Kill more American Pit Bull Terriers.
Its been a while since I've written a blog on here and I've been juggling a topic or two around in my head for what I wanted to discuss in my newest work....I want to preface this blog with the disclaimer that this blog is not directed at any member of this forum..
.And so I've decided that I'll discuss my opinion on why more American Pit Bull Terriers should be killed instead of being adopted out. I hope readers of this blog will read this with an open mind and see that I write desiring to see the death of more of these dogs simply because I love the breed and want to see it succeed.
I hope that we can start this with a total agreement.... this breed is most certainly not for everyone.As well as that the average person has no idea what handling this breed properly means. I mean how many stories have we all read on this very forum about people that had dogs for several years together and never took measures early on to avoid accidents later in life? Refusing to separate dogs... not crate training, refusing to tether dogs... and allowing them unsupervised time in the house together. How many stories have we read about the dog that kills a beloved family cat, rabbit, or other breed of dog? They never saw it coming... they don't understand why it just snapped.... Why did it happen?
It has been my understanding in these stories that the majority of dogs in question have been rescue dogs.. and more so that they are often the first "pit bull" a person has owned. Many times I've seen the post of a person I just rescued a pit bull.... now what? They have read nothing on the breed, nothing on the history of the breed natural GENETIC tendencies of the breed. Bascially they know nothing beyond maybe a few episodes of The Dog Whisperer... or maybe they've looked at Bad Rap's website and seen all the "good fortune" they've had with the rescued Vick dogs.. and so they have all the good intentions of these people and groups and they want to make help this noble breed....
But what is it they've said of the road to hell and good intentions?......
Sadly good intentions can not help the majority of these cases..... these dogs need a special kind of person. They need to someone that understands that this breed is a warrior breed and NOTHING more. Yes they make excellent pets, yes they are very lovable creatures and make wonderful couch potatoes.. but they are warriors and I believe truly happy in combat.. yes they can be happy doing other things but their true calling is combat.
With dogs that tend to be this highly geared toward a natural aggression and desire for combat so deep in their genes we must look beyond trying to love and teach this desire out of them. They need someone to respect this desire and manage it.. not do away with it. And I just don't believe that many rescue people have the ability to do this.... and by rescuing a dog of this caliber giving it a place in your life and not being capable of understanding this you do a disservice to your dog.
By placing a dog like this is a home that isn't able to handle their special needs...because believe me they do have different needs than your average breed.. you set them up for failure. And I fully and completely believe that each time one of these dogs fail in the eyes of the public the entire breed fails. And in this day and age with the rabid monster of Breed Specific Legislation running wild one failure is too many,
So I do believe an overhaul is needed on the policies of the adoption of this breed..... if we truly wish to see it carry on. The more and more of these dogs that are adopted out just willy nilly to anyone with good intentions the more stories of failure we will see. I see no other realistic way of combating this issue other than to promote a higher number of APBTs in shelters to be euthanized. Because I do not see a way shelters across the country can afford to implement a good enough adoption process to assure that APBTs are placed in capable understanding homes.
SO yes... I love this breed... I want this breed to succeed more than anything.. and I want the witch hunt against this breed to stop. I wish for a day when responsible American Pit Bull Terrier owners can proudly and without fear claim the love for their animals... when they can have breaksticks, treadmills, flirtpoles, spingpoles, and other tools that every responsible owner should have without fear of being accused of engaging in illegal activities.
And one of the ways I see this being able to happen is by having less and less of these animals failing because of owners that simply just don't know better or are too ignorant to see beyond what they want these dogs to be and see what these dogs ARE... and the most effective way I see of achieving this is to simply to make it harder for people with good intentions and no real knowledge of the breed to be able to adopt them.
Currently there are shelters nationwide overpopulated with pit bulls...and last time I checked at my local shelter it was about $75 to adopt a dog from them. So anybody with $75 can adopt a dog... 75 dollars could put your ability to own an American Pit Bull Terrier... your breed of choice at risk... simply because someone with all the good intentions in the world but without the ability to contain what their $75 just got them as it kills the neighbors Labrador, or gets loose and kills a few cats.
Is that a chance you'd really be willing to take? Would you be willing to lay your dogs on the line so that someone that has a full season of The Dog Whisperer on DVD and has read pit bulls for dummies can spend $75 and feel like they are making a difference in the dog world?
Me.... I'd rather see more dogs killed than adopted out simply to keep these dogs away from those people that I described. Now I realize that not everyone that adopts is incapable of properly caring for, understanding, and containing this breed... and those of you out there that do rescue and adopt and properly care for your animals you do a wonderful thing or this breed and I do thank you for what you do for this breed and the dogs you save from the gas chamber.
Kill More... Rescue Less... Save the breed...
.And so I've decided that I'll discuss my opinion on why more American Pit Bull Terriers should be killed instead of being adopted out. I hope readers of this blog will read this with an open mind and see that I write desiring to see the death of more of these dogs simply because I love the breed and want to see it succeed.
