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WGNO

Pit Bull Problems Plague New Orleans: Reality TV Show Attempts To Help

Vanessa Bolano
WGNO News
July 16, 2012
Ninth Ward

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Just because they have a reality show doesn't mean everything is peachy at the Villalobos Rescue Center. Cameras followed them to New Orleans to continue filming Pit Bulls and Parolees, but the team is dealing with some real life drama. Vanessa Bolano has more from the 9th Ward.
"My name is Duckie and I'm going to need a home soon," says Tia Torres while caressing a puppy.
There's Duckie, Bucky, Lani, Pee Wee, and the list goes on and on. The dogs are all residents of Villalobos Rescue Center.
"We were warned that the stray dog population, the unwanted pit bull population was overwhelming, and I would be the first to admit that I was like, oh yeah, whatever. I'm from Los Angeles. Yep, it bit me right in the you know what because I did not see this coming."

The rescue center has been around 20 years, but this is their first year in New Orleans. They're known best for their reality show Pit Bulls & Parolees, but they are a rescue center year round, and as they gear up for a fourth season on Animal Planet, this time from the Crescent City, they're faced with a serious problem.
"It's an overwhelming problem, not just the amount of pit bulls that are here, and the lack of resources, but also a lot of it is cultural," explains Torres, "We don't put them in fenced in yards. We either chain the up or they run loose and that seems to be the norm here."
The shelter rescues close to thirty dogs a month and only a handful of them are adopted each month. Most of the dogs spend months, some even years at Villalobos before they find a permanent home. As of July 2012 about 100 dogs live at the rescue center. 95% of them are pit bulls.
Villalobos has historically been a pit bull specific rescue center, but because of the circumstances in New Orleans they've opened their doors to other breeds, and because of that it's put a strain on their operations.
"Honestly, I don't want to scare anybody, especially myself, but in a year's time if it keeps going like this and the donations don't come in like I hope and the dogs keep coming in like they are, there's a good chance we won't even make it another year here. It's that bad."
Torres has begun placing dogs with employees to make more room at the shelter. If you'd like to help with donations or by adopting an animal click here.

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