Thousands of pit bulls are euthanized in the Bay Area each year. With more and more people taking advantage of Bay Area Pit Fix Week, we may (hopefully) see this number diminish in the coming years. Spaying and neutering help pit bulls to be happier and less aggressive.

We've met so many sweet pit bulls in the past few years, owned by responsible and loving Bay Area humans. We hope that the breed's negative reputation will become more positive as more of the animals are taken care of in a responsible way. Spaying or neutering is the first step.

Here is the list of participating shelters:

• Berkeley East Bay Humane Society
  
• Contra Costa Animal Services, Martinez
  
• East Bay SPCA, Oakland and Dublin
  
• Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation, Walnut Creek
  
• Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA, San Mateo
  
• San Francisco SPCA
  
• Humane Society and SPCA of Sonoma County
  
• Marin Humane Society, Novato
  

Call 1-877-4-PIT-FIX for more information.

Image credit: The Humane Society & SPCA of Sonoma County