Atlanta-Bound!

With the prospect of our whole family moving to Atlanta, GA in the next year, I began searching for Pittie Rescues and Resources in the Atlanta area, and I was so excited with what I found:

The Atlanta Humane Society looks like a great network that puts on exciting fundraisers and events to help the animals. It reminds me a lot of where I volunteer-Animal Haven here in New York, except much bigger and with a lot more resources.

Also, the Atlanta Bully Rescue is an amazing shelter that saves bully breeds specifically - even if they are abused and need intensive mendical care and treatment. ABR is no-kill, with the exception of human-agressive dogs, un-rehabilitatable dogs, and dogs suffering from illness. All the dogs get "house-time" so that they can begin their path to being real house dogs right away. Like me, the fantastic founders of ABR dream of purchasing a farm for their shelter with ample room for the dogs. Because space at ABR opens only when a dog is adopted, they are in need of fosters-If you are in the Atlanta area and can help, please click here: ABR

Here is an important note about Pit Bull Overpopulation from ABR founder, Whitney Horne:

"Atlanta Bully Rescue, like many of the other animal shelters in Georgia, is always full with a waiting list of dogs that need a spot at our rescue. On average we get 20-30 requests a day asking us to take in pets that need a home. We get about 10 applications in a month and about 2 are approved and result in an adoption. For the most part we take in strays found by friends, neighbors, or us. We require that these dogs go to Animal Services first. We try and concentrate on taking in strays found in East and South Atlanta. Many of these dogs come from backyard breeders that had to learn the hard way how hard and expensive it is to breed dogs, especially responsibly.

There are thousands of pit bulls in Georgia in need of a home. It’s an epidemic that many people don’t realize until they find a stray pit and try relentlessly to get it into a no kill shelter.

Sadly, many people want these dogs so they can use them for backyard breeding, as a status symbol, or worse… The key to fighting the overpopulation of pit bulls is having them fixed. Finding them responsible homes is not always easy. I hate to say it, but these dogs are better off being euthanized with their dignity than going to an irresponsible home. Sending them off to a new home unfixed is taking a horrible risk that the dog will end up living a miserable life with a backyard breeder. We will be happy to help you with resources to get a dog fixed for free or under $70. There’s no excuse for rehoming an unfixed pet, you are just adding to the problem, not the solution. Feel free to also use the questions on our application to screen potential adopters and please check vet references.

No one should ever feel bad about taking a stray to animal control. At least you took the time to take a dog off the streets that would have otherwise almost inevitably met a horrible fate. The more dogs we get off the street, the less unwanted litters we will have to worry about finding homes for.

If you have a pit that is human aggressive, please for the sake of the breed, have them euthanized. Human aggression is not a trait of pit bulls. Trying to keep or find a home for a human aggressive pit bull is taking a huge risk that you will add to their bad reputation. It is not safe to rehome ANY breed of dog that shows signs of human aggression. You cannot train out human aggression!

We appreciate anyone’s efforts to help out a homeless dog but we beg you to do it responsibly if you really want your efforts to make a difference in the severe problem of pet overpopulation, especially pit bulls."

(This is Kudzo, one of ABR's available Pit mix puppies! Click here for more info on Kudzo)