Out of the Pits is a not for profit organization that was founded in 1994. We seek to educate the public about the true nature of the American Pit Bull Terrier and to make them aware that they used to be one of America’s favorite breed of dogs. Our efforts are aimed at restoring the breed to its former position of esteem in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Our main focus is education. We visit dozens of schools with our certified therapy Pit Bulls to teach humane education throughout the New York Capital District, as well as nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut. We are also a rescue organization. Since our inception, we have successfully rehomed over 3,000 dogs, and helped many more stay in their homes. Our educational program continues to expand as we are currently developing curriculum for working with children in areas where Pit Bulls are particularly at risk. In the near future we hope to have fully developed presentations available for delivery at all levels from elementary through college. If interested in bringing one of our programs into your school, please contact us at [email protected]. Children will determine the future of the Pit Bull and their acceptance of our in-school programs has been heartwarming. But our education efforts must continue to grow. For every acceptable home found for one of our dogs, we receive hundreds of calls asking that we rescue a Pit Bull. Only when the true nature of the breed is recognized, will a sufficient number of loving homes open up to the many thousands of displaced dogs filling streets and shelters. To address this need, we launched a Low Cost Pit Bull Spay-Neuter Program many years ago, called “Fix-A-Bull.” The Fix-A-Bull Program is an attempt to address the Pit Bull overpopulation problem and the fact that there are not enough responsible owners or good homes for Pit Bulls. Sadly, we receive approximately 1,000 requests per week to take unwanted Pit Bulls. Shelter statistics are equally staggering – it is estimated that more than 80% of Pit Bulls in shelters are euthanized, and typically only 1 in 600 Pit Bulls finds a loving home. Please visit our “Spay-Neuter” page for information on how to get your Pit Bull spayed or neutered for a discounted price, or visit our donations page if you would like to make a contribution to help support the Fix-A-Bull Program.
Fill out our adoption application online. Please do not leave anything out. We will not respond to incomplete applications. Once your application is received we will email you to arrange a time to speak with you on the phone. We can then talk more about your application, our process, the dogs we currently have available and what might fit best into your home. We call your references and call your vet to verify all current animals are altered and vaccinated. Please call your vet office and ask them to note your file that it is OK to speak with us about your pets. Once we have spoken with you and verified your references we will then schedule your home visit. We are not looking for beauty, just a safe environment for a dog. If approved to adopt you will be required to sign our legally binding adoption contract. We recommend reviewing the contract prior to adoption and if you are not agreeable to all parts of our adoption contract, please do not apply. Our adoption fee (due at time of adoption) is $300 for puppies under 6 months of age / For dogs over 6 months of age the fee varies. Please see the individual pet listing for the adoption fee of the dog you are interested in adopting. We also have special adoption prices for Seniors adopting Seniors (over 7) and discounts for veterans adopting adult dogs (over the age of 2). Adoption fees are not refundable. We require our puppies be spayed and neutered as per our contract at 6 months of age unless the puppy has a health issue verified by a veterinarian. The current trend to spay/neuter at a later age for possible orthopedic concerns is not considered a valid health issue.