[Lictimind]

I'd like to take a moment, to just have a small, tiny rant.

See, there is a particular shelter in my area that is quite well known. SO WELL KNOWN in fact that they used propaganda and emotionally driven arguments to pass mandatory spay/neuter of ALL pit bull "type" dogs in our area. Not just ones surrendered to the shelter, not just ones they find wandering the streets. No, ALL pit bull "type" dogs who aren't necessarily causing trouble, being bred, or "fighting".

The reason for this? To reduce pits at their shelter, of course! And somehow, this law was also suppose to reduce dogfighting rings, dog attacks, and unwanted pit bulls!

Really. I look at their website and it seems as though EVERY dog there is a pit bull and their numbers seem to have DOUBLED; I'd even hazard to say TRIPLED. Sure, the shelter has always seen a high number of pit bulls. Maybe 10 or more at a time. But now it seems that they have at least 20 "pit bulls" at any given time, or more.

(of course this isn't factual, it's just my observation)

I fail to see how this is actually reducing the number of pits in their shelter, and who will eventually be killed.

/end rant

[JakilSong]

are they asking to spay/neuter all the irresponsible owners too?

[patrycjakolekk]

Well, theorhetically...it WILL reduce the numbers in that shelter...eventually.

At first the number will drastically increase as those that can't or won't pay for spuetering dump their dogs. Back yard breeders will also dump their dogs, as they no longer have any value if they can't be bred.

However, if their are NO exceptions to this rule...say, for show or sport breeders, than they might as well be intruducing BSL.

Of course, some people will ignore the law and continue breeding anyway, but these will be the worst of the breeders most likely.

So theorhetically, if their are less people breeding pit bulls in the area, then less would be showing up in shelters.

I do not believe that mandatory spueter is the way to go, and I certainly think it's stupid to single out a particular breed when it's an overall PET overpopulation issue.

[Lictimind]

How long do the numbers generally stay high? This law was put in place January 1st, 2011. So it's been almost four months. So just wondering about that.

What makes me angry the most is how this shelter refused to try alternatives. Only one counsel member saw the flaw in their logic and voted against this law. He did his own research and concluded that in the long run, places with mandated S/N saw no significant decline in numbers at their shelters; in fact, over all, they saw an increase.

They also pulled in things like it will stop dogfighting and dog attacks. Uh, what? Because I see people who make hundreds off of fighting their dogs running to surrender their prize "pit" fighting dog because of this law... because people who illegally fight dogs are just upstanding citizens! *rolls eyes* Also, reduce dog attacks? Blah.

There's also speculation that this was put into place because some company (a food company, Iams or something, I don't remember?) is giving this particular shelter a grant to spay pit bulls for free.

In theory I can see how it makes sense. But in reality, people don't stop breeding their dogs because a law says so. If that were true, then, in theory, no body should be doing drugs or murdering people or committing any crimes because the law says not too.