A Pet is a Huge Responsbility...

Appologies and excuses won't save lives.

Scroll through the dead faces in this Urgent Part 2 album to see the excuses the ACC lists like "NEWBABY"  "LLORDPRIVA" (land lord won't allow) "NYCHABan" (NyC Housing Ban on pit bulls) "PETHEALTH" "TOOMANYP" (too many pets) "OWNEVICT" (Owner Evicted) "MOVE2PRIVA" (Moved) "TOOSTRONG" "PERSPROB" (Personal Problems) "NOTIME" "TOOACTIVE" or simply "ABANDON".

These six dogs were put to sleep recently for similar reasons- unfortuntaely, their owners probably thought they'd find homes somewhere when they dropped them off.

THINK BEFORE YOU SHOP/BREED/ADOPT

San Francisco

This past week I took a 3-day trip with my friends to San Francisco. I had never been to the West Coast at all and enjoyed seeing the Pacific for the first time, biking the Golden Gate Bridge, and eating amazing food.

Of course I visited what I consider to be the dogs of the sea-- Sea Lions! They are super social creatures, who love lazing around all day, barking at each other and growling when their sunny sleeps get interrupted.

 

 

As I am an obsessive dog-watcher, I looked out for dogs everywhere we went. I loved watching the dogs romp on the beach and play off-leash at Alamo Square. We came across this lovely girl, Luna- who hammed-it-up on the grass by rolling onto my feet and gently nipping at me to get more affection-- Look at that smile!

We also met bunches of other Golden Retrievers, Labs, French Bulldogs, Collies and other great dogs- Unfortunately, I was sad to find that there weren't many mixed breed dogs or pit mixes around. I figured that this meant that there are fewer unwanted/unplanned litters in SF and therefore, fewer shelter dogs. In New York, pit bulls are everywhere- when I stepped out of the path station I was excited to see not only more dogs, but more mutts and more pitties- I guess I am a little biased against pure-breed dogs because I figure they need less help in this world.

I did run into one Pit bull while in San Fran and happily sat down with his owner, a homeless ex-U.S. marine.

 

San Fran has a surprisingly large homeless population- I've been told because of the nice weather and friendly people. When I met this man and sat next to him- his dog (Tyrell), instantly climbed out of his owner's lap and gave me plenty of kisses. He laid down (belly-up) next to me on the side-walk and enjoyed getting his belly scratched.

Tyrell's owner told me that he gets all the vet care he needs because in SF, it is illegal to turn away an animal in need, just as it is illegal to turn away a person who needs emergency care. This makes it financially possible not only for Tyrell to have a "home" of sorts, but also for his owner to have companionship. He told me that Tyrell is his best friend in the whole world, and inspired him to get off the streets and to buy a van for them to sleep in. Together, they share a sleeping bag. Tyrell even protects his owner at night and has bitten another homeless man who tried to steal their things. It seems like a wild life, but the more I heard about this duo- the more sure I became that they really needed each other- and that neither of them would get by without the other.

Fortunately, due to a law that forces pit bulls to be neutered- Tyrell was neutered at the age of only 2 months to prevent over-population and he cannot contribute to more homeless pets, although the law apparently does not apply to other breeds of dogs. I gave his owner $20 for dog food and wished them luck and was so happy I saw a pit bull before leaving San Fran.

Does anyone know more about the shelter system there and why pit bulls must be neutered so young?

Designer Pit Bulls

As you may know- many different types of dogs masquerade as "American Pit Bull Terriers" or "pit mixes" or "pitbull type dogs." Winnie sometimes looks more like a lab than the 1/4 Staffie terrier that she is, but I think of her as a pittie-mix. Bruno is mostly mutt (maybe some Dalmatian and boxer) but he is certainly a pit-mix (my mother says "its the shape of his head!" and apparently that's all that matters.)

Last weekend was Easter weekend: we were home with Bruno and my Mom asked- What is a pit bull after all? Can you have a pure-bred pit bull?

I answered no- there is no such thing. I decided to write a post about the different types of dogs that are considered pit-bulls and the ones that really shouldn't be.

To me- a "pit bull" is a type of mixed-breed dog that looks a certain way and has a particular affection for people, they tend to have smooth coats, have short folded- or up straight ears, be 35-55 pounds and somewhat muscular with a short snout and a square-shaped head. A lot of shelter dogs fall into this category. (As I showed in a previous post, all of these dogs are considered Pit mixes at Animal Care and Control of NYC:)

PBRC.org reminds readers: "A "Pit bull” is NOT a breed. It's a generic term often used to describe all dogs with similar traits and characteristics known to the public as "pit bulls." When we use the term “pit bull” here, it should be understood to encompass American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers." Here is some more info on pit bulls at Pit Bull Rescue Central.

The Animal Farm Foundation writes, "Over time, we realized that the dogs we were helping were not necessarily pure bred American Pit Bull Terriers, but dogs that people called "pit bulls." "Pit bull" is not a breed or breed mix, but an ever expanding group that includes w...hatever an animal control officer, shelter worker, dog trainer, politician, dog owner, police officer or newspaper says it is."

