OVERPOPULATION a Big Problem
PLEASE SAVE US
The pit bull euthanasia rate in shelters is at approximately 93% on average. That means for every 100 pit bulls that are surrendered to the shelter, only 7 will survive. And that number includes owner reclaims of lost dogs.
Pit bulls have a very hard time finding the right home. They are in high demand among dog fighters, thugs, punks, drug dealers, and people looking for a status symbol. Loving homes and responsible owners are in short supply, and most of those individuals seek out other breeds and avoid the dreaded monster known as “pit bull.” Some rescuers and adopters believe that the pit bull does best as an “only dog,” and some cities have passed breed-specific laws that place limits on pit bull ownership, further limiting the number of good homes available to pit bulls.
Pit bulls do not just appear out of thin air—they are created by breeders. Every litter of pit bull puppies that breeders churn out adds to the severe overpopulation problem that directly results in the deaths of untold numbers of pit bulls every year. Breeders give various excuses like “I want to improve the breed” or “I love the breed and I don’t want to see it die out.” If there was any truth to those statements, they would not be breeding. A genuine love of the breed should lead to rescue and education efforts—not producing still more puppies who have to compete for the scarce good homes out there. Breeders are primarily responsible for the current overpopulation crisis.
Despite this, pit bull breeding goes on in a sort of madness. It takes two shakes of a finger to find “Pit bulls for sale” ads in the paper. Dog Fancy magazine features an exceptionally large section for American Pit Bull Terriers (only the German Shepherd ads outnumbered the APBTs last I checked). Jump on Craigslist and you will be astounded at the volumes of ads for pit bulls. Drive past the flea market on any weekend and you can be sure someone will be sitting outside selling pit bull puppies. I have seen cardboard signs on light poles, the type that usually reads “Garage Sale”, advertising “pit bull puppies” for sale.
What happens to all these pit bull puppies? Where do they go? Many of them probably end up in bad homes with irresponsible owners. Considering the extremely limited number of pit bull-appropriate homes and the enormous volume of pit bulls needing homes, it’s much easier to take a first-come-first-served attitude toward pit bull breeding. Irresponsible breeders push their puppies off as soon as possible—sometimes as early as six weeks, which prevents the puppy from learning proper social behavior from its mother and littermates and can result in a dog with serious behavior issues. If they can’t sell the puppies right away, it costs nothing to dump the unwanted puppies at the local animal shelter, clearing out the kennels for a new litter. Other pit bulls meet a much worse fate—a gruesome death at the hands of an abusive owner or dog fighter.
Backyard breeders also create mutant dogs to meet the demand. Unsavory individuals today are seeking huge creatures that are “pit bulls” in name only. In fact, these dogs bear only a faint resemblance to the true “pit bull”. Breeders advertise enormous dogs with “huge heads”, “wide chests”, that are “low to the ground” and good for “protection”. None of these qualities are suitable for a true pit bull. Many of these dogs are mixed with other breeds. Nevertheless, breeders insist on calling them “pit bulls”, and ignorant buyers continue to purchase these creatures.
Responsible breeders, who are committed to finding all their puppies a good home, may have a waiting list for their pups. But those who don’t are left fighting amongst themselves for the rare good homes. And even those breeders who are successful at finding good homes for all their pups have just filled up the precious few homes that might have taken in a pit bull that is mere heartbeats away from euthanization.
And finally, pit bulls that enter a home as a puppy may not stay there for life. Most pit bulls are surrendered at shelters after they’re past the “cute puppy” stage and headed toward the “rowdy adolescent” stage. The owners who wanted a cute fuzzy pit bull puppy have decided that they can’t handle the responsibilities of a grown dog—like obedience training—or discovered that they can’t deal with pit bull-specific issues like public scorn or discrimination.
We truly have a “pit bull problem” on our hands – too many pit bulls and not enough homes. The dogs themselves pay the ultimate price. Many end up in the hands of irresponsible, lazy, or downright vicious owners. That’s not always the last we hear of them – some of them manage to make the news because their owners were too incompetent to handle the basics of dog ownership. Some percentage of pit bulls die horrible deaths in dog fighting rings or at the hands of cruel owners. And each year, thousands of innocent pit bulls wind up euthanized at local shelters across the U.S.
