News from the Shelter: Have Pittie Update!

Update! Mama’s DNA test results are back and it was as we hoped! Her ancestors were mostly Boxers and East European Village Dogs (an identifiable haplotype, though not a standardized breed), with dashes of Dutch shepherd, German shepherd and greyhound. Once her official record is corrected, she will be eligible for a passport to Germany when a space is found. In the meantime, you can help by sponsoring Mama, Vincent or Hermes (see “How You Can Help/Sponsor a Dog.”)

We have hope that every SFD dog to find a home. Old, shy, and special needs dogs have found place with help from our friends. But one small family faces a special challenge. Mama was found wandering near the shelter about nine years ago, followed by four pups. Where they came from, their story, nobody knows. But someone thought Mama LOOKED like a pitbull, and so she was labelled. Her pups were labelled pitbull mixes.

Well, as anyone familiar with the plight of pitties knows, it is not a standard breed where all dogs look similar. You can’t really tell if it is a pittie “just by looking.” And pitties can make loyal and loving pets. Sadly, they face discrimination in many places, including Germany (our top destination for relocation), which bans their import

We will have to be creative to find homes for these dogs. As a first step, we would like to try a genetic breed test. First Mama, of course. The tests are simple swab tests, but analysis and shipping are expensive - an estimated $200 per dog. WE ARE APPEALING TO OUR CARING COMMUNITY to help. If you can chip in to cover the initial test, you may help start five dogs on the road to a better life. But if they ARE pitbulls, we will not give up. Some other countries can be more lenient. It is just that our best networks lie in Germany.

For a look at three of the family, check out our “sponsor a dog” profiles, where Mama, Vincent and Hermes are listed while we try to get better pictures of Sky and Enola. Just contact us if you have questions or suggestions, and if you can help out, many thanks from us and our little family!