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Jocelyn Barbury Mr.

Greenwell April of 2014

Position Synthesis

Dog fighting has been a long lasting, fast growing issue that can be dated back to ancient times. There are more issues that arise from dog fighting than just the terrible animal abusing sport itself. The people involved in dog fighting are not the types of people we want freely walking around the streets. These types of people feel violence and gore is a normal thing. They participate in more illegal activities than just the fights themselves. They help with the trafficking of illegal drugs and weapons and they help contribute to illegal gambling. In this essay I will discuss some of the many factors that come along with dog fighting and give examples that support the belief that this sport is inhumane, and we as people should be doing everything we can to help stop the growing issue.

The history of Dog Fighting: Dogfighting as a sport can be traced back to ancient civilizations. Fighting dogs were first used as war animals. When Rome invaded Brittan in 43 A.D both sides brought fighting dogs. Although the Romans won the war they were definitely

impressed with the fierce fighting dogs Brittan had presented. This is where the trend began. Romans would then begin to import British fighting dogs for use not only in times of war, but also for public amusement. In Rome their Coliseum would be used to host a large group of people where they would get together to watch gladiator dogs fight against other animals, animals like wild elephants. By the 12th century the sport of baiting came very popular in England. Baiting is a sport where bait animals such as bulls and bears were chained up while the fighting dogs bit and scratched the animals. It was not only used for entertainment purposes but it was thought to tenderize meat before consumption. For centuries baiting was considered a respectable sport and way of entertainment amongst the English. But by the 19 century the increasing scarcity and the cost of the bulls and bears went up. There was also a growing concern about the issue being animal cruelty really. By 1835 the British outlawed all baiting activities. Shortly following the passage of that law dog on dog combat came about as a cheaper and legal alternative to bating. They would then begin to crossbreed the dogs to make them stronger, faster, more vicious dog that could brawl for hours at a time. Fighting dogs were brought to the United States shortly before the Civil War Where they were crossbred to hopefully become the fiercest fighting dog out of it we got the American Pit Bull Terrier. Dogfighting very quickly became a popular sport in the U.S. and parts of Europe, Asia and Latin America. But the sport was eventually recognized as inhumane, and by the 1860s, most states had banned the sport. Of course knowing how some humans can be the sport continued to quickly grow into the 20th century.

Victims of the blood sport of dog fighting. It is should be clear that the main and most Sevier victim is of that of the fighting dogs. These dogs are treated with such evil neglect it is almost an unreal thing to try and comprehend. Fighting dogs are so easy to acquire for these fighters some purchase them for only a couple hundred dollars others breed their own or steal them. These dogs are extremely difficult for investigators to trace because they have never been licensed or papered and they disappear so quickly. The Average life span of a fighting dog is so very short. The dogs are considered disposable to the people who to me are despicable excuses of human beings. The result of a losing dog is of that of immediate death if the dog is lucky so to speak. A dog that loses a fight loses money for the owner, if the losing dog lives after the fight and the loss makes the owner mad and irate enough they sometimes continue to torture the poor animal before killing it. The dogs carcasses are 99% of the time left at the location where the fight was held. The abuses that these dogs are forced in endure- in and out of the ring is so gruesome and morally wrong, it even makes investigators shocked and sick. Although its hard to see the people that are involved in dog fighting as victims it had to be taught to them somehow. The desensitization of each new generation is taught early on. Usually when they are children they are consistently brought around the violence and the dog fights where they are forced to accept that the violence is a normal thing. The persistent exposer of animal abuse in front of the children plays a huge role in the way the person manifests later on. It teaches them that it is okay to neglect animals and that the violence is a normal thing amongst the society they live in. In young gangs dog fighting is used in attempt to recruit young members into a culture of violence. Law enforcement doesnt only see dog fighting as an outrageous animal abuse issue but as a child endangerment issue. When children

become desensitized to violence, they grow up to become criminalized and to also portray those same cycles of violent behaviors. There are more illegal issues in dog fighting than just the fights themselves. In order to train the fighting dogs they use baiting techniques, they tie bait animals up and have the dogs chase them, until they are eventually rewarded with the animal and allowed to maul it to death. Drugs are used on the dogs to make their stamina and endurance better. They are trained using body weights, treadmills, spring poles crowbars and many other awful things. Dog fights are always bet on; so you better believe that at every fight people the people involved are participating in that of illegal gambling, the manufacturing, buying and selling of illegal drugs and weapons. Almost every single fight hosted is not only used for the entertainment purposes, but for making a profit by participating in those illegal actions. By helping put a stop to the horrific sport of dog fighting, we would not only be lowering the participation rate of people involved in the fighting itself, but the individuals that are participating in the gambling, and getting involved in the illegal trafficking of drugs, and weapons.

