Pit-Bull's...friend or foe?

[BrinkofSunshine]

I am going to share an article I came across last night. Specifically thinking of @BrinkofSunshine 's mother.
It talks about severely aggressive dogs, what it's like to live with them, and what tough decisions sometimes have to be made in owning one. Not only the article, but the Comments are heartbreaking. (And I hope it helps someone, somehow.)

It's quite evident that many owners of aggressive dogs are actually responsible, caring owners, but sometimes the dog's past or neurological wiring just isn't right, and the dog becomes very dangerous, not only to kids, friends, family and neighbors, but owners. Keep that bite chart in mind when reading it.

Be warned, it's a sad article. But I think it highlights some of what we've been talking about here without getting into too much gory detail. And all breeds of dogs seem to be fairly well represented in the stories.

I think this is a big societal problem we have, but we have yet to find a solution. I think education is really the way to go. I do feel like we've come a long way in the past few decades to doing a better job of reporting and prosecuting animal abuse, which is at least a good start.

https://www.vin.com/vetzinsight/default.aspx?pId=756&id=5912453

Those are all so upsetting... I really, really don’t want her to get this dog and I don’t think she has the time or resources to really make sure this dog adjusts well. I’ll show this article to her.

 

[Miranda Danda]

View attachment 388799 Wanted to post this picture of my grand dog, which was a rescue. He is 10. Lovely dog, great disposition.

He is soooo adorable!!!!! Reminds me of a mix of my two. Precious!

 

[ThistleMae]

Yeah, Dd and sil have considered moving to Florida. Because of their dog, they know they have to find a house or apartment that specifically allows larger dogs. Right now they rent a house with their own large yard and the landlord doesn’t care what pets they have.

Ds previously lived in Dallas. His apartment complex specifically advertised as allowing the large breeds. Most everyone in the complex had a pit bull but there were a few others mixed in. He lived there 2 years. Not one dog fight, person attacked or bit or anything but well behaved dogs. They had their own little yard space and the complex had a big dog park in the center.

I don't have a dog right now, but looking at apartments in Florida. That's how I got the list. But also, they limit the number of animals in many of them. I have three cats and so far, can't find any that will allow a total of 2 pets and some say only 1 pet. Looks like I need an alternative, alternative plan...LOL!

 

[ThistleMae]

I am going to share an article I came across last night. Specifically thinking of @BrinkofSunshine 's mother.
It talks about severely aggressive dogs, what it's like to live with them, and what tough decisions sometimes have to be made in owning one. Not only the article, but the Comments are heartbreaking. (And I hope it helps someone, somehow.)

It's quite evident that many owners of aggressive dogs are actually responsible, caring owners, but sometimes the dog's past or neurological wiring just isn't right, and the dog becomes very dangerous, not only to kids, friends, family and neighbors, but owners. Keep that bite chart in mind when reading it.

Be warned, it's a sad article. But I think it highlights some of what we've been talking about here without getting into too much gory detail. And all breeds of dogs seem to be fairly well represented in the stories.

I think this is a big societal problem we have, but we have yet to find a solution. I think education is really the way to go. I do feel like we've come a long way in the past few decades to doing a better job of reporting and prosecuting animal abuse, which is at least a good start.

https://www.vin.com/vetzinsight/default.aspx?pId=756&id=5912453

Thank you so much for this article. I have to admit I couldn't read the whole thing, I just started to cry...just so, so heartbreaking, especially because the dogs were so loved. I hope it does help BrinkofSunshine's mother...because I can't imagine anything worse than the decision to put down a dog you love because of aggression.

 

[tzolkin]

It talks about severely aggressive dogs, what it's like to live with them, and what tough decisions sometimes have to be made in owning one. Not only the article, but the Comments are heartbreaking. (And I hope it helps someone, somehow.)

It's quite evident that many owners of aggressive dogs are actually responsible, caring owners, but sometimes the dog's past or neurological wiring just isn't right, and the dog becomes very dangerous, not only to kids, friends, family and neighbors, but owners.

Thanks for posting this article.

Our experience with an aggressive dog is something my husband and I are still not over after several years, but there's often not much sympathy. 99% of the comments I see online are: 1. You are a monster if you give up a dog for ANY reason and 2. That if a dog bites, it is ALWAYS the human's fault

I think most people believe that you either didn't love the dog enough or you were too lazy to put enough effort into training. That was certainly not the case for us. We spent 11 months working with a trainer and I did not get a new job so that I could dedicate all of my time to working with the dog. My husband and I have never loved another pet the way we loved that dog (and I honestly can't imagine that I ever will). There was a very special connection that I don't think we will find again.

