What is dog fighting?
Dog fighting is a blood sport where dogs are made to fight each other in a pit or ring, usually until one dog dies or is severely injured. It first originated as a contest of dog breeding, stamina and skill, but evolved into a cruel and brutal gambling spectacle for entertainment and profit.
The history of dogfighting goes back centuries, with origins tied to bull-baiting and bear-baiting. When those blood sports were outlawed in the 1800s, underground dogfighting became more popular as an alternative. It continues today mainly as an illegal activity, though it still takes place in parts of the world where it is legal or semi-legal.
In a typical dogfight, two dogs of similar size and breed are placed in a pit or ring enclosed by walls. The goal is for one dog to either kill the other, force it to give up, or win on points by inflicting more damage. The dogs are sometimes bred specifically for aggression and stamina, and undergo brutal conditioning and training to prepare for fights. It is a cruel and barbaric event that often results in horrific injuries and death for the dogs involved.
Prevalence of Dog Fighting
Despite being illegal in all 50 states, dog fighting remains an ongoing issue across the United States. Estimates on how widespread dog fighting is vary, but suggest it impacts hundreds of thousands of dogs each year.
According to the ASPCA, there are likely tens of thousands of people involved in dog fighting rings across the country. They estimate that there are at least 40,000 professional dogfighters, as well as many more street fighters. Additionally, they report rescuing around 400 dogs a year that have been used in fights.
The Humane Society also cites estimates of 40,000 people involved in dog fighting. They point to a 2007 Chicago police study that examined just one dog fighting ring. This single dog fighting operation spanned across eight states and had been active for 15 years. Over that time they had fought 1,000 dogs in matches resulting in 500-700 deaths.
These numbers highlight how even a single dog fighting ring can subject large numbers of dogs to abuse over many years. With likely hundreds or thousands of operations active across the country, the total number of dogs impacted is substantial.
While dog fighting is found in both rural and urban areas, it seems to be concentrated in cities with large populations such as Los Angeles, Atlanta, Newark and Cleveland. Hot spots include parts of New York, Hawaii, Denver and Texas.
Clearly dog fighting remains an ongoing problem, subjecting countless dogs each year to abuse for the purposes of entertainment and gambling.
Rules and methods of dog fights
Dog fights are brutal contests in which two dogs are placed in a pit or small enclosed area to viciously attack each other for spectator entertainment and gambling. There are informal street fights as well as more organized fights with established rules.
Organized dog fights often have detailed rules and regulations. Typical rules include requirements like both dogs must be of the same gender, weight and breed. Dogs are weighed before a match and may be force-fed or dehydrated to make a specific weight class. Handlers wash, examine and weigh the dogs before a match to check for poison or disease. Fights can last just a few minutes or up to a couple hours.
The match takes place in a pit that is often 14-20 feet square with 2-3 foot high walls. Spectators watch from above while the dog’s handlers release them from opposite corners. The goal is for one dog to pin down or incapacitate the other. The dogs brutally attack each other, biting and tearing at the face, neck and body. The fight continues until one dog is no longer willing or able to continue.
Dog fights are barbaric events that often leave the animals with severe injuries or dead. They have no place in a civilized society. Strict laws and enforcement are needed to eradicate dog fighting.
Injuries and Deaths from Dog Fights
It’s difficult to determine exact numbers, but undoubtedly many dogs suffer serious injuries or are killed as a result of dog fighting. Dog fights usually continue until one dog is unable to continue fighting, often due to severe injuries or death. Dogs frequently suffer severe lacerations, ripped ears, puncture wounds, and broken bones. According to data from an animal welfare organization, approximately 40% of dogs used for fighting die from combat injuries or euthanasia due to the extent of their injuries.
A journal article examining dog remains from known dog fighting cases found evidence of injuries like blunt force cranial trauma, rib and vertebral fractures, and limb amputations. The study determined at least 43% of the dogs had died from fighting injuries. Another report documented over 100 dogs killed annually at a single major dog fight operation.
Beyond physical trauma, the pain and injuries can cause physiological responses like capture myopathy. The stress and blood loss often sends dogs into shock. Even dogs who physically survive still experience immense suffering.
In addition to directly inflicted injuries, the impacts of malnutrition, poor conditions, and lack of medical treatment weaken dogs and exacerbate wounds leading to more deaths. For these reasons, many consider dog fighting a blood sport where the cost is extreme animal suffering and fatalities.
Psychological Impacts on Dogs
The mental trauma fighting dogs experience is severe. Dogs forced to fight undergo extreme abuse and violence, which takes a major psychological toll. Trainers use cruel methods like starvation, beatings, torture, and the baiting of other animals to try to make naturally social dogs aggressive and willing to kill. This conditioning goes against a dog’s innate temperament and causes immense psychological damage.
Dogs bred and trained to fight experience constant anxiety, stress, and fear. They are deprived of normal social interaction with humans and other dogs. Instead of living as beloved pets and companions, they exist only to fight, often living their entire lives tethered or chained. The violence of the fights themselves inflicts further psychological damage. Fighting dogs live in a constant state of hypervigilance, on edge and ready to attack.
Even after rescue, the impacts of the abuse and trauma remain. Rehabilitation of fighting dogs is extremely difficult. The dogs often remain emotionally damaged, frightened, and unable to properly socialize. Their experiences leave them psychologically scarred. It takes tremendous effort to earn their trust and help them recover. Sadly, many dogs rescued from fighting operations have to be euthanized because their mental state is too unstable.
The psychological damage inflicted on dogs forced into fighting is immeasurable. It goes against their very nature and leaves permanent scars. Ending dog fighting is the only way to stop this horrific mental trauma.
