The Robeson County pound in NC killed 62% of the dogs in its care in 2015. Expect that number to go up.
Last month, the Robeson Co Board of Death Health adopted a policy which will, in effect, mean death for many puppies at the county pound. Specifically, any puppy under 4 months old eyeballed by pound employees and deemed to be a pitbull, American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, American bulldog or a mix of any of these, will be killed unless an out of state rescue group swoops in to save the dog. It has to be out of state because you know, they said so. The policy comes in response to four recent dog attacks in the area – three of which allegedly involved pitbulls.
Bill Smith, director of the Robeson Co Death Health Department, said it’s not necessary to include any other breeds in the policy because hey, three out of four.
Or make that one out of two:
According to the Robeson County Health Department, 114 dogs have been declared vicious in Robeson County since 2012. Fifty-seven of those animals were listed as a pit bull or pit bull mix.
But whatever, it’s some anyway. And some makes for good policy. I guess adopting a policy based on the actions of a dog, regardless of breed, would be too… sensible?
It is proven fact that shelter workers do not accurately identify breeds, even when the dogs are grown up to what they actually look like, let alone when they are squished up puppy versions, so visual assessment by Robeson Co pound workers will doom all kinds of puppies to death – not just “pitbulls”.
Rescue groups in other states are already overburdened trying to save puppies and dogs in their own areas with scant resources. This is an unrealistic alternative and yet it is the only one Robeson Co is providing for these mislabeled puppies who have harmed no one.
Robeson Co residents need to stand up and tell their elected officials that killing healthy, happy puppies at the shelter will not prevent dog attacks. Never has, never will. The county should end this discriminatory policy and replace it with one which addresses a dog’s actions, not the shape of his head.
(Thanks Susan, Lisa and Lou Ann.)
YesBiscuit
