Owning a Pit Bull is not for the faint of heart. You’ll be tested by your dog at times and tested by a very pit bull-shy society even more. Prior to submitting an online adoption application, please make sure you satisfy each of the following requirements:
1. You are at least 25 years old.
2. You are local to Northeast Ohio. We do not adopt out-of-state and we never ship dogs.
3. You have at least 3 hours a day to spend with your dog.
4. You understand that a dog is a lifetime commitment and you are prepared to make the commitment.
Upon determining that you satisfy each of the requirements listed above, please:
5. Fill out an Online Adoption Application completely and truthfully.
6. Show solid references,
including your current veterinarian, if
you have one, and
others who can vouch for you.
Three references must be provided!
7. Show that you have a clear understanding of the breed challenges.
After submitting the online adoption application, you will be required to do each of the following things:
8. Participate in an interview conducted by our Adoption Counselor.
9. Confirm that everyone in your household also wants and is ready for the adoption.
10. Drive to meet the dog in person.
11. Agree to pre- and post-adoption home-checks.
12. Obtain $100,000 liability coverage, as required by Ohio law and comply with all Ohio laws and local ordinances.
13. Sign a legally binding adoption contract.
14. Be prepared to attend obedience classes with your dog. Classes must commenced within one month of adoption.
15. Attend weekly handling classes every Sunday for at least 7 weeks.
Note: We RARELY place same sex pit bulls in the same home.
We hope that the main reason you’re willing to put up with all this fuss is because this breed is the only breed you can imagine spending your life with. Pit bulls are worth their weight in gold – and part of your job as a responsible owner will be to share this fact with the world as you live your life with your dog by your side.
You’ll want to keep your new dog well trained, well socialized and ALWAYS have him on a leash in public places. You’ll learn how to talk to more people than you ever thought you would have to about the myths and hysteria surrounding pit bulls. In a sense, you’ll become part PR person, part educator and part dog training expert (if you’re not already, that is!). By proudly owning and showing off your dog, you’ll be making the world better for pit bulls everywhere.
We recognize that these dogs have sadly suffered at the hands of irresponsible breeders and unscrupulous owners. Some seriously exploited pit bulls have shown up on news reports scaring the daylights out of people, convincing many that all pit bulls are the devil incarnate.
To counter this hysteria, For the Love of PITS is committed to finding the best of the breed when we rescue homeless pit bulls. We work to match up these deserving dogs with loving and responsible adopters who have a desire to set the record straight.
We look for dogs with rock solid temperaments: gushingly affectionate, eager to please, fine to be handled and ready to learn. (Some amount of dog-on-dog aggression is normal and acceptable, while human aggression is never tolerated.) There seems to be no shortage of these great examples of the “pit bull” temperament. In fact, Ohio shelters are overflowing with wonderful pit bulls.
We handpick for great qualities and place the dogs in home foster care situations for at least 90 days. In these settings, we learn a lot about the individual dogs and they learn a lot of doggie manners in return. Our foster dogs are socialized, house-trained, microchipped, spayed/neutered and given all necessary shots. They’ve been tested in many settings, with people, including children, other dogs and, on occasion, cats, and on leash. In addition to the above, our foster dogs attend at least one basic obedience class to assist with training and socialization, and attend weekly handling classes.
Once we know our foster dogs well, and are confident they’re ready for the real world (typically after 90 days), they are available for adoption.
In return for all of the dog screening and home screening, we can both feel confident that the dog you take home is a pet you’re fully prepared to own. We’ll stay in contact with you for the life of your pet should any questions or concerns come up. If it sounds like an adventure that you’re ready to take on, we would love to hear from you!
Thank You for Wanting to Rescue Your Next Pit Bull!!!