What would you do if your beloved pet dog was attacked and mauled almost to death by another? Just about everyone would take their “family member” to the veterinarian’s office for immediate emergency treatment. However there is a “sport” out there where dogs are subjected to that type of pain for the fun and amusement of humans. Although dog fighting is a felony in most states, it is still occurring in steady numbers under the radar all across the United States. Dog fighting happens in the underground, its rules are strict and the effects of dog fighting go beyond the dogs, but also to the children who are subject to watching the fight. The laws governing dog fighting are not strict enough to stop the brutality of the fighting.
Dog fighting is the “pitting of two dogs against each other in a pit or a ring to fight for the entertainment of the spectators.” (Animal Legal & Historical Center, 2008) The fights can “average nearly an hour in length and often last more than two hours. Dogfights end when one of the dogs will not or cannot continue.” (The Humane Society of the United States, 2008) Imagine watching a dog in pain for mere seconds then make that up to two hours. Meticulous preparation goes into a dog fight. From the start of their lives fighting dogs are mistreated, abused, and neglected. In most cases, the dogs will “spend their entire lives alone on chains or in cages and only know the attention of a human when they are being trained to fight and they only know the company of other animals in the context of being trained to kill them. Most dogs spend their entire lives without adequate food, water, or shelter.” (Animal Legal & Historical Center, 2008) It is unfathomable how someone can treat practically defenseless animals that want nothing more than to please their masters like this. Gambling is a large part of dog fighting. It is not uncommon for the “dog owners and spectators wager thousands of dollars on their favorites.” (The Humane Society of...