Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do we call them “pit bull type dogs”?
- Why is this breed so misunderstood?
- Are you trying to re-home your pit bull type dog?
- Does BAPBR take owner-surrender dogs (a dog I can no longer keep)?
- I found a pit bull type dog—what do I do?
- Why adopt from a reputable foster-based animal welfare group?
- Can I come visit and meet the dogs at your facility?
- What is a courtesy posting and why do we do them?
- Why does BAPBR occasionally bring up dogs from California?
- Why does BAPBR also adopt out Not-a-Bulls?
- I submitted an application, but then learned the dog was already in the process of being adopted.
Why did the dog look available? - How are our adoption fees determined?
- Why do we only adopt to home owners?
- Why so many questions? It’s not like I’m adopting a child…it’s just a dog.
- Why do we only do Oregon and Washington adoptions?
- Why are we so insistent on spaying and neutering dogs?
- You say you are a “rescue”—why won't you help me?
- I'd like to help. What can I do?
- I don't have the time to volunteer, but I would still like to help. What can I do?
Why do we call them “pit bull type dogs”?
There is a lot of misinformation about breed identification out there. This is not actually a breed, but a generic category of similar breeds including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (plus about 18 other breeds with some similar appearance characteristics). This is why we always refer to these dogs as "pit bull type" dogs—it's impossible to categorize any one breed-specific behavior or physical characteristic from this large of a collection of breeds and blends.
Why is this breed so misunderstood?
Bites from pit bull terrier type dogs are over reported in the media, but that’s only because we focus so much on these breeds. If we focused on the real factors that contribute to dog bites we would soon discover that breed is not a contributing factor to these incidents. Fear sells—have you seen the news? Read the paper? Here is a link to an eye-opening story on how fear sells news, which has directly contributed to why the general public is scared of these dogs: ASPCA: Pit Bull Bias in the Media
Are you trying to re-home your pit bull type dog?
Please don’t wait till the last minute to rehome your dog. Time is never on your side when re-homing pit bull type dogs. It takes 3-12 months to re-home them. Pets are not disposable. They are a lifelong commitment, so please stick by your pet, until you find a new, responsible and committed home for your dog.
Does BAPBR take owner-surrender dogs (a dog I can no longer keep)?
Yes – when we have availability in the organization, which is not often. We often ask for an owner surrender donation to help with our costs. We can always help you by “courtesy posting” the dog for you on our blog. If (and it’s rare that we have the space), we were able to take in your pet, the dog needs to be spayed/neutered and up-to-date on vaccinations before he or she can be taken. A copy of the dog’s vet paperwork/rabies certificate is necessary as proof. We will also need to evaluate your dog by one of our volunteers to confirm temperament before we would agree to take him or her. We are not able to help dogs that have a bite history, regardless of how minor. Any courtesy listed dog MUST be spayed or neutered prior to going on the website - period, no exceptions. If you want to find a home for your own dog, you can list your dog for adoption yourself on www.pbrc.net and www.adoptapet.com (both are free and for everyone).
I found a pit bull type dog—what do I do?
Please take the dog to your local vet to be scanned for a microchip – if positive, please contact the person/name listed on the microchip. Also, please contact your local animal shelter. We do not take in stray dogs.
Why adopt from a reputable foster-based animal welfare group?
One thing that makes adopting a dog from a foster-based group is that you really know what you’re getting. A dog living in a foster home is a dog who has settled into a routine and relaxed enough to show their personality traits. Often in a shelter environment, dogs can be stressed and you may not see exactly who they are. They also haven’t been around a person 24/7 who can report on their favorite things, things that the dog doesn’t seem to have had exposure to in his or her past, things that scare the dog or that the dog does not do well right now with, etc.
We are huge proponents for ADOPTION and not buying—so adopting from a shelter directly is still a wonderful, life-saving act, but there are also added benefits of adopting a dog who was once in a shelter, and now in a foster home. Our foster parents will have lots of information for you on each dog’s behaviors, knowledge of commands/training, etc. If you have kids, other dogs and/or cats in your home, we can often provide observations about each dog’s behavior around these elements to make a better match for you.
Can I come visit and meet the dogs at your facility?
Born Again Pit Bull Rescue does not have a physical building or facility. We have dogs in our program that are being kept by our volunteers in their own personal homes. To come and visit a particular dog, you must have filled out the online application and been approved. This is for the safety of our dogs and volunteers.
