Dogs

Love-a-bull, Inc.

Austin, TX

About

LOVE-A-BULL, Inc. is an outgrowth of the former Austin American Pit Bull Terrier Meetup Group, which was formed in 2003. This social meetup group for owners and dogs to connect and form a community evolved into a group of people who wanted to see change. Since that time, organizers recognized that the political climate warranted the need for change. As a result, LOVE-A-BULL org achieved 501(c)(3) status in 2008 so that the group could more fully attain its mission and goals. LOVE-A-BULL was organized to educate and advocate on behalf of the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (all breeds commonly referred to as “pit bulls”) and pit bull mixes. The message we try to spread is that they are dogs, just like any other dog, they just happened to be called pit bulls. Our mission is to promote responsible guardianship and improve the image and lives of pit bull-type dogs through community support, education, advocacy, and rescue. In 2020, we saved a record 200 pit bull-type dogs’ lives — more than quadruple the amount as in the previous year. In our history as an organization, we have supported the community through spay/neuter and vaccination clinics, providing resources on Austin, TX pit bull-friendly housing, financial assistance, and low-cost training. We have also provided active advocacy against breed discriminatory legislation and started one of the country’s first all pit bull-type dog therapy programs. We currently maintain a foster-based rescue program and work daily to promote a more positive and accurate public image of all pit bull-type dogs through various local outreach and social media efforts. LOVE-A-BULL regularly hosts fun activities, but its main goal is to promote advocacy and education. Our group is comprised of members who live in Austin and the surrounding areas, as well as national members who wish to support our mission. We welcome the support of proud pit bull parents and others interested in supporting the above ideals and those who will work to further our goals.

Pets available

Dogs

Adoption process

Step 1 - View our adoptable pit bull-type dogs. Step 2 - Read the information below, and then complete the adoption application online. 1. Adoption fees: Dogs 6 months of age and older are $250 to adopt; dogs younger than 6 months are $300. Seniors (ages 7+) or medical cases have a reduced adoption fee of $100. Adoption fees cover spay/neuter, vaccinations (DHPP/Da2P, Bordatella, Rabies [if old enough]), dewormer, fecal test, heartworm test (if old enough) and microchipping. Our adoption fees are deposited straight into our medical fund, which helps us pull more at-risk dogs and save more lives. Please note: Puppies are often in high demand, and therefore usually have several interested adopters. While we love our puppies, we encourage you to see what adult dogs may be right for you! 2. If you see a dog listed that you think might be a good fit for your family: Applicants whose residence is local to the Central Texas area will be given preference in adopting our dogs. Local area adoptions allow us the means to provide additional support and resources to adopted dogs and their families! For this reason, we do not do out-of-state adoptions. We also require home visits when potential adopters have another pet in the home; we are unable to accommodate adopting to these homes if located 35+ miles outside of Austin, Texas city limits. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age. To Apply, submit the completed application online. Once your application is received and reviewed, a LOVE-A-BULL representative will contact you to discuss the dog you are interested in and to get more details on your current home environment and lifestyle. If it looks like your situation might be a match, we will arrange 1) a Meet and Greet between yourself and our Adopt-A-Bull; if there are other animals in the home, they will need to be a part of the Meet and Greet & 2) a Home Visit so that we can check the environment for any safety hazards such as holes in fences, areas that may need to be kept off limits to your new pup, etc., and then advise on how to fix those issues before the new dog is brought into your home. If the Meet and Greet and Home Visit go well, we will arrange a 3-day adoption trial in order to ensure that this big step is a good fit for the families and our Adopt-A-Bulls. For many, this new addition to the family will be a 10- to 12-year commitment, and we want to make sure it is a great choice for all involved. After the 3-day adoption trial, you will be contacted by a LOVE-A-BULL representative to confirm whether or not you’d like to move forward in making the adoption official. If we get the green light … you will soon have a new member of your family to snuggle with on the couch!