Pit promotion has lofty goal

Walking into the Chula Vista Animal Care Facility could lead to finding a new family member.

During the month of April, the facility is hoping you will take a chance on its most overrepresented resident: a Pitbull.

The CVACF is dropping its prices to adopt Pitbull’s, as part of its annual “Pardon a Pit,” campaign, which runs through the end of the month.

The adoption fee has been lowered from $85 to $25, and includes a $20 gift card to Petco and a goodie bag.

CVACF Administrator Mandy Mills said the campaign provides an incentive to adopt a breed of dog which makes up the majority housed at the facility.

“We want to make sure that we have special promotions that might help get them adopted or find a family easier,” Mills said.

Chihuahuas and Pitbull’s are the most common breeds brought into the shelter, according to Mills, who said people have the wrong idea about the so-called bully breed.

“There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about Pitbull’s, that they’re more aggressive than other animals, and that isn’t always the case,” she said. “It often is how they’re raised and how they’re trained.” The “misconceptions,” may stem from the reality that Pitbull’s are, on occasion, featured in the media for attacking their owners, family or community members, and other dogs.

Ashley Milo, a CVACF animal supervisor, said the media chooses to focus on Pitbull’s more than other, smaller dogs, and that there is no such thing as an “inherently bad dog.”

“Anything with a mouth can bite, it just gets a little bit more media,” she said. “ We want to help change that by making sure that when we adopt out the Pitbull’s here, they’re going to families that are ready to take on that energy and that time, and they’re going to help change that perception.”

Milo points to the fact that Pitbull’s, by nature, are an energetic breed which can become frustrated when not given proper exercise or attention.

Multiple walks a day are recommended, according to Milo, who said, if given proper  exercise and socialization, a Pitbull can be a very loving family pet for adults and children alike.

“The only concern we would have is that they’re big goofy dogs and they don’t always know how big they are and that they may knock over a child,” Milo said. “None of that is in malice, none of that is evil, it’s just a big goofy dog.”

Milo did recommend that children should never be left alone with a dog, whether it be a Pitbull or a different breed.

“Any dog can bite, so a child shouldn’t be left alone with any breed, they should always be monitored and especially small children should not be left alone with the dog at any point in time,” she said.

The facility has successfully adopted out many Pitbull’s over the years, through the campaign and otherwise, and, according to Milo, has opened the eyes of some who came in skeptical of the breed.

“We have had a few who have had spouses who were less than comfortable initially, and have turned right around and they’ve even come back for a second at this point, because they’ve realized how what loveable big goofballs these guys really are,” Milo said.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals agrees, releasing a statement on its website detailing its position on Pits that concludes with: “All dogs, including pit bulls, are individuals. Treating them as such, providing them with the care, training and supervision they require, and judging them by their actions and not by their DNA or their physical appearance is the best way to ensure that dogs and people can continue to share safe and happy lives together.”

Please follow and like us: