Too many animals in Philly?

**The Count** · 07-18-2012, 07:05 AM

According to this, there are too many animals: http://www.philadelphiaspeaks.com/fo...-capacity.html

Over 300 cats and dogs turned into a shelter in 48 hours?!

What percentage of the dogs are pitt bulls I wonder?

Does any city have a pet shortage that we can ship these pitt bulls off too? I'd rather not keep seeing them recycled here through inexperienced and/or irresponsible owners who get caught up in the "rescue a pitt bull fad" only to cast them back out 6 months later when they realize owning a rescued aggressive dog isn't as much fun as they thought.

**rjj** · 07-18-2012, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by The Count

According to this, there are too many animals: http://www.philadelphiaspeaks.com/fo...-capacity.html

Over 300 cats and dogs turned into a shelter in 48 hours?!

What percentage of the dogs are pitt bulls I wonder?

Does any city have a pet shortage that we can ship these pitt bulls off too? I'd rather not keep seeing them recycled here through inexperienced and/or irresponsible owners who get caught up in the "rescue a pitt bull fad" only to cast them back out 6 months later when they realize owning a rescued aggressive dog isn't as much fun as they thought.

you really should do some research before posting something like this.

**Eastcoast** · 07-18-2012, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by The Count

According to this, there are too many animals: http://www.philadelphiaspeaks.com/fo...-capacity.html

Over 300 cats and dogs turned into a shelter in 48 hours?!

What percentage of the dogs are pitt bulls I wonder?

Does any city have a pet shortage that we can ship these pitt bulls off too? I'd rather not keep seeing them recycled here through inexperienced and/or irresponsible owners who get caught up in the "rescue a pitt bull fad" only to cast them back out 6 months later when they realize owning a rescued aggressive dog isn't as much fun as they thought.

Hey I'm doing my part.

Over in the CC forum I have suggested using rescue dogs to replace the carriage horses that some wonky animal rights group wants to outlaw.

Dogsled tours of Philadelphia, still working on a catsled prototype.

**Debbie1125** · 07-18-2012, 09:12 AM

More like the city has too many dumbasses who refuse to get their pets spayed/neutered. Then you have the ones who decide on a whim that they no longer want a dog and just turn it loose. This applies to all dog breeds and not just pits.
Black dogs and cats have a difficult time getting adopted because idiots consider them bad luck.

Most of the excuses people give for surrendering their animals to shelters are pathetic. Two weeks ago a Lab mix was surrendered because he was "too active" and wound up being euthanized because of shelter stress. Unless those owners were physically unable to care for this dog, then it was inexcusable for them to turn him in for being too active. A majority of dogs, unless they're seniors, are going to be active.

**raider.adam** · 07-18-2012, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by Eastcoast

Hey I'm doing my part.

Over in the CC forum I have suggested using rescue dogs to replace the carriage horses that some wonky animal rights group wants to outlaw.

Dogsled tours of Philadelphia, still working on a catsled prototype.

Catseld? Apparently you haven't heard how difficult it is to herd cats.

**toxigal** · 07-18-2012, 09:47 AM

i admit, i don't think it is necessarily inhumane to euthanize "unadoptable" dogs. If a dog has a history of aggression and a responsible caregiver cannot be found, i find it more humane to euthanize the dog than have it live the rest of it's life in a kennel.

my dog (lab) is fear aggressive. My pit is a cupcake. When i discovered my labs problems I accepted that i would never be able to take him to a party and when i have people over to my house he is crated. he does get used to knew people given a lot of time...but it is a slow process and i only put him through the stress of it if it is someone that he has to be around. according to the staff of the kennels i use (i travel for work), he shows no signs of aggression there, so it mostly seems to be a home protection issue.

the pit is not dog friendly. neither are cat friendly - if a feral cat wanders into my yard wild america happens. so they would not be good candidates for dogsled tours; but i could hire them out to people who want to deferalcatify their neighborhoods.

**Eastcoast** · 07-18-2012, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by raider.adam

Catseld? Apparently you haven't heard how difficult it is to herd cats.

I'm considering a team consisting of 12 cats upfront with 6 dogs tethered behind...kind of a dangling carrot approach.

A screeching, ammonia urine soaked carrot approach.

**toxigal** · 07-18-2012, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by Eastcoast

I'm considering a team consisting of 12 cats upfront with 6 dogs tethered behind...kind of a dangling carrot approach.

A screeching, ammonia urine soaked carrot approach.

that would be like a thrill ride at six flags!

**DocAwesome** · 07-18-2012, 10:08 AM

Sounds more like a waterpark.

