spay/neuter mandatory, not whining that it’s “unfair” to me to single out my breed of choice.

God, vacation1, just give it up. Don’t you know none of us give a sh*t about how much you hate Pit Bulls? Your bantering is just untrue, I do not know of a single Pit Bull rescue group that adopts out intact dogs and doesn’t support mandatory spay/neuter. Mandatory spay/neuter isn’t going to work, which is why most people who love the breed don’t support it. In my local, large city (Boston), there IS mandatory spay/neuter, higher licensing fees, etc for Pit Bulls. Do you think that stops the morons who BYB from doing it? No! They don’t follow the rules so why does it matter? The Pit Bull’s gross overpopulation, shelter presence and euthanasia rates are strictly due to the image the media/society gives the dog, sadly no fault of the dog itself.

[chancellor2]

[QUOTE=Riley0522;7381856]
God, vacation1, just give it up. Don’t you know none of us give a sh*t about how much you hate Pit Bulls? Your bantering is just untrue, I do not know of a single Pit Bull rescue group that adopts out intact dogs and doesn’t support mandatory spay/neuter. Mandatory spay/neuter isn’t going to work, which is why most people who love the breed don’t support it. In my local, large city (Boston), there IS mandatory spay/neuter, higher licensing fees, etc for Pit Bulls. Do you think that stops the morons who BYB from doing it? No! They don’t follow the rules so why does it matter? The Pit Bull’s gross overpopulation, shelter presence and euthanasia rates are strictly due to the image the media/society gives the dog, sadly no fault of the dog itself.[/QUOTE]

Riley, some people are beyond hope and Vacation is one of them.

I wonder if pit bull over population is really more likely just a WHOLE BUNCH of mis-identified dogs. I’ve had several people tell me that my new dog looks like a pit bull cross. In fact, he is a plott hound labrador mix. But yeah, he has a blocky head and some brindling in his coat. He hasn’t bitten anyone yet but if he had…perhaps that would make him more likely to be a pit bull?

[SaltyHooves]

Breed Rescue also gets many of the purebreds before the even make it into rescue.

[rockonxox]

Most of the surrounding area where I live has a pit bull ban. The city right next to mine (which is in my county but the county hasn’t followed suit yet) has finally lifted their pit ban. I hate that I still have the ban because in the only other city near me that allows pits there are always a ton in the shelter. Unfortunately, it is hard to find homes for them with the bans. I am an equal opportunity adopter though. If I am able to adopt or foster another dog (or cat) I always ask who has been there the longest and regardless of the breed I will always take a look at them.

I get sad about all the dogs running loose in downtown. I’ve been known to pick up some “hitch hikers” and take them to rescues vs the shelter. Usually it is the ones darting in and out between cars or running up along the highway.

[vacation1]

[QUOTE=Riley0522;7381856]
God, vacation1, just give it up. Don’t you know none of us give a sh*t about how much you hate Pit Bulls?[/QUOTE]

Who’s us? The great pit bull majority? If there are so many of you that I should just go shut up already because my opinion is so meaningless and isolated, why are we even discussing how awful the situation is for pit bulls? I mean, if everyone loves them (except for those craaaaaazy folks who listen to media meanies), shouldn’t we be living in a pit bull’s paradise right now? Is it a pit bull paradise where there are literally tons of them being born only to die within 18 months and being landfilled?

@Riley0522;7381856

Your bantering is just untrue,

I think “bantering” may not be the word you were searching for there.

@Riley0522;7381856

I do not know of a single Pit Bull rescue group that adopts out intact dogs and doesn’t support mandatory spay/neuter. Mandatory spay/neuter isn’t going to work, which is why most people who love the breed don’t support it.

So pit bull rescue groups are made up up people who don’t love the breed? That’s odd.

@Riley0522;7381856

In my local, large city (Boston), there IS mandatory spay/neuter, higher licensing fees, etc for Pit Bulls. Do you think that stops the morons who BYB from doing it? No! They don’t follow the rules so why does it matter? The Pit Bull’s gross overpopulation, shelter presence and euthanasia rates are strictly due to the image the media/society gives the dog, sadly no fault of the dog itself.

Does mandatory s/n work 100%? No. But it’s a disincentive for the casual breeders. It helps. And with the pit bull euth rate as high as it is, why not embrace something that helps even a little?