There were countless instances (growling, lunging, snapping, etc) leading up to it, but our breaking point was the second time the dog attempted to bite one of our children in the face (the first time she actually did bite my son's face, but we kept her for another six weeks and just "tried harder" working more intensely with a trainer). These were not small children bothering the dog (which is what everyone assumes if you say the dog bit your child in the face). Both times I was standing right there and the person had just sat or bent down to the floor (not even touching the dog).

We sat down at the table for a "family meeting" to discuss returning the dog and my middle daughter simply said, "I don't really think this is a choice." My oldest (who had gone to college) told us that she had become scared of the dog in recent months. It was absolutely heartbreaking and I felt like a complete failure, but when the choice is between the safety of your children and keeping a dog you love there is really only one option.

This is why I was so adamant to the previous poster about not adopting a dog that shows any signs of aggression. Perhaps it's possible that it may turn out well, but the potential for heartache, disappointment, and tragedy are too great for me to be willing to take that on again.

 

[ThistleMae]

Thanks for posting this article.

Our experience with an aggressive dog is something my husband and I are still not over after several years, but there's often not much sympathy. 99% of the comments I see online are: 1. You are a monster if you give up a dog for ANY reason and 2. That if a dog bites, it is ALWAYS the human's fault

I think most people believe that you either didn't love the dog enough or you were too lazy to put enough effort into training. That was certainly not the case for us. We spent 11 months working with a trainer and I did not get a new job so that I could dedicate all of my time to working with the dog. My husband and I have never loved another pet the way we loved that dog (and I honestly can't imagine that I ever will). There was a very special connection that I don't think we will find again.

There were countless instances (growling, lunging, snapping, etc) leading up to it, but our breaking point was the second time the dog attempted to bite one of our children in the face (the first time she actually did bite my son's face, but we kept her for another six weeks and just "tried harder" working more intensely with a trainer). These were not small children bothering the dog (which is what everyone assumes if you say the dog bit your child in the face). Both times I was standing right there and the person had just sat or bent down to the floor (not even touching the dog).

We sat down at the table for a "family meeting" to discuss returning the dog and my middle daughter simply said, "I don't really think this is a choice." My oldest (who had gone to college) told us that she had become scared of the dog in recent months. It was absolutely heartbreaking and I felt like a complete failure, but when the choice is between the safety of your children and keeping a dog you love there is really only one option.

This is why I was so adamant to the previous poster about not adopting a dog that shows any signs of aggression. Perhaps it's possible that it may turn out well, but the potential for heartache, disappointment, and tragedy are too great for me to be willing to take that on again.

OMG...yes...heartbreaking. To have to be forced to make this decision, although the correct one to make, is a tragedy. Thank you for sharing what you wrote in response to Pea-n-Me's wonderful post. No one can truly understand, unless they really think about what it means to have to put down something you've come to love. It's never happened to me, but I have the deepest sympathy for you.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thanks for posting this article.

Our experience with an aggressive dog is something my husband and I are still not over after several years, but there's often not much sympathy. 99% of the comments I see online are: 1. You are a monster if you give up a dog for ANY reason and 2. That if a dog bites, it is ALWAYS the human's fault

I think most people believe that you either didn't love the dog enough or you were too lazy to put enough effort into training. That was certainly not the case for us. We spent 11 months working with a trainer and I did not get a new job so that I could dedicate all of my time to working with the dog. My husband and I have never loved another pet the way we loved that dog (and I honestly can't imagine that I ever will). There was a very special connection that I don't think we will find again.

There were countless instances (growling, lunging, snapping, etc) leading up to it, but our breaking point was the second time the dog attempted to bite one of our children in the face (the first time she actually did bite my son's face, but we kept her for another six weeks and just "tried harder" working more intensely with a trainer). These were not small children bothering the dog (which is what everyone assumes if you say the dog bit your child in the face). Both times I was standing right there and the person had just sat or bent down to the floor (not even touching the dog).

We sat down at the table for a "family meeting" to discuss returning the dog and my middle daughter simply said, "I don't really think this is a choice." My oldest (who had gone to college) told us that she had become scared of the dog in recent months. It was absolutely heartbreaking and I felt like a complete failure, but when the choice is between the safety of your children and keeping a dog you love there is really only one option.

