Which is better?

[gooeydog]

I guess this kind of applies to all breeds, but pit bulls more than others...
What is the best thing to do with the surplus pit bulls in shelters, rescues, etc? It would be great if there was a home immediately available for every one of them, but there's not, and most of the people who are willing to take a pit bull aren't the kind of owners the breed needs. So what should happen to all them?

Is it better for shelters to euthanize all pit bulls after the legal holding period is over? Sure, great dogs might be killed needlessly, but unstable dogs won't have a chance to cause harm to people and good dogs won't be neglected or have their temperments ruined by people who adopt the dogs either not knowing their problems/needs or because of them (in the case of people who get a pit bull because they're "tough"). Maybe less people would dump off their dogs at the shelter, knowing the dogs' fates are sealed once they're in there (of course this would probably lead to an increase in the # of pit bulls just dumped on the street). Most shelters don't do much screening on prospective adopters, and some don't even alter the dogs before releasing them, so there's no telling where some of the dogs will end up after they're adopted.
Some shelters will allow rescues to test/pull some dogs, but rescues have limited space, and can't take on many dogs, so only "the best of the best" get a chance at going to a rescue group. That leaves the majority of the dogs to be euth'ed or adopted out.

Is it better for shelters to adopt out as many pit bulls as possible, to whomever comes along, just to get them out before "kill day"? Sure, the dogs will live, at least for a while, until their owner get tired of them, dumps them, and gets another "cheap" dog from the shelter. Or how about if the local BYB comes to the shelter to dump off their old breeding stock, and picks up a few new breeding dogs while they're there because the shelter doesn't alter the dogs before they're adopted. I've heard of shelter workers who had to stand by as dogfighters came in to adopt some new "prospects". The dogfighters of course wouldn't admit to being dogfighters, and it couldn't be proven, so they ended up getting the dogs (again, I've only heard this, so I don't know if it's true).

Is it better for the dogs to be placed in "no-kill" shelters, where some may wait years for a home? Pit bulls are active dogs, and need both mental and physical exercise, or their health/temperment will suffer. The dogs are then termed unadoptable because they're too hyper or show what people percieve as aggression (but is usually just boredom).

It would be nice if shelters would do more screening on potential adopters of "high drive" breeds, but they don't have adequate staff for the things they already need to do, so more screening isn't a possibility for most of them.

[Hobbit]

Are you asking for the "dogs" sake; the "breeds" sake; the "humans" sake or just ethically speaking?

[gooeydog]

I guess what would be best for everyone; the breed, the dog, and the people who might be affected by it being adopted out. I'm just looking for opinions here :lol: I'm still a little undecided myself...

[Guest Anonymous]

I feel that if a breeder (Pit breeder) is doing this for the breed and knows the way most shelters are they should be microchipping ortattooing their pups so that if the pup or pups end up in a shelter the breeder is called. They should also be interviewing every perspective puppy owner to the hilt... If the new owners do not like it then they do not want nor need the pup.. I guess I feel it starts with a breeder and there you do all you can.. then it is out of your hands... if it is chipped or tattooed, you interview homes then you have done the best you can.

Most shelters do not rehab. this breed that I have found. Our shelter "puts" them down. :cry: I would like to see rehab or temperment test.. I would like to see backgrounds on the dogs...but I know the chances of that...So in all honesty I feel that humane euthanization would for now, until we as humans could find a better option, be the best route.

[gooeydog]

