Operation Pit Stop

Wings of Rescue launched Operation Pit Stop because shelters are in crisis—and large-breed dogs are paying the price.

We provide free spay/neuter surgeries to low-income families with large-breed and bully-breed dogs, the very pets most at risk of euthanasia. These dogs are harder to place, have larger litters, and flood shelters faster than any others. It’s estimated that if we could simply stop breeding bully breeds, most shelters in the U.S. would already be no-kill.

 

But here’s why that’s not happening:

• Veterinarians are vanishing. Nearly 1 in 4 vets retired during the pandemic, leaving whole communities without access to care. In many areas, families wait months—or never get in at all.

• Prices have exploded. A surgery that once cost $150 now averages $700 or more. For many families, that’s the cost of a car payment or rent. They want to do the right thing—but simply can’t afford to.

• Housing policies are pushing pets out. Private equity firms now own much of the country’s rental housing—and they're enforcing harsh pet restrictions: breed bans, weight limits, and no-pet clauses. Families are being forced to surrender their pets just to keep a roof over their heads.

• Shelters are overwhelmed. Municipal shelters, especially in the South, have stopped intake entirely. And as a result, large dogs are being dumped on the streets—where they breed, suffer, and multiply.

 

This isn’t just a shelter issue. It’s a community crisis. And the only way to stop it is to prevent the problem before it starts. Operation Pit Stop targets the root of overpopulation by offering free, accessible spay/neuter surgeries where they’re needed most. Because until every pet has a home—and no pet is born just to die—we have work to do.