This following is for people trying to place stray or shelter pit bull-type dogs. If you are a dog owner and need advice about finding a home for you dog, please click here.
As stated on the breed information page, pit bull type dogs have a distinct background. The original purpose of the APBT as a fighting dog has unfortunately left its mark and animal aggression is very common. We cannot blame the dogs for an instinct bred into them and we should not ignore this trait either. These dogs deserve our help and can be wonderful pets in the right hands but they require vigilant caretaking.
Unless a pit bull is uncontrollably dog-aggressive (fight crazy) or demonstrates instability, severe shyness or human aggression, it should be given a chance to find a good home like any other dog. Please click here if you need more information about evaluating a potential prospect for adoption or use our temperament test as a guideline.
Placing a pit bull in a good home is not easy and evaluating the dog is only the first step. There are other important procedures to follow to ensure a good placement. Providing adequate care for the dog until a home is found, understanding the breed so you can educate and inform the new owners, as well as thoroughly screening potential homes are all part of successful pit bull rescue.
Following are recommendations to help you care for needy pit bulls and find them safe, responsible homes.
1. Do not allow pit bulls to share kennel space with other dogs.
Even if the dog seems friendly, we strongly recommend that you NEVER leave a pit bull unsupervised with other dogs. Puppies may share kennel space, but should be kept singly at the first sign of aggression.
Same rule applies if you are a foster home. Never leave a pit bull unsupervised with other dogs. Make sure to crate the dogs when no one is home, or leave them in separate rooms. See Crate and Rotate.
2. If you have rescued a fighting dog, do not try to socialize him/her with other dogs unless you are fully prepared to handle the risks involved.
Some rescuers try to rehome pit bulls seized from dog fighting yards. These dogs can make great pets, preferably in a home as the only pet, but should only be placed with people who understand the breed very well and are aware of the dog's past.
Be aware that trying to train dog-to-dog aggression out of a pit bull will probably not be effective. Training may help the owner control his/her dog, but it will not eliminate the risk for fights. In the case of a fighting breed, the urge to fight is often the result of genetic heritage. Remember that there is no magic cure to remove an inherited behavior selectively bred into a dog. This is something pit bull rescuers need to understand very well in order to educate potential owners who apply for their dogs.
If you need to test a pit bull with another dog, please make sure you know how to proceed and be prepared to efficiently break up a fight if one strikes.
3. Do not mislead potential adopters by calling pit bulls something they're not.
Too many shelters avoid the truth about the breed because of its bad reputation. It can be quite dangerous to place these dogs without letting new owners know what kind of dog they have really adopted. If people don't know they've adopted a pit bull, they will not be prepared to take the necessary measures to assure responsible ownership.
If you know the dog is a pit bull or is part pit bull, please make sure to state it in his bio, and inform potential adopters about the breed and its characteristics.
4. Run a professional temperament evaluation on all pit bull, Amstaff and pit mixes before you approve them for adoption.
Traits such as human aggression, extreme shyness, and instability are not acceptable for the breed. Like any other large breed, pit bulls are powerful and have the potential to be dangerous if something goes wrong. You must make sure that the dogs approved for adoption are stable and safe around humans.
Note that the true nature of the breed is to have a great temperament, be very people-oriented and friendly, and have an excellent disposition with people of all ages. A pit bull that doesn't have these characteristics is not a good representative of the breed and should not be made available for adoption.
5. Make sure to seriously screen potential adopters and conduct a home visit and review our information about screening.
Unfortunately, this breed attracts more than its share of undesirable individuals. Please make sure that potential adopters you plan to place a dog with are loving and caring, that they understand the breed or are willing to learn, and that they are responsible dog owners. Always do a homecheck and contact the applicant's references. Veterinarian references are preferable.
Make sure the new owner is not involved in any illegal activities, and does not intend to use the dog for any form of dog fighting.
The dogs should be spayed or neutered. Unpapered rescue dogs of unknown background should NEVER be bred. Click here for details. Be aware that placing an intact dog will only make things harder for the dog and for you, not to mention for all the dogs who die homeless. Please don't take a chance that the dog you save will contribute to the homeless dog problem. And remember, responsible and caring individuals would rather adopt altered dogs, while dog fighters and other unsavory individuals prefer intact dogs. You will increase the dog's chance of finding a better home if he/she is altered before being listed. Click here for a list of low cost or FREE spay/neuter programs for pit bulls.
Pit Bulls should not be adopted out to anyone under 21 years of age.
PBRC recommends placing pit bulls as only pets, or with one dog of opposite sex. New owners should be made aware of the risks of leaving the dogs unsupervised together and advised to separate the dogs when home alone. Pit bulls should not be placed in multiple dog homes.
New owners should agree to never bring an adultpit bull to a dog park, or have it off leash in public, or any other place where it might encounter loose dogs.
Make sure to verify that the dog will be a house pet. Rescue dogs should not be chained outside. Note that pit bulls are the number one dog stolen out of people's yards by those with bad intentions. Make sure that new owners will always have the dog under supervision.
The new owners should agree to a follow up, and you should reserve the right to remove the dog from its new home if you have good reason to believe he/she is not being well taken care of.
You should require that the new owner sign an adoption contract.
6. Out-of-State Adoptions
PBRC may be able to send a volunteer to the applicant's place for a homecheck before the adoption is approved. Make sure to ask us if we can help.
If we don't have a volunteer in the region of the applicant, you should contact a local rescue organization and ask them if they can send someone that is experienced in dog placement to meet the applicant for you and do a home visit. Make sure the local shelter sends someone who understands the breed and has the knowledge to determine if this is a good home for a pit bull. You should correspond several times with the applicant. Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want. If the applicant is serious, he/she will be more than happy to answer you. Make it a priority to contact the applicant's references and ask them a lot of questions. Veterinarians are good references, and are usually very cooperative.
Before sending a dog out-of-state, we suggest consulting with local authorities for potential breed-specific legislation. Pit bulls are restricted and banned in many cities and counties. For online municipal codes, click here.
Please note that this breed is the target of breed-specific legislation in many municipalities and states across the nation, and already has several breed specific restrictions against it. Please do not contribute to the problem by placing a bad dog in the wrong hands.
These dogs can be great pets and wonderful companions when placed with the right people. They are worth working hard to find caring and responsible owners for them.
Remember, rescuing pit bulls means rescuing the reputation of the breed as well.
By Veronique Chesser
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