However, Backyard-breeders and people who have developed the breed for its tough-look, large head, muscles and sometimes fighting ability do advertise their dogs as "American Pit Bull Terriers." I do not consider these dogs to be "pit bulls," they are often double the weight of an average pit-bull type dog and have very specific characteristics that would be better categorized in their own new breed. Backyard breeders are breeding their dogs based on what is trendy- like this new "tri-color trend."

This dog's puppies are being sold for $1000 each online as "ABPT"s:

It would take genetic analysis, but I would venture to say that a dog like this is as different from a typical "pit bull type dog" as a pit-bull is from a bulldog.
These dogs' (probably actually mixed with bulldogs) puppies are going for $2000 each:

 

This one is advertised as being "XXL" and "Extra Wide" with "thick bones, wide chests" and somehow "pure bred, top of the line, blue ribbon"

This 92 lb monster with his "26.75 inch head" is somehow considered a pit bull terrier even though he is 2-3 times heavier than the standard pit-mix.

These dogs are bred to look as beefy as possible-- like this when they are only 2 weeks old (this one goes for $3000 by the way.)

It only takes a brief online search of "pit bull puppies for sale" to find horrifying pictures like this-poor dogs treated like masculine extensions for their owners' self-esteem.

Breeders of all types of dogs evolve the breeds they work with through generations of selective breeding, and the same thing is happening here- pit bulls selected and inbred over many generations are being bred to be bigger, tougher, and more serve-looking.

This practice has gone on for centuries to produce guard dogs and working dogs, but the problem here is that these dogs are being sold to people who do not know how to handle them- who often refuse to neuter them- and who want to breed them themselves to make money. This ends up putting more genetically aggressive dogs into the stray and unwanted dog populations and floods many city shelters. It also hurts the reputation of "pit bull type dogs"- dogs that may be smaller, better with children, and less dog-aggressive like these:

How exactly are these dogs considered the same breed? I think it might be time to gather the "real" APBT "breeders" out there who seem to be merging their dogs with bulldogs and selecting for large/short characteristics and form a new breed, a breed that can be standardized like all the others. That way, these pittie mixes and be recognized as different and unique from this other "designer" breed of dogs.

What do you think? What do you consider your pitties to be?

"Its Me Or The Dog"

I really recommend watching this episode of "Its me or the dog" with Victoria Stillwell on Animal Planet. In this episode (clip below) she helps a young man with a completely out of control Presa-Canario. Unbelievably- the man wants to breed his dog. Luckily, Victoria talks him out of being a back-yard breeder adding to the shelter-crisis by taking him to Manhattan Care and Control (where we adopted Bruno on the day he was to be put to sleep.)

NYC defies court order to build more Shelters

Every day in New York's 5 boroughs, homeless animals are put to sleep. If you follow URGENT Part 2 (on facebook) you see the faces of these dogs and how many lose their lives. Each day city-wide 20-30 dogs are routinely put on the list. Rescue groups and caring people are responsible for bringing that number down to the point where most likely only 5-10 dogs will be put to sleep every day. But why are there so many rescue groups absorbing this burden, when the city of New York was mandated to expand its facilities over a year ago! Rescue groups are stretched thin; lacking foster homes and adequate donations because they are trying to do the job of the City Shelters.

On September 9th, 2009 the city was given 60 days to come up with a plan to implement the Animal Shelters and Sterilization Act- an act passed in 2000 and since blatantly ignored. The law required full-service shelters to be built in all five boroughs by 2002. Since then, Queens and the Bronx have only small part-time receiving shelters that fall well-short of the space, time, man-power, and adoption networks required. Full service means the following: "a facility ... that houses lost, stray or homeless animals and (1) accepts dogs and cats 24 hours per day, 7 days per week]; (2) has an adoption program open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week; and (3) provides sterilization services for dogs and cats ."(§§ 17-802 c), 17-809) The law also requires that all animals be sterilized before leaving a licensed shelter for adoption or return to its owner, except in specified situations."

In 2009, the judge in the case, Judge Shafer said, "[The city has]... blatantly failed to comply with the mandatory requirements of the Act, which unambiguously requires shelters in each borough, not in 3 out of 5, open 24 hours per day, not 12 or "as needed." That was a year and a half ago.

The City has appealed the decision in an effort to keep costs down, but citizens of Queens and the Bronx rightly contend that they are paying taxes for services that other boroughs are receiving and they are not.

It is estimated that 43,000 animals end up at the shelter each year and half of them are euthanized; with more room, the animals get more time- more time to languish in the filth of the city shelters, but also more time to find that one person or one family that cannot resist them and brings them home. Many dogs are given as little as 2-4 days before they are put to sleep, more space could mean giving them another few days to find homes.
Instead of complying with existing laws, Mayor Bloomberg has signed into law "Intro. 328" to increase dog licensing fees for unaltered pets from $11.50 to $34.00. The income will be used for spay and neuter services. The act also bans tethering for more than 3 out of every 12 hours and the use of heavy steel chains. While spay and neuter is a crucial part of the fight against over-population, it is clear to me that the city is turning its back on the already alive population of strays in favor of charging the tax-payers to prevent overpopulation in the future. I see this as an attempt to maintain the status-quo in the shelters. Bloomberg and the City have a legal responsibility to not only prevent overpopulation but to care for the population of animals that exist right now.

