Stop saying “It depends on how they were raised.”
We’ve all heard it and often times it’s said by pit bull lovers, but the truth is… the phrase is killing shelter dogs, especially our pit bulls, all across the country. Why? Because pit bull type dogs outnumber any other breed in U.S. shelters and are the most euthanized. Most of them come in as adults. That means when well-intentioned people spread the lie that “it all depends on how they’re raised,” they are actually saying… you can’t trust these adult pit bulls up for adoption because you don’t know how they were raised.
This applies to every shelter dog really, though it’s most often said about pit bulls. Often times, we don’t know a dog’s background… all we know is what’s right in front of us and that is typically a happy dog ready to love a family. In most cases, shelter dogs were raised with love and compassion, and they either got lost or were surrendered through no fault of their own. And even in the cases where we know the dog has had a rough life prior to coming to a shelter, the beauty of dogs is that they live day by day and they are ready to forgive! We’ve witnessed dogs, including pit bulls, that have backgrounds of abuse and/or neglect, but the dog isn’t defeated! They still want to love and live a happy life!
We know every one means well! But the more we know, the more we can help!! And, hey, if you don’t believe our claims… feel free to go volunteer at your local animal shelter. The proof that every dog, no matter their background, is an individual that deserves a chance to show how great they are is right there!
