The Pitbulls at the shelter where I volunteer

 Welcome to the forums!  I also volunteer at a shelter.  But it is at a city shelter where euthanization is a regular occurrence for pitbulls and others.  And we get HUNDREDS of pitbulls, it's an inner-city shelter.  You could try to find a bully breed rescue that might have the time and resources to rehab this dog.  You might contact Best Friends in Utah (?) I think, that does take in dogs that don't have many options.  They have some Michael Vick dogs. 

  But, I'd also like to offer this in the spirit of considering both sides.  It's clear this dog is dog-aggressive.  It's possible that due to his history, he's so conditioned to this, there is little chance of him ever being safe with other dogs.  Now imagine that you have a nice dog that you also saved from euthanization by adopting it and giving it a home.  You're out one day walking with your dog or you're in your fenced back yard playing and this dog, who is so conditioned to kill any other dog it can get ahold of breaks free somehow of whoever rescues him despite numerous safeguards put in place.  It gets ahold of your dog and kills it.  While you would feel bad for the aggressive dog because you know it's really not his fault (it's stupid humans who probably made him that way) it doesn't make your dog any less dead.  And the home he gets is taken by a dog that does pose a danger to other dogs while a dog (like the first dog you described) that isn't may continue to rot in a shelter unadopted.

While there are many places that do take in dogs (any breed) in need of behavioral rehabilitation and I applaud them, there just simply aren't enough of them to meet the demand.  For a dog that is so clearly a problem, sometimes it might be better to give him a peaceful end and not threaten the safety of other people's pets.

Just my .02.  It breaks my heart to see dogs that become aggressive due to being in the shelter too long and to confront the reality that thousands of dogs die everyday due to human ignorance. 
 

 Hi, and thank you for responding. It is really sad to allow myself to begin to agree with you. Last week, I got the blow by blow details of the shelter's euthanization of the agressive pitbull, and I couldn't sleep for three days. They are supposed to be a no-kill shelter after all. She was the pit who was aggressive to people and who we couldn't even walk. Pit #2 at the shelter is a loving dog, but after one year of being housed, still no one even considers him. Eddie, Pit #3 is the one they are considering euthanizing soon, probably real soon, and it rips my heart out that there is nothing I can do to change that. I would be willing to foot the bill for transport to give him a chance. I have sworn that if they euthanize him, I will no longer be able to volunteer my time, but I definitely see the good that is done from our daily contact with all the other dogs, dogs who aren't aggressive in the least. I must have been naive to think that a no-kill shelter meant 100% all of the time. Now that I am attached to this pitbull, I am wrestling with my own sense of guilt for the rest of humanity, people who can raise a dog, turn him into a killing machine, then set him loose with no conscience whatsoever.

Thanks again. I will continue to explore options until they run out.

Hi and WELCOME!!!!

I own two pitties and they are the love of my life! I know all to well what you are going through, it is heart wrenching. Please PLEASE dont take what I am about to say in the wrong way. I have grown up with pit bulls, my Dad used to use them to hunt so this breed is very close to my heart.

To a certain extent we have to not let our emotions get in they way of reality. The way this breed has been abused, over-bred, and diluted leaves a lot of them unable to live peacefully in modern society. The old school pit bulls were never allowed to have human aggression but were bred for dog aggression. Today back yard breeders have not been as careful about breeding and have instilled and bred for outright human and dog aggression. They do this so they can throw the dog in the ring and it will just go nuts versus in the old days the dog handeler had to be able to enter the ring and pull the dogs off......they used to be even tempered and managable.

I hate to even say this but there needs to be a serious cleansing and culling of a majoirty of the pit bull lines. They are know making "American Bullies" which are the oversized meaty pit bulls that do not fit the traidtional breed standard. Razors Edge, Gotti, Gator, all of those lines carry and pass on scary traits. Not to mention the overwhelming number of pit bulls in shelters, roaming the streets and reacking havoc in communities. If we cant save them all we should make a extra effort to save the ones that will help better the breed for the future otherwise the outcome is going to be far worse then the repuatation they have today.

