Why buy, when you can adopt and save a life?

Canada's shelters are overflowing with homeless dogs and cats, with Pit Bulls accounting for a hefty percentage of them. Sadly, the majority of these Pit Bulls never leave the shelter.

Why rescue?

There's no greater reward than the bond you'll share with your rescued Pit Bull, and you will literally be saving a life!!!

Words from HugABull adopters:

"Audrey is doing just great, she's just over 70 pounds, went to private school so she has wonderful manners... She still gardens way too much, plays a wicked game of fetch but most of all we are thankful for having her... her ears are still wacky but that's part of her charm... we love her to bits and she loves us... people always stop to say she does the breed justice, I'm very proud of her."

"He makes me smile every day with his little bum wiggles and his feet stamping dance by the front door. I sometimes think of his previous owners and wonder if they miss him. He's such a good dog, I wouldn't ever let him go"

"I wanted to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for bringing Tink and me together. He is everything I have hoped and dreamed of and it feels like he has always been home with us"

"Rocky never fails to keep us in stitches with his whacky bully personality and is diligent about keeping our complexions looking their best by administering a healthy number of kisses to our visages every day. I can honestly say that Rocky has truly enriched our lives and spending time with him is the ultimate reward after a hard day's work"

But I want a blue/red-nosed/low-rider/etc. Pit Bull.

Rescue Pit Bulls come in all shapes, colours, and sizes; there's something for everyone. The entire perception of "blue nosed" or "red nosed" being somehow rare or more valuable is false. These are simply colours, and not separate "types" of Pit Bulls. "Blue lust", the fad breeding of blue Pit Bulls to make a quick buck and fill an image-driven demand in an already saturated market, is leading to tons of these not-so-rare dogs landing in shelters and rescues. Have a look at the photos on this page; you'll see red-nosed, big blues, little blues, low-riders. These are not dogs from a breeder's page - these are rescue dogs. Paying $150-$200 for a spayed/neutered, tattooed/micro-chipped, and vaccinated rescue dog sure beats paying upwards of $1000 for the same dog, with none of those perks, from a breeder!

I don't want to adopt an adult rescue, because I don't know its history.

Many wonderful dogs with outstanding temperaments can be found in shelters, and sadly, they are all too often overlooked based on the misconception that an unknown past makes them "unsafe". Shelters and rescues put dogs through a variety of "tests" to determine their temperament, and how they will react in a variety of situations. Furthermore, most groups that do rescue, including HugABull, home-foster dogs prior to placing them for adoption, in order to observe them in a home environment, and brush up on their "housemanners". Many a rescued Pit Bull has gone on to do great things, including Neville, a Pit Bull who was rescued from an Ontario shelter, where Pit Bulls are now banned, and is now working as a bomb-detection dog for the Washington State Police!

I want a puppy, so I can train it to be exactly the dog I want.

While there are advantages to having a puppy, such as watching him grow, and knowing his background, there are benefits to adopting an adult as well. When you adopt an adult, you know exactly what size he/she will be (impossible to accurately predict a pup's adult size), what he/she will look like full-grown, and most importantly, his/her general personality! Many adults come with other perks as well, such as being already housebroken, having some basic obedience, and being past the dreaded "chewing stage".

With puppies, there are no guarantees as to what they'll be like as mature adults (mellow vs. really energetic? Dog tolerant vs. dog aggressive?). If those things are big factors in your decision around adding a Pit Bull to your home, we recommend that you keep an open mind and consider an adult, as he or she could be a much better match for you and your home, as opposed to a puppy who, in a year, may not be what you want at all.

But I want to compete with my dog in weightpull/agility/obedience/etc.

And you can! Having an un-papered Pit Bull does not necessarily restrict you from these activities. Most Kennel Clubs, including the American Kennel Club, United Kennel Club, Canadian Kennel Club, and even, more recently, the American Dog Breeder's Association, have some variation of a limited registration process, which allows dogs which are not papered, but appear purebred, to be registered to compete, with the exception of conformation. There are many rescued Pit Bulls who've earned titles in all of these sports, as well as many more who are active as therapy dogs, service dogs, search and rescue dogs, and drug and bomb detection dogs. Many bullies adopted through HugABull participate with their owners in obedience, agility, Fun Shows, etc., and some, such as Arlo and Chunky, have gone on to compete (and win!) in sports through the Canadian Kennel Club!