The overpopulation and the image are due to fighting, not media. The people producing these animals are producing them for a lucrative business, to make money, and that business is the acting out of inherited aggression. That trait doesn’t go away when a pit bull that failed to excel is rehomed as a pet. That trait also doesn’t go away when you breed carelessly, any more than a collie/lab mix has completely lost all interest in tennis balls or herding. It’s diluted, but it’s still stronger than normal. Mass production and selected aggression are what’s creating the pit bull nightmare, not me. If the people who love this animal as a pet don’t get it together to go after the fighting people who love it as a moneymaker, instead of screaming about media stories, the pit bull is doomed.

[Riley0522]

You’re correct, bantering isn’t the word I was going for…more like straight out bashing. I guess there isn’t anything remotely light-hearted or educational about your rambling.

I also should have stated that Pit Bull advocacy groups who DO support mandatory spay/neuter within the rescue community usually do not outwardly support universal spay/neuter for the sheer fact that it simply does not work and there are just not that many legitimate breeders (perhaps I am sheltered due to my location), so why make them suffer for the actions of thousands of low-life idiots when the legitimate breeders would be the only ones who would follow the rule? As stated before, it would not reach it’s target, the people who are BYBing to make a buck. Just like it doesn’t work in the South, where there is rampant overbreeding of many mutts due to dogs running loose all the time. Looks like those mandatory leash laws and spay/neuter laws that have tried to be introduced really worked in those situations, eh?

I have NO idea why you have such an affinity to hate a breed of dog…a dog is a dog is a dog. A Pit Bull is no more likely to harm/maim than any large breed dog. Yes, they may have more prey drive and animal aggression (they are a TERRIER), but please tell me how that differs from a Molosser-type having a desire to protect its’ own and exhibit human aggression? It is not the dog’s fault that many people who own them are not equipped and have chosen poorly (and for the most part probably shouldn’t own any dog).

But in all seriousness, I have no desire to further argue with someone who chooses to dissect my posts from my iPhone that I didn’t edit as if I was submitting my final dissertation. Why don’t you find something serious to hate if you feel the need to be so full of it?

The Pit Bull is no more doomed than the Rottweiler or Doberman. Many people own and love Pit Bulls responsibly nowadays, but you don’t phase out a racism (or breedism) overnight. Last time I checked, segregation took a few years on the human front, and these are dogs we’re talking about.

You can continue to sit here and bash, but at this point I’m fairly certain you’re talking to yourself as I have now placed you on ignore as many others I’m sure have.

[5chestnuts]

[QUOTE=SaltyHooves;7382397]
Breed Rescue also gets many of the purebreds before the even make it into rescue.[/QUOTE]
Very true. All the purebreds our local shelter gets in are adopted quickly, sometimes within a day.

[Lil_Nibs]

[QUOTE=Riley0522;7387398]
You’re correct, bantering isn’t the word I was going for…more like straight out bashing. I guess there isn’t anything remotely light-hearted or educational about your rambling.

I also should have stated that Pit Bull advocacy groups who DO support mandatory spay/neuter within the rescue community usually do not outwardly support universal spay/neuter for the sheer fact that it simply does not work and there are just not that many legitimate breeders (perhaps I am sheltered due to my location), so why make them suffer for the actions of thousands of low-life idiots when the legitimate breeders would be the only ones who would follow the rule? As stated before, it would not reach it’s target, the people who are BYBing to make a buck. Just like it doesn’t work in the South, where there is rampant overbreeding of many mutts due to dogs running loose all the time. Looks like those mandatory leash laws and spay/neuter laws that have tried to be introduced really worked in those situations, eh?

I have NO idea why you have such an affinity to hate a breed of dog…a dog is a dog is a dog. A Pit Bull is no more likely to harm/maim than any large breed dog. Yes, they may have more prey drive and animal aggression (they are a TERRIER), but please tell me how that differs from a Molosser-type having a desire to protect its’ own and exhibit human aggression? It is not the dog’s fault that many people who own them are not equipped and have chosen poorly (and for the most part probably shouldn’t own any dog).

But in all seriousness, I have no desire to further argue with someone who chooses to dissect my posts from my iPhone that I didn’t edit as if I was submitting my final dissertation. Why don’t you find something serious to hate if you feel the need to be so full of it?

The Pit Bull is no more doomed than the Rottweiler or Doberman. Many people own and love Pit Bulls responsibly nowadays, but you don’t phase out a racism (or breedism) overnight. Last time I checked, segregation took a few years on the human front, and these are dogs we’re talking about.

You can continue to sit here and bash, but at this point I’m fairly certain you’re talking to yourself as I have now placed you on ignore as many others I’m sure have.[/QUOTE]

Riley, bless your heart, you can’t educate stupid and stubborn, not to mention condescending. I think I will be invoking the “ignore” button on this lovely human.

