The real reasons why he's in a cage (it's not because he's mean) ❤️ Our Producer, Mateo, set out to find out why pit bulls are often the last to leave the shelter, if they leave at all. And the answers he got are not necessarily what you'd think! Help Clear the Shelters this August—let’s find loving homes for pets in need!
00:00He's been watching families walk in and walk out without him for two whole years.
00:04The only reason is his looks.
00:06I realized within a minute of meeting him that the fact that he's a pity probably has to do a lot with some people finding him intimidating.
00:16For this reason, I decided to find out myself what's going on with Pities in U.S. shelters
00:21and headed to the town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Long Island, New York, where Leo leaves.
00:25There, I met with Julia, a dedicated volunteer who takes care of Leo and some of the other dogs at the shelter.
00:33He's super friendly. He's not weary of strangers at all.
00:36So I think he totally is a great example of a pit bull mix.
00:39You're a new person. I mean, he loves you. He's giving you his touch. He's being so sweet.
00:45My first impression of Leo was how incredibly sweet he is.
00:48I honestly couldn't understand why he's been waiting so long for a home.
00:51His favorite thing in the world is being next to someone.
00:54No treats, no toys, just you. And yet, not a single person has ever come back for him.
01:00Actually, Leo isn't a tragic exception.
01:02Over the past few months, I've told the stories of dogs who have waited two, three, or even four years for a home.
01:08And almost all of them had one thing in common.
01:10They looked just like Leo.
01:12Is that your favorite toy?
01:13They were peas. Not aggressive, not broken, just misunderstood.
01:17Can you believe he's been here since, for two years, waiting?
01:21Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Why?
01:23Why?
01:23He's such a nice dog.
01:25Hoping to understand why Leo hasn't been adopted yet, I spoke to Ashley, the shelter director, in the last six years.
01:31People do have the stigma of they may not be family animals, they may not be apartment animals, whereas it's actually probably the opposite.
01:39Some of them, they're just couch potatoes, they just want to lay with you.
01:42But in general, I think there's just a lot of restrictions for housing and just the stigma.
01:47Turns out that people-type dogs make up to 40% of sheltered dogs in the U.S., and in over 700 cities and counties, it's either illegal or restricted to own a pity.
01:58So, it's not a surprise that sweet dogs like Leo keep getting overlooked, and here's the part that really stayed with me.
02:04I asked Ashley to give me a ratio in 1 to 10 of how many of their current dogs are pities, and this is what she said.
02:10Probably like 8 or 9 to 1.
02:12Oh, wow.
02:13Yeah, it's a lot of those blockhead dogs, yeah.
02:15Wow, wow, okay.
02:16But the real issue starts long before pities end up in shelters.
02:20When I spoke to Ashley, she explained to me that many are overbred, then dumped when they're not longer wanted.
02:26Others are rescued from people who use them for fighting, like Meryl.
02:29I met her during my visit, and despite everything she's been through, she still has so much to give.
02:34Living outside her whole life?
02:36She's so friendly.
02:38Finally, I got to the conclusion that while overbreeding and dogfighting are the most common reason pities end up in shelters,
02:44living restrictions, and bad stereotypes also prevent them from getting adopted, creating a dangerous circle that condemns pities like Leo to stay longer in shelters.
02:53But not all hope is lost.
03:06TOH has put thoughtful strategies in place to help their long-term residents finally find homes.
03:12And we really try to see if people can foster the dogs.
03:15We offer anything from foster field trips, where you just take the dog out for the day.
03:19We do weekend getaways, where you can have like a weekend sleepover, to more long-term, couple weeks, couple months.
03:25Fostering is a big part of trying to get these dogs adopted.
03:28Julia, for instance, has adopted two pit bulls she originally fostered from the shelter.
03:36My pit bulls have been loving transitioning from a shelter to a forever home, to a home environment.
03:41It takes effort, it takes time.
03:43I think if you're on the fence about, hmm, I've never had a pit bull before, do your research, of course.
03:48But just remember that the dog is an individual, and to not judge their stereotype, it's not about the breed.
03:53It's about who they are.
03:54Leo is the perfect example. He's calm, sweet, and people-focused.
03:58He deserves a home, and frankly, I can't find a single reason why he hasn't found one yet.
04:03If you think Leo could be your perfect match, visit his redemption link in the comments,
04:08or check out the other amazing dogs at the Tom and Hempstead Animal Shelter,
04:12currently caring for over 95 dogs, most of them pities.
04:20I hope this visit helped shed light on why these dogs wait so long,
04:24and why it's time to let go of all the stereotypes.
04:27So next time you visit a shelter, consider the one with a big head and a gentle heart.
04:32Because if you give one a chance, they never stop giving back.
04:36After looks at them, and they're there forأs.
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