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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
• 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510 • 757-622-PETA 
 What is PETA’s position on pitbull–specific legislation?
PETA isn’t out to pull any pit bull out of any goodhome. What we want to do is prevent any morelitters. Just as we support mandatoryspay/neuter legislation for all dogs (and cats)because it is the most effective way to combatthe companion animal overpopulation crisis andits tragic consequences, PETA supports banningthe further breeding of pit bulls. PETA also favorsrestrictions or a ban on “ownership” ofpit bulls that would, however, not affectthe status of those pit bulls who arealready in a good home. In other words,we support bills that include agrandfather clause allowing pit bulls whoare spayed or neutered and alreadycared for to maintain their status for therest of their lives.
 Are breed-specific laws fair?
There are many wonderful dogs in animalshelters who need homes, and PETAurges everyone who can provide a dogwith a permanent, loving home to adopta homeless dog (or two) from a shelterand speak out against the specialized breeding ofany dog. When shelters are forced to euthanizedogs by the millions every year, it iscounterproductive for the humane community tofight efforts to reduce the population of pit bulls orany breed of dog through the use of breeding bansand restrictions. Pit bulls are abused, neglected,and tortured specifically because of their breedand characteristics: PETA does not balk at effortsto protect pit bulls from breed-specific abusethrough the use of breed-specific safeguards.
 Why does PETA take this position?
Pit bulls are the most exploited, abused, andneglected dogs of all. They are seemingly the mostabundant breed in animal shelters as well as themost difficult to place safely because of theft,abuse, and the possibility of attacks on smallanimals, other dogs, and human beings. In NewYork City, pit bulls make up 40 percent of the12,000 dogs who are housed by the city’s sheltersystem, which handles between three and fivecruelty cases involving pit bulls every week. As farback as 2000, an ASPCA query to shelters abouttheir experiences with pit bulls revealed that 35percent of responding shelters took in at least onepit bull a day, and in one out of four shelters, pitbulls and pit mixes made up more than 20 percentof the shelter dog population. One-third of theshelters did not adopt pit bulls out to the public,partly out of concern for the dogs’ safety. According to The Humane Society of the UnitedStates, pit bulls constitute an increasingpercentage of victimized animals in media-reportedcases: In 2000 and 2001, pit bulls were the victimsin 13 percent of reported dog abuse cases, but in2007, 25 percent of victims in reported dog abusecases were pit bulls. As of this writing,PetFinder.com lists more than 11,000 homeless pitbulls for adoption.
Other animals are abused. Why doesn’tPETA take the same position on allanimals?
Until there are no homeless animals in shelters,PETA would love to see a ban on all animalbreeding, period!If it were not soeasy tomindlessly breedand acquireanimals and ifadopting orselling an animalwere handledwith the
The Straight Scoop onPETA and Pit Bulls
In the News ...
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Pit Bull Found WithEars Cut Off 
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 Woman Guilty of Starving Pit Bull
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Pit Bull Puppy FoundFrozen to Death
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Pit Bull Puppy Foundin Trash Bag 
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