Brazilian Mastiffs Abandoned In North Bay May Be Guarding Pot Farms
WILLITS (KPIX 5) -- Animal shelters in the North Bay are seeing an unusual spike in abandoned Brazilian Mastiffs that rescuers say are likely being bred to guard pot farms.
Brazilian mastiffs aren't commonly seen in Northern California, but Rocket Dog Rescue in Oakland say they've pulled more than a dozen of the dogs from shelters in Ukiah and Willits in just the past few months.
It is a trend they say is concerning.
8-month-old Charlie is just one of the Brazilian Mastiffs recently rescued from a Ukiah animal shelter.
"It's unusual to see them. And to see litter after litter, you know. just popping up at these shelters, it's pretty alarming," said Pali Boucher with Rocket Dog Rescue
Boucher explained that this type of mastiff was historically used to guard plantations in Brazil.
Now she thinks people are breeding them for one specific purpose in the North Bay counties: to protect the area's prevalent marijuana grows.
"We've been finding them up in the Willits area and Ukiah," said Boucher. "They're in that area to protect the farms. That's why they're up there."
She says in many cases, the dogs guarding the pot farms aren't treated like pets.
"They're left out there to protect this property and sometimes they're left for weeks at a time without any food or anybody checking in on them," said Boucher. "After the grow is completed the animals are abandoned."
In Humbolt County, packs of the dogs are attacking livestock. Some of the injuries or too graphic for us to show.
Ranchers say the problem dogs came with the explosion of pot farmers turning loose the dogs at the end of the growing season, or dogs wandering off from their guard duties.
Pali worries the same could happen in Mendocino County with the Brazilian Mastiffs that are being over-bred.
"It's heartbreaking especially because this breed is so gentle and they love their people so much," said Boucher.
Rocket dog says they're trying to find permanent homes for all the mastiffs, but it's challenging. In addition to being a large breed of dog, Brazilian Mastiffs can be protective and sometimes aggressive, which makes them more difficult to place.