Overpopulation

What is the primary cause of the death of Pit Bulls all over the US? Us. Humans. Pit Bulls are being bred indiscriminately by so many people for so many reasons (the number one reason being cold, hard cash) that the Pit Bull is the most prevalent resident of the San Diego shelters at this time.

The fact of the matter is that Pit puppies are adorable and desirable, but adult Pits can be difficult to own - not only because of their strong-willed nature, but because many housing associations and insurance companies won't allow them. It's common sense - puppies grow into adult dogs. In the case of Pit Bulls, they grow into strong adult dogs who are feared by the general public and reviled by landlords and the media. If you are not prepared to make an investment of time, love and training for the life of the dog, you should not own one. Read more about owning a Pit Bull.

Puppies, Puppies, Puppies.......

You only have to glance through the pet section of the local paper, the Penny Saver, the Bargain Trader or Craigslist to see how many Pit Bull puppies are available for sale, mainly by BYB's (Backyard Breeders). The reality is that very few of those puppies will remain in the same first home for the rest of their lives. Anyone involved in Pit rescue will tell you how heartbreaking it is so see so many Pits in the shelter ... and at one time, all of them were cute puppies...

They are being mass-produced by people to make a quick buck - little attention if any, is paid to temperament or genetic medical issues. Mostly it is a female being bred to a male who is owned by a friend and then the profits are split... The chances of these puppies being spayed or neutered before leaving their parents is incredibly small, so most of the puppies will end up having litters of their own... and the vicious circle continues....

Owning a Pit puppy is a huge responsibility. Due to the tendency of the breed towards animal aggression, socialization is key. And this socialization must continue for the life of the dog. Training is also crucial. These are powerful and headstrong dogs, and training is important to ensure not only that you can physically handle the dog, but that the dog will be a well-behaved member of society and not add additional negative grist for the public and media mills.

(This writer particularly likes how concerned the first ad is with bloodlines, yet can't spell temperament.... )

Who is to Blame?

It's hard to say whether ignorance is really to blame, but at the heart of the overpopulation crisis and the mass-euthanasia of this breed are the following people.....

People who for whatever reason do not spay/neuter their pets and end up with an accidental litter.
People who allow their dog to have 'just one litter' before spaying/neutering their dog.
People who breed their dogs and then sell the puppies without spaying or neutering them.
People who breed their dogs without any care or concern for genetic defects or temperament.

The word "people" above can be read to include private pet owners, backyard breeders and big name show kennels. If you don't care about where those puppies end up, who ends up with them, or how many there are out there already, you don't care about this breed. The glaring fact is that there are too many Pit Puppies available, and not enough people who will put the effort into training, loving and keeping them. Although many adult Pits in shelters do not end up finding homes, many puppies die in shelters too....... and someone somewhere is to blame for their deaths....

Introducing... the INCREDIBLY RARE BLUE PIT BULL!

What complete nonsense. These dogs are not rare, they are being bred like crazy. Within the next year they will be as common as the red nose Pits in local shelters. The problem with breeding dogs to get a certain color is that certain things such as good temperament and health are overlooked. Many blue Pits end up with very fearful temperaments and a prone to skin disorders.

Milo

Milo is a handsome 12 month old blue Pit that PBRSD rescued from a local shelter. Milo has turned out to be a wonderful and sweet boy, and he was adopted into a wonderful home.

He came into the shelter filthy and un-neutered... who knows how many litters he would have sired if we had not rescued him.....

What can YOU do?

At this point the focus must be on education and prevention. There is absolutely no logical reason why people are still breeding these poor dogs. Money, as usual, seems to be the key motivator... We need enough people who care about this breed to help prevent the insane breeding. There are many ways..... With regards to 'professional breeders' who will not stop, BADRAP suggests having.....

Breeders create fewer litters and fixing all the non-show pups before they are sold.
Breeders microchip their puppies before each sale to make sure that they come back safely if they are ever lost.
The registries (AKC, UKC, ADBA) limit the number of pit bulls that can be registered each year.
People who only wanted the dogs for pets rescue them from reputable rescues and shelters instead of buying new puppies.
Breeders and shelters make sure that homes were 100% prepared to own this breed before giving them a dog.

...With regards to what you can do as individual Pit owners or Pit lovers, BADRAP suggests....