Smiley Boy Needs a Good Home, Lawrenceville, GA

Look at this gorgeous grin! This dog is absolutely adorable! He looks like the happiest guy in the world. Unfortunately, Pen #136, an adult male pit bull, has somehow landed in an animal control facility. Despite his infectious grin, the fact that he was born a pit bull is a strike against this guy. He really needs someone special to bail him out!

The Shelter thinks that Pen #136 is a 1 year old black and white pit bull who is very playful, active, gentle, and super affectionate!!! He came in as a stray and is available for adoption, rescue or euthanasia beginning April 10th.

If you are interested in adopting Smiley Pen #136, please contact Gwinnett County Animal Control immediately at 770-339-3200.

Gwinnett County Animal Control
884 Winder Hwy (Hwy 29)
Lawrenceville, Ga 30045
or call 770-339-3200

Update 06/02: I am sad to report that Smiley Boy's listing has been removed, and I have not been able to determine his fate. If you are considering adopting a dog, please consider adopting a wonderful smiley pitbull!

Cool Magnets from PBRC

Awhile back I mentioned I went on a magnet shopping spree at Cafepress. You see, I had just moved, and I decided my new fridge needed a new look. I bought a bunch of magnets from various Cafepress stores, all of which help support animal rescue. Here are two I purchased from the Pit Bull Rescue Central Store.

I LOVE the magnet on the left! My fiancee has a buddy that refuses to have his adult black lab mix neutered, because "he just couldn't do that to his buddy." I think this magnet explains it well: "Real Men Have Their Own Balls -- Neuter Your Dog!"

The magnet on the right is just beautiful in real life. It poignantly points out the fact that we need remember that the blame for dog attacks lies with humans, not with the dogs.

Pit Bull Rescue Central website is a virtual shelter and resource for owners and caretakers of American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and pit bull mixes. The site features an absolute treasure-trove of information about "Bully Breeds" as well as a "virtual" shelter featuring adoptable "Pit Bulls" around the United States. As a bully-lover, I can't recommend this site enough. If you have a question about Pit Bulls, you will find an answer here.

Can You Find the Pit Bull?

Pit Bull lovers in Minnesota, my home state, are currently battling attempts to introduce Breed-Specific Legislation which would ban ownership of "Pit Bulls," Rottweilers, Chow Chows, Akitas, Wolf-Hybrids, or any mix thereof.

One of the many problems with Breed-Specific Legislation is that there is no such thing as a "Pit Bull" as a breed. Several breeds are commonly classified as "Pit Bulls," such as the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

However, dozens of different types of dogs are commonly mis-identified as "Pit Bulls." Herein lies the problem. Even pit-bull fanciers, and persons that would be classified as "experts" can have difficulties determining whether a dog is a purebred "Pit Bull." Yet, Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) typically requires law enforcement officers or animal control officers to try to make on-the-spot determinations as to whether a given dog is a "Pit Bull."

Part of the problem underlying Breed-Specific Legislation is that is it usually based on the notion that Pit Bulls are somehow inherently dangerous. This idea is typically based on widespread media reports of "Pit Bull" attacks. The Merrit Clifton "study" and the Centers for Disease Control statistics are widely relied on by proponents of Breed Specific Legislation. The CDC freely admits that its statistics are unreliable, however, Clifton concludes that his study reflects that Pit Bulls are inherently dangerous dogs. Both the CDC study and the Clifton study rely on MEDIA reports of dog attacks. We all know the problem with that...a cocker spaniel attacks a child, and it isn't reported. A "pit bull" scratches someone and it makes national headlines.

Beyond that, given the fact that "experts" often have difficulty identifying "pit bulls" how on earth can one expect that victims of dog attacks would accurately identify the breed of the dog?

To illustrate this problem, please visit Pitbulls on the Web. Can you Find the Pitbulls? I consider myself relatively knowledgeable about dog breeds, but I was TOTALLY wrong! I'm sad to admit that I've seen this webpage many times before, yet I STILL can't pick out the pit bulls! Can you??

For more information on the battle against BSL in Minnesota, please visit A Rotta Love Plus.

