Man's best friend? Betrayed and abused and often killed. This is the fate of the dogs in the UK who are unlucky enough to fall into the hands of the sub human section of society who like to attend dog fighting contests. On June 12, the Cutting Edge programme on Chanel 4 took a look at the criminal subculture of the dog fighting world. Since showing the programme, Chanel 4 has received a barrage of criticism and a petition has been started demanding that television programmes in future are not aired which show cruelty to animals. Some believe the programme was sensationalist, and perhaps the motive for the broadcast was shock value to increase ratings. On the other hand, if the public aren’t made aware of what is happening to these poor animals, there will be little clamour for the Law to be tightened or the long needed legislation to stop the indiscriminate breeding and sale of all dogs. The RSPCA is not happy with Chanel 4 either, and it is seeking legal advice in order to force the programme makers into revealing the identities of the thugs who collaborated to make the footage. The police say dog fighting rings are on the increase and it is becoming a major problem in inner cities and also in the countryside. The most popular breed of fighting animal is the pit bulldog, and although it is illegal to breed this type of dog in the UK, the lowlifes who thrive on this type of cruel sport have been able to secretly retain the pit bull blood lines and the pups and adult dogs change hands on a seedy black market for thousands of pounds. Dog fights are well organised events that take place in occult locations such as derelict buildings, empty warehouses or in farm buildings out of view of prying eyes. A major incentive is the amount of money that can be won in a single night. The dogs are trained to a very high level of aggression. Often their ears and tails are cut off to prevent injuries during a session which would stop the fight. Training starts as puppies and the trainers set themselves up as professionals who often travel the world training fighting dogs on demand. In Britain, the police, RSPCA and SPCA are working hard to crackdown on organised dog fights and although arrests are often made and dog fighting rings are broken up, the sport has gone on for decades with complete eradication next to impossible. Violent and cruel, the training involves the use of bait animals. People’s stolen pets are often used for the dogs to vent their savagery. Cats, dogs and even badgers and foxes are thrown into the arena and savaged to death whilst the two legged monsters goad and encourage their fighting dogs to kill and maim. Bait animals are often procured from adverts online or in local newspapers. Free to a good home adverts can and do result in the poor unwanted animals being taken by these unscrupulous people and used as expendables against much heavier and savage fighting dogs who have been starved for several days to make them more aggressive. The actual fights are between two dogs of equal size and weight. They are placed together in a confined area, the object of the exercise is for one dog to attack and maul the other until one is either unable to go on, or is killed. Because of the vicious nature that has been created in the dogs and the stamina of their training, the fights can last for hours. There is rarely a quick or painless end and either dog may die from its injuries or be killed by its owner after the fight if it is deemed too costly or the injuries are too severe to heal on their own. For obvious reasons the animals can’t be taken to a vet. If the injuries are not deemed too serious the dog will be allowed to recuperate before the next fight. Although dog fighting is illegal and carries a punishment of six months in jail, the participants seem unconcerned and advertise openly online. It is shocking that a simple Internet search can pull up all kinds of websites relating to the activity. K9 Magazine reports that message boards for dog-fighters are disturbingly busy affairs with lots of contributors. Alongside adverts for ‘on fire’ dogs (dogs currently on good fighting form) and puppies from the stock of successful fighters, were notes of advice on the best training paraphernalia, methods for constructing pits and more. You could be forgiven for thinking these people were talking about something akin to obedience trials or working dog tests by the manner in which they openly discuss methodology, tactics and other fight-related issues. What can be done? We must push the government for tougher penalties for convicted dog fighters. Six months in jail for this cruel criminal underclass is ludicrous. One can expect a five year jail term for tax evasion yet cruelty inflicted on innocent animals gets you just six months. Five years mandatory for dog fighting is more like a punishment, and the perpetrator must be banned from being around all animals for life. Ideally, owners must be stopped from selling unwanted pets or offering free to good homes, and all dog breeders must be licenced, and every puppy born must be micro-chipped. Related: Dog fighting documentary facing probe by TV watchdog after 4,000 viewers complain about graphic scenes of violence Channel 4 Telegraph
4 Comments
Patricia Betty
6/29/2014 10:56:24 pm
Dog fighting is just like fox hunting. Evil people with no compassion who get thrills out of watching animals suffer and die. The only recourse is to make the punishment fit the crime for both of these types of disgusting sport. Jail for dog fighting gangs and hunt thugs too.
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eileen
6/29/2014 11:03:21 pm
It makes me want to cry when I read about such horrors and monsters of people. That is partly as it makes me sad but it makes me so angry. I wish police would catch and punish these sickos and I wish the punishment could fit the crime for once. Thanks for an excellent report on a difficult subject.
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B. McPherson
6/30/2014 02:45:53 am
People who inflict pain for entertainment are not right in the head. Dog fighting is particularly cruel because it betrays the love and loyalty that dogs have for humans. The tolerance for it in a society marks that society as well. Just look at what happened when Michael Vick finished his "punishment" for promoting dog fighting. Back to a fat NFL contract.
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Patricia Betty
6/30/2014 07:59:41 am
Michael Vick is a vile excuse for a human being. He was allowed to get a puppy too I believe. These monsters should go to prison, I agree totally with the author A five year stretch should be mandatory and they should never be allowed to own an animal again. The government is as much to blame. They could do so much to prevent animals being bred and discarded yet they do nothing. Let's hope we have a change next year Get labour in and we can lobby for some significant changes in the law
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