Starting a Pit Bull Rescue~No Kill Shelter

Hello. I am going to start a pit bull rescue. I want to take then from kill shelters and house them until they can be placed. I am on a 1 acre piece of land, outside city limits. I would appreciate any help or advice. This is still in the brainstorm process. I love this very misunderstood breed. I have been around pits since childhood, own two. Have owned two others in my recent past. Owners are responsible for this breeds behavior, so please no negative posts about this. I have loved and been loved by pits, and know who and what they are. They are the most loving, loyal, playful dogs Ive ever met, and hope to help others understand.Any advice will be a great help. This is my calling.. I feel it inside like nothing else before. A no kill rescue is my dream.

I have no advice but I wish you luck. Make it public and make a website. Donations would help you house and feed and I would donate. Good luck bud.

reply to post by LoverBoy
Pits are misunderstood but still dangerous. They need lots of love and a very clear role and must have a special owner who understands the dog, the breed, and the relationship to its new pack.

Hats off to you! I love the pitbull breed! The only suggestion is to "know" when a pir has "turned" or about to. Seriously. This goes for any breed of course, but pits esp because of the bad rap
I write this with a heavey, and sad heart tonight Im scared my pit may be turning. And there is absolutley no room for error in judgement in my case. I have kids ranging from 6 yrs to 10 months.

I take full resposibility if he does. My beutiful, white pit with the brown spots on his ears we call him jojo. I have no doubt he would protect my children with his life a trait not remembered when bashing pits. Strange you made this post tonight? Tonight when I "smacked" his behind to get off the couch, so my baby could lay down, and he made a biting gesture to my hand.. Twice.
This is not his fault, but mine. Brinfing him home 2 weeks after adding another stairchep child. No time for the poopy puppy.i wanted a female. Got a male. Wonder if a neuter will stop this? He is soon to be 1 human yr.

I may have made a whoopsie trying to bring a new pup in to late in the game? Had to take her back (mutt cutey)

Either way. I hope its just a "challenge mommy" thing. But he wont be kissing my 10 month olds face anytime soon I really dont want him on a chain for the rest of his life. And he even snipped at my kids.. I wouldnt hesitate to shoot. But it still sad to me.

Edit: IF he snipped at my kids, lol, he has never hurt my kids beyond the initial "itty bitty excited, im gonna kbock you down!" puppy stage, and that was just being a puppy.
Just know what you are dealing with.

I love them to, they're illegal to keep in Melbourne, Australia unless you have special permits? I've heard there brains are getting to bigger and thats why they have such a hard time adapting to the presence of children/other animals that they are unfamiliar with(Myth?), but I think it is how they are raised that has the most influences over a dogs behavior. The breeder might have chased my dog around with a broom, or so I think when she was still a small pup, but maybe she is naturally scared of brooms being so small.

To feed them, I suggest that you use an intravenous drip and bleed cows and mix there blood with vegetables as well as eggs for added protein. Sort of like a Massei tribe approach to feeding them, insane I know but sustainable.

www.abovetopsecret.com..., I've got an idea that ties in with what you are trying to achieve in some sense. Don't back down.

Peace,

SoS

reply to post by stonebutterfly


My Pitt-Shepard mix Zilla was one of the most loving dufus dog I have ever had the pleasure of being associated with. GREAT DAWG! Smart, yet klutzy and even when she did mess something up due to her size and energy, I could never stay mad at her. Quite the comedian. Four legged love, covered in fur. Great with the neighborhood kids too.

I wish you luck. Will you having friends assist you as many dogs can be quite the chore and will you be assimlating/training Pitts who have trained to fight to be more docile? I know that there is a Jail/Prison somewhere that does this. They took Michael Vicks dogs and rehabilitated them. Again, good luck.

spaying and nuetering help with agression. unless u are planing to breed, get him fixed. but thats with all dog breeds. i have min schnauzer who needs to get fixed in two weeks. a female tends to be more aggresive in dogs, that momma instinct.

reply to post by stonebutterfly

Im assuming you are talking to me, we wanted to get a female and breed them, but if nuerting him will make him still be able to be part of the family, then I would do it. Im currently trying to convince the neighbor to let him breed with his unbreed 2 yr old boxer, all white. They play through the fence all day, everyday, lol

reply to post by TDawgRex


Hoping to have some buddies assist. But I will be main care taker.I have someone already offering to assist with legal paper work. Hope I can get my little community involved. Its gonna be a labor of love.

