Do You Know What Dogfighting Is?by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger 29 Jul 2007 04:32 PM Now that a high-profile sports star has been charged with dogfighting, the phenomenon is all over the news. But do you know what dogfighting is? Dogfighting is -- as the name implies -- a contest in which two dogs fight each other. The dogs are bred, conditioned, or trained to fight. The fights average an hour in length and can often last more than two hours; the fight is over when one of the dogs cannot or will not continue. During the fight, spectators can watch and bet on the outcome. Dogfighting is illegal in the United States and is a felony offense in almost every state. Why? Because if dogfighting were a minor offense, organizers could probably absorb the cost of fines easily -- dogfighting can yield large profits for organizers. Making dogfighting a felony offense also addresses the cruelty inherent in the practice. Some people believe watching and betting on a dogfight should also be a felony -- the spectator's money helps keep the practice alive and the spectator is willingly seeking and supporting a cruel and criminal activity. Some spectators and organizers bring young children to dogfighting events, teaching a child insensitivity to animal suffering and a lack of respect for the law. Even before a dog enters the ring, he or she is subjected to cruel and neglectful treatment. In the ring, the injuries both dogs sustain can be severe or even fatal: deep bruising, severe puncture wounds, and broken bones. Dogs may die of blood loss, shock, dehydration, exhaustion, or infection. Dogs (and other smaller animals) that are not fighters may be used as "bait" animals to help train the fighters. What can you do to help stop dogfighting?
Learn more about Aimee Amodio  Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover... Relevantpets tags User Comments AnimalChaplain (52) 29 Aug 2007 10:04 PMDogfighting is a horrible crime. It is NOT a sport, but a crime, based on the sadistic enjoyment of people watching animals suffer. If there is anything good about the recent news about celebrities engaged in dogfighting, it is that there is an emerging increased awareness about animal cruelty and animal fighting. There is so much anger about this issue. If we channel it into a positive direction, hopefully, something good can come of it. Dogfighting is one more piece of evidence our country is in need of a spiritual transformation (please note I said spiritual and not necessarily religious). Animals are sentient beings - they feel pain, and they suffer, just like we do. They are not more important, or less important than human beings, but like human beings, they are important, too. Dogfighting pits one dog against another until one of them dies. The survivor gets his flesh torn off, ears ripped off, eyes pulled out, etc., and the reward for being "a winner" is to writhe in pain until the next fight. The pictures make our flesh crawl. The losers are tortured, beaten, starved, electrocuted or drowned. For what? Because these poor creatures were unlucky enough to be born a dog! Every major faith teaches its followers to be responsible stewards of animals and the Earth. Please help us get the word out that caring for animals, just like caring for people, is an important part of just being a decent person and citizen. If we make this a priority, there will be no more dogfighting horror stories, and no more pointless comparisons of evils. Let us all rise, together, to be better people than we are today, shall we? Chaplain Nancy Cronk Founder, www.AnimalChaplains.com Community Tags animal chaplains, animal abuse, animals in the news, dogfighting, dog fighting, faith, Michael Vick Discuss this article
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