[Crossfire Bulldogs]

PIT BULLS have a bad reputation; of that there is no doubt. This breed, once the stalwart mascot of a venerable record company and nicknamed the "English Nanny" for its stability with children, has been co-opted by an urban element relying on a pit bull's physical attributes in order to scare people.
Pit bulls can look tough. Make one mean or crazy, through poor breeding and abusive treatment, and like most dogs, it can become tough.

It's not easy to convince the general public that a temperamentally correct, properly trained pit bull is a great pet. Nor is it easy to convince people to adopt a full-grown dog when that cute, pudgy pit puppy, easily found at a back-yard breeder advertising on Craigslist or in the classified ads, captures their heart.

At the same time, there are simply too many pit bulls, and the excess are killed. As all animal shelters know, a pit bull will sit unadopted longer than any other dog. In our two shelters, it can take a year to find a home for a pit bull. In a private shelter, this ties up a kennel for an unreasonable amount of time, putting other dogs at risk. In a public shelter, it is a death sentence, because resources are needed daily for new dogs.

We need a humane solution to the pit bull crisis. One that doesn't involve killing healthy, safe dogs but also doesn't allow the adoption or sale of unsafe, poorly bred dogs. So in August, Oakland became home to a new project not found anywhere in the country.

"Pit Bull Hall" opened with much fanfare as a joint education and adoption effort sponsored by the East Bay SPCA and Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls (BAD RAP). The idea was to combine the strengths of both groups to reach solutions greater than each could achieve separately.

Pit Bull Hall wasn't created to convince people to adopt pit bulls. It was created as a way to give people looking for a pit bull a place to find one that was thoroughly evaluated and temperament tested, as well as a place to learn how to be a good pit bull owner. Combining the traffic at our shelter with the knowledge and impeccable track record of BAD RAP, maybe we could change the public's perspective as to the correct traits of a pit bull. We could train the public to seek dogs who are stable, social and eager to please.
Maybe someone not looking for a pit bull will learn a few things, and pass them on to others. We've been adopting about two pit bulls a month, about four times more than normal. And we've educated hundreds of people in the process.

Porkchop, Rabbit, Randy, Jonny Sue and Flash currently reside in Pit Bull Hall. Flash has been there the longest, four months. His obedience is stellar. He can sit and stay perfectly despite distractions. He can walk loosely on a leash, and his focus on his handler is excellent. He is an exceptional example of a stable, lovable dog of any breed.

He has been content to hang out in his kennel, play with his doggy pals, visit with the BAD RAP volunteers who work with him daily, and educate curious visitors. He has been happy to show off his good manners, even to the occasional kitten adopter lurking across the hall.

Some visitors from Santa Barbara recently took a fancy to Flash. They've completed the approval process and hope to bring Flash home before the holidays. They are getting an amazing dog.

Happy holidays, Flash, and go tell the world, or at least the Bay Area, to visit Pit Bull Hall, the only place like it in the country.

Paws to Consider is written by the staff at the Oakland SPCA, a facility of the East Bay SPCA.