**seand** · 07-18-2012, 10:22 AM

My pit lab mix is great with our 3 cats. Well he likes to lick them vigorously which they view as an unwelcome tidal wave and flee, but has never acted in a way that would be called "aggresssive" in any conventional sense of the term. Great with the todler, whose new favorite toy is a doctor kit so the dog as Patient #1 puts up with lots of pretend "shots" and endless ear exams with the little toy otoscope (which would drive even many well tempered dogs nuts).

I really wish people would stop dumping on pits or pit mixes. Yes, they (or any large dog) can be "too much dog" for some people, as in too many walks, too much exercise required, too physically strong for a physically slight person to handle without careful discipline but there is nothing innately more aggressive about the breed than any other type of dog, just a little more muscle. If anything as a breed characteristic they are super people focused as in they are somewhat overly focused on "their" people, follow you from room to room, nervous when you are not around, etc.

That said, people need to be way more responsible about neutering their animals. Its shameful.

**CHIOSSO** · 07-18-2012, 10:37 AM

a pit lab mix a whats he look like?

**toxigal** · 07-18-2012, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by seand

If anything as a breed characteristic they are super people focused as in they are somewhat overly focused on "their" people, follow you from room to room, nervous when you are not around, etc..

i often say i wish the pit loved me a little bit less. I kick her in the head almost every morning because she insists on being right next to me when i get dressed.

**toxigal** · 07-18-2012, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by CHIOSSO

a pit lab mix a whats he look like?

pitadors! let's start breeding them, call them designer dogs and charge $750 for a mutt!

**Debbie1125** · 07-18-2012, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by seand

My pit lab mix is great with our 3 cats. Well he likes to lick them vigorously which they view as an unwelcome tidal wave and flee, but has never acted in a way that would be called "aggresssive" in any conventional sense of the term. Great with the todler, whose new favorite toy is a doctor kit so the dog as Patient #1 puts up with lots of pretend "shots" and endless ear exams with the little toy otoscope (which would drive even many well tempered dogs nuts).

I really wish people would stop dumping on pits or pit mixes. Yes, they (or any large dog) can be "too much dog" for some people, as in too many walks, too much exercise required, too physically strong for a physically slight person to handle without careful discipline but there is nothing innately more aggressive about the breed than any other type of dog, just a little more muscle. If anything as a breed characteristic they are super people focused as in they are somewhat overly focused on "their" people, follow you from room to room, nervous when you are not around, etc.

That said, people need to be way more responsible about neutering their animals. Its shameful.

I agree with you 100%. When ACCT becomes filled to capacity like it is now, so many wonderful adoptable animals are put down. It is a shameful and disgraceful statistic! Thank God for the volunteers and ACCT Pen Pals who work to get the dogs and cats out of there. If not for them, the statistics would be even worse.

**seand** · 07-18-2012, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by CHIOSSO

a pit lab mix a whats he look like?

Like a more muscular yellow lab with a shorter coat and skinny tail and a huge chest and noticably large neck. He's got the labby, slightly webbed toes.

People approach all the time and ask what kind of breed is he. They sometimes guess Rhodesian ridgeback. He's a very good looking dog by most people's estimates. He was literally an unspaid stray on the street when we got him. Checked with SPCA and put up flyers in case he was someones but its a very common mix in the shelters.

Edit: did a google image search for yellow lab pit mix and got a lot of similar looking dogs, like I said a frequent one in the shelters so lots of photos of adoptable dobs.

Coloring like this (adoptable) dog

build more like this (also adoptable) one

**raider.adam** · 07-18-2012, 10:54 AM

Pit bulls get dumped on because they have significantly higher attack and bite rates of any other breed.

**toxigal** · 07-18-2012, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by raider.adam

Pit bulls get dumped on because they have significantly higher attack and bite rates of any other breed.

The only real issue i have with these statistics is breed identification. I have seen news stories where they label the attacking dog as a pit bull when the photo clearly shows it is some other breed (once it was a german shepherd!)

**seand** · 07-18-2012, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by raider.adam

Pit bulls get dumped on because they have significantly higher attack and bite rates of any other breed.

I think there is some mislabelling and also noone complains about a psychotic, biting chihuahua. Because they are stronger animals and the stigma, the same behavior gets recorded more often, I suspect. Its currently both the "scary dog" to people filing complaints and the "cool dog" to irresponsible owners in the hood, so a lot more mistreated, badly socialized dogs.

**darthsinatra** · 07-18-2012, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by raider.adam

Pit bulls get dumped on because they have significantly higher attack and bite rates of any other breed.

Vitriolic pit bull debate in 3...2...1...

**Debbie1125** · 07-18-2012, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by toxigal

The only real issue i have with these statistics is breed identification. I have seen news stories where they label the attacking dog as a pit bull when the photo clearly shows it is some other breed (once it was a german shepherd!)

Yes...and the news once identifed a bulldog as a pit bull. That shows a serious lack of knowledge if you don't know the difference between those two breeds.