What organizations does BAPBR typically work with to take dogs from?
Portland Metro Area:
- Multnomah County Animal Services (Portland, OR)
- Oregon Humane Society (Portland, OR)
- Clackamas County Dog Services (Clackamas, OR)
- Bonnie L. Hayes Animal Shelter (Hillsboro, OR)
- Willamette Humane Society (Salem, OR)
- Jefferson County Dog Control (Madras, OR)
- Southwest Washington Humane Society (Vancouver, WA)
- Hopes Haven (Salem, OR)
- OFOSA (Aloha, OR)
- Del Norte County Pound (Crescent City, CA)
Los Angeles Area:
- We receive grant monies from foundations in Los Angeles for taking a California dog once in a while – which helps sustain our organization
What is a courtesy posting and why do we do them?
A courtesy posting is something BAPBR does on your behalf to help you re-home your dog. BAPBR is not responsible for your dog – we just act as a third party entity to help get your dog the online exposure needed in order to get adopted.
Why does BAPBR occasionally bring up dogs from California?
In 2011, we transferred 42 dogs from our local shelters and 8 dogs from California into the BAPBR program. We definitely focus on our local area, but when it comes down to it, southern California animal facilities are each, on average, euthanizing 700-1,000 dogs per week, which is not the situation here.
We definitely focus on our local area, but when it comes down to it, southern California animal facilities are each, on average, euthanizing 700-1,000 animals per week, which is not the situation here. Click here to see the eye-opening adoption and euthanasia statistics of one of the many Los Angeles area animal organizations.
The small number of dogs we take from LA-area animal organizations come with donations raised by local volunteers and activists in that area, who work with a particular dog—they work to raise donations and pledges that then go to whichever animal organization in the northwest steps forward to rescue that dog (this generally goes to spay or neuter costs, microchip, food—whatever the dog doesn't come with). We also work with a non-profit animal transport group that brings the dog's up to us directly at no cost to us. Ultimately, BAPBR doesn't spend any money at all on these dogs—they come with funding for their care.
Ultimately, our focus is to try to save as many of our local dogs as we can, but when it comes down to brass tacks—we view a life as a life no matter where it's at, and if one is presented to us that fits our current foster families' requirements, we have a home open at that time and someone is literally going to be euthanized in a matter of a couple of days, then we will jump in to try to help save that life.
Why does BAPBR also adopt out Not-a-Bulls?
While visiting a high-kill shelter in Los Angeles we couldn’t believe that “Not-a-Bulls” (or “Littles” as we refer to them—small dogs, generally 3-4 per kennel) were being euthanized by the thousands each week because of lack of kennel space and not enough interested adopters in that area. We had to help—and now that we’ve seen the problem with our own eyes, we will continue to do so whenever we have room and there is a dire need.
I submitted an application, but then learned the dog was already in the process of being adopted. Why did the dog look available?
Great question! BAPBR’s policy is to leave the pet as “available” until the adoption contract is officially signed and the animal is placed into their new home. By moving an animals to a status of “pending” or “adopted” means that if the pending applicant doesn't work out due to a unsuccessful home visit or pet meet we then lose any great backup applications that might have come in--call it a backup plan. Also, by seeing your application we might also be able to suggest another dog in our program that may have been overlooked, but might be the perfect fit for your home. We also work with many other rescues and shelters and could potentially match you up someone they have that might also fit your desires for a companion.
How are our adoption fees determined?
Most dog adoption fees, whether from a breed rescue, or an animal shelter, range from $150.00 to $300.00. Why so much money? Who would pay that kind of money for a dog nobody seems to want anyway? A lot of caring people!
What does the Adoption Fee Covers
When you adopt a BAPBR dog, our relationship with you does not end there. We know that you’ll have questions once your dog is home with you and we are here to provide advice regarding basic training and resources for you and your dog.
We take great care of the health and condition of dogs in the BAPBR Pit Stop Program. Before any dogs go to their adoptive family, we ensure that any needed procedures have been conducted at our veterinarian hospital.
