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Shelter Goes to the Pits

April 23, 2009, 4:24PM MT

By Fran Farrell

Animal Welfare League of Arlington Ends Breed Ban Policy

Animal Welfare League of Arlington Ends Breed Ban Policy

By Pam Freni, Best Friends Ambassador

The automatic and immediate destruction of pit bulls in a massive number of public animal shelters has become a shaming point for America. If a pit bull attacks a person, the incident is trumpeted across the nation and one more nail is hammered into the coffin of the breed as a whole.

Fortunately, Best Friends is devoting a significant amount of resources toward fighting breed discriminatory legislation and one more shelter has heard the call.

20-Year-Old Policy Dropped
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington, one of the more respected shelter operations in the Washington, DC area, was like many other organizations—they didn’t place pit bulls into adoptive homes. Through the lobbying efforts of individuals within the shelter’s work force and community activists, the League was convinced to re-examine its 20-year-old policy of breed specific discrimination.

The adoption staff participated in a training program given by Bay Area Dog owners Responsible About Pitbulls (BAD RAP) and in 2007 the League’s board of directors changed the policy so that any dog with the right temperament was eligible for adoption. The year 2008 was the first year that the League functioned under the changed policy and it has been deemed a success!

Unfounded Fears Dismissed
Fearing that their shelter would become the dumping ground for unwanted pit bulls, the League staff has been surprised at the relatively small number of dogs that have been brought to them. In fact, they even had room to bring in a few additional pit bulls from other organizations that do not allow adoptions. Thirteen pit bulls were adopted by local residents in 2008, creating a great track record for the 2009 program.

Pits Adopted to Responsible Owners
Most of the new owners have worked overtime acclimating their new pets to all types of situations. One owner reported that he spent an inordinate amount of time touching and rubbing his new dog Floyd, fearing that any overt reaction to a stranger’s touch might cause the loss of his new best friend. When a toddler ran up to Floyd on the street and began pulling his ears and grabbing his nose, Floyd just sat there. Nyla, another pittie adopted out by the League, goes to doggie daycare a couple days a week. Nyla has even been taught to accept cats—proving once again that it’s not the dog, but the owner’s management of the dog that counts.

Vanessa adopted Sina from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, December 2008.

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington is on the cutting edge of animal welfare progress and hopefully will lead other animal welfare organizations in the region to a more enlightened approach to animal rescue.

One more shelter has become breed-blind, taking temperament and socialization into consideration rather than blood line. Progress is being made, one shelter at a time.

How You Can Help

• Help end breed discrimination by joining Best Friends’ campaign Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog.

Main photo by Gary Kalpakoff
Photo of Vanessa and Sina by Susan Sherman of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.
Posted by Fran Farrell, Best Friends staff

Comments

Posted April 24, 2009, 1:42PM by edward

Great news! Way to go Arlington!

Posted April 30, 2009, 6:23PM by babs1171

Awesome news! What a handsome pit bull in that photo....they have such intense eyes! So happy that the shelters are finally looking at the individual dog and not just the breed.

Posted April 29, 2009, 9:38PM by Rita2828

Pit Bulls are one of the best breeds !!!
Thank you !!!!

Rita from Brooklyn

Posted April 30, 2009, 9:30PM by dionie

Pitt Bulls are dogs afterall and making them monsters is manmade not dog made or should I say God made.

Posted April 28, 2009, 3:43PM by scratchtopaz

This is a fantastic article! Thank you for giving us insight on policy changes that are helping the dogs we love.

Posted April 28, 2009, 6:33PM by tigifred

Thank you for highlighting this story, and hopefully it's just one in a long line of many that will continue to examine and reform outdated paradigms!

Posted April 24, 2009, 7:42AM by bellamicuore

This is fantastic! I love hearing GOOD news about this subject. Thanks for the article.

Posted May 12, 2009, 10:6PM by marla

Done

Thanks

Posted May 12, 2009, 6:11PM by nicol

Please, all animals lovers sign the following petition against Denver’s breed ban. Denver has slaughtered thousand of dogs, not because they have done anything wrong, but simply because of the way they look. Armed officers crash into people’s homes and seize the dogs at gunpoint and euthanize them. This senseless massacre of innocent family dogs must be stopped.

Please sign and circulate far and wide.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/spend-no-dollars-in-denver-colorado