Westside Strays

Our Adoptable Pet List

Click here to see our Happy Tails!

Westside Strays is currently not accepting or adopting out animals. Please contact the local humane society or another rescue if you need assistance with an animal.

Westside Strays is a network of volunteers and foster homes in Central Ohio who rescue and adopt out strays and other unwanted pets. All of our dogs and cats are vaccinated and spayed or neutered before adoption. We have no shelter facility; all of our animals are kept in private foster homes, and are evaluated for health and temperament prior to adoption.

We Need Foster Homes!

We have a waiting list of dogs in kill-shelters who need to get out before they die! We need foster homes to place them in! You could mean the difference between life and death for a homeless animal. Large and small dogs, puppies, adult cats and kittens are available.

When you foster for Westside Strays, we provide: veterinary care, toys, training, and a crate (for dogs). You provide: shelter, food, exercise, and love! If you are interested, please fill out and e-mail the application below. You can specify how many and what types of animals you would like to foster, from low-maintenance adult cats, to cuddly puppies who are balls of energy.

Foster Care Application.

Why Adopt a Pit Bull?

Mingle with the Mutts!

Westside Strays participates in Mingle with the Mutts at the Franklin County Dog Shelter the first and third Sundays of every month from noon to 2pm. Most of our adoptable dogs, puppies, and kittens, and a few of the cats will be there. If you'd like to meet some of the wonderful boys and girls available for adoption through Westside Strays, come see us at Mingle with the Mutts! If you'd like more info, or want to volunteer to help out at the next Mingle, e-mail us or click on Mingle with the Mutts.

Dog Adoption Application.

Cat Adoption Application.

Foster Care Application.

Want to meet one of our adoptable animals? Please e-mail us your application first. Then a volunteer will contact you to arrange a meeting with the animal and the foster home.

Let Westside Strays help you find the perfect dog!

Are you thinking about adopting a dog, but aren't sure what breed would best fit your lifestyle? Do you have the right dog in mind, but can't find what you're looking for? Let us help you! Just click on the link below and fill out the form. E-mail it to westsidestrays@hotmail.com, and we will help you find the perfect dog!

Find the Perfect Dog.

Westside Strays Wish List

Westside Strays operates entirely on private donations from caring people like you. Our foster parents pay for many of our pets' needs out of their own pockets. We are a no-kill rescue, and the more donations we receive, the more animals we can save! We accept monetary donations as well as supplies. You can donate now via Paypal:

If you prefer to mail a check or money order, please e-mail us for our mailing address.

Here is our wish list:

foster homes
dog and cat food, dry or canned
cat litter
old towels and blankets
paper towels
crates and carriers, any size
dog and cat toys, rawhide, bones, and treats
ink cartridges (HP 27 and 28)

Benefits of Adopting

Adoption saves a life! According to the Humane Society of the United States, over 3 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters every year. Many of them are young and healthy - merely victims of the extreme overpopulation problem in the U.S. today. The fact is, there are simply too many pets, and not enough homes for all of them. Adopting from a rescue or shelter, rather than buying from a breeder or pet store, saves a life and helps to stop euthanasia. Virtually any age, breed, size, and color of animal can be found in shelters - just look at the variety on Petfinder!

Adopting a Friend

Potential adopters must fill out an adoption application, sign an adoption contract, and may be visited in their home by a Westside Strays representative. Adoption fees vary based on an animal's individual needs and adoptability. See each animal's info page for their adoption fees. Click on the links below to view our adoption applications. If you wish to meet a particular dog, please e-mail us an application first.

Dog Adoption Application.

Cat Adoption Application.

If you are looking for a particular type of animal and don't see one listed, contact us to be put on a waiting list. We will contact you when we receive an animal who meets your needs.

Surrendering an Animal

Our foster space is limited and we are a no-kill organization, so unfortunately Westside Strays is not able to accept every animal needing a home. If you need to surrender an animal, whether it is yours or a stray you have found, we may request that you assist in paying for deworming, vaccines, spaying or neutering, and/or any necessary medical treatment. Since Westside Strays is funded exclusively through private donations, our foster homes pay for much of our animals' care out of their own pockets. Any assistance you can provide will be extremely helpful, and will increase the number of animals we can save from the streets. If our foster space is full, we may be able to place the animal for adoption on our website, if you can act as a temporary foster home. For more information, e-mail us.

Dog Adoption Application.

Cat Adoption Application.

Foster Care Application.

Adoption Contract.

Pit Bull Adoption/Foster Contract.

Westside Strays
Email: westsidestrays@hotmail.com

The Truth About Pit Bulls

Pit bulls are not a breed of dog.

The term "pit bull" refers to a group of breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the Bull Terrier. These breeds originated in England and were originally known as "bull and terriers." Gentleman fanciers of the now illegal sport of dogfighting sought to create dogs that had the strength and power of a bulldog with the gameness of a terrier who would excel in the fighting pit, hence the term "pit bull." Other unrelated breeds often mistakenly referred to as pit bulls include the American Bulldog, the English Bulldog, the Boxer, the Cane Corso, the Dogo Argentino, and the Mastiff. Click on this link to see if you can correctly identify an American Pit Bull Terrier.

Pit bulls are among the least likely breeds to bite humans.

