Troy Davis interacts with dog owner in Lubbock. Photo by Zach Daniels.
By Zach Daniels
Lubbock and the surrounding areas of the Llano Estacado have many interesting species of wildlife.
Prairie dogs, bats, foxes, bison and many other species of animals have found sanctuary in the Llano Estacado. One species that is often forgotten about has a notorious reputation for being violent, unpredictable, and having a powerful bite. It can be found roaming the streets of Lubbock or in the living room of someone’s house, where they may speak about the gentleness, affection, and loyalty of this animal.
The American Pit Bull Terrier is the dog breed that usually pops into people’s heads when they hear the word pit bull, but a pit bull is not one breed of dog.
A pit bull is a term used to classify dogs who descended from bulldogs and terriers, usually characterized by having a large, squared head. American Pit Bull Terrier, American Bully, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and many other breeds can all be technically classified as pit bulls.
Since these dogs have crossbred with many other species, a dog can be termed a pit bull if it has a large square-shaped head, short hair, and a wide muzzle. What factors have contributed to the overpopulation of pit bulls in Lubbock, and what can be done to address this issue besides simply spaying and neutering?
A ride along with an animal control officer would allow me to look at Lubbock with a new perspective as I got to shadow this highly misunderstood career. I met up with Officer Troy Davis of the Lubbock Animal Shelter, who has nearly completed his first year as an animal control officer.
His firsthand experience dealing with pit bulls and other dogs will give me better insight into the truth behind these animals. After our day was completed, three of the houses we responded to resulted in the seizure of a pit bull.
The first call was from a concerned neighbor who had seen a sickly dog in their neighbor’s yard. Davis is a towering figure, and he uses his height to his advantage by being able to walk alongside a tall fence and look over without any effort.
He can see the puppy in the yard struggling to move and believes it is suffering from parvovirus. Parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that can be fatal if left untreated.
Davis told me puppies are most at risk, especially if they are left unvaccinated. Parvovirus can survive in almost any environment, but Davis says having a dirty yard and house is a common theme in the places he picks up sick dogs from.
We approach the house and are greeted by a man and a woman who I assumed to be siblings. The man in the elaborate outfit held a Mangonada Chamoy cocktail and tried to explain the situation as he slurred through words.
Davis tells the dog owners he will be coming back tomorrow to check for proof they took it to the veterinarian. A woman claims she was bitten on her right arm earlier in the day and that the dog is just too much for her to handle.
She says the dog is not vicious but goes on to explain why she is turning the dog over.
“She will jump me and attack me,” the woman said. “I can actually sit on the floor, and she’ll come up to me and want to be petted, but as soon as I start moving around, she jumps on me and attacks me. I don’t think she’s salvageable.”
Davis hands the lady a clipboard with a form that allows her to surrender the dog’s life to the authorities. Once a dog has been reported for biting someone and the owner turns them in, the dog is then immediately taken to the shelter to be euthanized.
Davis tells me he does not believe the woman was bitten.
“It wasn’t a bite on her arm,” he said.
“Right here, it was already all dried up,” he said, pointing at his own arm, “but how it looked, it was not a bite.”
Unfortunately, even if it was just a scratch, the dog would technically be considered dangerous in the eyes of the law. Since this woman was turning over her dog for an alleged bite, it was automatically doomed to euthanasia and having its head severed in order to be sent in for rabies testing.
After getting inside the house, one was struck with the smell of stale cigarette smoke and dog feces. Two dogs live in cages directly across from one another at the entrance of the home.
All chaos broke out once the dog was let out of its cage. A rope is put around the neck of the terrified animal as it yelped in confusion while strangers took her from her house.
The other caged dog takes a final glimpse of its friend who slept in the neighboring cage. Afterward, I could really see how this affected Davis as he sat rubbing his face in the truck.
We both could tell this dog did not have behavioral issues that should sentence her to death. Behavioral euthanasia is a practice in many shelters for dogs who have severe behavioral issues resulting from extreme anxiety or violence.
In this case, it seemed related to nuisance behavior rather than violent behavior. As casual as this may be in his line of work, it is still difficult for him to accept how people take advantage of their services to dispose of an unwanted dog.
A couple of hours later, we were called back to the house with a sick dog after Davis was told by a supervisor that there were multiple sick dogs on the property suffering from parvovirus. The homeowners are visibly drunk and live in complete squalor.
I noticed this to be a running theme with the houses Davis was called out to investigate — drunken people living in filthy, broken homes littered with garbage. This property was a thriving environment for the highly contagious parvovirus.
Another animal control officer arrives to aid in the seizure of the dogs and upon entry into the house, he finds two dead dogs in the bathtub. After a dog is infected with parvovirus, the virus attacks the dog’s intestines, resulting in life-threatening diarrhea.
The two dogs had been placed in the bathtub by the owner to deal with the severe bloody diarrhea. We unfortunately arrived too late, but their suffering is now over.
The two puppies took their final breaths together in the tub. The man hands over paperwork to Davis after signing off on the release of the sick dogs.
The officers seized four dogs from this house, two of which were dead. Because animal control is only able to take the dogs that were sick if the owners were willing to sign them over, at least five more dogs are still living at this house.
Davis tells me he expects to be back over to that house very soon. The fact we are leaving this revolting house with the dogs they were willing to sign over seems like we’ve saved them, but I remember they still have a long journey to go in a very loud, intimidating, and chaotic place.
This ride along with Davis showed me firsthand the factors that have led to the considerable number of pit bulls on the streets of Lubbock. Many pit bull owners do not understand the responsibility that comes with owning one of these dogs.
Photo by Zach Daniels.
This goes for all dogs, but with pit bulls being such an overpopulated breed and highly popular among lower socioeconomic households, it becomes harder to make sure every dog is getting the care they need. From what I’ve seen, neglectful owners are the number one contributing factor to the overpopulation and negative stigma facing pit bulls.
The Lubbock Animal Shelter is extremely overcrowded, and this dog arrived at the shelter earlier that morning. Officer Kristy Phillips, a shelter officer at the Lubbock Animal Shelter, told me about a sweet girl pit bull who was picked up off the street early that morning.
When we went to go find her, we saw she had managed to get out of her kennel and was extremely frightened and confused running through the other aisles of kennels. The sound of barking roared through the shelter like prisoners watching another inmate escape.
Photo by Zach Daniels.
Phillips managed to lasso a leash around the scared dog and took her outside for some peace and quiet from the chaos inside. She is shaking uncontrollably and hiding in the corner of the play yard. She seemed agitated when you tried to pet her, so Christi eased in slowly to pet her with the leash.
The dog was unsure how to feel at first, but slowly began to understand she was safe. She looks back as Phillips pets her and soothes her with a calming voice. Reassuring her that she was safe, and no one was going to hurt her.
After a couple of minutes, the look on the dog’s face went from complete terror to relief. She began panting as she finally got the chance to calm down and take in the fresh air. I was seeing a new chapter of this dog’s life unfold in front of me.
Photo by Zach Daniels.
After living on the street and being captured and taken to a room full of cages and 700 other dogs, to see this dog realize it isn’t the end of the line for her reminded me this is a new beginning. I see this dog as more than just a pit bull, but rather an individual with its own unique personality.
All dogs in this shelter have their own unique personality. While there are some who won’t make it out, most of these dogs still have a chance.
They need people who will look over the label given to pit bulls and take the chance to observe their own unique personality traits. With so many bad dog owners here in Lubbock, we will never be able to address the problem until people have a new perspective on the responsibility they have for these animals.
About Reece Nations