[PaintedHunter]

I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix who is the BEST dog. He was the last of his litter to go, and in looking at the other puppies’ photos…he was the most pitty-looking. I am sure that had something to do with it.

But he’s the sweetest- loves kids to death, and wants nothing more than to just merge with my bone marrow and become a part of me. Little love bug 55-lb. lap dog who is the most people-pleasing animal I’ve ever had.

[chancellor2]

[QUOTE=PaintedHunter;7389296]
I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix who is the BEST dog. He was the last of his litter to go, and in looking at the other puppies’ photos…he was the most pitty-looking. I am sure that had something to do with it.

But he’s the sweetest- loves kids to death, and wants nothing more than to just merge with my bone marrow and become a part of me. Little love bug 55-lb. lap dog who is the most people-pleasing animal I’ve ever had.[/QUOTE]

There are PLENTY of people who know what you and I know PaintedHunter. And we should just pity people like Vacation1 who just don’t get it.

[PaintedHunter]

I mean- just look at him! he’s a clown.

Sitting on one of our other dogs:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h133/wangel43/Reno2_zps160577eb.jpg

Being handsome:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h133/wangel43/Reno_zpsab9e18e7.jpg

I could gush all day.

[moonriverfarm]

I live in one of the dog fighting meccas an rescued a starved bait dog years ago. She was 20 pounds, HW positive an beaten. She slept for three days in my laundry basket in the house before getting up. She coexisted peacefully with my Chihuahuas for years. One night for whatever reason we came home and found her with a bloody face and another of our farm dogs dead. Who knows what happened - but I had to rehome her with someone who didn’t have other dogs. I can only think her past caught up with her and she snapped. I loved that dog with all my heart though. She was a gem. And due to no fault of her own she had issues brought on by the redneck backwoods native population of idiots who are effed up enough to think watching dogs kill each other is sport.

[vacation1]

[QUOTE=Riley0522;7387398]
But in all seriousness, I have no desire to further argue with someone who chooses to dissect my posts from my iPhone that I didn’t edit as if I was submitting my final dissertation. Why don’t you find something serious to hate if you feel the need to be so full of it? … Many people own and love Pit Bulls responsibly nowadays, but you don’t phase out a racism (or breedism) overnight. Last time I checked, segregation took a few years on the human front, and these are dogs we’re talking about. You can continue to sit here and bash, but at this point I’m fairly certain you’re talking to yourself as I have now placed you on ignore as many others I’m sure have.[/QUOTE]

I included the “But I was writing from my iPhone!” bit just because it deserves to be enjoyed by all. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a funnier attempt to justify a perfectly understandable mistake. Please feel free to ignore me in the future. Anyone who tries to equate dog breeds with human races is not someone I wish to debate.

@Lil Nibs;7387522

Riley, bless your heart, you can’t educate stupid and stubborn, not to mention condescending. I think I will be invoking the “ignore” button on this lovely human.

Also feel free to ignore me in future. People who use passive/aggressive tactics so they can spew insults without catching moderator ire are common enough online, so you won’t be missed either.

@chancellor2;7389710

There are PLENTY of people who know what you and I know PaintedHunter. And we should just pity people like Vacation1 who just don’t get it.

I don’t think you threatened to ignore me, chancellor2, but also, please feel free.

[Beckham03]

I am sad there is still breed ism. A good dog is a good dog.

My pit bull is snoring on my lap with my iPad resting on him. He has been here one month and happily coexists in a house with 6 cats and two grumpy old dogs. He was picked up in Oct as a stray. He was severely emaciated (26 lbs), un neutered, covered in fleas, full of parasites, HW positive, and severely injured from being tangled in wire. He underwent HW treatment and sx for a scrotal urothestomy…and never stopped being happy. It saddens me to think that if the breed ban was still in effect here, that he would not be here…he would never have been given a chance despite his wonderful temperament.

For whatever reasons, these dogs are still dumped and treated like garbage…what seems like more then many other breeds. News story here recently with many frozen to the ground. It just never seems to end.

[Lil_Nibs]

I try to ignore the idiots who feel the need to post their tedious “I know better than anyone else, just because I have an opinion” blathering here. Probably a good thing that I have chosen to block one in particular. Anyway, rant over, and I completely agree - pitties do get a bad rap. Breed bans make me sad. Morons who post on bulletin boards without knowing crap make me even sadder…

[Lil_Nibs]

PS Beckham03 - yep, mine too! Love my pitty.