What’s the best solution to the overpopulation problem? Therein lies disagreement and controversy. However, there are a few key actions that every responsible pit bull owner must take:
Pit bulls have a very hard time finding the right home. They are in high demand among dog fighters, thugs, punks, drug dealers, and people looking for a status symbol. Loving homes and responsible owners are in short supply, and most of those individuals seek out other breeds and avoid the dreaded monster known as “pit bull.” Some rescuers and adopters believe that the pit bull does best as an “only dog,” and some cities have passed breed-specific laws that place limits on pit bull ownership, further limiting the number of good homes available to pit bulls.
Pit bulls do not just appear out of thin air—they are created by breeders. Every litter of pit bull puppies that breeders churn out adds to the severe overpopulation problem that directly results in the deaths of untold numbers of pit bulls every year. Breeders give various excuses like “I want to improve the breed” or “I love the breed and I don’t want to see it die out.” If there was any truth to those statements, they would not be breeding. A genuine love of the breed should lead to rescue and education efforts—not producing still more puppies who have to compete for the scarce good homes out there. Breeders are primarily responsible for the current overpopulation crisis.
Despite this, pit bull breeding goes on in a sort of madness. It takes two shakes of a finger to find “Pit bulls for sale” ads in the paper. Dog Fancy magazine features an exceptionally large section for American Pit Bull Terriers (only the German Shepherd ads outnumbered the APBTs last I checked). Jump on Craigslist and you will be astounded at the volumes of ads for pit bulls. Drive past the flea market on any weekend and you can be sure someone will be sitting outside selling pit bull puppies. I have seen cardboard signs on light poles, the type that usually reads “Garage Sale”, advertising “pit bull puppies” for sale.
What happens to all these pit bull puppies? Where do they go? Many of them probably end up in bad homes with irresponsible owners. Considering the extremely limited number of pit bull-appropriate homes and the enormous volume of pit bulls needing homes, it’s much easier to take a first-come-first-served attitude toward pit bull breeding. Irresponsible breeders push their puppies off as soon as possible—sometimes as early as six weeks, which prevents the puppy from learning proper social behavior from its mother and littermates and can result in a dog with serious behavior issues. If they can’t sell the puppies right away, it costs nothing to dump the unwanted puppies at the local animal shelter, clearing out the kennels for a new litter. Other pit bulls meet a much worse fate—a gruesome death at the hands of an abusive owner or dog fighter.
Backyard breeders also create mutant dogs to meet the demand. Unsavory individuals today are seeking huge creatures that are “pit bulls” in name only. In fact, these dogs bear only a faint resemblance to the true “pit bull”. Breeders advertise enormous dogs with “huge heads”, “wide chests”, that are “low to the ground” and good for “protection”. None of these qualities are suitable for a true pit bull. Many of these dogs are mixed with other breeds. Nevertheless, breeders insist on calling them “pit bulls”, and ignorant buyers continue to purchase these creatures.
Responsible breeders, who are committed to finding all their puppies a good home, may have a waiting list for their pups. But those who don’t are left fighting amongst themselves for the rare good homes. And even those breeders who are successful at finding good homes for all their pups have just filled up the precious few homes that might have taken in a pit bull that is mere heartbeats away from euthanization.
And finally, pit bulls that enter a home as a puppy may not stay there for life. Most pit bulls are surrendered at shelters after they’re past the “cute puppy” stage and headed toward the “rowdy adolescent” stage. The owners who wanted a cute fuzzy pit bull puppy have decided that they can’t handle the responsibilities of a grown dog—like obedience training—or discovered that they can’t deal with pit bull-specific issues like public scorn or discrimination.
We truly have a “pit bull problem” on our hands – too many pit bulls and not enough homes. The dogs themselves pay the ultimate price. Many end up in the hands of irresponsible, lazy, or downright vicious owners. That’s not always the last we hear of them – some of them manage to make the news because their owners were too incompetent to handle the basics of dog ownership. Some percentage of pit bulls die horrible deaths in dog fighting rings or at the hands of cruel owners. And each year, thousands of innocent pit bulls wind up euthanized at local shelters across the U.S.
What’s the best solution to the overpopulation problem? Therein lies disagreement and controversy. However, there are a few key actions that every responsible pit bull owner must take:
- Spay or neuter your dog(s)!
- Do not breed or buy while shelter animals die. Adopt!
- Rescue, foster, or volunteer at a shelter.
- Encourage others to do the same.