Short answer: “Pit bulls” are popular family dogs in Iowa and affordable housing is limited so that’s why we get “pit bulls” surrendered to us. Labradors, beagles, mutts, are also surrendered for the same reason.
Supporting Information:
● Dogs visually identified as “pit bull” are the #5 most popular family dog in Iowa. Nationally, “pit bull” dogs are in the top ten most popular family dogs in 47 of 50 states.
● The ARL’s dog population is representative of the dog community in our area (a lot of X breed in the community equals that same breed being found in the shelters).
● The lack of pet-friendly housing is the #2 reason why we receive dogs each year. This applies to all breeds (it is nearly impossible to find an affordable rental in the metro for dogs over 20 lbs).
● Times are tough and many people are finding themselves without jobs, homes, or other resources that force them to turn to the ARL as the last resort to find a home for their beloved pet.
“Pit bulls” are dogs and here at the ARL we treat all dogs as individuals. We encourage adopters to look at each dog as an individual to see if it fits their lifestyle and family’s expectations of a canine companion. Because of this, some individual dogs are harder to adopt than others, but that is due to the dog as an individual, rather than the breed.
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