Along with your wonderful new family member you will also receive:
- 2 private in-home training lessons. More infomation, located below, under the adoption fee
- Altering of the animal
- Initial vaccines
- Copy of medical vet records/history
- De-worming treatment
- Flea treatment
- Collar
- ID Tags (adult dogs only)
- Front clip walking harness
(adult dogs only) - Leash (adult dogs only)
- AVID microchip and registration
(a $20 value) - Small bag of kibble
- Plenty of post-adoption support!
Why do we only adopt to home owners?
It is hard to find rentals that either don’t accept pit bull type dogs or don’t have a weight limit on the animal. While someone may be living in a rental location that does currently allow pit bull type dogs, when they go to move, too many times, we have been contacted to take the dog back at that time, as they cannot find a new rental that allows these dogs. Since we do not have a physical building and exist through our foster home network, we are not able to take a dog back on short notice. In our experience, before we put this policy into place, we found ourselves in this situation many times. We now error on the safe side to avoid this from happening in the future.
Why so many questions? It’s not like I’m adopting a child…it’s just a dog.
You are right, it is a dog and not a child. However it is a 10-15, sometimes 17 year commitment depending on the age of the dog at the time of adoption. This is a serious responsibility. You are responsible for the welfare of a living creature. This animal will need to be fed, walked, adequately housed and exercised, provided training and other mental stimulation for the next 10+ years. Thousands upon thousands of unwanted pets die in the shelters every year just because someone decided they no longer wanted their dog… because it sheds, it made a mess on the furniture, it got pregnant, the owners had a baby, they are moving, or they just simply don’t want a pet. We want to make sure that our dogs NEVER end up in that situation, that a new home has thought it through and they are ready for that life change. We are not renting pets for a few months or a few years… we are hoping that these homes are permanent. Not to be harsh but we don’t want to see these dogs again (and we mean that in a good way!). We would love happy updates and photos, but we don’t want these dogs to cross our paths again as needy and homeless. That’s why we ask the questions. We aren’t assuming the worst and we aren’t trying to prove you are a bad owner—we just have to ask the questions to make sure you have thought through the whole process.
Why do we only do Oregon and Washington adoptions?
We require home checks first and foremost for a potential adopter, once we have determined that the application looks like a good match on paper. We also require a pet meet if the applicant has other dogs/cats in their home. These are two big deterrents for us to be able to travel great distances to make sure this would be a proper match. Beyond that, if a dog does not end up meeting the expectations of the adopter, it is extremely difficult to again make a long road trip to retrieve the returned dog. For these reasons, we only do in-state/local adoptions.
Why are we so insistent on spaying and neutering dogs?
We exist as an organization due to pet over-population and such unbalanced numbers of homeless dogs compared to the number of people willing to open their homes to become dog owners/guardians. In the case of pit bull type dogs, the figures are even more disproportionate because of these dogs being the number one most popular breed in the country, while at the same time being the most misaligned breed by the media and the general public.
You say you are a “rescue”—why won't you help me?
BAPBR is also a resource. Our team works full-time and volunteers in our spare time. We are private citizens trying to do the right thing and much of the dogs’ care comes out of our own pockets. We are not paid for what we do. We do it because we care, and we want to make a difference. We do what we can, when we can. We are not able to rescue every dog. We don’t have an obligation to take your dog or the dog you found, but at times, we can help provide other resources or organizations to contact. Regardless, we will always do what we can to help you spay or neuter your dog.
I'd like to help. What can I do?
We always need help staffing events, if you can spare a few hours on a weekend to man a booth at an event just let us know. Our special events cater to providing education, talking about our organization—sometimes they are adoption events where we bring in adoptable puppies and adult dogs—fun! There are so many things you can do to help, even if you don’t have a lot of spare time. We are always looking for people to do home visits of potential adopters or to help with short (1 hour) transport legs to get dogs to their new homes, etc. Are you Ready? Fill out a Volunteer Application.
I don't have the time to volunteer, but I would still like to help. What can I do?
Please DONATE! We are a non-profit organization and rely completely on donations. Even $5 or $10 at a time is very helpful, as it adds up quickly! Please find the "Donate" button on our website or mail a check to our PO box. All of our staff are volunteers, no-one gets paid. Donations go directly to pay for medical expenses, food, transportation, training, enrichment, and marketing the dogs for adoption. If you can’t donate - just get the word out about rescue and adoption. Talk to people about spaying and neutering companion animals so there are fewer homeless dogs in the community. Thank you!
