[mrs_lucas]

Well we are supposed to have our last PRIDE class next Thursday and yesterday when leaving from the PRIDE classes the Social Work Assistant asked to talk to us and told us they were not sure if they wanted to continue to work with us due to our dogs (we have two pitbulls in which before doing any paperwork we made sure that they did not have a problem with the breed of our dogs and they assured us that it would not be a problem). I checked with the various counties and with community care licensing and all said that they never judge a house based on the dogs as long as they can see that the animals are in no way a danger to kids /people and that there is nothing in their regulations that prohibits against a certain breed. I understand that people have reservations about the breed but not every pit is a killer. I am an adovocate for pitbulls and my dogs have been used as therapy dogs with kids with special needs, they are not killers in anyway. One of my dogs has a cat as its best friend. So then I get a call today that they have decided not to go any further with us. I can not tell you how upsetting this is for me. I know some of you in previous threads have told me I should just go thru with a private adoption and I appreciate you guys looking out for me but I originally was going to go through a private agency for a domestic adoption and after spending a lot of time in prayer felt that God was calling us to do the fost/adopt program instead. I feel that if I were to switch then I would just be telling God that I dont trust Him and that I am just going to take things into my own hands. My husband is looking at this new hit as an attack to get us discouraged from the devil. So we are going to go straight thru the county and see what happens there. I am in San Bernardino county and if any of you have worked with them as far as adoption goes please pm or email me (mrs_lucas0217@msn.com) I am really in need of some support right now. Just writing this is hard to not cry due to all of the frustration I am feeling. Help me folks!!! I am sure there are some religious folks out there that understand where I am coming from. Thanks in advance for the help you guys can offer me.

[DannieAS]

I just finished PRIDE classes in Riv. County and there is a family with two pitbulls and they passed licensing and our CW is going through with them. I know it's not San Bernardino, but we're neighbors so hopefully that says something about county

[triciansil]

we have a pitbull/boxer mix and I was worried it would be an issue. Our CW says that sometimes with fostering it will come up but straight adoption it will not. They did do an assesment with our dogs and besides the licks and jumping they were fine. Maybe you can see if it was due to the fostering part?? I'm so sorry that you are going through this, I know once you set your heart to something like this it is that much worse to be denied!

[DreamingAzure]

Are you able to carry insurance with your dogs? I know here in Texas there is a HUGE issue with Pits, and Pit mixes and home owners insurance.

Having been close to a family that nearly lost a child to a "friendly" female pit who would "never hurt a fly" it's a risk I would NEVER dream of taking.

There are several breeds of dog that I was told would make it more difficult to become foster parents, and Pits were listed at the very top.

I'm assuming that this is an outside agency that you had signed up with. Are they at least going to finish your certification, and pass it on the county so that you can be offically licensed with them?

[mrs_lucas]

No they will not let us finish the classes.

[just-breathe]

I am so sorry for what you're going through! We have 3 dogs and 3 cats, and we foster for a cat rescue. One of my dogs is a Great Dane, and some people are terrified of her simply due to her size. Danes are also on several "vicious" dog lists. The biggest softee/baby dog I've ever met is a pittie. Sweetest dog I've ever seen, even over my own dogs. He's just a lover.

ANY dog can attack. ANY. It's unfortunate that pitties get the distinction of being this generation's choice for worst breed. Dog bite/attack statistics are notoriously unreliable. Many bites from small breed dogs are not reported and go unaccounted for in statistical analayses.

Anyhow, I hope it works out for you. We're going through the county we're in, and they just made us provide vet records and wanted to meet the dogs and see their behavior a bit. Don't get discouraged, this may very well be the bumpy path you're meant to take!

[desertmom2b]

I went thru San Bern County. Was licensed on Jan 5th. I am strictly adopt. It was very quick and easy. I have 2 dogs and a cat. My homestudy worker turned out to have a child who is highly allergic to dogs so she never even saw them as they were locked up before she came. They do ask a few questions about the animals as far as if they were good with kids and people, but that was it.
One thing to be aware of, once you are licensed, the wait is between 9 mos to a year for adoption placement. And...they will not allow you to petition for children in another state or county until you have given them at least 9 mos to match you with a child from their county.
They might transfer you PRIDE classes over when you switch so check it out.
Good luck!

