17 Pit Bulls Featured in Esquire Magazine

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pit bulls
Lois
Four-year-old female terrier-American-pit-bull mix.
Picked up as an injured stray with large bite wounds on her neck, February 28, 2014. Available for adoption.

Pit bulls On “Death-Row”

An estimated 4 million animals are euthanized every year in county shelters, according to the Humane Society of the U.S. Walk down the aisle of an animal shelter – especially here in the southeast – and you’re going to see pit bulls throughout. Row after row, pen after pen. Some look up at you with their wide smiles and tongue hanging out to the side. Others hide their eyes and seem cautious. And some cuddle.

Esquire Features 17 Pitbulls

pitbulls
Preston
Two-month-old male terrier-American-pit-bull mix, 10 lbs.
Dropped off as a stray by a member of the public, April 15, 2014. Adopted.

Just a few weeks ago, photos were taken of pit bulls cuddling together from the Fulton and Dekalb county animal shelters in Georgia.  This breed finally enjoyed some positive press (regarding their cuteness), as the photos went viral.  On the heels of those viral photos comes more press for the pit bulls in the Dekalb Animal Shelter. Thanks to Esquire, much needed attention is being aimed at the growing number of pit bulls finding their way into shelters, where many end up euthanized. Esquire Magazine is featuring 17 pit bulls from the Dekalb Animal Shelter in Georgia, which is managed by LifeLine Animal Project. The article is titled The State of the American Dog.

It’s a colorful article written by Tom Junod, who shares his own story and challenges of having a dog – which happens to be a pit bull.  Each of the 17 Dekalb shelter pit bull’s photos are displayed, their expression vividly captured, providing you with a glimpse into that dog’s soul – animated and real. Although the intent is to help get these 17 dogs adopted, Tom pokes hard at society for how it has treated this breed. He provides some interesting stats, and most are hard stats to stomach, like “We kill anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 pit bulls a day” in the U.S.  The hard truth, which Tom makes perfectly clear, is that too often these dogs are discarded from irresponsible pet owners.  Face it…having a dog is not always easy – whether it’s a pit bull or a Maltese.  If you’re not up for the work, consider not getting a dog. Regardless of whether you are an advocate of the breed or not, this article will open your eyes and hopefully your hearts to shelter dogs facing euthanasia.

 Click Here To See All 17 Pitbulls17 Absurdly Adorable Photos Of The American Dog – Esquire

Images: Esquire

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WagBrag’s co-founder, Russ Boles, has a deep history in animal rescue and welfare. For the past 12 years, Russ has served in various roles with Atlanta-based animal advocacy organizations focused on rescue, training and education. In addition, Russ led a local rescue volunteer team into New Orleans immediately after Hurricane Katrina, assisting in efforts to rescue and care for stranded animals. This experience changed his life, and animal rescue and advocacy will always be a part of everything he does.

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