No matter what it's called: It's a Felony! This dog, impounded by ACCAC, was involved in only a short fight, something called a "roll". Imagine the damage done in a long pit contest. Each week, shelters across the country impound dogs with fresh wounds or old scars. Do your part to end this cruelty. Report Dog Fighting Activity, Dial 911

SPECIAL NEEDS DOG: THE “PET BULL” Written by: Bill Wise Athens-Clarke County Animal Control, Georgia
Often in the animal welfare business, a particular dog will grip people’s emotions. A dog that may be blind or missing a limb can draw the attention of someone willing to put extra time and money into caring for the animal. Whenever animals are rescued from a publicized case of animal abuse or neglect, the public’s heart is wrenched and many open their homes to the victims. Those animals that are blind, need surgery, need medication, or need specific conditions in a home are called special needs dogs.
These hard luck cases may be rare but there is a particular breed always locked in our kennels that I consider to be “special needs”: the Pit Bull. Most of the Pit Bulls we receive have spent the first part of their lives trapped on a chain with little human interaction. They are often abused and neglected by their owners in an attempt to make them mean. If the owners reclaim them from the shelter, the dogs go back to the miserable life they came out of. Most people that are interested in adopting them are questionable about their intentions for the dog. Most often, the only way Pit Bulls leave the shelter and not go back to a hard life is to be put to sleep.
This, to me, is a very sad thing for them to die and never be given the chance to start over in a good home. When a good adopter thinks about getting a dog, Pit Bulls don’t come to mind as a good pet because they have such a bad reputation. But many have experienced Pit Bulls to be extremely good house pets. They are just as loving as any Lab, just as playful as any Boston Terrier, just as intelligent as a Border Collie, just as beautiful as an Irish Setter, and just as protective as a German Shepherd. They make such wonderful pets that many devoted owners have renamed the breed to “Pet Bulls.”
	I have adopted two Pit Bulls, Jehu and PeteBull, that were seized in drug busts in Athens. Whenever I take Jehu for a ride in the car, he stares at the world outside in amazement. It saddens me to know he was tied on a chain on a wooded lot seeing nothing but trees and dirt for the first year of his life. When I see PeteBull or Jehu chewing on a rawhide, I hate to think about the time when they were given nothing and had to play with sticks that fell from trees.
When PeteBull is curled up at the foot of my bed, I hate to remember all the nights that he laid curled in a knot out in the cold. When I see Jehu enjoying his weekly jog with me, I hate to think of the hours that he may have spent tied to a treadmill to condition him for fighting. When I give PeteBull his food, I think about the 25 pound weights attached to the logging chain around his neck that he had to pull as a puppy to reach his food bowl to try to make him stronger.
Pit Bulls are “hard luck” dogs because of the abuse they face. We have impounded puppies with their ears cut off by someone attempting to crop the ears unprofessionally. We have Pit Bulls come in with so many scars that their skin is now like thick leather. Some have fishing line sewn into their skin in attempt to provide home veterinary care after a fight. The abuse and neglect they face each day is probably higher than that of any other breed. Yet they remain loyal and faithful to humans.
Pit Bulls are “special needs” dogs. They cannot be adopted out to just anyone. Owning a Pit Bull requires a higher degree of responsibility than needed with most breeds. An owner must always remember the abuse the animal may have faced early in its life and act accordingly. One must also keep in mind the history of the Pit Bull as a fighting dog. This requires extra precautions around other dogs to avoid fights. Some of the more dog-aggressive Pit Bulls must be placed in single dog homes. Some require supervision while around other dogs.
I lose sleep when Pit Bulls arrive at our shelter. I know I must spend days screening applications. Pit Bulls attract young irresponsible people that wish to own a fighting dog just to be cool. As a government facility, our screening process cannot be very strict and some Pit Bulls go to people that should not own them. I know I will have to listen to people falsely claim ownership of the Pit Bulls. I grieve when someone produces vet records and a police report that vaguely match the description of the dog. If the dog happens to belong to a “respected” fighter in town, there is no length that the thugs will go to in order to make the dog their own.
Yes, there is added responsibility to owning a Pit Bull, but the benefits of having such a wonderful dog as a pet are well worth it. There is also the satisfaction of knowing you’ve rescued a hard luck case from a bad situation, and from going back into a bad situation. I have such joy when I look at my two Pit Bulls enjoying life as a pet.
It makes me think of a poem written by Alanna Howard called Rescued Pit Bull. The last line, written from the perspective of a rescued Pit Bull says, "As we snuggled so close, I was in heaven that night, you whispered to me, ‘Never again will you fight.’"
From the same Author: A Tale of Two Pitbulls Pitbull Attack A Happy Ending... Are you interested in learning more about Pit Bulls? Are you considering rescuing a Pit Bull? Do you live in the Athens, Georgia area and want to help by volunteering your time? If so, please feel free to contact Bill at Athens-Clarke County Animal Control at 706-613-3540 or by email PeteBullDog@Juno.com