Tucson, AZ

There is an emerging problem in our country that has recently come to light with the recent charges filed against Michael Vick, quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, and three others. Allegations that Vick participated in an organized dog-fighting ring have propelled an awareness of a growing problem.

History tells us that dog-fighting began with ancient civilations and evolved into bull and bear baiting. Once that was outlawed pitting dogs against other dogs became a popular sport, one that is still popular today despite being outlawed on state and federal levels. Most states have even made it a felony.

But that hasn’t stopped a gruesome and cruel occurance from happening. Unfortunately, spectators are not limited to men wanting to place wagers and engage in some adrenaline pumping action. Women and even children are watching these hideous matches, cheering on their favorite dogs.

The Pima County Sheriff’s department was interviewed by KGUN 9 New’s Mark Horner recently about this terrible “sport”. For years mutilated and dead dogs have been found in the deserts surrounding Tucson. Investigators believe that these dogs are very often the same dogs reported missing by their loving owners. It is believed that participants in these dog fighting rings are stealing loved pets out of yards to use as bait. These animals, which can include small dogs, cats, and even rabbits, are used to bait the aggressive fighting dogs as a part of their training.

I have to wonder what the appeal is in watching two animals fight each other causing such gruesome wounds and even death. In researching more about this topic I came across photos of dogs that survived, horribly mangled and disfigured. It literally made me sick to see the results of these fights.

So what can we as a society do? Can we stop dog fighting? Sometimes it seems with all the evil and insidious practices that we are fighting a losing battle. We need to find a way to encourage more compassion, more consideration, more kindness. We need to send messages to our local prosecutors and state representatives that these kinds of things can’t be tolerated. Often charges are reduced to misdemeanors.

As a dog owner, I can be more vigilant about caring for my pets. Some of the suggestions I ran across included not leaving your pet in the yard unattended, bringing them in when you will not be home, installing fencing so your pet cannot be visible from the street, not leaving your pet in a car (never a good idea in this soaring heat anyway!) or leaving them in front of a store. It only takes seconds for your pet to be stolen. If you suspect dog fighting activities in your neighborhood contact the appropriate authorities. Working together we can make a difference - it starts in our homes and spreads to our neighborhood and so on.

For more information:
Human Society Dog Fighting Fact Sheet
Chicago Sun Times article
KGUN 9 News story

Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons, dog-fighting, Pima County Sheriff’s department, KGUN 9