Training Methods
Dogs bred and trained for fighting go through inhumane conditioning to increase aggression and stamina. Many dogs have heavy chains or weights attached to their collars to strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles. They are put on treadmills for long periods to build up endurance. Their handlers will starve dogs before a fight and not give them water to make them mean and ready to fight.
Handlers use a variety of techniques to increase a dog’s aggression and predatory drive towards other dogs. Some common practices include attaching a dog to a spring pole with a rope, tied to a rawhide or other bait. The bait sparks the dog’s prey drive while the spring pole forces the dog to keep tugging and develop jaw strength. Shock collars are also frequently used to punish any hesitation in a dog when commanded to fight.
Another brutal training method is to use smaller animals like cats, rabbits or small dogs as “bait” animals. The dogs are allowed to attack, mutilate and sometimes kill the bait animal. This conditions them to see other animals as prey and preys on their natural instincts to hunt.
Handlers will also stage practice fights with other dogs, where the dogs are encouraged to attack often wearing protective equipment. The fights start small and increase in intensity over time. Dogs that show any unwillingness to fight are severely punished, while dogs that attack fiercely are praised.
The training regimens are intended to create an extremely aggressive dog that will attack on command without hesitation. The dogs are subjected to ongoing physical and psychological abuse to keep them ready to inflict serious injuries on other dogs in the pit.
Roles of owners and spectators
Dog fights typically have several key participants beyond the dogs forced to fight. There are the dog owners and trainers, the organizers of the fights, and the spectators who come to watch. Each has their own incentives and motivations for being involved in this underground blood sport.
The owners who breed dogs for fighting are often seeking profits and prestige. Certain breeds are prized for their fighting ability, and owners can make substantial sums by breeding and selling fighting dogs. They also gain status and reputation in dog fighting circles by owning winners. To produce successful fighters, owners often use cruel training methods, conditioning the dogs from birth to be vicious. Owners bring their prized dogs to fights hoping their animal wins, which brings financial gain and enhances the owner’s image.
Fight organizers manage the logistics of scheduling matches, securing locations, handling betting, and enforcing the rules. They can earn significant income from fight entry fees, ticket sales, concessions, and especially from managing betting and taking a cut of the wagers. Organizers are also motivated by the thrill of running an illegal underground event as well as cultivating power and influence within the dog fighting community.
Spectators attend fights both for the entertainment and the gambling. There is often heavy betting on the outcomes of matches, with supporters of each dog placing stakes on if their animal will win. This creates an intensely exciting atmosphere around fights. The spectacle of violence and blood, as well as the party atmosphere with drinking and drugs, also appeals to many spectators. The thrills of high-stakes gambling and witnessing carnage draw crowds despite the illegal nature of dog fighting.
Illegal Nature
Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states across America. The federal law against animal fighting makes sponsoring or exhibiting animal fighting a felony across the nation. The federal law prohibits any interstate commerce connected to animal fighting, meaning participating in animal fighting, attending an animal fight, transporting fighting animals across state lines, selling tickets online for an animal fight, or even selling fighting animals or equipment used in fights is illegal across state borders.
The penalties for violating anti-animal fighting laws depend on the state, but often include felony charges with potential jail time up to 5 years and hefty fines up to $5000 or more. Many states also include asset forfeiture for those convicted of participating in animal fighting, meaning any property connected to or used in the criminal activity can be seized by the state. Second offenses and people that actively organize or promote dogfights may face even harsher punishments.
Efforts to End Dog Fighting
There are growing efforts to put an end to the cruel bloodsport of dog fighting. Animal rights groups, law enforcement, and legislators have taken action through new laws, advocacy campaigns, rescue operations, and education initiatives. Key efforts to stop dog fighting include:
Tougher laws and enforcement – Many states and countries have passed felony-level laws against dog fighting, making it easier to prosecute offenders and enact harsher penalties. Law enforcement task forces work to infiltrate dog fighting rings, rescue dogs, and arrest perpetrators.
Public awareness campaigns – Non-profit organizations like the ASPCA and Humane Society run advertising and social media campaigns to educate the public on the horrors of dog fighting. This aims to stigmatize the act and encourage reporting of illegal operations.
Rehabilitation of fighting dogs – Rescue groups rehabilitate and rehome dogs saved from fighting rings, showing they can become loving family pets when given proper training, socialization and care.
Youth outreach programs – Educational programs target at-risk youth to teach empathy and discourage involvement with dog fighting. Some pair youth with shelter dogs to provide care and bonding.
While an underground culture still exists, rising activism and pressure from authorities continue to take on this brutal bloodsport. With ongoing efforts, the goal is to end the inherent cruelty of forcing dogs to viciously fight for entertainment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while any blood sport where animals are forced to fight for entertainment is ethically reprehensible, dog fighting in particular is an especially cruel practice. The training methods are harsh and abusive, the fights inflict severe injuries, and the psychological impacts on the dogs can be traumatic. Though banned in all 50 states, underground dog fighting still persists, highlighting the need for continued efforts to enforce laws and educate the public on why this blood sport must end.
As outlined, dog fighting matches two or more dogs against each other in a ring or pit for the purposes of entertainment and gambling. The fights continue until one dog is defeated, often resulting in gruesome injuries or death. Dogs used for fighting are victims of inhumane training techniques and abusive living conditions. And the psychological stresses of being forced to fight have damaging effects on dogs’ mental health and behavior.
Ultimately, the cruelty inherent in dog fighting makes it an unacceptable blood sport that should be rejected. The dogs suffer tremendously, and the practice promotes violence for entertainment. Though banning dog fighting is an important first step, continued public advocacy, law enforcement, and education efforts are still needed to end this barbaric blood sport once and for all.