It was brought to my attention recently that we have a lot of pitbulls at CVAS – and it’s true. We do.
The breed has a rough reputation – made that way mostly by people. I’ve talked to a number of people who have pitbulls with their family and they love the breed with their kids.
On the other hand, I know people who shy away when I talk about pitbulls, not trusting them. I know that people have reason for that. I’ve spoken to folks who have tragic pasts with pitbulls attacking and killing their pets and that’s horrifying to a degree I can’t really quantify.
But at CVAS, we’ve found pitbulls some truly happy endings with great owners who love and protect and know how to handle them.
In fact one of our pitties became a therapy dog a few years ago and has brought a whole lot of joy to residents in a local nursing home. Another one was adopted out and the couple brought her along on their honeymoon!
I think it’s because of the reputation that our pitbulls stay at the shelter sometimes for even more than a year. Our pitbulls can be rambunctious and highly energetic, but they love kisses as much as they love to rip and run.
Luna has been with us since September 2022. She’s a pitbull mix who came into the shelter because owner was moving and could not take her along with them.
She’s about 3 years old now and just loves attention. She likes to please her people and is very treat motivated (who isn’t?). Luna does have a high chase drive with cats and other small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, etc., so a home without cats and other small animals would be best for her.
Because of her energy level, she may be a bit too much for smaller children, so be sure to talk about that with shelter staff. I can’t tell you how happy our staff would be if Luna could find her forever home, so if you know of anyone who is looking, please tell them about her.
Then there is Tony Pepperoni. He was on the run for a while and was finally able to be caught and brought to the shelter. He is a playful 2-year-old guy who loves to make everything into a game. He enjoys playing keep away, both with his toys and when it’s time to come inside from the play yard.
I suspect that’s part of the reason the little stinker was on the run for so long. We are trying to teach him that keep away isn’t always fun for the humans who take care of him.
We recommend having a fenced yard for Tony Pepperoni. He’s got a lot of energy and a really adorable face. We’re working on his commands and so far he’s doing pretty well with sit.
You’ve got to check him out on our website when you get a chance.
Sky is a senior pittie who we think is about 8 years old. She is 76 pounds of pure love! She adores attention and belly rubs. She really is super sweet.
She came into the shelter as a stray and as a result did test positive Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis which are both tick borne diseases. She’s currently on medication to treat them.
Sky also had a small lump in her mammary gland that was found when she was being spayed. We removed it and sent it out for testing and thankfully it came back as a benign tumor with clean margins.
She’s still quite active for her age and may be too much for small children, so be sure to talk to staff about that, but this sweet girl is going to make someone a wonderful companion. Could that someone be you?
Those are just three of the pitties we have at the shelter. To see all of our available animals, check out cvas-pets.org.
It can be really tough for dogs to live in a kennel for an extended time, especially the sensitive pitbull breed. It would be like if you stayed in an elevator for months on end. It’s a difficult way to live.
Pitbulls are notoriously strong. They’ve got muscles on top of muscles and incredibly strong jaws. I know some people can’t have them or they’ll lose their homeowners insurance. We’ve heard stories like that a lot at the shelter.
It’s difficult when humans take an animal and turn the breed into something they absolutely weren’t meant to be – and all of the dogs suffer. I know pitbulls have a reputation. I know they can be a handful.
But I’ve also seen them be giant teddy bears and snuggle bugs.
If you or anyone you know could help out our pitties, please take a second to fill out an application. Don’t let these dear dogs suffer just because of what people have done to their breed. Help them out of a kennel and finally into a forever home.
We would all love for these sweethearts to find where they are truly meant to be.
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Jennifer Vanderau is the Publications and Promotions Consultant for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates thrift stores in Chambersburg and Shippensburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the stores.