For more information about Breed-Specific Legislation in general, please check out these resources:

The Merritt Clifton study so you can judge for yourself. Biased much?
The CDC study on dog-related fatalities.
Info on BSL from Pit Bull Rescue Central.
Understand-a-Bull: Great Resources about BSL.
Dog Bite Law, presents a balanced view of the issue of dog-bites.
Good summary of the issues from Dog-Play.
HSUS position statement on BSL.
More info from Bless the Bullys.
Good info from PitBulls on the Web.
From PitBulls: The Truth -- lots of great facts and resources.
StopBSL.com: really good info about BSL.
BADRAP's take on BSL.

Pets in Need: Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control works hard to place all of its pets into loving homes, but it can't do it without your help. If you live in or near Palm Beach County, please consider adopting a shelter pet today.

Here are just a couple of the wonderful pets awaiting adoption at Palm Beach County Animal Control:

A1357486 is an adult male pit bull turned in on 1/8/2008. He is estimated to be about 4 years old.

Update 3/24. This handsome boy's listing has been removed. Unfortunately, I have not been able to determine his fate.












A1200865 is an adult female Rottweiler mix picked up as a stray on 02/09/08. Isn't she gorgeous?



Update 2/25. This gorgeous girl's listing has been removed. Unfortunately, I have not been able to determine her fate.










A1364395 is an adult spayed female orange and white domestic shorthair cat who was turned in by her owners on 2/9/2008. She is estimated by be about 7 years old.

Update 3/24. This gorgeous girl's listing has been removed. Unfortunately, I have not been able to determine her fate.











A1363702 is an adult female spayed white and tabby domestic shorthair cat who was picked up as a stray on 2/6/2008. She is estimated to be about 2 years old.





Update 2/25. This gorgeous girl's listing has been removed. Unfortunately, I have not been able to determine her fate.







The Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control Facility can only hold pets for a limited amount of time, so all of these pets are living on borrowed time. Please adopt or rescue them!

Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control
7100 Belvedere Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
(561) 233-1200

Tigger Needs a Special Person

Tigger is a very special girl in need of a very special home. Tigger was brought into the Bergen County Animal Shelter in Teterboro, New Jersey, when her owner moved.

The staff at the shelter has unfortunately discovered that Tigger has some behavioral issues, and being a pit bull, that reduces her chances of adoption to almost zero.

Tigger tends to be nervous about being handled and suspicious of strangers. These are strong clues that she was not treated very well in her previous life. When she warms up to you, she is sweet and affectionate.

She needs an experienced owner to provide firm, consistent leadership. An adult-only home without other pets would probably be best for Tigger. Professional training is also recommended. If her special person can't be found SOON, Tigger's chances of making it out of the shelter alive are slim to none.

If you think you might be that special someone Tigger is looking for, please contact the Bergen County Animal Shelter immediately! If you have contacts with a Pit Bull rescue, please forward Tigger's information to them.

Bergen County Animal Shelter
100 United Lane
Teterboro, NJ 07608
Phone: 201-229-4600
Fax: 201-440-4358
Email: shelter@co.bergen.nj.us

A Rotta Love Plus T-Shirt and Mousepad

A Rotta Love Plus, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, works hard to help rottweilers and pit bulls in need. Not only do they rescue and rehabilitate death row dogs and place them in carefully screened homes, but A Rotta Love Plus works to fight the negative stereotype that is associated with these dogs. A Rotta Love Plus also works diligently to fight breed-specific legislation in Minnesota.

I've been a big fan of A Rotta Love Plus for a quite a while, and to show my support, I purchased a couple items from their online store. Their stores showcases great gift items for pit bull and rottweiler lovers to show their support for their favorite breeds. The proceeds from the sale of the items in the A Rotta Love Plus Online Store helps fund their work on behalf of rottweilers, pit bulls and other pets in need.

I bought this ash gray men's cotton t-shirt for my fiancee. As you can see, it features a scene from the classic kids' television show, the Little Rascals, as well as the quote: "Petey never bit Buckwheat...Ban the Deed Not the Breed."
















And I bought this mousepad, featuring the same design, for my desk at work. It is definitely a conversation starter!

St. Martin Parish Animal Control Needs Your Help!

