Very recently, a story aired on ABC-40 that featured a local young man whose dream is to start a Pit Bull rescue. You can watch the story here:
Our rescue was contacted by the reporter to give our thoughts on what running a rescue is like and how we got started. I gladly accepted the offer for an interview because publicity is always appreciated in helping our dogs and cause get exposure.
We were not completely aware of what the purpose of the story was other than “Pit Bull Rescue” and had no idea that the young man mentioned was the feature of the piece. While we are extremely grateful for the exposure, the reporter spent about forty-five minutes interviewing us and taking footage of our place and our animals,so we find it a little disappointing that not even our website or our Facebook address was mentioned. Also, the way the interview was edited, it seemed as though we whole heartedly supported this individual when in fact, we have only met him once and very briefly.
We welcome anyone passionate about this breed into our rescue community, and we support the concerted effort of groups and individuals to advocate for this breed. We must say, though, that Pit Bull rescue is so much more than pulling dogs from shelters and placing them into homes. At Long Way Home, we are placing amazing dogs into amazing homes. That will always be our distinction. We take healthy, social, adoptable dogs that have been personality tested and place them with loving fosters in a home environment then we carefully screen the potential homes for the right fit for the dog’s personality. As we have stated before, not every home in Bryan/College Station needs a Pit Bull. This breed is not for everyone and we are not naive to the consequences of a dog (of any breed) that is ill-matched for its home, so while we applaud this individual’s effort and willingness to enter the world of Pit Bull rescue, we sincerely hope that he has the following criteria in place before beginning this endeavor:
1. A stable, nurturing environment that provides for not only the dogs physical needs but emotional needs as well.
2. An adoption process that allows for careful screening.
3. The background/experience in animal behavior that will allow for personality testing these dogs to know which type of home is best for him/her.
4. The ability to take the dog back if the home does not work out.
5. The ability to provide veterinary care, such as spay/neuter, vaccines, and microchip for each dog that is placed.
6. The ability to counsel the adopter through any behavior issues or transitional phases needed once placed in the home.
Those are just a few of the components needed for a successful start. We wish this gentleman the best of luck and hope his dream becomes a reality because we will all share in the nightmare and the negative consequences if we have a tragedy occur from not setting these dogs up for success. Everyone of us, locally or nationally, who loves this breed will suffer from any of the negative publicity of an accident that occurs from an ill-matched placement. Let’s all work together to place these dogs successfully and knowingly into the best homes possible.
I have always loved DOGS! All are special but pit bull dogs are very special My mother had one when she was a little girl so she gave me my first when I was five years old. Hugo held a special place in our both of our hearts. He would have defended us until the end. What can I say other than They are very special dogs!!