As a Pit Bull advocate, it deeply upsets me that this breed makes up the largest percentage of dogs in animal shelters nationwide. The unfortunate reality for so many dogs of this breed is that there are hundreds of Pit Bulls in the shelters, making their chances of getting adopted immensely low. There are too many Pit Bulls in shelters and nobody to adopt them. This is not due to behavioral issues, it is due to the stigma that has plagued this breed for decades.
Every year, approximately 1.2 million dogs are euthanized. Pit Bulls make up 40% of these deaths. That equates to roughly 480,000 deaths of Pit Bulls every single year. Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes account for 33% of shelter intakes nationwide, but that percentage is often higher in larger cities. Unfortunately about 75% of shelters euthanize Pit Bulls immediately after they take them in, giving this poor animals no chance of adoption and a better life.
So how did Pit Bulls get their bad reputation? Prior to the early ‘80s, there was only one dog attack story that featured a Pit Bull. This news story was about a man who had a pack of 26 dogs attack a young woman, with one of these dogs being of the Pit Bull breed. By 1986, thirty communities had set laws in place that banned the Pit Bull breed. What triggered this change in perception is largely due to the comeback of dog fighting in the 1980s, with the Pit Bull being deemed the breed of choice based on the breed’s build. Pit Bulls were also notorious for being guard dogs for drug dealers, with a largely publicised attack in 1987 where a Pit Bull guarding a marijuana crop in California aggressively mauled a two year old boy to death.
This stigma has affected the breed forever, creating a new slogan for Pit Bull advocates all over– Blame the owner, not the breed. A study compiled a list of the top ten most aggressive dog breeds. Shockingly, the Chihuahua ranked number one followed by Dachshund and then the Chow Chow. While Pit Bulls are among the top breeds, they come in 8th place. Yet this breed is seen as the public enemy for Americans based on the actions of a few irresponsible dog owners.
One way to prevent the death of these Pit Bulls is to spay and neuter your dogs. A female dog can produce two litters every year with each litter consisting of 6-10 pups. With the female dog and her offspring, 67,000 dogs can be produced in just 6 years. If we can reduce the number of Pit Bulls being produced, we can significantly decrease the amount of Pit Bull and Pit Bull mixes in municipal shelters and help eliminate the stigma that has tainted the reputation of the breed.
Audio Story by Wally Perez
Photos by Clay Sprague
Sally has been in the shelter for over 2 months now. She’s still looking for a place to call home.
Lady has been adopted and is waiting to be picked up by her future owners.
Smokey is a loving guy, and only a year old. He’s still looking for an owner.
Frank may look sad, but really he’s just sleepy. Give him a chance and he can be a great dog!
Bruce may look a little worse for the wear, but he’s a sweet, out-going guy.
Grace just wanted to give the camera a high five.
Chester is a 2 year old cat who loves to use his voice. If vocal cats are your thing, Chester’s your guy.
Ben is my adopted dog. When he was adopted he was 4 hours from his euthanasia deadline.
“She was a bit nervous at first but once she warmed up to me [Gwen] really came out of her shell.” – Natalie McComber, Texas State junior.
Almost every major community in Texas has their own shelter. Visit yours and see if you can find a best friend!
“Honestly, I think [adopting Hank] is one of the best decisions I have made in a long time.” – Jason Adams, Texas State senior.
Photos By Kasey Turner
City Park provides a safe and easy access for you and your pets to enjoy the river. It’s shallow and safe enough for animals to swim and play catch. The rocks also provide a place to just hang out with your pets.
With easy access on both sides of the river, City Park is a great place to take your pets to the river.
Railings on the opposite side of the rocks make it easy for those pet who might be a bit scared. Your furry child can ease their way in instead of taking the big leap.
The Palazzo apartments is located on Wonder World Dr. and is a pet friendly apartment with an on site doggy park.
With the on side doggy park it’s easy for residents/students to take their animals. Student Nicole Amspacher said, “I have a sheepdog named Hannah who is quite bit for my apartment, so I like to take her to the dog park three time a week to get her out and run around”.
Hannah likes to to go the doggy park to run around with her furry friends and get out of the apartment. She isn’t pleased that this day was not the day for the dog park.
With a build in fire hydrant, sitting bench and an area to run around it’s convenient for humans and animals.
Sewell is a popular student hangout especially during the summer. Although it’s not time yet to take your furry children, students like Clair Lloyd likes to take her dog Jake when it gets warmer outside, “Thanks to the large areas of grass, Jake can run around and when he gets hot he can jump in the river”, Clair said.
There are several stairs located around Sewell for easy access for your dogs to get in and out of the river. They can take a leap off the side and swim to the nearest steps and do it all over again.
UClub is another pet friendly apartment complex located on Leah Avenue. They do not have a dog park but they have plenty of grass for your pets to run around.
The Woods apartments is located on River Road off the I-35, has a large park next to it where you can take your pets for a walk. Resident Hailey Storm likes to take her dog Franky to get some exercise for her and him, “I am trying to live a more healthy lifestyle, so I bring Franky for a jog with me so we both get some exercise”.
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