St. Martin Parish Animal Control is located in St. Martinville, Louisiana. Sadly, there are many, many more animals that come into animal control than are adopted or rescued from the facility. They need help! If you live in the area, please consider adopting a pet from St. Martin Parish Animal Control. If you do not live in the area, or cannot adopt a pet, please consider cross-posting on behalf of these animals. The more exposure they get, the more likely they are to be adopted! Pets at St. Martin Parish Animal Control can also be fostered. As a foster, you provide the love and care and the rest of the basics are provided for you. This gives you the opportunity to get to know the pet before adoption, or to keep it safe and healthy while it waits for a permanent home. Foster homes give many rescued animals another chance for life.

Cross-posting works!! Chance, the brindle Plott-hound mix I posted about a couple times was rescued from St. Martin Parish Animal Control through the efforts of rescuers around the country!

Here are just a couple of the pets currently located at St. Martin Parish Animal Control in desperate need of adoption or rescue.

Tommy Chat 318732 is a young adult male gray and white domestic shorthair in desperate need of a new home. Unwanted pets have a very limited time at St. Martin Parish Animal Control, so time is of the essence! He is extremely affectionate and loves attention. He also gets along well with children and other animals. If you are interested in adopting Tommy Chat please email Jealena.Gros@la.gov or call (337) 394-1220 immediately!

***UPDATE 3/7! TOMMY CHAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED!***




402278 is a young adult male white domestic shorthair in desperate need of a new home. Unwanted pets have a very limited time at St. Martin Parish Animal Control, so time is of the essence! He is just a cuddle bug and absolutely adores attention. If you are interested in adopting 402278 please call (337) 394-1220 immediately!

***UPDATE 3/7! 402278 HAS BEEN ADOPTED!***





Sebastian 397626 is a young adult mastiff mix in desperate need of a new home. Unwanted pets have a very limited time at St. Martin Parish Animal Control, so time is of the essence! Sebastian is about 11 months old, and he's very friendly and outgoing! He's a big boy, weighing in at about 90 pounds. If you are interested in adopting Sebastian please call (337) 394-1220 immediately!

***UPDATE 2/16! SEBASTIAN HAS BEEN ADOPTED!***








408145 is a young adult female terrier pointer mix in desperate need of a new home. Unwanted pets have a very limited time at St. Martin Parish Animal Control, so time is of the essence! 408145 has stunning eyes! Did you see the triangle between her ears? She is about 9 months old and weighs about 35 pounds. If you are interested in adopting 408145 please call (337) 394-1220 immediately!

***UPDATE 2/16! 408145 HAS BEEN ADOPTED!***



The St. Martin Parish Animal Control Facility's address is 1004 Industrial Park Road, St. Martinville LA 70582. Opening hours are Monday through Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. Adoptions are on a first come first served basis (this is why it is a good idea to call first). The $65 adoption fee entitles you to a $50 spay/neuter certificate and a $10 rabies certificate.

For more information on how to help pets at St. Martin Parish Animal Control, please contact the St. Martin Humane Society.

Sparkle's Gots Lots of Flair -- Now She Needs a Home

Sweetie-pie Sparkle TCAC087465A is a 5 month old female Shepherd/Pit Bull mix. Someone thought it would be wise to crop her ears at home, leaving her with almost no ears whatsoever. Sparkle doesn't let her odd looks get her down. She has a personality that lives up to her name! She is very friendly and thrives on attention. Despite her great personality, Sparkle's time is very limited. She is scheduled for euthanization on January 31, 2008.

Sparkle is currently located at the Tulare County Animal Shelter in Visalia, California.

The odds are staked against Sparkle...she's a big black dog, she has disfigured ears, and she's a pit bull or pit mix. Can you defy the odds and help Sparkle find a new home? If you can adopt or rescue Sparkle, please contact the shelter at 559-636-3647 immediately!

Tulare County Animal Shelter
14131 Ave 256
Visalia, CA 93292
Phone: 559-636-DOGS
TCanimalshelter@tularehhsa.org
mshanley@tularehhsa.org

****UPDATE 2/1: BEAUTIFUL SPARKLE IS NOW LISTED AS "ADOPTED!" CONGRATULATIONS SPARKLE!!!