Need advice for a friend...ASAP.

[pitsnok]

I'm just going to copy and paste an e-mail I sent to a girl who runs a rescue here. I don't have time to type out all the details a second time...

Hey there, I'm sure you are a really busy girl, but I was hoping you might be able to provide some advice,or just an idea of what you would do in a situation I was told about earlier. So...I'll try to make this story as uncomplicated as possible, as it's through the grapevine that I was told about it.
When my friend's uncle got divorced several years ago, both he and she kept one of their pit bulls. Well last week his ex wife died, and she still had the dog. So the dog went to live with her daughter's boyfriend's grandparents (or something like that)... and the first night there it killed the family's poodle. Supposedly they did have them separated, but apparently not separated enough. It's a classic story of inexperienced people taking on a pit bull, but they were trying to help an I assume the options for the dog were very limited.
My friend's uncle is unable to take the dog back because he is living with his niece, and they have three big dogs in their small house. His mom messaged me asking if the dog should be put down, as that's what the family keeping her had suggested.
I told her that dog aggression is relatively normal in the breed and shouldn't necessarily mean an end to the dog, but because I don't know the dog personally I couldn't really give any sound advice. I told her that they should seek professional help (behaviorist, rescue...whoever!) before putting her down. She first told me they were looking for a rescue, but upon learning more found that they're planning on taking her to the pound on Friday. I assume that surely with a history of killing a dog she will be immediately be put to sleep, but I could be wrong. They currently are keeping her at the apartment of the woman who died, instead of in their home.

So I guess I'm just wondering if you might have some advice I could give them to help the dog? I am pretty sure that they are in Altus, so if you know of any resources I could point them to in the area I would really appreciate it. Or by chance if even you might be able to help, I know all involved would be grateful. (I know you are up to you ears in rescues though.)
I just feel like this dog deserves a chance after all the hell she's been through recently...especially if it's just a classic case of DA.

Thanks a lot for your time.
Brittany

Also, I was just told that the family says they have to do something with the dog by tomorrow evening. She is about five years old, spayed, vaccinated, etc. Word has it she has lived a pampered life.


Any comments? Please?

[plebayo]

If she killed the other dog in the house why do they have to get rid of her? If there's no other dogs in the household I'm not sure why they can't keep her until she finds a home. In the mean time they could be contacting trainers, behaviorists, and rescues until they can get her placed with someone who can foster her and find her a home.

All I can say is that I understand on the one hand they are hurt by what has happened, however, they chose to bring a Pit Bull into their house. They chose to bring another dog into the household. They chose to be responsible for the dog and now that something difficult has happened they want to wash their hands of this dog.

Honestly, whether it was a big misunderstanding or not, the dog did kill another dog. The dog needs to be evaluated by someone who knows what they are doing to see if the dog is manageable, and even if the dog is manageable you're just potentially putting a liability in someone else's hands. On the other hand the dog may not be dog aggressive at all, the Poodle may have started an argument and the Pit Bull just finished it. Either way, IMO there's no quick fix and the people who took in the dog should be making a bigger effort to help the dog.

[mnp13]

Good post Suzanne.