Post by RealPitBull on Jan 29, 2008 10:51:23 GMT -5
Too many pit bulls
by Chris Killian | Special to the Gazette Saturday January 26, 2008, 11:03 PM
www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/too_many_pit_bulls.html
KALAMAZOO -- Several local animal control and advocacy groups will meet Tuesday to brainstorm ways to better control and deal with the city's growing population of pit bull terriers.
Last year, more pit bulls were euthanized at the Kalamazoo County Animal Services and Enforcement Office shelter than any other breed of dog. About 80 percent of the 665 pit bulls that came into the shelter were put down, said shelter Director Steve Lawrence.
There are many reasons for the high number of pit bulls being euthanized, he said.
Pit bulls are increasingly becoming a status symbol among city youth, he said, many of whom will make extra money from dog fighting or breeding the dogs and selling the litters. On average, pit bulls have litters of six to eight puppies, more than most dogs.
The puppies are rarely spayed or neutered when they reach the age for the procedure, Lawrence said. That creates more dogs than there are homes for them, eventually leading to "exponential growth," he said.
"It's become a macho-type thing to have a pit bull," he said. "It's become the thought that if a pit bull is spayed or neutered, it loses its toughness. But a pit bull can always be vicious if the owner wants to make it vicious."
Some pit bull owners, Lawrence said, simply don't treat their dogs well, which often leads to a dog being taken into custody by animal-control officers for aggressive behavior or poor health. Most of these dogs cannot be adopted because of their condition or temperament.
Pit bulls, along with similar breeds such as the American Staffordshire terrier, are a very popular breed in the city, Lawrence said. They often get a bad rap in society, stereotyped as aggressive dogs that are difficult to control. But Lawrence said they are not bad dogs.
"There are no bad dogs, only bad owners," he said. "But pit bulls are hard dogs to adopt out."
And that's a problem, many area animal advocates say.
"Your heart goes out to these animals," said Tamsie Haskell, a volunteer with Kalamazoo Animal Rescue. "It's not their fault that their population is increasing so much. People need to be educated about being a responsible owner."
Some area animal rescue agencies have had to put a moratorium on taking in any more pit bulls because they don't have room for them, Haskell said.
Developing ways to better educate the public on why spaying and neutering are so important will be one of the main goals of Tuesday's meeting, Haskell said.
Officials also will discuss how to get youths to embrace healthy forms of competition with their pit bulls, instead of resorting to fighting them.
One idea is to organize community sponsored weight-pulling competitions, where pit bulls --Â and other dogs -- compete against each other by walking down a track while pulling a weighted cart behind them.
"What we need to do is start to change the culture in this city on how we view and treat pit bulls," said Aaron Winters, executive director of the Kalamazoo Humane Society. "We've all got to be part of the solution. This meeting will be the beginning of a discussion on what solutions we need to adopt."
by Chris Killian | Special to the Gazette Saturday January 26, 2008, 11:03 PM
www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/too_many_pit_bulls.html
KALAMAZOO -- Several local animal control and advocacy groups will meet Tuesday to brainstorm ways to better control and deal with the city's growing population of pit bull terriers.
Last year, more pit bulls were euthanized at the Kalamazoo County Animal Services and Enforcement Office shelter than any other breed of dog. About 80 percent of the 665 pit bulls that came into the shelter were put down, said shelter Director Steve Lawrence.
There are many reasons for the high number of pit bulls being euthanized, he said.
Pit bulls are increasingly becoming a status symbol among city youth, he said, many of whom will make extra money from dog fighting or breeding the dogs and selling the litters. On average, pit bulls have litters of six to eight puppies, more than most dogs.
The puppies are rarely spayed or neutered when they reach the age for the procedure, Lawrence said. That creates more dogs than there are homes for them, eventually leading to "exponential growth," he said.
"It's become a macho-type thing to have a pit bull," he said. "It's become the thought that if a pit bull is spayed or neutered, it loses its toughness. But a pit bull can always be vicious if the owner wants to make it vicious."
Some pit bull owners, Lawrence said, simply don't treat their dogs well, which often leads to a dog being taken into custody by animal-control officers for aggressive behavior or poor health. Most of these dogs cannot be adopted because of their condition or temperament.
Pit bulls, along with similar breeds such as the American Staffordshire terrier, are a very popular breed in the city, Lawrence said. They often get a bad rap in society, stereotyped as aggressive dogs that are difficult to control. But Lawrence said they are not bad dogs.
"There are no bad dogs, only bad owners," he said. "But pit bulls are hard dogs to adopt out."
And that's a problem, many area animal advocates say.
"Your heart goes out to these animals," said Tamsie Haskell, a volunteer with Kalamazoo Animal Rescue. "It's not their fault that their population is increasing so much. People need to be educated about being a responsible owner."
Some area animal rescue agencies have had to put a moratorium on taking in any more pit bulls because they don't have room for them, Haskell said.
Developing ways to better educate the public on why spaying and neutering are so important will be one of the main goals of Tuesday's meeting, Haskell said.
Officials also will discuss how to get youths to embrace healthy forms of competition with their pit bulls, instead of resorting to fighting them.
One idea is to organize community sponsored weight-pulling competitions, where pit bulls --Â and other dogs -- compete against each other by walking down a track while pulling a weighted cart behind them.
"What we need to do is start to change the culture in this city on how we view and treat pit bulls," said Aaron Winters, executive director of the Kalamazoo Humane Society. "We've all got to be part of the solution. This meeting will be the beginning of a discussion on what solutions we need to adopt."