[..patience..]

we hear so many MAY NOTS in this process, I am a fan of getting everything in writing. either the rule or a signed statement or email from the 'authority' on whatever. In this case can we really just accept the 'assistant's' word as the final say? Ahem we are going through the county and have an aged dog and feisty cat, we haven't heard anything against them yet. we have their vet docs, vaccine, and license ready for inspection. ps go to your last class please. sign in and wait, they might not sign your certificate but once you get to the bottom off this you won't want to have lost that time. stay vigilent

[momofbgtwins]

I actually have a Yorkie and she is not the friendliest dog. I should say she does not like new people. It took her 5 years to get used to my husband. We were licensed and actually have adopted the twins that were first placed with us. I would actually try and talk to the supervisor and keep going up the chain of command. Is there a foster association around there that could actually help you out?

[MamaS]

I totally agree with Patience. It is very possible that the "assistant" is just prejudiced against your breed.
Ask to speak with the "assistant's boss" and go armed with paperwork. Get a statement from your vet that the dogs are healthy and not aggressive. Get a statement from your insurance company that you are covered. Get letters from your neighbors (if possible) that your dogs are NOT nuisances and are kept behind fences and/or on leash at all times.
Hand them copies of all these statements and ask what else they want in order to allow you to finish and be signed off?
If they still won't okay you, take your copies and go to the boss of the assistant's boss -- work your way up the chain of command.

[Hadley2]

I am so very sorry you are having such a rough time. It sounds very frustrating.

Some things to think about. It is true that any dog can bite and attack. My daughter was bitten in the face and head by an elderly golden retriever. It left her scarred. It can happen.

As bad as that was, however, had it been a pit bull, I think it would have been much worse. Dogs are domestic animals, essentially created by people. Draft horses are bred to haul heavy loads. Quarterhourses are bred to run. Cows are bred to make large quantities of milk. By and large, pit bulls have been bred for aggression.

And, to be nonaggressive toward their owners. I know you are convinced your dog is safe. But just because the owner or alpha human(s) feels safe, does not mean that everyone else is. How often has your dog been left with other people without you? How often has your dog been around children without you present? Understand that you cannot be 24/7 present with the dog and kids. Family life rarely works that way.

By a CDC study, about 1/3 of fatal attacks are perpetrated by pit bull-type breeds; rottweilers may be even more dangerous, accounting for 1/2 during the period of another study. Believe me, an attack does not have to be fatal to be life-altering traumatic. Far from it.

I have known very nice dogs of both breeds and other dangerous breeds, but I would not leave my baby or small toddler in a home with them. Likewise, I would be wary of herding dogs around running small children. Homeowners' insurance is a pretty good red flag on this, too; risk assessment is a mathematical tool, not a "prejudice."

When I was growing up, the dogs to fear were German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and Dobermans. I am still cautious around them. I could be wrong, but I think those dogs are on most HO insurance lists, too. Again, yes, a little dog can bite, too, but the effects and ability to fight them off, too, are pretty proportional.

When I was pregnant with our last child, we considered getting rid of our little 10-lb cat because he was a little loopy and could get aggressive. Turned out he avoided the baby like the plague, so it was not a problem. If it had been, we would have found him a different home.

I hope you can work things out for a good, happy, family life. I encourage you to continue the classes, too, as things may change either at the agency or in your home. Again, I'm sorry you've hit this bump in the road.

[Kat-L]

Originally Posted by DreamingAzure

Having been close to a family that nearly lost a child to a "friendly" female pit who would "never hurt a fly" it's a risk I would NEVER dream of taking.

My cousin has friendly pitbulls but I would never, ever allow my kids to be near them. ANY dog can bite-no matter how friendly they have been in the past. The difference among breeds is, a cocker spaniel bite will hurt and need treatment. A pitbull bite can kill. And having two dogs increases the chances that the other dog will join in during an attack. It has nothing to do with how "friendly" your dog is or how "good" your dog is, it's the nature of the animal. I, for one, agree with your agency's decision. You don't hear about kids being mauled to death by dachshunds or miniature poodles. However, several times a month there are stories about pit bulls killing someone. These dogs were someone's pet, too. And no one ever thinks their dog would be capable of a fatal attack on another person. If anyone truly knew their dog was capable of killing another person in a vicious attack, they would get rid of the dog. These people TRUSTED their animals.

Hadley: My neighbor's daughter was bitten by her g-ma's golden retriever, too. The dog was old but very gentle. Never bit anyone or growled at the mailman..etc. The little girl was sitting on the arm of the sofa, lost her balance and fell off. It startled the dog who bit the girl on the head. Any dog can bite. But the breed of the dog can determine if the bite will be fatal.


According to the CDC, pit bulls kill more people than any other breed of dog in the US. In fact, pit bulls and pit bull mixes kill twice the number of people as the runner up (Rottweilers) and pit bulls kill 2/3rds more than the third runner up (German Shepherds). Can you really blame the agency for being cautious? You have dangerous dogs in your home. You may not believe them to be dangerous but that doesn't make them safe.

