· Dog Fighting - Ending the Brutality Begins with the Individual >

Dog fighting has been documented in history for the first time in the 1750’s. It now is a brutal underground organized crime that has reached enormous proportions in the United States. This ‘blood sport’ places two dogs in a pit where they fight each other for the entertainment of the spectators. The dogs attack each other until one of them will or is unable to continue to fight. Both dogs will suffer serious injuries and the losing dog is often executed or left untreated unless he has some value to the handler.

The majority of fighting dogs spend most of their lives isolated on short and heavy chains with no veterinary care. Puppies are often trained and tested by allowing them to fight with other dogs while muzzled or leashed. The ones that show little fighter potential are usually discarded or killed at an early age.

Some owners will train their dogs by using bait animals such as cats, rabbits, or smaller dogs, which are often stray pets, stolen, or obtained through “free to good home” ads. Such bait animals are subjected to brutality and death. Other ‘training methods’ might include starvation, physical abuse, heavy weights and chains around the neck, exhaustive treadmill runs, and use of drugs that excite the dogs.

Dog fighting rings bring much more than animal abuse into a community. Drugs, weapons, and violence are ever-present with these illegal operations. Children are often attendees at the fights, steeping the next generation in a culture of violence and inhumane attitudes towards animals.

The Humane Society of the United States estimates that 40,000 people nationwide are involved in high-stakes betting rings, and another 100,000 are fighting dogs informally for money or prestige. The problem, once localized in rural Southern areas, has become a nation-wide epidemic, and many law-enforcement agencies have developed special task-forces to combat the problem.

Dog fighting is illegal and a felony in all 50 states. In Arizona, dog fighting is a class 5 felony with up to 2 years in prison and a maximum fine of $150,000.

If you suspect that dog fighting is going on in your own neighborhood, please notify your local law enforcement agency. The enforcement of animal cruelty laws begin with the individual and identifying the problem is the first step to a solution.

If you would like to help the Humane Society of Southern Arizona with a general donation in order to support our efforts against cruelty, neglect and animal fighting, please make a donation today.Thanks to your generous support, we can continue to protect abused animals in 2008 and beyond. Your donation will be used to crack down on all forms of cruelty and neglect.