Dog Community

Help in identifying breed for shelter

Posted : 12/26/2006 4:12:30 PM

I'm attaching pictures of Rocky, who is at the Clarke County Animal Shelter in Berryville, VA. There is some discussion as to his breed, can anyone help? It will mean a great deal of difference because the shelter cannot adopt out pits or pit mixes, but some think he is American Bulldog. He is large, weighs about 70 pounds, and when he stands on his hind legs, is tall, looking at you in the face, so about 5 feet. He's around 2 or 3 years. That's all the info I have on him, so what do you guys think?

Michelle

Posted : 12/26/2006 4:21:25 PM

Here's another picture of his face. I couldn't get both files in the same post, said it was too large.

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Posted : 12/26/2006 4:27:24 PM

He is defintly pit. Why cant you adopt out pits or pits mixes? But you can adopt out AB's? That is sad and just dosnt make sense.

rwbeagles

Posted : 12/26/2006 5:43:00 PM

Absolutely a Pit Bull or mix of primarily that. Sounds like that's bad news for the dog? AB's have Pit in their history anyway don't they? How odd...and sad.

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Posted : 12/26/2006 5:47:07 PM

ORIGINAL: rwbeagles

Absolutely a Pit Bull or mix of primarily that. Sounds like that's bad news for the dog? AB's have Pit in their history anyway don't they? How odd...and sad.

That was my point exactly. I know take my advocay for the breed to heart and a lil to far sometimes but I what I dont understand is their willingness to adopt a AB and not a APBT, it just dosnt make sense and shows how ignorant people are. Its even worse that this is a dog rescue org that obviously has no clue about dogs. It just irks me that some so called dog proffesionals can be so uneducated.

Michelle

Posted : 12/26/2006 6:09:47 PM

Whoa, whoa, slow down. The COUNTY has set up the legislation and believe me, the ACO's think it's utterly ridiculous, but there isn't anything they can do. They move heaven and earth to get ALL dogs adopted or rescued and for a county animal shelter they have an extremely low kill-rate, basically only very sick, injured or aggressive dogs.

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Posted : 12/26/2006 6:54:35 PM

ORIGINAL: saveastray2day

Whoa, whoa, slow down. The COUNTY has set up the legislation and believe me, the ACO's think it's utterly ridiculous, but there isn't anything they can do. They move heaven and earth to get ALL dogs adopted or rescued and for a county animal shelter they have an extremely low kill-rate, basically only very sick, injured or aggressive dogs. .................

or pit bulls! I wasnt attacking you personally, its the whole situation that is out of control.

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Posted : 12/26/2006 7:01:20 PM

So if he is indeed a pit bull what is going to happen to him?

Michelle

Posted : 12/26/2006 7:09:11 PM

The shelter will work on getting him rescued by posting places and calling local rescues. This shelter keeps animals a VERY long time. Weeks and weeks. My own dog Gracie was there for over two months. I looked at a sight detailing all the "bully breeds" and for the life of me I can't tell the difference between the American Pit Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire Terrier, but apparently there IS a distinction, because they are two separate breeds. I don't know what the exact wording of the legislation is, but I'm wondering that if a dog can be classified as even one of the closely related breeds, then they can be adopted, which I gather is what the shelter workers were hoping. It's by no means an absolute death sentence, just that he can't be adopted out.

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Posted : 12/26/2006 7:15:56 PM

Most BSL use the umbrella term "pit bull" for mainly 4 breeds" APBT, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull terrier so I dont think that would help much. It would be a shame to list him as a American Bulldog because that isnt what he seems to be.
If someone does adopt him from your shelter under the breed that you labeled him as does that give leniancy to your local BSL?

Michelle

Posted : 12/26/2006 7:51:15 PM

ORIGINAL: sheprano

If someone does adopt him from your shelter under the breed that you labeled him as does that give leniancy to your local BSL?

I'm not sure I understand your question? It's not illegal to OWN a pit here, but the shelter does not adopt them out. I've taken that quiz where you try and find the one pit in all the pictures of the other dogs, and although I got it right, there was a breed, a Cane Corso that I'd never heard of that looked a lot like a pit to me, as did several others that weren't of the four you mentioned. I don't see how BSL can be enforced since there isn't a way to tell, without papers, what breed a dog is, scientifically 100%. DNA testing can't do it, and while it's probably pretty obvious if a dog is a Great Dane versus a Portugese Water Dog, with these breeds I don't see how. That's just my opinion.

edited to add: DNA testing on mixed breed dogs. I understand that the science on purebred's is more accurate now.

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Posted : 12/26/2006 8:26:45 PM

Oh I see! I thougth you couldnt have them there at all. My question was regarding that situation....for exampke if you adopted a "mixed breed" from a shelter in a county that had a ban on pit bulls and the shelter labeeld the dog inccorectly and there wasnt proof how would the county be able to prove it? Just speculation. I already told DH if BSL comes to our area we are gonna starve Rory for 3 days and say she is a Viszla, ha ha.......no? Hey its worth a shot!

C K

Posted : 12/26/2006 9:00:15 PM

Perhaps you can get around it by saying there is no breed properly called "Pit Bull" and therefore, the law does not really outlaw APBTs or AmStaffs... Or maybe mention the ADBA(American Dog Breeders Association, a registry that until recently only registered APBTs and it is considered by many to hold the standard which is closest in conformation to the original fighting dogs) prefers dogs under 60 pounds and therefore a 70 pound dog cannot be considered an APBT.

First glance I thought he looked like an AB, but it was probably just the coloring. On closer inspection, he looks like an APBT. Too bad, he's a beautiful dog and probably an absolute sweetie.

All else fails, would you be able to smuggle him off to a Pit Bull rescue? Pit Bull Rescue Central, [linkhttp://www.pbrc.net/]http://www.pbrc.net/[/link], seems to me like a good place to try if you are able to get him out of there.

Michelle

Posted : 12/26/2006 9:21:14 PM

I'll check out the site for them fuzz, thanks. The shelter does try rescues. They've placed lots and lots already this year.

C K

Posted : 12/26/2006 9:47:34 PM

Wonderful! Good luck then. I wish I could recommend a rescue I've worked with personally, but the ones I know deal mostly with local dogs. I've heard lots of good things about this rescue, so I hope it works out!