Читать книгу Pit Bulls For Dummies - D. Caroline Coile - Страница 21

Over the years, Pit Bulls have gradually become more and more popular. But popularity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it can be a big problem for any dog breed. The popularity of dog breeds is driven by fads. People copy celebrities who own a certain breed, neighbors and friends who own a breed, dogs they see in TV shows and movies, in advertisements, and on social media. With more than 200 breeds to choose from (not to mention an endless number of mixed-breed dogs available), dogs from only about 20 breeds make up more than half of all the dogs in North America. These super-popular breeds change through the years. And when people lose interest in a breed, those dogs can end up being abandoned to shelters.

It’s hard to track the popularity of Pit Bulls because most Pit Bulls aren’t registered with any dog registry. What we can do is look at statistics. According to Animals 24-7 (www.animals24-7.org), a group that, among other projects, tracks dog statistics, Pit Bulls made up approximately 8 percent of all dogs offered for sale in 2019, which translates to approximately 1.3 million Pit Bulls. That number doesn’t include the 31 percent of all dogs offered for adoption, which amounted to an additional 1 million Pit Bulls available in 2019. Together, Pit Bulls made up almost 12 percent of the dogs looking for a home that year. Overall, Pit Bulls made up almost 6 percent of all the dogs in the United States, or about 4.5 million Pit Bulls.

According to Animals 24-7, Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes make up about 33 percent of shelter intakes nationwide, with even higher numbers (up to 65 percent) in large cities. In fact, almost one-third of all Pit Bulls eventually find their way into shelters — a far higher percentage than any other breed in history. Why? For one thing, too many people get a Pit Bull because it’s the in-style dog of the moment, without considering the special responsibilities that come with owning this breed. Also, Pits especially appeal to younger people, who may not have the maturity, experience, or resources to properly care for a dog of any breed, let alone a Pit Bull.