‘Dangerous’ and ‘vicious’ dog breeds like Pit bulls, bulldogs, and Rottweilers have proven time and time again that they can be just as friendly and as loving as any Golden Retriever, yet people still unfairly judge them and assume that they must be mean if they have big teeth and a muscly body.
Not only are these assumptions unfair, but they also are affecting which kinds of dogs get adopted more, and which breeds get left behind more often. According to a study conducted by Arizona State University, researchers found that dogs that were labeled as certain breeds would spend longer periods of time in the shelter compared to other breeds. For example,
For example, dogs labeled as Pit Bulls spent on average three times more time sitting in the shelter than ‘friendlier’ dogs like Labrador Retrievers.
To put an end to this unfair judgment, the Arizona Animal Welfare League (AAWL) decided to completely change the way they present each dog. “Breeds are an aspect of a dog but they don’t make up everything about that dog,” Michael Moorfield of the AAWL said.
“Their personality, their temperament, the life they have led so far before you meet them in the shelter. Those life experiences really make up who that dog is, more than who their parents were five years ago or what their color markings make you think they are as a breed,” he explained.
Rather than just list the dog’s name and breed, the AAWL decided to focus on what kind of environment they would thrive in, and anything that might be construed as negative is rephrased in a positive way. Myrtle, for example, has no mention of breed type, and instead of saying ‘no small children’ the shelter explained that she’d be best suited for kids middle-school-aged and older.
Do you judge dogs based on their breed? Let us know what you think of this shelter’s new project in the comments below, and please SHARE this incredible story with friends on Facebook.
[Featured image credit: vk.com]
Incredible Shelter Removes Breed Labels Because People Unfairly Judge Certain Breed is an article from: LifeDaily