So, what's the real truth behind pet overpopulation?
- Thread starter ravennr
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I'm so sick and tired of an animal only being a pit until it's inconvenient to someone's agenda. I've been at shelters where they literally give away pits complete with obedience lessons, a leash, collar, and dog food and they can't get rid of them for FREE. These aren't old dogs or dogs with temperament problems but undoubtedly they are pit bulls. These are shelters who move so many dogs that they have to import them from California to have something besides pits in the shelters but they literally can't give away a pit. Do I blame them for euthanizing them after a couple weeks- no I do not. Budgets can only go so far and for every 15 dogs adopted - one was a pit despite being 33% of the intake. The rescues are full - the fosters can only take on so many.
This is not a unique problem to America. Staffies have it just as bad in the UK and is very well documented although only a fraction of the death toll here.
So no, I don't think it's a case of mis identification. I think it's a case of no rain drop thinking it's responsible for the flood.
This is not a unique problem to America. Staffies have it just as bad in the UK and is very well documented although only a fraction of the death toll here.
So no, I don't think it's a case of mis identification. I think it's a case of no rain drop thinking it's responsible for the flood.
What about every non GSD at PACC in Tucson being labeled "pit" or "pit mix", including purebred neos, boxers, ACDs, and redbone coonhounds? When they weren't adopted because they were mislabeled and for some reason the shelter decided it had to call people's landlord and ask "do you allow pits?"
I can tell you they weren't recorded as coonhounds, neos, and boxers when they got the needle. That's several thousand annually from one little county shelter alone. That's a shelter where the policy is also to euth any pit over 6 months old that walks through their door, so I'd hate to see what all gets killed before the public ever sees them. We were extremely limited in what fosters we could take because of the shelter's mislabeling and our landlord's insurance not covering pits.
And if shelters have a policy like that of mandatory euthanization of certain breeds/age that's also going to inflate things. The public never gets a chance to adopt them. There are a LOT of pit bulls in Tucson. They're also extremely popular there across the board with folks of all incomes and ethnicities. The puppies that moved the fastest out of rescue tended to be toys and bullies.
I can tell you they weren't recorded as coonhounds, neos, and boxers when they got the needle. That's several thousand annually from one little county shelter alone. That's a shelter where the policy is also to euth any pit over 6 months old that walks through their door, so I'd hate to see what all gets killed before the public ever sees them. We were extremely limited in what fosters we could take because of the shelter's mislabeling and our landlord's insurance not covering pits.
And if shelters have a policy like that of mandatory euthanization of certain breeds/age that's also going to inflate things. The public never gets a chance to adopt them. There are a LOT of pit bulls in Tucson. They're also extremely popular there across the board with folks of all incomes and ethnicities. The puppies that moved the fastest out of rescue tended to be toys and bullies.
The Miami dade animal listing does nothing but depress me
Especially knowing that anywhere else.. half those dogs would be snatched up and in loving homes
I mean it's a purebred chocolate lab puppy!
Things are starting to change a bit at that shelter..and I do think they are sort-of trying..
but It's just so depressing
Here in Massachusetts it certainly isn't an over population problem. Most of the dogs here are being brought up from the south. We never see puppies. Lots of juvenile dogs though.
I do think the problem is less over population and more education. At least that's how I choose to help. The vast majority of these dogs have been thrown into the system (here in MA anyway) due to behavioral issues. Most if not all of these issues could be fixed or could have been avoided.
Educating people and training the dogs so that the dog stays in the home I think is an important component to this whole dilemma.
I do think the problem is less over population and more education. At least that's how I choose to help. The vast majority of these dogs have been thrown into the system (here in MA anyway) due to behavioral issues. Most if not all of these issues could be fixed or could have been avoided.
Educating people and training the dogs so that the dog stays in the home I think is an important component to this whole dilemma.
One day I SWEAR I am going go to the Southern US and bring back a trailer load of dogs. That yellow lab is perfection*! When I look at lab breeders' sites, I rarely see quite what I like, but he is a stunner. Maybe he has an owner who'll come get him. He hasn't been there a day yet.
*barring some horrible anxiety or aggression problem lol
ETA: ah I see he has a name, do all dogs get names upon entry or does that indicate he was a surrender?
I keep an eye on some of these shelter lists (death row, urgent dogs, etc) especially for NYC...close enough to MA, CT, etc. People almost fight for even fostering anything not a pit bull. Dogs that are sick, have temperament issues...if it's not a pit, for the most part, it is getting out just fine. And the pit bulls come across and those same people disappear. I'm really not exaggerating either...I saw a snappy 9yo standard poodle mix with tumors and medical problems get pulled, while 10 pit bulls are on the euth list for the night, half with pretty solid evaluations and normal medical history.
Part of me thinks it's a little hypocritical...part of me doesn't blame them. I don't know what the answer is for them.
Part of me thinks it's a little hypocritical...part of me doesn't blame them. I don't know what the answer is for them.