Helping Bully Breeds: Fitchburg Animal Shelter Makes a Difference

When asked how many animals are awaiting adoption, Amy Egeland, manager of the Fitchburg Animal Shelter, started listing names. Maddox, Rocco, Sigfrid, Andrea Gail, Budda, King, Helena, and so on. Almost half of the dogs at the shelter are bully breeds, or dog breeds that unfairly gain a bad reputation for being dangerous or aggressive thanks to breedism. That kind of personal attention to each animal is what makes this privately run small shelter in Fitchburg, Massachusetts stand out.

Helping Bully Breeds

Started in July of 2011, the Fitchburg Animal Shelter is supported by a local 501(c)3 organization called Animal Care and Education Central Mass. There are no time limits at the shelter. “No clock ticking here,” said Amy. The shelter takes in pit bulls from other shelters that don’t accept them. “The young pit bulls go within a few weeks. The senior dogs take up to a month. It’s the 2-6 year olds that take the longest,” said Amy. But the shelter has no problems keeping them until someone adopts them. In some cases, it could take up to two months.

David Lanteigne, owner of the hero pit bull Lilly and a Massachusetts resident, has only wonderful things to say about the Fitchburg shelter. He came to know of manager Amy through his sister Lisa, who adopted a one-year-old pit bull from them.

“Not only does the shelter rescue pits around the Fitchburg area, but they also save pits from other shelters that don’t adopt out bully breeds,” Lanteigne says. “Due to the inner-city area there are many high publicity abuse and neglect cases that the shelter takes in.”

While some pets are rescued from abusive owners, the rest of the animals that come to the shelters are strays. “When people move, they leave their dogs behind. Too many times I see wonderful family pets just turned out to the streets,” said Amy.

In her role at the shelter and helping the bully breeds find loving homes, Amy faces numerous challenges. “The most frustrating part of managing a shelter is having an animal returned shortly after adoption,” she says. “More than anything, this weighs on my heart.”

One adorable young pit mix named Maddox is the latest adoptee to be returned to the shelter. Maddox was saved from euthanasia in a nearby town that does not adopt out anything that looks like a pit bull or bully breed.

“We worked so hard to get him confident,” said Amy. “He went to what seemed the perfect home. Then two months later things changed, first thing to go was the dog. The look on his face crushed me.”

However, Amy is not giving up hope on Maddox, just as she doesn’t on the other bully breeds at the Fitchburg shelter.  “He is a big strong boy that loves tug of war, but also wants to cuddle on your lap!” she said. “I will be turning over every stone to get our boy Maddox adopted.”

Courtesy of Fitchburg Animal Shelter

Adorable two year old Maddox is looking for a forever home.

Bully Breed Outreach 

In addition to taking out ads in local TV and newspapers and promoting on social media, the shelter holds adoption events throughout the year.

The most important outreach the shelter does is visiting the Fitchburg Public Schools with adoptable pit bulls to teach kids about animal care and how to spot and report animal abuse.

As for Breed Specific Legislation, Amy notes that it isn’t really productive.

“We have to hold dog owners responsible, educate about the dangers of an unaltered male dog when a female is in heat,” she says. “Even within a mile, the male can become aggressive, wanting to mate. This could be a Maltese or a large mixed breed,” she said.

Amy strongly believes that animal care and education will produce positive changes. She also advocates mandatory spay/neuter and tougher animal cruelty laws, nothing that cruelty laws should be similar to child abuse laws.

“As repulsive as Mike Vick is to me, because the dogs he used and abused can now be seen in such a positive way, these wonderful dogs have become hope for all of us that advocate to change what people think and say,” Amy says. “[Perceptions] changed about the Doberman and the German Shepherd. They can and will with the ‘Pit Bull’ as well.”

Courtesy of Fitchburg Animal Shelter

Fitchburg Animal Shelter’s team goes to public schools in the area with pit bulls to educate students about animal care and how to spot and report animal abuse.

Funding

The Fitchburg Animal Shelter gets limited funding from the city. The community helps in caring for all the animals and fundraisers are held to raise money. All the animals are worked with every day on social skills. Lily the Hero Pit Bull Fund said it has plans to help the Fitchburg Animal Shelter as well as work with them at fundraising events.

In honor of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, we at Petside would like to thank Amy Egeland and all the staff, volunteers and foster families associated with the Fitchburg Animal Shelter for their hard work in changing attitudes about pit bulls and getting these misunderstood animals adopted into loving homes.

To find out more and donate to this wonderful shelter helping bully breeds, please visit their Facebook page or email fitchburgshelter@gmail.com. You can also help by purchasing Fitchburg Shelter’s Charity Benefit Wines here.