Everything that comes with keeping fighter dogs; It is certain that not all pit bulls are used for fighting dogs. But it is also certain that they are the most favored breed amongst those who participate in dog fighting. So if people own pit bulls, especially over one, they should be consistently be supervised and checked up on for signs of fighting. Multiple fighting dogs are normally kept at the same location, thats one of the first signs when it comes to dog fighting. The more educated the dog fighter though, the cleaner the operations may look. The cleaner

they look the harder it is to make a bust. Fighters that are wiser so to speak will their dogs in something that looks more like a kennel; Fighters that arent as intelligent or lack the experience will have and keep their fighting and breeding dogs chained up in backyards or just in the open where people can see, if they use the kennel it lowers the suspicion. Because most fighting dogs have fresh cuts and scars usually near the neck head and chest area it isnt smart for them to leave them chained in the open where people would be able to see the horrible condition these dogs are in. It takes a lot to be able to catch one of these guys they have to be caught with enough evidence to be prosecuted. If a person is suspicious of being involved in dog fighting they should be carefully watched before busting them, because more often than not they will lead you to other fighters and other locations where dogs are being kept and also where they are being fought. The owners will move their dogs frequently so law enforcement really has to work fast and effectively to be able to catch these guys. Signs of animals being transported: a lot of kennels will normally be on site which indicates that dogs are being transportation to matches and different holding locations. Consistent disappearance and reappearance of large Pitt bulls from peoples properties are common signs of fighting. Most all dog fighters wont take their dogs to see veterinarians when they are injured because of the fear of being caught. On dog fighting properties it is extremely common for law enforcement to find veterinarian manuals and drugs that they attempt to properly use on their injured dogs. Other evidence that is found on property of individuals involved with fighting will be things like, trophies from won matches, rank results of fights, and Pictures and videos of dogs in the ring, all sorts of terrible things.

It is hard to stop and try and look at opposite side of the spectrum on this issue just because of the gruesome severity of it all. Something I came across when I was doing my readings was that of, the things that people convicted of participating in this sport have said to investigators. It was very interesting what I read. It said things like most of the men, deny the fact that these dogs are being victimized what so ever. They believe that the dogs are seen as amazing fighting machines, and they see it no worse than two individuals boxing. They say its brutal to put a pit bull on a dog like a poodle for example, but its not brutal to put two of the same size and breed of dogs in a ring together to kill each other. In their minds the dogs will get what they deserve in the ring. If a dog wins match after match it will earn the title Champion or Grand Champion, if a dog quits or loses though it is considered a Cur and there is no room for dogs like that in sport of dog fighting. Its also believed by them that the dogs just naturally love to fight. They are just born vicious blood thirsty killers, they think that if everyone could see how much these dogs love to fight that it wouldnt be a cru el thing anymore. They are convinced that it is no more violent than watching boxing. It is also claimed by fighters that their dogs are treated extremely well before and after the fights and as for during, well they just love to supposedly fight.

With all of the readings and research that I did on the issue about dog fighting, I have come to realize that I dislike the blood sport even more than I did before. Not because I wasnt sure of the severity of it before, but because I wasnt as aware of how seriously ignorant the men involved honestly were. Reading that they somehow convinced themselves that this sport

was a hobby or thrill for these dogs made me absolutely sick. The fact that it is looked at by them as no worse or any more violent then boxing worries me even more that there are this severely desensitized individuals walking around the same street that I do. Just by raising more awareness about the issue would help out tremendously, things like making people aware of warning signs to look for in dog fighting owners such as transportation of dogs often or usage of certain tools, making them aware of things to look for in dogs things like fresh wounds or the dog being chained up a lot, and if people notice these things they need to report them if more people started doing these a stop to this awful sport.

Works Cited "Article | The Sick Hipness of Dog Fighting." Manhattan Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. Gibson, Hanna. Dog Fighting Detailed Discussion. Michigan State University College of Law, 2005. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. "History of Dog Fighting." Npr. N.p., 2009. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. "Inside The Dog Fighting Underworld." N.p., 17 July 2007. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. "NFL Star Indicted over Dog FightingStory Highlights." CNN. N.p., 17 July 2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.

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