This is why I was so adamant to the previous poster about not adopting a dog that shows any signs of aggression. Perhaps it's possible that it may turn out well, but the potential for heartache, disappointment, and tragedy are too great for me to be willing to take that on again.

Absolutely! That's why I posted it, to show that there can be cases where good owners try really, really hard to work with a bad situation but sometimes there is little choice but to euthanize. Look from the stories how many people and other animals got hurt while they were trying! Idk if you saw the one story that really hit home which was when the owner was bitten on the face and the dog wouldn't let go (I honestly don't remember the type of dog it was) she thought she was going to die and she couldn't push the dog away or she knew her lip would rip off. Lucky for her her husband was home and was able to pry the dog's mouth open but even his hand was severely bitten and damaged. All from a dog they had loved the same way we all love our dogs. That is absolutely terrifying!

And in almost all the stories, the aggressive dogs had become increasingly unstable over time. So when you see a dog who's up for adoption acting aggressively toward other dogs, it's pretty predictable that there will be problems and there's a very good likelihood they'll increase. That's why it's amazing to me that anyone would even consider adopting such a dog! True that any dog can become aggressive, but when adopting a dog you should always look for a super friendly one who is not showing tension or questionable behaviors; if you're not sure what those behaviors are, educate yourself before looking!

There seems to be a trend toward trying to save every dog and I totally get why, but there are some dogs who truly are unstable. It would be a kindness to others if people knowingly have an aggressive dog, that they take it to their own veterinarians themselves rather than try to take the easier way out and give it to a shelter, where the problems may be passed along to someone else and others can get hurt. (And I am not talking about lower level bites that can sometimes happen, but severe bites at the top of the bite severity chart, that cause real damage and have often been occurring over a long period of time.) A veterinarian in one of the Comments made a good point, that living that way in that state of mind is not fun for the dog, either.

It is heartbreaking think that a dog could've been normal had they not been abused, neglected, starved, thrown away on the street or otherwise damaged, but we all have the right to live in a safe society and that's the bigger issue here. And it's not to say that all dogs in those situations are bad, to the contrary, many are good, and by contrast, some who've been raised from puppyhood take a bad turn. It's not completely predictable. But when a dog does start to show signs of severe aggressiveness, we have to act. It is hard to do, though, when it's you. It's hard to see the situation when you're in it that everyone else can see. We have to work with our heads as well as our hearts in these cases. At any rate, I've not seen an article as good as that one on the subject (I thought the Comments were especially moving) so I'm glad people appreciated it. I'm saving it.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thank you so much for this article. I have to admit I couldn't read the whole thing, I just started to cry...just so, so heartbreaking, especially because the dogs were so loved. I hope it does help BrinkofSunshine's mother...because I can't imagine anything worse than the decision to put down a dog you love because of aggression.

Not picking on you, ThistleMae, I swear , but people often can't read these types of stories that feel upsetting, like with abuse or neglect, puppy mills, etc., and I think that in part is why not everyone understands how bad some of the problems we have are. It's easier to not know. But I don't think we're going to be able to fix our problems until we all understand what we're dealing with, as difficult as they are to face. That's why it's very hard to be a shelter or rescue worker, because they know and see the fallout and are stuck dealing with it. It's hard to fault them for trying to make the best of all around bad situations.

 

[tzolkin]

And in almost all the stories, the aggressive dogs had become increasingly unstable over time. So when you see a dog who's up for adoption acting aggressively toward other dogs, it's pretty predictable that there will be problems and there's a very good likelihood they'll increase.
...

It is heartbreaking think that a dog could've been normal had they not been abused, neglected, starved, thrown away on the street or otherwise damaged, but we all have the right to live in a safe society and that's the bigger issue here.

Yes, in our situation the dog was extremely friendly and loving (favorite at the rescue and even after we adopted her our boarding facility and groomer absolutely loved her as well) but we were told she should be an "only dog". We figured even if there was a bit of dog aggression (they never used that term) that we could manage that with some training. Her aggression toward humans did not start to surface until a few months after we brought her home and regardless of training it just continued to increase over time. (First it was just a few men she didn't like when they entered the house, then she had issues with the kids' friends, then she started snapping at my daughter when she came into my home office, and eventually bit my son twice.)