The answer should change on a case to case basic, but it doesn't. That's what makes it such a hard question, I think. Most shelters only have one "answer", one way of handling the dogs, whether it's euthanizing them all, adopting them out, or whatever else they choose to do with them. It would be easier/better to handle the over-abundance where it starts (the breeders), but instead people end up "cleaning up" after the problem.
The thing that gets me about the whole situation though, is that there is no inbetween, and you really can't "win" with any of the "answers". Either good dogs end up dying needlessly, or bad (as in poor tempered) dogs get placed in situations where they should not be. I agree that it's better for the dogs to be euthed if the shelter can't adequately screen homes, etc. If all shelters did that though, where would people who want to adopt pit bulls go to? Many wouldn't want to wait for a suitable rescue dog to find them, so how many would go find the nearest backyard breeder and buy a pup from them? That would bring even more dogs into the shelter, as the BYBs pumped out more litters to meet the demand for their dogs, and dumped the "undesireables" at the shelter. And all the BYB pups that would grow into rambunctious adolescents, with the possibility of dog aggression developing along the way, and the high drive/energy that many of them posses starting to take it's toll on their (llikely) inexperienced owners' patience?
In my area, there are only a few shelters that let pit bull type dogs be adopted, and most of the ones that do do minimal screening on prospective owners (at least they do alter the dogs, I think). There are a few no kill shelters, but only one of them takes in pit bull type dogs. I was at that one on day with my aunt dropping off a kitten and they had a young female pit mix in there. oAs I watched, one of the shelter workers opened up the door to put its food in and the dog lunged at her hand. I asked if they were adopting the dog out, and the worker said, "yeah, she's not too bad. She usually only snaps at us when she doesn't want us in there." :o It looked like the dog was just trying to get the worker to drop the food bowl, but the dog had snapped at them before and they were still adopting her out?? The other no kill shelters turn down a lot of dogs due to lack of space, and one won't take pit bulls in because they had one that showed "unwarranted aggression" towards his kennel mate. It seems that the no-kill shelters around here really aren't much better than the "normal" shelters at handling pit bulls. There are a few rescues, but they can only take in so many dogs, and after they're full that's it.

[bk_blue]

I feel that temperament testing is the only way to go with this. It prevents the "bad" dogs from going to homes where they have the potential to attack or kill, and saves the "good" dogs (good and bad is not usually the dog's fault, but you know what I mean). Unfortunately we can't save every single dog on the planet, I wish we could, so at least by temperament testing you can save the ones who will make great pets. Even so there are so many lovely dogs that are destroyed simply because there are TOO MANY STRAYS. :(

Are there pit bull clubs that do rescue? You would think there would be?

[corgilady]

I was at our shelter adopting Koda when I saw a GORGEOUS pit. She pulled too hard on the leash for me; I couldn't have held onto her. A week or two later I met a lady at the vet's office who had adopted the pit. The dog dragged her all over the waiting room, including up into Koda's face several times (Koda was sitting up in a chair behaving himself). When I was paying, they were still out there and the dog was jumping STRAIGHT INTO THE AIR to look thru the window. What a disaster! I tried to talk to the lady about a gentle leader but she took it as an insult. She also was not interested in obedience training. :cry:

[yellowlabsrule]

I agree with bk_blue. Temperment is VERY important. Also, if they've fought before they're probably going to do it again. So, as much as I don't want to say this they probably should euthanized them if they have a previous fighting record, but I don't know how many pits have previously fought, so I'm not sure. About what percent of pits have fought before in their lifetime? A majority? Or not?

[gooeydog]

BK, There are rescues, but not enough to get all the dogs that would make good adoption cantidates, if I had to guess, I'd say maybe 5% (probably less) are sent through rescue and find good homes.

corgilady, that sounds like the kind of shelter I'm talking about, they don't really care what the owners do after they get the dog, as long as it's not PTS. A good shelter would have made her enroll the dog in obedience classes, which would in turn reduce the chances of the dog being brought back a year later because it's "too wild" and "doesn't listen".

yellowlabs, it really doesn't matter whether the dogs have been fought or not, as far as aggression goes. Dog aggression is a trait which a lot of pit bulls have naturally, fought or not. The dogs aren't trained to fight, it's an inherant instinct, much the same as retrieving is to labs and herding to herding dogs. I've seen pit bulls that have been fought and brought up horribly, but couldn't care less about other dogs; I've also seen pit bulls that have been raised in loving, caring environments their entire lives, but are still extremely dog aggressive. In this case, a dogs genetic make-up is much stronger than their upbringing. It is true that some people would have reservations about adopting a former fighting dog, but they should realize before adopting any pit bull that dog aggression is a possibility no matter what the dog's background/upbringing. They also should realize the difference between human and animal aggression, and be aware that human aggression should not be expected. My dog is an ex-fighter, and though she's aggressive toward most strange dogs, she lives peacefully with the three that live with us, as well as my 6 & 9 yr old nephews who are here almost every day.