Bottom line: (please dont hate me for this) I am SO tired of people looking down at my dogs. My well behaved, trained Pit Bulls. For every aggressive pit bull there is out there is a HUGE step back for this breed. I invest a majority of my time, energy and love into my dogs, we hike, back-pak, swim and get out in the public so people can see how sweet they are and all it takes is one mean pit bull to make the public fear them again. I wish most humans had enough sense to try and help the issue like you are but sadly most rather turn a blind eye, say "its not my problem" and damn the breed all together.

 I understand and respect your feelings about the possible euthanization of that dog.  It's hard for me to think about the dogs being put down at the shelter where I volunteer.  It's certainly your choice to leave and I think you could find a way to help at a no kill place or a rescue but I'd like to maybe offer something that might help you to stay or be at peace with that part of things.

When I have a hard time thinking about the euthanization of these dogs, I think about the alternatives.  Some of these dogs are fought to the death, some are hit by cars and die slow painful deaths out in the elements all alone, and if you read about how Michael Vick's dogs, you know the fate they suffered.  At least at our shelter, they are loved on and treated humanely and with respect at the end and their suffering is minimal.  I'd much rather see a dog go that way than to starve at the end of a chain in some ignored back yard and then be dumped in the trash.  Volunteers aren't allowed to attend euth's at my shelter, but I can tell you before the dog goes through that door, they know at least a few minutes of what they should have had their whole lives.  It's all we can give, but at least it's something.

Thinking of it that way helps me stay and know that I do have something to give these animals, even if their fate does not lie in a home or a family. 

Sometimes you have to look at it from this standpoint - is it better to let the dog sit for another year? With no one wanting to take him home? You have to ask about HIS quality of life. Is he benefiting in this kennel situation? You have to do what's best for the dog - that's what shelters are here for.

I work for a shelter. We do not euthanize for space, time, breed, age, etc. We treat medical and behavioral problems. But we do have to put animals to sleep. We have to constantly ask ourselves "how is this going to be better for the dog?"

Yes, it's sad. But in the end - it's better than the dog rotting in a concrete kennel for another year or even two.

Are your pets listed on PetFinder.com? That's a great way to adopt out animals. Do you take them off-site? To PetsMart or something? Have you tried putting up fliers in vets offices and other pet stores? There is SO MUCH you can do, you just have to find the right combination of things to help the animals. Have you tried a behavior-enrichment program - such as Open Paw or a Kong program? Dogs in kennels need things like this to stay motivated to be on their best behavior. We have a kiddy pool for our water lovers, and a small aglilty set for our active jumpers. You need to maintain their quality of life for their time at the shelter so that they do not decline to the point of euthanizia.

i agree with Erica... its a morbid situation.. right up there next to "pulling the plug" on a loved one who has been in a coma for years... sure they MIGHT wake up any day now! and that dog MIGHT find his forever home tomorrow... but with that train of thought tomorrow turns into next week, next month, next year.... all the while the one in question is not getting any better. the muscles atrophy in the person, and the mental stability of the dog wains.... each day makes recovery more and more difficult and eventually next to impossible.

 with a high strung breed like a pit bull - and many other breeds like them- will never do well to be chained, crated, or kenneled 80% of their lives. the more they are locked away the worse they can become. and if they already have DA problems then its going to manifest into all out people/animal aggression. suddenly finding a home with no pets turns into no homes with children... and then turns into Too dangerous to be allowed in the public.

its a heavy cross to bear, the person deciding who dies today, i'm sure it hurts their heart more than it does yours, even though you are working with that dog every day. the difference is the person in charge of that decision has probably seen it so many times that they have had to numb themselves to it. i would go nuts if that was my job.... everyone looking at me like i'm some cold hearted dog hater.. or worse.. PIT BULL hater.

in the long run its best for everyone involved. but the best cure is always prevention. like it was already stated.. take that frustration and put it to use to educate people.

post on Craigslist.com everything you've told us. tell your community what you're seeing and just how ugly things are becoming. you'd be surprised at the effect you might have.