This news article shows some rather intelligent and ginger thinking on behalf of three shelters in the Houston Texas area.
Should Pit Bulls Live Or Die?
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| With out knowing the history of most of these dogs, many nutters will rally to save them |
Absolutist Quote:
"Veterinarian Susan Pickle says you can take one look at her pit bull, Rosy, and know the dog is nothing but sweet."
Truthful Quote:
"In this line of work, it's very, very difficult to determine the good ones from the bad ones," said Dr. Dawn Blackmar, Harris County's director of veterinary health.
Heart Of The Article:
Just after Thanksgiving in 2006, two pit bulls attacked and killed little 4-year-old Pedro Rios outside his home in Northeast Harris County. Blackmar says she just can't take the risk of something like that happening with an adopted pit bull.
"My biggest concern is that we don't have enough information on each individual dog to be able to predict their behavior," Blackmar said. "I think the problem with any breed really is a people problem," said Christopher Newport, a city spokesmanfor BARC. "It's not the problem with the dog."
Unsurprisingly the Pro-pit veterinarian completely ignores the wise and considerate words that the other person had to say.
And of course, Bad Rap is in a tizzy about this. Calling the sound precaution as Dark Aged Thinking....
19 comments:
The ole "Humane Smokescreen"
Again, why can't the Pit Bull community accept responsibility and exercise breed stewardship...
There is no sane reason to breed another Pit Bull.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I think the tide is turning. More and more of these shelters are realizing the potential liability of working with these dogs.
12:52 AM
If more pit owners were for breed regulation they would understand they could not only keep their pibbles, but decrease the mauling and deaths by at least 2/3 if they followed everything such as neutering, muzzling, and crating their pits inside while they are at work.
- Post Author
1:45 AM
Hopefully it will stay that way. One can only hope that more and more shelters practice this same method as the ones in Houstin, Texas.
That is just another reason that I will never ever donate to the ASPCA.
A lot of pit bull advocates will be very upset with the HSPCA upon reading this. However, like the article says, people are the ones who caused this pit bull problem. Specifically, pit bull breeders are the reason so many pit bulls are euthanized. No one needs to be breeding more of them.
While pit bulls are statistically far more likely than other dogs to maul humans and their pets, it's true that not every pit bull put down is one that may have harmed someone. It IS, however, hard to tell which pit bull may maul or kill people and pets and which never would. However, the HSPCA would not have to make the call if people would stop breeding so many pit bulls. The HSPCA isn't creating all these pit bulls - pit bull lovers are. No matter how one feels about the breed, it's hard to argue that any more need to be bred and it's hard to deny that regulating them would absolutely lead to fewer animals being euthanized. (And, most importantly, fewer maulings).
No one with a heart likes to know the truth about dogs getting killed. But on any given day, the majority of the dogs at most shelters are stray pit bulls, a breed that was made for killing and is frequently making headlines for doing so.
It would be irresponsible for Animal Shelters to risk placing these animals in the hands of more irresponsible owners, so they once again can become a menace.
Here is my favorite quote from the BadRap site:
Dianne said...
On Saturday, the League sent home a 2 year old black pit to a young family which included a baby and a cat. No one thought for a moment that he could be a "ticking time bomb" or any other sort of liability. I think we need to find a pit bull savvy person with the ACLU. This stuff has to be unconstitutional
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At 2, that dog hasn't even reached an age where they can properly evaluate its adult temperament. I don't think that the adopters fail to understand that, either. Where is the conscience here?
The veterinarian nutter who adopted her pit bull from BARC, is holding up BARC as a model of what should be done? What kind of an amoral idiot is she? BARC currently has 234 dogs for adoption, and a quick perusal reveals that about 75% of the dogs are pits and pit mixes. Its an open admission shelter, so they take what comes through the door, and whats coming through the door are pit bulls. There are NO descriptions on these animals under their profile picture, just a number, so there is no way for prospective adopters to get any info on these dogs prior to going to the shelter. The shelter is just serving as a dumping ground for the gangs and dog fighters breeding pit bulls. Pit bulls are draining the resources from this shelter, and the people involved are not screaming for breeder regulations....they are just desperate to farm the dogs out back into the cycle of misery, into nonexsistent "adoptive" homes. There are not, nor will there ever be, enough homes for these dogs. These women need to grow the hell up and stop living in their fantasy world. They are hurting animals, not helping them.