Meanwhile, beautiful dogs like these, that were put to sleep in the last two days in New York City, will never live to see a happy family and a warm home.

Mack

Kiko

Magic

Read more here, here, here, here, and here.

Operation Pit

The ASPCA's Operation Pit offers FREE wellness care to healthy Pit Bulls 3 months - 6 years.

Every Tuesday and Thursday by appointment
Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital
424 East 92nd Street (between 1st Ave. and York St.)
New York, NY
Call (877) 900-PITS

This is a fantastic program because it offers free spay and neuter and free microchipping/vaccinations to spayed and neutered pit bulls. They even recieve a free bandana and doggy tank top :) For many pit owners in New York City, these procedures are taken care of by the shelter that the dog came from. (Shelter dogs in New York must be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.) But for owners who buy their dogs from the internet or a neighbor whose dog had a litter, may never get these important procedures done. Hopefully this will help reduce the pit bull population in NYC.

What are we going to do about it?

I came across this video (it references Australia, but the video was taken in the U.S.). It is extremely hard to watch and depicts how dogs and cats are routinely killed at U.S. shelters (and this is more humane than most.) It also shows the pain of daily life as a euth. technician and reminds us- it is not their fault- its OURs.

The only thing that makes looking at the remains of the dogs in this video seem a little tiny bit more humane is that these animals finally no longer can feel pain. Thank goodness they are no longer hungry or beaten by irresponsible owners. It is disgraceful that this is really the best we can do by the animals we claim to love and care for.

What are we going to do about it?

See the article & video about Overpopulation.

Spay and Neuter.
Ban puppy mills and back yard breeders.
Rescue from a shelter.
Love your dog with all your heart.

NYC law keeps Pits in Shelters, or will it eventually keep them out?

While checking in with the dogs in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan Animal Control website, which I do frequently, I found a volunteer description of a sweet pit mix (1 year old Daddy, below) that said that he was brought in because of NYC's Housing Association ban.

Because little Daddy is a pit mix, he is not able to live in New York Housing Authority buildings. The NYCHA controls 8% of all rental housing in New York City and 5% of the city's population lives in their buildings. (See this 2009 article about the ban for more info.) The ban went into effect May of 2009, a year and a half ago, and does not allow any pit bulls, Rottweilers or Doberman pinschers to live in the buildings. In addition, no animal can be above 25 pounds. Many of these people can offer loving homes to neglected and abandoned animals, but are not allowed to.

This got me wondering how many of the pit bulls I see at Animal Care and Control are a direct result of this ban. Maybe the space and funding of the shelter has less to do with the slaughter of all of these pits than I thought. In the weeks before the ban was enacted, 100 out of 170 dogs that went from Animal Control to NYCHA tenants would have been banned. That means that NYCHA tenants were a significant market for the shelters, and an important part of saving animals' lives.

New York City does have a significant "pit bull problem" as the ASPCA referred to it in 2008. (Read more, here.) Because pits occupy 43% of shelter space and make up 82% of euthanizations in New York City, the ASPCA targeted young black and Latino men (the main owners of the breed) to attempt to sterilize as many pits as possible, for the small donation of $25. San Francisco even implemented a $500 fine for failing to sterilize one's pit bull.

While I feel that both of these laws are discriminatory, the second makes more sense than the first. Listen up, pit bull owners, if you don't spay and neuter your dogs, you had better know that you are responsible for any potential puppies, and you had better be damn sure that they will have healthy and happy lives with people who can and will care for them. Dog owners who have no business bringing puppies into this world for a quick buck are the ones to blame for all the torment and torture these dogs live through. Both of our pit bull mixes are altered, they will bring no unwanted baby pitties into the world, and that is the responsible thing to do. I don't think there can be any excuses for this when there are so many unwanted dogs out there dying when they reach maturity.

So many pits are put down after painful lives, starving on the streets or being fought or tortured by their owners. I would much rather prevent these dogs from ever being born than allowing them to be born just to live a live of torment to end alone and struggling on a cold table at the shelter.

Housing bans are preventing pits at the shelter from finding homes, and that is truly sad. But many residents of NYCHA claim that the pits that live in their buildings are being abused, trained for fighting, and bred for profit. The ban and the breed-specific neutering/spaying proposals would ideally save dogs' lives in the long run, while unfortunately creating more suffering in the short term. As much as I love this breed, I want to see them thrive with good homes. I want to stop seeing heart breaking stories about them. I think the best way to achieve this is to bring them back to being the reliable 'family pet,' and not allowing them to be abused, over-bred, and tortured by thugs. Without allowing them to over-breed, we can bring the pit bull back from the inner-city back into the suburbs, where I am sure they will live longer healthier lives.