The breeds classified as pit bulls, including the APBT, the Staffies, and the Bull Terrier, were bred for dogfighting, a sport undoubtedly cruel, yet once considered a true gentleman's pastime. The "bull and terriers" created specifically for the fighting pit were bred for fighting ability and gameness, but were also bred to be completely docile toward humans. Any dog, regardless of breed, is most likely to bite when it is injured, or in an extremely aroused state, as in a dogfight. If a pit bull owner, during a fight, was bitten by his own dog or his opponent's when reaching in to stop the fight, that dog would not live to reproduce. The gamebred pit bulls alive today - those descended from fighting dogs - have been specifically bred for the last 200 years not to bite humans. Pit bulls then and now make excellent family companions because of this, and in England are still known as "the child's nursemaid."

The pit bull reputation today is based on inaccurate and sensationalized media coverage, not facts.

An article in the January 2007 issue of Veterinary Forum magazine reports the following: On June 9, 2006, 4 severe dog attacks were reported across the country. A 3-year-old boy in Virginia was attacked by a Golden retriever mix. His injuries required multiple surgeries and 300 stitches. A 3-year-old girl in Denver was attacked by her Labrador and suffered severe lacerations to her face and head. A woman in Indiana was attacked by a German shepherd while walking her Sheltie mix. The woman was bitten twice in the face and the Sheltie was so severely injured that it was euthanized. An 11-year-old girl in California was severely bitten in the leg by 2 pit bulls.

The Golden retriever attack was reported in 2 local Virginia newspapers. The Lab attack was reported by 4 Colorado media sources. The German shepherd attack was reported in one Indiana newspaper.

The pit bull attack was picked up and reported nationwide by 91 different media sources, including Fox News, Forbes, the Washington Post, the L.A. Times, and the Chicago Tribune.

As Ledy VanKavage writes in the article, "If you've read the papers lately, you would think that every dog that bit must be a 'pit' ... On June 9, 2006, four dog attacks made the news - but only the incident involving the pit bulls garnered extensive national attention."

It is this type of slanted media coverage that is responsible for the public's perception that pit bulls are more dangerous than other breeds.

In Franklin County in 2003, dogs identified as pit bulls were responsible for only 3% of reported bites. Labrador Retrievers were responsible for 9%, German Shepherds for 10%, and cats for 22%.

In temperament tests, pit bulls test higher than other breeds.

In tests conducted by the American Temperament Test Society, approximately 80% of dogs from all breeds pass. Between 1977 and 2001, 83% of pit bulls passed, ranking them slightly higher than the national average for all breeds. Golden Retrievers also scored an 83% passing average.

What kind of person would own a pit bull?

President Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, James Thurber, Helen Keller, Rachel Ray, Fred Astaire, Jessica Biel, Alicia Silverstone, Michael J. Fox, President Woodrow Wilson, General George Patton, Jon Stewart, Jessica Alba, Jack Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Anthony Robbins, Sir Walter Scott, Humphrey Bogart, Bernadette Peters, Mel Brooks, Rosie Perez, Linda Blair... you get the idea. And remember Petey from Our Gang? You guessed it - also a pit bull.

Legislation banning pit bulls will not prevent attacks on people.

Cities and counties all over the country have learned the hard way that passing breed-specific legislation regulating pit bulls and other "vicious" dogs has no impact on the number of dog attacks that occur each year. Cincinnati, Ohio, for example, passed legislation banning pit bulls from within the city limits, then repealed the laws 2 years later because they had no effect on the number or severity of dog bites reported. Furthermore, many cities that have banned pit bulls have seen an increase in breeding and dog fighting among other breeds in which human aggression can be a real problem, such as the Fila Brasiliero and the Tosa.

If you have questions or comments about pit bulls or breed-specific legislation, please e-mail Lindsey at westsidestrays@hotmail.com.

Sources:

Franklin County Board of Health 2003 Bite Report Statistics.

Hearne, Vicki. Adam's Task: Calling Animals By Name. Random House, Inc.: New York, 1986.

Herkstroeter, Cark K., President of the American Temperament Test Society, Inc. Letter to Poul Poulsen, September 19, 2001.

Stahlkuppe, Joe. The American Pit Bull Terrier Handbook. Barron's Educational Series, Inc.: Hauppage, New York, 2000.

VanKavage, Ledy and Alan M. Beck. "Profiling: Two Sides of the Issue." Veterinary Forum magazine, January 2007.

Helping Pit Bulls in Ohio

Though state-funded shelters in Ohio are no longer legally required to euthanize all "pit bull-type dogs" and pit mixes that come into their possession, many still do. Even many private rescues are reluctant to take them because of the reputation and the difficulty in finding appropriate homes.

What can you do?

Do you have room in your home and heart for another canine companion? If so, consider adopting a pit bull. Be sure to research the breed extensively before doing so to make sure it's the right dog for you. Also consider the laws in your area, and contact your insurance company to find out their policies on specific breeds. Support companies that don't discriminate against certain breeds.

Spay or Neuter! Help put a stop to the extreme overpopulation problem that results in the euthanasia of millions of dogs of every breed each year.

Don't support breed-specific legislation. Vote against anti-pit bull measures in your area.

Don't believe the hype. Get the real facts on pit bulls and dog attacks.

Internet Resources for Helping Pit Bulls: