Hal Herzog, a professor of psychology at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. who has studied societal attitudes and behavior toward animals for more than 20 years, published an article in yesterday’s Washington Post urging President Obama to adopt a dog from a shelter in the South.

His piece was not exactly hard hitting news, but it has cause quite an uproar online.

You can see his original article here.

You should read the comments here.

And check out this blog post about it.

Some people might be surprised to hear this, but most of what he is saying is true. What he fails to communicate are the reasons behind the facts.

Yes, many many dogs in Northern (no-kill) shelters are un-adoptable. Yes, many of them are Pit Bulls or Pit mixes. Those two facts do not go hand in hand. Some of the Pits would be perfect family pets, while another breed with a better reputation might be a nightmare.

Spay/neuter programs have been very successful here. Therefore, many of the unwanted litters are from people that could not afford to spay/neuter or, worse, bred for fighting. That explains the overwhelming number of dogs that have been traumatized before even getting to the shelter.

Still, it is possible to adopt a perfectly wonderful dog in the North (Pit Bull or otherwise). I’ve adopted 2 Labrador Retrievers. One had been imported from a German puppy mill to sell in a pet store and one had been abandoned by a s#*$$y breeder. See, there are jerks up here too.

The next time you go to a Northern shelter, though, ask them where they get their dogs. Many of the big ones (North Shore Animal League included) get the majority of their dogs by scouring shelters in the South for adoptable pups.

I hope that when people read Herzog’s article they take the facts and leave the delivery. But, whatever you take away, please continue to adopt and continue to spay and neuter your pets!