Michelle made a good point below about her local shelter that I think is worth discussing.
She stated that most Akitas dont make it thru a pound's intake process and are killed, I guess because they are hard to handle. I can see how that could be a real problem with peolple that dont know how to handle Akitas.
One of the things I do is to go to my local pound when they think they may have an Akita. They call me when they have an Akita and I come down and have a look to help them evaluate the dog(temprament and type). At first, I got called for just about any large dog, but the staff has learned a lot in the last few years about what an Akita looks like. In the process, I think the staff has also learned a lot about how to approach a strange Akita (you dont. you let him approach you). I try to give them some guidance re is he someone's missing pet who dug out or is he a freeroaming problem. Occasionally a really nice(from a genetic standpoint) Akita comes in and we label it a real 'keeper' and they try to keep him longer than normal if necessary.
This is NOT a fun thing to do. I live in an area where there are not many Akitas and I dont have to do this often (I hate going there. Depressing.) But I truely believe I have helped to save the lives of some Akitas.
Call up your local pound and volunteer your evaluation services. This is a way to help a needy Akita without costing you a thing.
Also it has been suggested that volunteering to do basic obedience training with some pound dogs might save a few lives. WONDERFUL IDEA! (from andi)