Marian,

This is a truly disturbing case to hear. Based on your email, I will tell you that Scarlet sounds to be a PERFECTLY NORMAL Pit Bull. I repeat, she sounds 100% NORMAL. Animal aggression in this breed is VERY common. Most Pit Bulls have some degree of aggression towards other dogs and put into the right situation they will fight. The shelter acted EXTREMELY ignorantly by placing not one, but two Pit Bulls loose in an enclosure with an elderly dog who could not defend itself. I am horrified by the apparent lack of responsibility these people have shown. Shelter employees should have at the bare minimum a basic understanding of the most prevalent breeds that pass through shelter doors, as well as a knowledge of canines in general. ALL DOGS can get into fights. Fighting is not a unique behaviour. Everything from Chihuahuas to Great Danes to mixed breeds will fight under the right circumstances. I have had a Golden Retriever attack my small terrier mix, and a Jack Russell attack one of my Pit Bulls.

Whether or not Scarlet is safe around humans is not for me to decide since I have not evaluated the dog. However, the fact that she was involved in a dog fight means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING by way of trying to decide whether or not she is a danger to humans. In the case of Pit Bulls, the breed has been selectively bred to fight other dogs--they "trigger" very easily as opposed to, let's say, a Poodle or a Lab. But please note the words "other dogs"--they were not bred for aggression towards people. A dog that gets into a fight with another dog is not going to turn around and attempt to get into a fight with a human. The motivation is different. Aggression towards dogs and aggression towards humans can be present in the same dog, but the two traits are not mutually inclusive--they are distinct.

Unfortunately, I do not know where to send you as far as getting this dog evaluated goes. Does the shelter have a general policy regarding Pit Bulls, or is this something they are just winging? Do they have a policy that disallows all dogs with history of ANY sort of aggression from being adopted? Do they refuse to adopt out all animal-aggressive breeds (i.e. Rottweilers, Akitas, Greyhounds/sighthounds, all terriers, and a host of other breeds with tendencies towards animal aggression)? Generally speaking, the "liability" thing is an excuse to justify breed prejudice and ignorance. Any and all dogs are capable of inflicting harm on other people or animals--it is impossible for a shelter to adopt out dogs that they can "guarantee" will never bite or fight. What does the law in your area state? Ask the shelter under which law they are worried about being prosecuted should this dog injure another animal. See if they even have an answer--don't accept vague responses, ask for the exact law. Is this a private or government-funded institution? Is there anyone at this shelter who is on your side? This really sounds like a case of panic due to extreme lack of knowledge on the part of the shelter. If you'd like, please tell the shelter to get in touch with me. Perhaps that would do some good.

Mary Harwelik
Pit Bull Activist
The Real Pit Bull.com
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