I was born and raised in Los Angeles County, more specifically the San Fernando Valley and as you may or may not know I have been obsessed with dogs for as long as I can remember. When I was younger my father would take me to the local L.A. County shelter on a regular basis because I would always beg him to go see the dogs. Since I couldn't have one do to our living situation I would go visit them as much as I possibly could. Now that I'm older I still visit and it always breaks my heart to see as he sad eyes as I walk by each cage but something dawned on me back then that rings true still to this day. The majority of dogs are Pit Bull or Pit Bull mixes. It's sad that these dogs are in there to begin with but what makes it worse for me as an avid Pit advocate and dedicated lover is the fact that the predominant breed is of the Pit variety. Now this got me to thinking and wondering why that is. I know they may not have the best reputation due to the manipulation of negative media portrayal so I started doing some analyzing on my own. Stray dogs obviously got caught and Pits can be quite crafty escape artists and with no tags or microchip it is inevitable that they get picked up but then there are a large number of owner surrenders. So why are so many owners surrendering their Pit Bulls?
Moving? No time? The cute puppy grew to be too large? Whatever the reason may be this is a sad thing to do, to surrender your dog? Los Angeles has an epidemic of Pit Bulls on death row. This needs to stop.
The statistics from the Los Angeles Animal Services website states that between the years of 2010 to 2014 15,307 Pit Bulls were euthanized.
That's only L.A. County and only in a four year span. Now think about the United States as a whole, the world as a whole. That's a lot of Pit Bulls dying!
How you can Help
1. If you are interested in getting a Pit Bull please do your research. Understand that a puppy grows and needs more space and activity so be ready to take on the responsibilities that come with owning these dogs. Dogs live for a number of years. Be ready to commit to these years.
2. Socialize, socialize, socialize! Introduce your dog to as many new people, dogs, cats, kids, animals as possible. Well behaved dogs all have one thing in common, socialization. This is the key to help against aggression problems that stem from lack of social stimulation.
3. Train your dog! I cannot stress this enough. Train your dog as soon as you bring him into your home. Untrained Pit Bulls are seen as hazards even though they may mean no harm. You must train your Pit Bull and avoid the negative stereotype.
4. Spay or Neuter. This is a huge reason Pits end up in Shelters, over breeding. Please if you are not a licensed breeder that has quality lineage, do not breed your dogs! I cannot tell you how many times I see backyard breeders pumping out puppies for profit and it disgusts me.
5. Look into adopting versus buying. The more dogs are adopted the less end up dying in shelters.
6. Become a breed ambassador. Show others how great owning a Pit Bull can be and promote positivity with your own well behaved dog as a role model. This does a great deal. I have encountered people who were scared of Pit Bulls but after meeting Bentley changed their minds.
7. Do not advocate dog fighting. Not only is it illegal it is highly immoral and horrible. Dogs are not made to fight each other to the death. Report any dog fighting you may come across at once. There is no excuse for this violence.
If everyone practices responsible techniques we could drastically reduce the number of unnecessary Pit Bull deaths. Imagine if you were given away to a shelter because you were no longer wanted only to live a lonely existence and eventually die. It's not fair for anyone. Let's work on this problem together.
Cheers,
