Stop Dog Fighting

Why this is even an issue makes no sense.  Dog fighting?  Really?  Some people obviously have nothing better to do than to make poor innocent dogs fight each other, basically breeding these dogs to fight, training them to fight.  No wonder some dogs like pitt bulls and doberman have bad rap sheets.  Is it the dog?  No, it is the owners. 

You have all probably heard of the Michael Vick dog fighting story.  While this was a horrible, horrible event out of 49 dogs saved, 48 were given a second chance at living a normal life (one was deemed unfit for rehabilitation).  Sadly, all of the dogs were pit bulls, not helping the dog's image.  BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls) took in some of the dogs who are now living in foster & forever homes. 

The Michael Vick case brought the horrible crime of dog fighting to the public's eyes.  It also made dog fighting a federal offense in all 50 states.  When convicted people will serve prison time. 

It floors us how people actually think it of dog fighting as a sport.  There are different levels of dogfighting from "sport" to "professional" (doesn't even seem right using that term for this) where people actually breed dogs just to fight.  Of course certain breeds are going to get bad raps if they are continuing to breed the fighters.  In addition, if they have a dog they deem unable to fight they will either just shoot it or sell it to people who want an aggressive dog at their house.  Seems like a great solution right? Uh, no!

Why do people get into dog fighting? There is not one answer for this.  They can make a lot of money doing it, which is probably the primary reason.  They can also loose a lot of money and when the dog looses they get angry.  The outcome isn't the best for the dog in most cases.

Primary dog for dog fighting?  Take a guess.  The pit bull is actually a very devoted, intelligent, and loyal dog.  When dogs are raised right and live with a loyal loving family they are going to behave that way.  The main reason the pit bull is banned from some cities etc. is because of the way they have been treated.  Pit bulls can be more aggressive towards other dogs and this is why they are used in dog fighting.

One of the saddest things about these fighting dogs is a lot of them are completely unsocialized.  They are kept on very short chains where they can see other dogs but never reach them.  In addition, some people give their dogs steroids and other drugs to increase muscle mass and aggression.  The "street" fighters who don't spend as much money basically starve and abuse their dogs so they are mad and will fight anyone.

If you ever think that anyone is running a dog fighting operation, or hear of a fight.  Please call the police.  There is absolutely no reason this should be going on.  Dog fighters even steal dogs, family dogs, from people's backyards and neighborhoods to use in their dog fighting rinks. 

It really is disgusting that to some people this is "entertainment".  There is even a website called "Puppy Profits."  Basically a get rich quick scheme for you to start your own dog fighting.  How is that legal?

Additional Resources:
Stop dog fighting home page
ASPCA page on dog fighting
Dog fighting laws & penalties
Ways you can help