Dog destined for fight pit rescued

THE excited wagging of his tail belies the pain in his soulful brown eyes. Abused, beaten and given up by his owner because he had no further use for him, Alfie, a Boerboel mix, was destined for the illegal underground world of dog fighting.

Dog fighting is a blood sport, where two dogs are pitted against each other in a ring for the entertainment of the spectators who wager small fortunes on the results of the illicit fight.

Despite all of the odds, Alfie’s loving, boisterous personality could not be repressed. He was recently rescued by David Hanson, a La Lucia resident and volunteer for the Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment (Pact), a non-profit organisation, which tackles issues of abuse and neglect in Phoenix and surrounding areas.

“His owner admitted he had no use for him anymore and handed him over to a passerby in the street. When we rescued him he was being dragged on his leash. We questioned the man and asked where he got the dog, he told us the owner didn’t want him and he was taking him home. After further investigation we believe he was going to be used for dog fighting.

Boerboels, Pitbull Terriers, German Shepherds and Dobermans are most commonly used in the fights which can last up to five minutes.

“When I picked him up we could hardly see his back because it was covered in ticks, even his genitals were covered in them. He was severely emaciated, you could see his ribs. The vet said he had biliary (an illness of the liver which is also known as tick bite fever) and he couldn’t vaccinate him because his immune system was so low. Even when I fastened the harness to take him for a walk, it hung off him,” Hanson said.

Through love and rehabilitation, Alfie has made a full recovery and is now looking for a loving home.

“All Alfie wants to do is to snuggle and be loved. In spite of how abused he had been, his sweetness and courage is inspiring.”

Hanson added the NPO had last month secured a confession from a group of boys from a local township who admitted they were stealing dogs for fighting and would often pick up cats (pets or strays) and use them to feed the dogs.

“The first question you ask yourself is how could someone be so cruel, it’s heartbreaking. Stories like his should be told because this is the real face of dog fighting.

“Fighting dogs are seen as a product not an investment. The people doing this aren’t concerned in their well being or happiness but are there to make money. Once the dogs are injured or severely maimed, they are discarded or left to die, its a heinous form of animal cruelty,” he said.

Alfie needs an active loving family, contact Hanson on 074 339 0405 or email david@phoenixanimalcare.org.za to adopt him.