DENVER (KDVR) — The Dumb Friends League Denver animal shelter says 38 percent of its current adoptable dogs are either pit bulls or pit bull mixes.
“A pit bull that comes to our shelter will wait longer to find a home than any other dog,” Maia Brusseau, a spokesperson for the nonprofit said. “Some of them have been waiting for homes for a few months.”
Brusseau says the shelter was disappointed by Denver Mayor Hancock’s decision to veto legislation that would lift a ban on owning pit bulls within city limits.
“When you have the whole city of Denver unable to adopt a pit bull that means there are fewer adopters to take a pit bull home, “Brusseau said.
Brusseau says the organization believes communities are safer without breed specific legislation.
“People have pit bulls. There are pit bulls in Denver,” Brusseau said. “Because people fear their dogs could be taken away from them if they seek out help, if it’s behavioral help or if it’s medical help, they don’t seek out those resources.”