I know there are dogs that overcome their past without permanent trauma, but unfortunately she was not one. Nothing was said when we adopted her and we were obviously naive, but after we got her home we noticed the bite mark scars all over her face and that her tail had been broken. This was a pregnant "stray" pit bull found in a popular dog fighting area. So I'm sure these factors impacted her dog aggression. We also found out (because the trainer discussed with them) that the rescue had done a late third-trimester spay abort right before we adopted, so at first we thought hormonal changes may have a role in her personality changes.

Toward the end, the experiences we had were like two completely different animals. It was like in a movie where in an instant the eyes become different and she was in full attack mode, but then you could see her snap back out of it and she was totally connected with you again. There were even a few times where she was sound asleep, jumped up in this aggressive state, blinked, and was completely confused by what just happened. (The house was completely silent so no noise or movement had startled her.)

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Yes, in our situation the dog was extremely friendly and loving (favorite at the rescue and even after we adopted her our boarding facility and groomer absolutely loved her as well) but we were told she should be an "only dog". We figured even if there was a bit of dog aggression (they never used that term) that we could manage that with some training. Her aggression toward humans did not start to surface until a few months after we brought her home and regardless of training it just continued to increase over time. (First it was just a few men she didn't like when they entered the house, then she had issues with the kids' friends, then she started snapping at my daughter when she came into my home office, and eventually bit my son twice.)

I know there are dogs that overcome their past without permanent trauma, but unfortunately she was not one. Nothing was said when we adopted her and we were obviously naive, but after we got her home we noticed the bite mark scars all over her face and that her tail had been broken. This was a pregnant "stray" pit bull found in a popular dog fighting area. So I'm sure these factors impacted her dog aggression. We also found out (because the trainer discussed with them) that the rescue had done a late third-trimester spay abort right before we adopted, so at first we thought hormonal changes may have a role in her personality changes.

Toward the end, the experiences we had were like two completely different animals. It was like in a movie where in an instant the eyes become different and she was in full attack mode, but then you could see her snap back out of it and she was totally connected with you again. There were even a few times where she was sound asleep, jumped up in this aggressive state, blinked, and was completely confused by what just happened. (The house was completely silent so no noise or movement had startled her.)

She was obviously very traumatized. Ugh. She knew love with you, but the damage had been done. I hope you can find some solace in the many stories in the article.

 

[ThistleMae]

Not picking on you, ThistleMae, I swear , but people often can't read these types of stories that feel upsetting, like with abuse or neglect, puppy mills, etc., and I think that in part is why not everyone understands how bad some of the problems we have are. It's easier to not know. But I don't think we're going to be able to fix our problems until we all understand what we're dealing with, as difficult as they are to face. That's why it's very hard to be a shelter or rescue worker, because they know and see the fallout and are stuck dealing with it. It's hard to fault them for trying to make the best of all around bad situations.

I didn't think your were picking on me...but I didn't read it all the way through because I didn't need to, not because I don't understand. Just want to clear that up. All your posts have been extremely informative, and I think some of the articles will definitely help folks considering adoption. Love the Gandhi quote!

 

[Wendy31]

I am going to share an article I came across last night. Specifically thinking of @BrinkofSunshine 's mother.
It talks about severely aggressive dogs, what it's like to live with them, and what tough decisions sometimes have to be made in owning one. Not only the article, but the Comments are heartbreaking. (And I hope it helps someone, somehow.)

It's quite evident that many owners of aggressive dogs are actually responsible, caring owners, but sometimes the dog's past or neurological wiring just isn't right, and the dog becomes very dangerous, not only to kids, friends, family and neighbors, but owners. Keep that bite chart in mind when reading it.

Be warned, it's a sad article. But I think it highlights some of what we've been talking about here without getting into too much gory detail. And all breeds of dogs seem to be fairly well represented in the stories.

I think this is a big societal problem we have, but we have yet to find a solution. I think education is really the way to go. I do feel like we've come a long way in the past few decades to doing a better job of reporting and prosecuting animal abuse, which is at least a good start.

https://www.vin.com/vetzinsight/default.aspx?pId=756&id=5912453

Thank you for posting the link to this article.

While the article is sad & tragic, it also reinforced a lot of things for me.

In the article, the author talks about, in the initial aftermath, feeling like she couldn't trust herself to choose another dog. What if her next dog also had aggressive tendencies?

As people have pointed out, how dogs act in shelters isn't necessarily a good judge of how the dogs will act in a home.

When we decided to get a dog for our family, we went w/ a breeder for a number of reasons.

