Cruel, inhumane and shocking: The illegal world of dog fighting
Dogs that lose fights are frequently killed to destroy evidence, maintain credibility and avoid the cost of treatment.
TRAINED like champion fighters, dogs bred for the blood sport become killing machines. In the preparation for these ferocious encounters, dogs are tied to trees, starved, beaten, have their jaws taped shut or are simply thrown into a bare room with the fighting dogs.
These brutal tactics are designed to give a taste for blood and determine if a dog is ready to do battle. Once dogs enter the fighting pit, the objective is for one to maul the other until it is either incapacitated or dead
This is the cruel reality of the illegal underworld of dog fighting where fortunes between R5 and R10 000 are wagered on the results. According to the National Council of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA), dog fights are not the work of a single law breaker, but instead constitute a form of organised crime.
This multi million rand industry is an intricate underground web that ranges from impromptu events in a back alley with stolen dogs or a carefully planned and organised enterprise held in a location specially designed and maintained for the purpose.
A member from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) of the NSPCA who could not be named spoke to Northglen News about the thriving industry.
Participants install atmosphere of fear to discourage informants
“South Africa is being marketed in other countries as a good place to fight dogs because the enforcement is lax, it is easy to bribe public officials and if caught the legal process is slow. The participants involved in dog fighting are well aware that what they are doing is illegal and that media exposure would jeopardize their ability to conduct their activities within the community so they create a fraternity type of atmosphere, instilling a fear of retaliation to discourage informants and create a double life image through involvement in legitimate dog sport activities,” she said.
Dogs killed in brutal fashion
Worse still are the dogs who succumb to injuries sustained in the pit.
“Losing dogs are often discarded, left to die with their injuries untreated. If the losing dog survives the fight but is perceived to be a particular embarrassment to the reputation of its owner or its bloodline it may be executed in a particularly brutal fashion such as drowning, electrocution, hanging, shooting, being burnt alive or beaten to death as part of the entertainment, often to regain the respect of their peers. Dogs that lose fights are frequently killed destroy evidence, maintain credibility and avoid the cost of treatment.
“The abuse however, is not confined to the ring, these dogs are not allowed to live normal lives. The abuses suffered by the dogs at the hands of their owners are often constant, with the brutality of the fight itself typically only serving as the culmination of a life of cruelty
They spend their days chained up and ignored
David Hanson, a La Lucia resident and volunteer for the Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment (Pact), said the non-profit organisation recently obtained footage of several boys admitting that they kill pets, cats in particular, to feed dogs involved in dog fighting.
“The boys said they would steal cats (pets or strays) to feed them to the dogs. They would starve the dogs for weeks on end and to make them more alert and then feed them a carcass, which was instantly devoured.
“In a fight for survival, dogs that are maimed or mauled, or suffer serious medical injuries, and who still survive the fight, don’t survive the trauma. They spend their days chained or locked up in cages and are neglected and receive little or no socialisation,” Hanson said.
Both the NSPCA SIU officer and Hanson agree the issue of dog fighting is largely ignored in South Africa. The NSPCA officer added: “When we as a society, fail to hold perpetrators criminally liable for violating this law as well as other animal cruelty laws, we are not only condoning that behaviour and the corresponding crimes associated with it, but also sending out a message that our legal system is weak, inconsistent and ineffective, making a mockery of animal protection laws.”
If you have any information about dog fighting activities in your area please contact the National Council of SPCAs on 011 907 3590 or email nspca@nspca.co.za
WARNING: This video is of a graphic nature (Though the video below is shot in America it is a grim insight into the brutal world of dog fighting)
