Why do so many shelters have “no adopt” policies for pit bulls?
Shelters enact “no adopt” policies for a variety of reasons. In some cases it is because they realize that these dogs require extra care and screening for placement and they just do not have the staff or time to do so. Most public shelters are already under staffed and under funded. They choose to not place pit bull type dogs at all rather than risk placing them in the hands of irresponsible or uneducated owners. We understand and support this choice. A dog placed back into the wrong home is often much worse off than if he had not been placed at all. It’s a sad reality but when you are a Pit Bull there are FAR worse fates than euthanasia. Other times it is because the shelter staff is as uneducated about the breed as the general public. Working at a shelter does not automatically mean that a person is familiar or knowledgeable about ALL the breeds he or she may encounter. Many times shelter staff receive no formal training outside of that received on the job. Some shelters fear the pos