After researching dog breeds, I realized we probably wouldn't be able to find a Keeshond at a shelter. While we might have found an adult Keeshond at a rescue, we really preferred a puppy, & I wasn't sure that a rescue would approve us.

However, additionally, like the author of the article, I was worried about adopting a dog from a shelter & not being able to really know the dog's history, character/personality, & tendencies.

Having a dog become a part of one's family is a big commitment, & I wanted our journey to be successful.

(Side Note: And while I know not every dog conforms to its breed "standards," different breed characteristics stand out more. And learning about the different breeds & common personality behaviors can be beneficial when it comes to choosing the right dog for your family - because, again, you want to be successful in your commitment to the lifetime of the pet. And, really, that's kind of what this thread is about - a pit bull mix is not going to be right for everybody, &, if you're choosing a pit bull mix, you need to know what you're getting.)

I think rescues probably do a better job than shelters when it comes to learning their animals & striving to find good placements for their animals. However, rescues also can be really strict when it comes to whom they approve to adopt their animals.

W/ our family, for example, as adults, my DH & I didn't have a lot of experience w/ dogs, had a small child at the time, & did not have a fenced-in back yard. (My DH's & my dog experience came from dogs we both had growing up, & neither of us had had an inside dog which truly lived w/ our families.) Most rescues would have told us "no".

Whereas at a lot of shelters, there is limited knowledge of the dogs' background & behavior tendencies & limited screenings of the people who are choosing to adopt the dogs.

But people want dogs. People want their kids to have dogs. So they go to shelters, instead of the stricter rescues. They buy from backyard breeders and/or puppy mills, not realizing what they are supporting. I live in the South, where backyard breeders & puppy mills are common. W/o even doing a lot of thinking, I know at least 3 people who have purchased puppies from puppy mills.

At the time, we were researching dog breeds & then looking for reputable breeder, I had asked questions on the DIS, & most everyone was very critical & told me either 1 of 2 different things: (1) don't go to a breeder - go to a rescue or a shelter or (2) your family doesn't have enough experience for a puppy.

Whereas, people in our real life, when they found out how much "research" we were doing were saying things like "Y'all are crazy - just go get a dog; it's not that complicated" or "I know a place where you can get full-blooded Yorkshire terriers for $100."

Our cat, who we had had for over 18 years, came from a shelter. As a very young married couple, we walked into the shelter & walked out w/ a cat - no questions asked which was a good thing because the duplex we were renting didn't even allow pets. We got her as a kitten, & she came to us w/ cigarette burns & a crazy fear of plastic bags. The only people she ever tolerated in her life were my husband & me. She'd hiss & scratch at others. She had behavior problems, but we loved her. But she was a cat - and a small, petite cat. What we could handle in a cat, we couldn't have handled in a larger dog.

So, long story... but, for all the above reasons, we went w/ a hobby breeder & purchased a Keeshond puppy. We drove 2 1/2 hours to meet the breeder, the Keeshond mom & her puppies, & the breeder's other Keeshonden. The breeder met us, talked to us, &, after learning about us, chose the puppy from the litter for us that she thought would make the best match for our family. And then we drove back a couple of months later to pick up our puppy.

And, when our little cat, who we had had for over 18 years, died, instead of going back to a shelter, we went w/ a cat rescue 2 1/2 hours away from us (in the other direction from our Keeshond breeder) & adopted 2 bonded sisters. And the cat rescue was much stricter than the shelter. In fact, the rescuer was trying to decide between us & another family from 2 states away, so she asked us both to write a little essay w/ pictures that showed who we were as families. So, in order to adopt the 2 bonded kittens, I wrote & illustrated a "picture book".

Anyway, I wrote all this to say... it's wonderful to adopt a dog from a shelter, but you really need to know & understand what you're getting, & there are some really good reasons for going w/ a breeder as well.

I think I just really identified w/ the author of the article being worried about not trusting herself to pick out another dog.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Insurance companies aren’t motivated by the “media” but by the level of risk they assume.

Yes and no. When I was at the insurance company I saw many more $1,000 claims for dog bites. The dogs in question were usually small or toy breeds. Did they cause a lot of damage typically? No. But they sure had a lot of claims involved.

I can’t have a diving board or a slide by my pool either. You can use both & never have a problem. Many have for years.

The insurance company I worked for it wasn't about YOUR kids it was about OTHER kids and increased liability. Pools and trampolines were often referred to as an attractive nuisance though other things can also qualify.

