Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
TwitThis
The Surge in Dogfighting
Why the surge in dogfighting? Think money and machismo. Gambling is a huge draw for what the Humane Society calls "serious players," "hobbyists" and "street players." There are also big bucks to be made in raising and selling pit bulls -- a breed that got its name from being trained to fight in pits against other canines. Pit bulls with impressive bloodlines can sell for up to $10,000. A clandestine match can lure several hundred spectators and rake in tens of thousands of dollars. Hobbyists, by contrast, buy dogs on the cheap and fight them locally, often in secluded wooded areas or in home basements. As much as the gambling pool, their reward is just the thrill of combat.Street gangs and inner-city teens have emerged as the newest players. From Cleveland to Detroit, from New York City to Los Angeles, from Boston to San Francisco, the pit bull terrier has replaced the 9 mm. as the badge of machismo for young gang members. Puppies can be bought on the street for $25, and most matches are impromptu. Their owners go to a park or playground, a crowd gathers, and bills are slapped down. If police approach, everyone scatters and the owners claim their dogs started the fight.
Police know that the street sport is pervasive, but they find making a case against dogfighters to be difficult. "Law enforcement guys will go into grade schools and ask who in the classroom has ever seen a dogfight," says Eric Sakach, "and every hand will be raised."
Occasionally, a teenage fancier is caught red-handed. Acting on a tip, Scott Giacoppo, an investigator for the Massachusetts SPCA, was met at the front door of a house by an exasperated father. "I'm sick of my son's dogs," he grumbled. "Get 'em out of here."
In a basement that reeked of feces, Giacoppo discovered a dozen penned dogs, and most were marked by infected wounds from past battles. Behind the house, the investigator found more dogs, chained to poles. Their owner, a 17-year-old, tried to convince a judge that he was merely a breeder. It didn't fly. He got a year in jail for animal cruelty.
There are no complete national statistics on the number of dogfights, but evidence gathered by the Humane Society from major newspapers indicates that at least 2500 dogs have been seized and about 250 people arrested over the past two years. The Humane Society also has identified more than 200 Internet sites related to pit bulls, many of which are believed to be operated by dogfighters.
Advertisement 
