Maricopa County animal shelters face a looming epidemic: their shelters took in 14,000 pit bulls last year, and sixty-eight percent of them never found a home.
The shelters report that thousands of dogs may not find a home and face the risk of euthanasia. Shelter employees say that when potential adopters learn that dog has any sort of a pit bull mix, they become disinterested.
Dr. Rodrigo Silvewith, with Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, believes the dogs end up stranded in shelters due to breed discrimination. Pit Bulls have endured years of biased media reporting, and Animal Care and Control workers are requesting that people stop breeding and purchasing pit bulls if they are not prepared to care for them.
