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San Francisco shelters give pit bulls a second chance
December 21, 1997
Web posted at: 10:54 p.m. EST (0354 GMT)From Correspondent Rusty Dornin
SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- When most folks think of pit bulls, they see the vicious, angry dog bred for fighting -- so much so that many animal shelters automatically euthanize any pit bull terriers they collect.
But at San Francisco Animal Care and Control, even pit bulls are given a chance.
Call it pit bull rehab -- strays or dogs given up by owners are taken through a series of personality tests to see if they might be adoptable.
"It's a very selective process. It's a very unforgiving process," says Katie Dinneen of the San Francisco shelter. "We're going to put the best of these dogs up for adoption because we want this program to be successful."
Correspondent Rusty Dornin reports
Dogs with scars from fighting or dogs that come from an area known for dog fighting are not even considered for the program.
If they pass everything else, the final test is to put them together with an enthusiastic puppy. Some pass with tails wagging, but those who growl at or try to attack the puppy get an F -- and an automatic death sentence.
Across town, the folks at the San Francisco Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or SPCA, also believe that pit bulls have gotten a bad rap. The agency also places pit bulls in adoptive homes, although its criteria are even more strict, and it won't take strays into its program.
"We believe that the American pit bull terrier, when properly raised and appropriately nurtured, can make a wonderful companion animal," says Richard Avanzino of the SPCA.
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