By Jordi Matsumoto The issue of abandoned animals has received widespread media coverage over the years. However, the nuance of the problem in Southern California has yet to be fully exposed.
The national context is important for a backdrop. First, it is estimated that between 3 and 4 million abandoned cats and dogs are euthanized each year. The number is roughly half of the animals found in shelters. There is a basic equation of supply and demand. The supply of abandoned animals dwarfs the demand to of households to take them in.
In response to these staggering numbers, an array of organizations ranging from the Humane Society to local authorities to a network of rescues have attempted to curb the problem in several ways. Spaying & Neutering has risen to the top as the primary way to bring down the number of pets that ultimately are euthanized. The culmination of the efforts on this front has been Spay Day USA, where tens of thousands of cats & dogs “get fixed” in one day.
There have been other strategies at work alongside the spay/neuter movement. For example, many have taken up arms against dogfighting which is inherently linked to the issue of abandoned dogs. Though the primary aim is to eliminate the unpopular practice because of its violent nature, the secondary effect is to keep dogs from being abandoned in the first place. By cracking down on dogfighters, the hope is that fewer dogs are bred for fighting—the same dogs that eventually find their way to a shelter because they were abandoned.
Perhaps the most plain vanilla approach to helping abandoned animals is to simply find them a home. This is where the network of rescues has come into play. For this spot.us coverage, the focus was mainly on the dog rescues. The dog rescues essentially serve as holding pens. Right before these furry creatures are put to sleep, many of the rescues will swoop in and save the day, so to speak.
The rescues vary in size considerably. Here in Southern California, there are dozens of them. Some, like Angel’s Heart Rescue near Riverside, keep between 6-10 dogs on the grounds. Others, like Villalobos Rescue Center, keep upwards of 200 dogs. The resources required to keep these dogs is staggering. Villalobos Rescue Center reports that they go through approximately 2100 pounds of dog food each week.
For many, the question is where did all the dogs come from? Lori Weiss, of Downtown Dog Rescue, notes that for several years there were clusters in the downtown LA area. With the recent real estate development, however, the problem areas are now more pronounced in South Central LA or the Riverside areas.
But then, why these areas? Partially, it circles back to the dog fighting dilemma. The vast majority of abandoned dogs are pit bulls, many of which were raised for dog fighting or are used as guard dogs in low income areas. The Human Society notes that 70% of dogs euthanized in the nation’s shelters are actually pit bulls. So between the fighting, abandonment and euthanasia, they are now described as “America’s most abused dog[s]”.
For those working for and volunteering at the rescues, the title may be incomplete. Adding the word “misunderstood” may be appropriate. In fact, the irony is that the qualities that make pit bulls “good” fighting dogs, loyalty and devotion, are really qualities that the typical dog owner would most appreciate. Dog fighters, however, use the loyalty and devotion to make pit bulls into fighting machines.
In Riverside County alone, more than half of the dogs are pit bulls. And sadly, more than 3000 of the county’s pit bulls were euthanized in 2008. Few people in the general population are willing to adopt them. Pit bulls carry hardly any of the allure of say a Paris Hilton Chihuaha. And what is worse is that the creatures carry have a very bad reputation. Media coverage, including scores of articles in the LA Times, focus on a few pit bulls that have exhibited aggressive behavior. These are pit bulls with bad upbringings that are responsible for attacks and maulings. Unfortunately, those are the stories that make the headlines.
In the next segment and the upcoming video, more on the pit bull will be discussed. There will be an in depth look at the owner & manager of Angel’s Heart Rescue, Janet Cook. Information on some of the particular dogs Janet’s organization has saved will also be provided.