My wife does this kind of thing, see >Canine Connections. Feel free to email her. She has a big heart when it comes to dogs and has been doing this for years.

PS...from my point-of-view, keeping dogs at your home, while you try to find good homes for them is not a good idea,(why?) over time my house has destroyed by these dogs she has rescued... its allot of maintenance... just something to think about.

Rule 1. Set a limit on the number of dog you are willing to keep at your place (keep it low)...some cities/counties have restrictions
Rule 2. Use fosters to help care for them
Rule 3. Become incorporated by the State, to become a non-profit organization, donation will help with upkeep of rescued dog, medical, food, etc...

I could tell you more,but I love my wife and glad she helps the animals as much as she does, its just not my thing...I just deal with it.

Many props to you!
AMPBTs need as much help as possible, very noble of you.
I'm a Vet Tech & I also rescue cats and dogs, esp., feral cats and abandoned cats, to have fixed with my local spay & neuter clinic. So, I found that you may be able to get assistance through your local clinics(either it be Humane Societies or spay/neuter clinics, depending on the Dr.) for rescues that need not only spay/neuter help but vaccinations and general medical care. Spay neuter clinics are receiving grants for larger dogs, monitory wise that helps a lot, that can be very beneficial to older un altered dogs.

I'm sure you can find mnay local dog lovers, who would love to come and volunteer. Try Craiglist and PetFinder, even bullitan messages at local shelters, pet shops and general areas...to get the word across. PetFinder has a rescue listing page-each rescue gets their own page listing-,where you can also list the dogs for adoption.

reply to post by dreamingawake


Kudos to you(so many caring people in the world) I can't believe people abandon there cats, or leave them out of sight for them to wander and kill native fauna, my uncle captured a feral cat...that was way past rehabilitation...in terms of socializing and he put it down just to think that it could have been someones pet long ago...

Hundreds of children starve to death everyday in Africa and you want to help pitbulls, way to demonstrate your humanity.

reply to post by lokdog


Think about it this way for a second. StoneButterFly is helping humanity. A pet (or companion animal if that is more to your liking) quite often helps people come out of their shell and interact with others. I can look at my own instance as an example.

After my last deployment, literally all of my friends have moved, either across the state or out of it. My family is the same way, scattered across the U.S. I consider my friends to be extended family and treat them as such. I have many good acquaintances, but showing up their door many times just feels awkward (Think blind date…OUCH!). I don’t need people to keep myself active, but I prefer it.

Upon retirement and before the kids, I was pretty lethargic and drank entirely due to way much due to boredom (Not PTSD). I went back to class, but that only helped alleviate the boredom so much. At the moment, I have just the right amount of busy in my life. My kids know when I need to relax and will either curl up with me or entertain themselves.

My kids (Dawg & Kat) always have me chuckling at their antics. Every time I take them out, people stop by to say hi and strike up a conversation. I have found a job this way, made some good acquaintances who are on their way to family status in my mind. A couple of dates and generally just got out and about. Taking care of them also helps me stay in shape.

You see it all over the country in minimum security prisons as well. So yep, taking care of others (even animals) can pay it forward.