Therefore if you had a pool you had to have either a fence around your property OR a fence around the pool itself (with a locking gate mechanism). I forget how tall the fence had to be. You could also have a trampoline provided you had a fence around your property. The only exception they ever made is if you could show that your HOA bylaws prohibited a fence or a fence that was the height required.

These were to mitigate outside exposure.

But, the insurance co has decided the risk is too great for them to insure.

The insurance company I worked for took the stance that it wasn't the dog it was the environment. Therefore any dog bite came with a dog bite exclusion placed on the policy. That exclusion was for ALL animals in the household--meaning no coverage would be provided for animals in the household. It was on for the life of the policy. Now they did adjust their policy where if the dog in question was no longer in the household, notified by a signed letter from the policy holder stating such, they could lift the exclusion. That was something that was done years and years and years after having the dog bit exclusion. They still had the viewpoint it was mainly the owner and environment but alas to drum up so more business they loosened their policy a bit.

To my knowledge only a few states prohibited certain dog breeds at the insurance company I worked for. The vast majority didn't.

Admittedly it's been several years since I've been at the insurance company things could have changed. Just giving information. Not all insurance companies treat animals the same way and they do and have changed over time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I would never be for the euthanasia of any dog breed any more than I would be for the euthanasia of black cats (which also spend on average a longer time in shelters and are euthanized at higher rates).

 

[AllyReggie]

Skipped a lot of pages in the middle, but I wanted to chime in...

I was bit by my parents young basset hound pup when I was around 18mo old (This was not an older dog angry with a baby torturing it, it was two "pups" in the same litter fighting for alpha status, and I was unknowingly challenging his claim to my parents). Unfortunately, and I don't know how accurate this information is, but after a basset hound (or almost any blood hound type dog) has tasted human blood, it makes them hard to train, and hard to adjust to being around people. They can smell the blood and it drives them crazy. My parents certainly tried to keep him but after a few weeks it was obvious that he couldn't be around me and was even aggressive and confused around them. His mother and father (whom my parents also owned) started to avoid him too because he would get really wild and aggressive and lash out at them.

The hardest thing my parents ever had to do, in my outsider opinion, was euthanize that dog. They were so distraught and eventually re-homed the mother and father, they haven't had dogs in their home since. I am 31 now. So that is how deep their feelings of "failure" go. They love dogs so much but the fear of having failed that one pup has tainted everything about dogs.

And bassets normally aren't that aggressive, so breed is just another way people fit people into boxes... you know?

 

[tink1970]

But a dog bred for baiting tells you something about the breed, as it is difficult if not impossible to completely eliminate instinctive characteristics from a breed of dog. (For those who don't know, baiting means that another dog was either chained or thrown into a pit where the most ferociously-bred dog would attack and kill it.

Interesting but respectfully, I disagree. My beloved English bulldogs have specific characteristics bred for greater success in the bull baiting ring-wrinkles, flat nose (brachycephalic), broad chest, underbite, agility and tenacity. That said, I have been owned by 6 English bulldogs (one is snoring next to me as I type) and they demonstrated no interest in attacking anything but treats (specifically Greenies). I think this is the norm for the breed, not the exception. And yet, sadly, it's only been less than 200 years since the sport was outlawed (in 1835).

 

[tzolkin]

I would never be for the euthanasia of any dog breed any more than I would be for the euthanasia of black cats (which also spend on average a longer time in shelters and are euthanized at higher rates).

I know several people who will only adopt black dogs and cats (because they’re usually more difficult to find homes for).

It worked out as a bonus for my daughter because she wears a predominately black and grey wardrobe, so the cat hair is not as noticeable

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I would never be for the euthanasia of any dog breed any more than I would be for the euthanasia of black cats (which also spend on average a longer time in shelters and are euthanized at higher rates).

It's been a long thread and maybe I missed or forgot seeing it. Did someone suggest euthanizing all pit bulls?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I didn't think your were picking on me...but I didn't read it all the way through because I didn't need to, not because I don't understand. Just want to clear that up. All your posts have been extremely informative, and I think some of the articles will definitely help folks considering adoption. Love the Gandhi quote!

I quoted you, but I was speaking generally, and from real life, mostly.

 

[tink1970]

It's been a long thread and maybe I missed or forgot seeing it. Did someone suggest euthanizing all pit bulls?

Yes, way upthread.