With the help of grant funding, McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center started a program on July 1 to help one of the dog world’s most demonized breeds.
With a $55,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, McKamey has committed to spaying or neutering 1,000 pit bulls and pit bull mixes by providing free alteration coupons to owners.
Pit bulls accounted for a disproportionately large percentage (about 40 percent) of the 3,900 dogs the center received in 2010, in large part due to the breed’s reputation for aggression.
“No one wants to see this many animals coming into shelters,” said McKamey executive director Karen Walsh.
The Bully Blockade is a cooperative endeavor with Wally’s Friends and local veterinarians. Walsh said she hopes the blockade will work as well as McKamey’s feral cat program, which last year altered about 1,500 cats, resulting in an almost unprecedented, six-week period when no kittens were brought in.
By providing free surgeries, at least one obstacle to taking preventative action is removed, Walsh said.
“Now, there are no excuses. If you can’t pay for it, no problem; we’ll pay for it for you,” she said.
Owners interested in having a pit bull altered should call McKamey at 305-6508. The coupons are only applicable to dogs that have received rabies vaccinations, which are also available at the time of surgery. Owners who bring in an animal to be altered will also receive a free one-year city license.
Participating hospitals providing alteration surgeries will be posted on McKamey’s website, www.mckameyanimalcenter.org.
Casey Phillips has worked as a features reporter in the Life department for three years. He writes about entertainment, young adults, animals and people of interest. Casey hails from Knoxville and earned a bachelor of science degree in journalism and a bachelor of arts in German. He previously worked as the features editor for Sidelines at Middle Tennessee State University. Casey received the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists Award of Excellence for Reviewing/Criticism in ...
Whatever the reason these printable coupons or "Printapon" exist and it is valid to use them, although it can skew the marketing research for which they were intended.
And a gun and a shovel.
There is no way I would want one of these dogs, much less having one around children. I don't care what anyone says-these dogs are dangerous. Period.
the pitbulls are not the real problem, its the people who elect to mistreat and under train them, thats how it starts...THAT IS THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM....(well that, and a 3ft 45lb chain)...those folks are the ones that need culling from the herd. as for bullets and shovels...it sounds like a few of you folks could stand to be culled from the gene pool just for the sake of wiser people trying to make a positive difference...and for sheer ignorance...
What great news!
Everyone wins when more dogs are spayed/neutered. This reduces dogs' tendencies to roam, and of course there are no puppies to protect. Empirical evidence is that most attacks are the "work" of intact dogs.
Every pit website says that dog aggression is a common breed trait/instinct. Why would any person, who cares about dog welfare, want dog aggresion to continue being bred into our dogs?
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