reply to post by stonebutterfly


I also own 2 Pitts. A male Am Staff and a female Boxer/pitt mix. Wonderful animals and the only dogs I trust. My male is a rescue and we have had our female her entire life
My wife and I went to the Orange county animal services here in Orlando, Florida to rescue a pitt or two.We took our two children with us. They are 4 and 3 1/2. We looked at all the dogs to be fair, but we have owned many Pitts and are partial to the breed.People were adopting dogs left and right and the ones who were neutered/spayed left with their new families.The staff was very friendly and helpful until they found out we were there to adopt a pitt. After that they made up every excuse in the book for us not to BE ABLE to adopt a pitt. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DISGUSTED IN MY LIFE. So, we just left.
The next day I put an ad on craigslist for anyone with an unwanted pitt bull to call me. A wonderful woman who owns a Rottie rescue called me and said she had a male who had been abandoned by his owner and since it was not her specialty she would like us to meet and see if we all fit together.We loaded up the kids and my female and brought our big baby home with us.I told her about what happened at animal services and this is the response I got:" I used to work there. It is their unwritten policy to not adopt out pitt bulls.Especially to families with children. They only put them on the line because the law says they have to.They wait the required amount of time and then dispose of them." Thats why she quit. And thats straight from the horses mouth.
You may want to check into pittbullgear. com. It is a great website with a huge community that may be willing to help you. Good luck and best wishes.

reply to post by Ubeen


LoverBoy, I beg to differ. When a dog is born it does not know what breed it is or what type of demeanor or reputation it needs to uphold.It just knows its a dog. How it turns out is how its raised. Example: A person is not born a bigot. He is taught it. A few Pitt facts for you.
The pitt bull cannot lock its jaw. Not animal can
The pitt doesnt even have close to the strongest bit in the canine world.
The dog that bites more people per year than all other breeds combined is the chihuahua
The 2 top biters every year are the lab and retriever.
When you see a vicious pitt the real beast is the 2 legged animal holding the leash.
The pitt bull was once called the nanny dog for its being so good with children.
Pitts were bred to be workers originally, not fighters.
Most MSM pitt bull attack reports arent even pitt bulls.
I could go on and on but you get the idea.....

reply to post by showintail


His behavior needs to be corrected immediately with authority from you and a bit of retraining. NEVER,EVER strike an animal to correct it or out of anger.This creates hostility and will lead to biting. Remember-Dogs dont have fists, just teeth.
Get a control collar. They are cheap and very effective. Do not raise your voice to your dog when he does wrong.It confuses them and incites them. Use a calm, firm voice to correct them.Yes neutering does help alot. And never putt a dog on a chain to live its life. This is the #1 cause of aggressive behavior. Sounds to me your pup just needs to have his behavior corrected and modified. Look on pittbullgear.com as they have very many helpful hints that will help you fix your pups poor behavior. And dogs dont "turn". Their behavior goes unchecked and left uncorrected and then they lash out. Its a build up to an attack not just a sudden snap.
I have rescued and rehabbed many dogs that people said were to mean or aggressive and needed to be put down. In the end- they never bit anyone again or showed a single sign of aggression with anyone including children. Hope this helps

reply to post by JayFlores
Many many thanks! Just what I needed to hear will def check out that site! Thanks again! I think he dont get the attention he deserves

Originally posted by lokdog
Hundreds of children starve to death everyday in Africa and you want to help pitbulls, way to demonstrate your humanity.

WOW...what kind of troll reply is that? How do you know he doesn't help starving children in his own country even?
So, he should ignore offering welfare to animals because children starve?

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated

Mahatma Gandhi

reply to post by stonebutterfly


Go for it friend.
Those dogs are banned where I live (UK)because we have basically been sold a stinker by the gov.and media who are sadly hand in glove.
They claim these dogs are evil child killers,and if you have one in the UK the cops come and shoot it for you.

I think that is a pile of bull,and I believe dogs become bad when treated badly or made to fight.

I recently got to read a great link about pit bulls,showing them in a completely different light to what we usually see these days.with photo's of them looking after kids back in the 1800s:
They were known as "nanny dogs" back then.
Here's just one pic,lots more at the link::


www.ywgrossman.com...

The link is from Silo's thread(She has a baby pit bull/american staffordshire terrier.)
Head over there and say hi and share your knowledge on pit bulls if you have the time:

www.abovetopsecret.com...
But be warned,the thread started because someone poisoned her last dog,and its upsetting at first.-Silo gets the new pup later in the thread.

Good luck getting your rescue center started!
A noble mission.