[..patience..]

speaking of cocker spaniels... a family friend had one that bit at least three children... and it wasn't until it bit a stranger that it was reported. the dog was returned home since it didn't have a history of aggression. Responsible parents create a safe home. Our aged dog is put away when visitors come for her safety... she friendly but old and silly and we don't want anyone scaring or bothering her. she comes out and lays on her pillow but again when the kids are around she goes to another room. cats scratch and bite, dogs knock things over and jump... they all have the ability to harm, but that's why this process is case by case and not blanketed

[Kat-L]

Originally Posted by ..patience..

speaking of cocker spaniels... a family friend had one that bit at least three children... and it wasn't until it bit a stranger that it was reported. the dog was returned home since it didn't have a history of aggression. Responsible parents create a safe home. Our aged dog is put away when visitors come for her safety... she friendly but old and silly and we don't want anyone scaring or bothering her. she comes out and lays on her pillow but again when the kids are around she goes to another room. cats scratch and bite, dogs knock things over and jump... they all have the ability to harm, but that's why this process is case by case and not blanketed

Do other breeds bite? Yes. Any dog can bite. When was the last time a couple cocker spaniels got together and mauled their owner to death? When ONE BREED is killing more people than all other dogs combined, there is a problem. And it's not with the owners. There are bad owners of all kinds of dogs. There are beagles out there with TERRIBLE owners. There are jack russell terriers out there with terrible owners. I watch people every day in my neighborhood who don't even know how to WALK their dog properly. The dog takes the owner for a walk. When was the last time you heard about two beagles getting together and mauling a child? Any dog can (and sometimes does) bite. However, it's the pit bulls that are killing their owners, their owner's children, and their neigbors. We're not talking about a random bite that results in a couple stitches. We're not talking about one or two fatal maulings per year. We're talking about VERY dangerous animals who can turn (and kill) on a dime. And these are pets that the owners THOUGHT were friendly.

These are the pit bull maulings that came up with a quick google search

"A woman in the neighborhood, who said she owns one of the pit bulls, said that Anderson only had it in his possession because he wanted to breed the dogs. She said that the dog is "sweet," and she was shocked by what the dogs did."
Pit Bulls Maul Children, Injure Dog, Kill Cat - Greenville News Story - WYFF Greenville


"The dog was friendly and had never been a problem," Mr. Still said. "We had let him out of the kennel to exercise a little bit when it happened."
Denied:1up! Software ()

Iris was attacked by her family's pet pitbull-she died two days later.
Anchorage girl dies two days after pit bull mauling - Juneau Empire


Where are all the stories of people being mauled and killed by their poodles and beagles? Where are all the news stories on people being mauled to death by their dachshunds and their coonhounds? Or does EVERY OTHER BREED OF DOG just happen to have good dog owners and therefore don't kill?

Pitbulls don't kill because they have bad owners. Pitbulls kill and maul because it's their nature. They were bred to be vicious and you can't undo centuries of breeding by being a good owner to one dog. No matter how sweet it is, it was STILL bred to be violent and dangerous. They should NOT be around children. Child welfare is supposed to keep the child safe-and child will never be safe in a home with a dog who's breed kills more people than every other breed out there. Dogs that kill twice as many people as the next most vicious dog (Rottweiler) and 3 times more people than the third runner up (German Shepherd).


And the reason behind these horrific maulings is bad ownership? What about the pugs with the bad owners? Many dogs have bad owners.


People with pitbulls need to make a choice. Which do you want more? The dogs or foster kids? Because the two should never be together.

[takingtheplunge]

From your post it seems as if you were going through a private agency for fost/adopt and now thinking of the county for fost/adopt due to agency frowning on your dogs. If this is correct, then perhaps it is for the best that you switch. We have posted several times on the CA board about how it's often beneficial to work with the county verses a priv. agency -- especially in a high need area like SB.

The agency pushing you out into the hands of the county might be a blessing for many reasons.

Agency's really do have to be careful. They might have had other problems with other families. Ultimately, if something happens in your home, it could ruin their relationship with the county for future placements.

Another thing, I know you probably hate people telling you how unsafe pits can be. I know people tell me how unsafe pools can be for kids. This is why we had to buy a pool fence that is 5" high, locking with the door hinged in and self-closing. It cost 2,000. You cannot lock a dog up in a fence forever like a pool. It will interact and there can be risks. Even my tame, docile, fat, lazy cat swat my baby in the face -- luckily he doesn't have claws and she just laughed.

I passed up two day care's because of large dogs around children and thought it was nuts that a day care was allowed to have large dogs (retrievers) freely around toddlers and infants. In a way, we are like day care providers, too. They have to feel comfortable that the child is not in any danger.