What Would Animal Services Do Without Pit Bulls?
Animal Control Officer JokesSalt Lake City, UT - In what may cause
Best Friends to issue a press release in defense of pit bulls, and pit bull advocacy groups to create an
online petition to shame an individual, Salt Lake County Animal Control officer, Julie Smith, points out an obvious question: "...what would animal services do without pit bulls? They account for the majority of our calls." The response comes after a pit bull recently locked his jaws around an innocent Chihuahua.
"Owners of pit bulls have got to start taking responsibility or the breed could be banned in Utah," Smith said. "We often chuckle, even though it not a joking matter, but what would animal services do without pit bulls? They account for the majority of our calls."
If animal services did not have to cope with the pit bull problem, one might see a dramatic fall in shelter occupancy rates. Across the country, pit bulls commonly make up 40-60% of shelter space. Pit bulls often require individual kennels too. Due to their genetic "animal-aggression," a pit bull might attack and even
kill a kennel mate. A reduction in the number of pit bulls would help lessen overcrowding in shelters, as well as, the number of pit bulls euthanized annually.
As Smith states, pit bulls currently use the
lion share of animal control resources, which includes: shelter space, trucks sent out for impoundment and ticketing, special "aggression"
training programs and equipment, endless bite and menacing reports (a single report may equal 10-20 pages) and personnel resources required to fulfill these tasks. A reduction in the number of pit bulls would free these resources to enforce existing laws such as: leash, scoop and barking.
Related articles:11/21/08:
Couple Takes Out Second Mortgage to Adopt Biting Pit Bull-Mix11/03/08:
Flashback: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Refuses Care of Pit Bulls10/14/08:
Comment: Bait Dog Myth Perpetuated by Pit Bull Advocates
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