Spay or neuter your pit bull for $25!

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=84913&catid=8

Tampa, Florida — At the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, you can spay or neuter your pit bull or pit bull mix for just $25. It's part of a new program called Fix Your Bully. Normally, sterilizations are $75.

The goal is to cut down on the thousands of pit bulls and mixes that are euthanized in Hillsborough County each year.

They're really great dogs that a lot of people can own, [but] they just don't understand the breed, and a lot of people can have fear about them," said Ornella Varchi, who rescued her pit mix Bert. She found him roaming at a Tampa gas station about six months ago.

According to Hillsborough County Animal Services, 25,207 animals were euthanized between June of 2007 and May of 2008. At any given time, spokesperson Marti Ryan says about 30 percent of the dogs in their shelter are pit bulls or mixes. The agency also has specially-trained staff who perform specific temperament tests on pits as part of their Pit Bull Ambassador Program.

In addition to dealing with overpopulation, sterilization can also help with the dog's behavior. Ryan says unsterilized dogs are three to four times more likely to bite humans than sterilized dogs.

With any pit bull adoption, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay offers free training for the rest of the dog's life.

To make an appointment for Fix Your Bully or make a donation, you can call the Humane Society of Tampa Bay at (813) 870-3304 or go to their website. The agency is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The program requires $10,000 a year to operate.

Janie Porter, Tampa Bay's 10 News