I hope that we can start this with a total agreement.... this breed is most certainly not for everyone.As well as that the average person has no idea what handling this breed properly means. I mean how many stories have we all read on this very forum about people that had dogs for several years together and never took measures early on to avoid accidents later in life? Refusing to separate dogs... not crate training, refusing to tether dogs... and allowing them unsupervised time in the house together. How many stories have we read about the dog that kills a beloved family cat, rabbit, or other breed of dog? They never saw it coming... they don't understand why it just snapped.... Why did it happen?
It has been my understanding in these stories that the majority of dogs in question have been rescue dogs.. and more so that they are often the first "pit bull" a person has owned. Many times I've seen the post of a person I just rescued a pit bull.... now what? They have read nothing on the breed, nothing on the history of the breed natural GENETIC tendencies of the breed. Bascially they know nothing beyond maybe a few episodes of The Dog Whisperer... or maybe they've looked at Bad Rap's website and seen all the "good fortune" they've had with the rescued Vick dogs.. and so they have all the good intentions of these people and groups and they want to make help this noble breed....
But what is it they've said of the road to hell and good intentions?......
Sadly good intentions can not help the majority of these cases..... these dogs need a special kind of person. They need to someone that understands that this breed is a warrior breed and NOTHING more. Yes they make excellent pets, yes they are very lovable creatures and make wonderful couch potatoes.. but they are warriors and I believe truly happy in combat.. yes they can be happy doing other things but their true calling is combat.
With dogs that tend to be this highly geared toward a natural aggression and desire for combat so deep in their genes we must look beyond trying to love and teach this desire out of them. They need someone to respect this desire and manage it.. not do away with it. And I just don't believe that many rescue people have the ability to do this.... and by rescuing a dog of this caliber giving it a place in your life and not being capable of understanding this you do a disservice to your dog.
By placing a dog like this is a home that isn't able to handle their special needs...because believe me they do have different needs than your average breed.. you set them up for failure. And I fully and completely believe that each time one of these dogs fail in the eyes of the public the entire breed fails. And in this day and age with the rabid monster of Breed Specific Legislation running wild one failure is too many,
So I do believe an overhaul is needed on the policies of the adoption of this breed..... if we truly wish to see it carry on. The more and more of these dogs that are adopted out just willy nilly to anyone with good intentions the more stories of failure we will see. I see no other realistic way of combating this issue other than to promote a higher number of APBTs in shelters to be euthanized. Because I do not see a way shelters across the country can afford to implement a good enough adoption process to assure that APBTs are placed in capable understanding homes.
SO yes... I love this breed... I want this breed to succeed more than anything.. and I want the witch hunt against this breed to stop. I wish for a day when responsible American Pit Bull Terrier owners can proudly and without fear claim the love for their animals... when they can have breaksticks, treadmills, flirtpoles, spingpoles, and other tools that every responsible owner should have without fear of being accused of engaging in illegal activities.
And one of the ways I see this being able to happen is by having less and less of these animals failing because of owners that simply just don't know better or are too ignorant to see beyond what they want these dogs to be and see what these dogs ARE... and the most effective way I see of achieving this is to simply to make it harder for people with good intentions and no real knowledge of the breed to be able to adopt them.
Currently there are shelters nationwide overpopulated with pit bulls...and last time I checked at my local shelter it was about $75 to adopt a dog from them. So anybody with $75 can adopt a dog... 75 dollars could put your ability to own an American Pit Bull Terrier... your breed of choice at risk... simply because someone with all the good intentions in the world but without the ability to contain what their $75 just got them as it kills the neighbors Labrador, or gets loose and kills a few cats.
Is that a chance you'd really be willing to take? Would you be willing to lay your dogs on the line so that someone that has a full season of The Dog Whisperer on DVD and has read pit bulls for dummies can spend $75 and feel like they are making a difference in the dog world?
Me.... I'd rather see more dogs killed than adopted out simply to keep these dogs away from those people that I described. Now I realize that not everyone that adopts is incapable of properly caring for, understanding, and containing this breed... and those of you out there that do rescue and adopt and properly care for your animals you do a wonderful thing or this breed and I do thank you for what you do for this breed and the dogs you save from the gas chamber.
Kill More... Rescue Less... Save the breed...
Total Comments 130
Comments
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I agree Jean.... If it were up to me... which its not... I would have a stricter adoption policy than what I see in my local area ESPECIALLY with this breed... there is no education for the adopters... they continue the vicious circle of people not respecting or understanding what this breed was designed for.... and by buying into the "it is how you raise them" myth.. They unknowingly set the dog up to failPosted 11-05-2009 at 11:50 PM by NcPrisonGuard 
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hmmm...now this is something I agree with 100% but it bounces back to Educating the Ignorant. I do support more strict/thorough adoption process.Posted 11-06-2009 at 12:08 AM by pitbullhappenings - But.. you can't educate those that have been blinded by the whisperer.... you can't educate most into understanding that YES these dogs do desire to fight other dogs... YES the do enjoy it... Not because they are bad dogs but simply because we designed them that way.
So PBH... here is where we run into that clusterfuck that has become the "Pit Bull" So many people have had the wool pulled over their eyes by the HSUS and PETA and refuse to hear anything other than what they get in their phamplets.Posted 11-06-2009 at 12:30 AM by NcPrisonGuard - it's unfortunate but it's the truth...I admit I still have a lot to learn but I know a lot more than the avg joe...my boss doesn't understand why I can't leave all of my dogs home alone together as one happy family if I'm truly the Leader...he knows more than me *roll eyes* so does his son among many other people...I have though on the other hand had people understand and learn...but you're correct we have people that refuse to learn the truth.
Posted 11-06-2009 at 09:06 AM by pitbullhappenings -
I need to check the Blogs more often! I missed this whole discussion.Posted 11-10-2009 at 09:45 PM by Elizabeth - Well I am going to put in my two cents anyway.
I apologize that I have not read all of the post but I am going to reply with my personal experience as far a rescue goes. Plus I have been drinking so please bear that in mind esp with my spelling
I rescued Hazel a little over a year ago. When I first brought her home she was ok with cats and fine other dogs. About a month later she went after the cat breaking his jaw. $2500 later the cat was fine. My family said the dog needs to go. No I said I have learned a lesson and I can keep things under control, thus cat and dog were seperated. A while after that I had some family over and a door was left open.....dog gets to cat again...$400 later cat is fine. Yet again I learn. Family again says dog must go. No I say got it under control. A few months pass and Hazel gets into a fight with one of the other dogs. The are seperated with no damage and I learn again once more my family says the dog must go. I get out of it again...oddly? A couple of months pass and then a doozie! I was at work and for some reason my daughter decided to let Hazel out of her crate. She put all other dogs away, yet Hazel pushes thru the door and attacks the same dog that she fought before, but nobody is home to stop it. The neighbor comes over and is able to break them up only because I beg him over the phone. Both dogs have to be vetted but both are ok.
I grew up in a dog show home have been around dogs my entire life and unfortunatly this all still happened? What do you think may transpire in a home that has no experience with dogs?
I do not think there are enough sutable homes out there for these dogs. Unsutable homes will drive another nail into the BSL coffin.Posted 11-10-2009 at 10:59 PM by Elizabeth -
Well written, NC!Posted 11-18-2009 at 09:31 PM by shadowwolf - Rescued a 3 yr. old deaf amstaff last year from a shelter.She'd been in a shelter most of her life.We knew what we were taking on between breed and handicap but met the challenge head on.She's a real sweetheart with people big and small but we keep her isolated from other dogs due to the frequency of dog aggression.Any time you rescue you have very little info on past history for any breed.We will continue to rescue these misunderstood dogs as long as we are able to.As far as your viewpoint I would rather see any dog put down as opposed to being used and abused but I always think there's a chance to bring them back with routine and TLC.(heavy on the TLC)
Posted 11-18-2009 at 11:44 PM by Rackets -
I do Agree , but to a certain extent. I am all for Rescues , especially the rescues who Rehabilitate. Why should a 4 month old NOT DESERVE A CHANCE TO PROVE HIMSELF A GOOD DOG. Simply because he ended up in a Shelter and it is a " Pit Bull" of some sort. Who says that dog won't save some1 life 1 day ??
What I DO agree with is - Instead of spending THOUSANDS of dollars on 1 Pit Bull( in shelters & rescues) for it's injuries - put that dog down and save HUNDREDS of Dogs w/ those THOUSANDS of DOLLARS. It's erks me to see people Donating THOUSANDS to save 1 dog - when there are SO MANY other Healthy PITS who could use that money.
Those Thousands can feed a whole Rescue for a Month or more . Those Thousands can Provide more Free Spay & neuter for the Public. Those Thousands can help a Cheap Training Class start up - but instead all of that money goes to 1 dog - who normaly doesn't even make it past surgery . Seems a waiste.
You know NC we can Kill all the " Pit bulls" in the Shelters today , but guess what - there will be millions more Tomorrow morning. Shelters aren't the bad people - some of them actually like their jobs & love what they do. It is the Selfish Breeders that need to be stopped - it is their dogs in the Shelters . The puppies they sold to ANYBODY w/ the $$$$ . People say " Not me , I know where my puppies went " - yeah well what about those puppies and the puppies after Your puppy was Bred. It is a Domino Effect . No breeder can say THEY AREN'T THE PROBLEM . If you produce puppies - it's a problem. lol
I am all for Breeders being Taxed for every puppy & Donation to nearest NO KILL Shelter.
=)Posted 11-19-2009 at 08:52 PM by MzTx - So MzTx,... your solutions.. is no more breeding period? What good does that do? What about the responsible breeders that place dogs in responisble homes for showing or sporting purposes?
No... see at that point you are infringing on people's rights to property.... I can't agree with that at all.
PETA and HSUS want to end ALL breeding.... I wouldn't want to even have an idea of mine mentioned in the same breath as them.....
I'll defend a byber's right to do as they wish with their property.... its their right.
It falls back to $$$ of course... but you won't find dogs that come off of Tom Garner's yard in the shelters... you find byb dogs in the shelters... so why should someone like Tom Garner be held responisble with a tax and a forced donation to a dog prison (i.e. no kill shelter) because of what someone else is doing with their property?Posted 11-19-2009 at 09:45 PM by NcPrisonGuard
