Pit Bulls and Spay Neuter

Dog lovers around the world have been captivated by the recent story of Patrick, the pit bull found starved and severely abused in New Jersey.   While spaying and neutering any pet is important to prevent overpopulation and abuse, it is especially true with the pit bull breed.

Pit bulls are a breed that "suffers horribly at the hands of humans." Jason Flatt, the President and founder of Friends to the Forlorn Pit Bull Rescue Inc, explains why this breed has such a bad reputation.  "The media can't wait to exploit a pit bull story.  These dogs make up a large percentage of the dogs that need homes.  They are way over bred and not for quality.  They are a extremely popular breed, especially in lower income, high crime neighborhoods.  Owners are not often responsible for the pet and instead have them for the image and status instead of providing the dog a loving home environment."

Amazingly, statistics show that only one out of every eight hundred pit bulls makes it out of the pound alive.  Everyone wants a pit bull when it is a cute, adorable little puppy but when they realize they can't properly maintain and care for it, they are dumped on the street.  They become the dogs that bite people and that you hear about on the news, the ones mistreated and left hungry.  When people run across them on the street, they aren't nice to them and thousands are abused since they are helpless to fight off attackers.  Over one million pit bulls end up this way and are put to sleep in pounds across the country.  Often,  if the dog attacks, it may because of provocation but due to their reputations, they are found guilty and sentenced to death.

Jason says that what he wants people to understand is that this breed is a very human oriented dog, loving, loyal and intelligent.  They do better on temperament tests that most other breeds and are eager to please their humans. Human aggression is not a trait common to the breed.  If you've ever experienced the love of a pit bill, you would want no other breed.

There are pit bull owners out there now reading this blog post and you know that these words are true.  If you love your pet, spay or neuter them and help end the cycle of abuse that comes with this breed.  You never know who will end of with one of the puppies your dog is responsible for and what type of life it may or may not have.