Pit bulls saved in Saskatchewan, finding forever home
"He was going to be put down just because he had a round head," says Sask. dog rescuer
Tyson has made a new home in Regina after escaping a deadly fate in Ontario.
He's a Labrador-Rottweiler cross who was living in a pound and was going to be put down.
Prairie Sky Dog Rescue has been working with One Last Chance Animal Rescue Team (OLCAR) north of Montreal to help find new homes across the country for dogs like Tyson.
"He was a stray dog who looked like a pit bull," said Sheena Riggle, intake coordinator for Prairie Sky Dog Rescue.
"So he was going to be put down just because he had a round head pretty much."
Pit bull bans
There has been a ban in place against pit bulls in Ontario since 2005. Recently, Quebec has also passed new breed bans.
OLCAR is just on the Quebec-Ontario border. They act as a bridge between pounds and rescue services in the area.
Carolynn Williams with OLCAR said that the ban is problematic because pit bulls are not an actual breed, but a combination of physical characteristics.
"Anything that has the characteristics of a pit bull can't enter Ontario, so rescues here in Quebec are already overflowing," said Williams.
A new home
Tyson has been happily living in a foster home in Regina with Jon Claggett. He was flown into Regina on OCLAR's dime. He already has a family interested in giving him a forever home.
"Tyson has been great, he's had no issues since coming into our care," said Riggle. "He's been great with dogs and kids, and everyone his foster family has introduced him to."
Molly will be the second pit bull finding a new home in Saskatchewan through Prairie Sky Dog Rescue.
"She did have a family who loved her, trained her and gave her a good home," said Riggle.
"Because of the recent breed bans, they were no longer able to get home insurance because they had a pit bull in the house."
Riggle herself is taking in Molly as a foster pup. Molly will be arriving in Regina by plane tonight.
Prairie Sky Dog Rescue is one of two dog rescues working to help bring pit bulls to the province.
Riggle hopes her dog rescue can help save more pups without homes, and sees that more rescues in Saskatchewan may be rallying together to help out as well.