It's Not Easy Being a Pit Bull

When is the last time you visited an animal shelter or a pet-search website and noticed the disproportional amount of Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes available for adoption? Unfortunately, due to high-profile stories in the news of dog-fighting and other incidents involving Pit Bulls, the breed has gained a stigma and is often difficult to adopt out.

Though Pits may have received some unjustified bad press, it does take a special owner to raise this type of dog. Hello Bully, a Pittsburgh-based group, strives to educate dog-lovers regarding the myths and facts about owning a bully breed. If you do make an informed decision to adopt a Pit Bull, know that one of the most common problems plaguing these often-misunderstood dogs is over-breeding. Spaying or neutering is an absolute must since Pit Bulls can have litters of 8 to 12 puppies, which only increases the likelihood of some or all of them ending up in a shelter. To combat this issue, Animal Friends has created a spay-and-neuter program especially for Pit Bulls called Project Pit Bull. For a $20 deposit, owners are able to have their dog fixed and, as Bob Barker always said, "help to control the pet population"!

For more information on Project Pit Bull, e-mail Animal Friends at spayneuter@ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org.