BARC is a fucking shit hole. i gave it a little bit of attention last year.
http://cravendesires.blogspot.com/2009/12/houston-we-have-serious-problem.html
I am a pit bull owner and I never thought I'd post on this blog - that I'd ever agree with anything posted here - though I occasionally read the topics with absolute disgust overwhelming me by the irresponsible trash that owns these dogs far too often.
I personally do not think municipal shelters have the resources to be able to properly find responsible homes that will not take Fido to the dog park or set Fido up for trouble because there are too many people who have become 'doggie parents' and think that Fido isn't capable of being animal aggressive (and sadly, human aggressive in a more alarming number of cases).
These dogs DO tend to be animal aggressive and require a home that can manage and maintain that animal aggression and keep their dog(s) from trouble.
While I do not always agree about the often extreme posts on here, I do believe that there is a need for a good portion of these dogs (especially those that harm humans or so mismanaged by owners that they harm another animal) do not need to exist because it's painfully apparent that their owner(s) cannot handle them and be responsible.
There are not enough responsible owners that can swallow up the alarming number of these dogs that are wallowing in the shelter populations. It is the most humane thing to euthanize these dogs if proper homes cannot be found.
If the pit bull DNA database in the works can identify the genetic marker for the explosive, unpredictable aggression that has been bred into the majority of these dogs through centuries of selective breeding, true progress can begin. Make an absolute requirement of every licensed breeder to screen the sires and dams and provide proof of the soundness of their stock. Forbid the breeding of any dog with that genetic marker. Make yanking of the business license, confiscation of all breeding stock, and a massive fine the penalty for defying the law.
Confiscate and destroy any pit bulls belonging to unlicensed breeders, including bybers. Levy massive fines. Require mandatory spay/neuter of all other pits before breeding age, and enforce it. Confiscate any intact pit bull from anyone who isn't a licensed breeder and spay/neuter it at their expense with a fine as a requirement for getting it back.
Anybody who claims they love this breed of dog should be 100% behind these requirements for responsible breed stewardship.
Umm, I'm glad they're gone, but do we get the skinny on why and how they were removed?
Another Piticide in Cali, this week. Time for a BADRAP Pit-parade!
Looking at the BARC website, it appears to be a municiple shelter, funded by tax dollars, not a 501C3 non-profit. They are spending huge amounts of money on these dogs, only charging $55.00 to adopt out a dog that includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, and first years license fee.
If this were happening in my local municipality, the taxpayers would be in an uproar. Basically, the criminals and bybers keep breeding pit bulls, using the money to fund their drug habit or criminal activities...the dangerous dogs are subsequently dumped, and the taxpayers pay to clean up the mess; that is, when they are not fearing for their childrens lives because of the neighbors aggressive pit bulls.
Are Texans really that stupid? Why would the tax payers allow this to continue?
BARC is a target for Winograd and the "No Kill'ers" and has been for awhile. BARC does suck but they are trying to satisfy everyone to keep "No Kill" outta there. This is the results, as with many shelters all over the country. If it weren't for these "No Kill" fanatics, many shelters would chose not to adopt out pits. I'm working with a shelter right now where the "No Kill'ers" are screaming about two pits that attacked and why the shelter won't let them go to a "rescue".
Wow! This is a great article! Great find! It hits at the heart of the current insanity. It is so strange and wonderful to read about a humane society that is rational and moral.
Dawn Blackmar is completely correct, but BARC can exist because there is no legal responsibility built into the system, and relying on individuals' or groups' sense of moral responsibility doesn't work at all.
Breed Specific Regulations come when the breed community doesn't regulate itself...There have been 102 Americans killed by Pits since 2005...How can anyone say they aren't breeding mankillers?!?
Why did you not mention that Dawn Blackmar is against breed specific legislation? Also be aware that she saw the surviving dog that was brought in after attacking Pedro Rios and her expert opinion is that it was not a pit bull.
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