Photo from Scooter of KLSD, San Diego. Bertie the pit bull with Troy the kid: Best friends

            Only days before the allegations of dogfighting against NFL star Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick became public, an Illinois record of 37 fighting dogs were seized from the home of Kevin Taylor in South Holland.

            According to the Cook County’s Sherriff Department, this was the fourth largest seizure of fighting dogs ever in the U.S. which included dog fighting paraphernalia as well as methamphetamines. Some dogs impounded were in peak fighting condition. Other dogs were seriously injured. Prosecutors filed a felony charge of dog fighting against Taylor, as well as 37 counts of cruelty to animals.

            Because Vick happens to be who he is - the horrors of dogfighting are finally receiving national coverage. Sadly, though, dogfighting is pervasive. It’s been a national epidemic which few, till now, have talked about.

            Public officials have greatly responded to dogfighting by either ignoring it all together or by blaming the dogs, banning pit bulls (or any dog resembling a pit bull). This offers an appearance that something is being done. In truth though, nothing’s been done. Clearly, the strategy of banning breeds hasn’t worked as dogfighting continues to escalate.

            The spectacle of dogfighting is so gruesome it’s likely that if I describe the gory details, newspapers will edit them out. Pit bulls are victims of the worst human sadism.

            I do concede lots of dog attacks do involve pit bulls or pit bull looking dogs. For one thing, there are a lot of them, not only owned by gang-bangers and – but also a growing segment of the population who believe it is ‘macho’ to have one.

            In part, you can thank the popular press for this – making pit bulls out to be vicious is somehow strangely appealing to this unique group of pit bull owners who actually want a dog who at least appears threatening, and probably is threatening. Sadly, Golden Retrievers account for dog bites. But those rarely make the papers. Pit Bull bites always make exploitative headlines. CD jacket covers portray big, bad pit bulls with dog fighting paraphernalia, wearing those huge spike collars. And sometimes dogfighting makes its way into lyrics in hip hop music. A Nike TV commercial sought to appeal to ‘the street crowd,’ by showing two dogs facing off.

            While today’s pit bulls have become a symbol for tough, they weren’t always in need of positive pr. Their closest American Kennel Club registered relatives are the Staffordshire Terriers. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is such a dependable family dog, that it was nicknamed ‘The Nanny Dog.’ Loveable Petey from the Our Gang (Little Rascals) TV series was a more common portrayal of the pit bull, as was the Buster Brown shoe dog, or even a pit bulls as patriotic poster dogs for WWII. But that was then.

            Even though many pit bull type dogs are bred to be aggressive to fellow canines, the truth is that many are not if they are well socialized. The fact is, pit bulls are the dogfighters’ choice because of their strength, tenacity and loyalty to people. The dogfighters don’t want the dogs turning on them. Dogs who do are either shot, tortured (such as being burnt alive or electrocuted as allegedly occurred on Vick’s property) or just let loose to roam and terrorize the community.

            Many owners of these irresponsible owners chain the dogs and the males are never neutered; both tethering and leaving male dogs in tact increase the likelihood of any dog (regardless of the breed or mix) to attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control and American Veterinary Medical Association.

Not receiving the proper nutrition in uterus can impact their temperaments. And certainly being raised without nurturing does affect dogs (or people for that matter); altering brain chemistry so they are not quite normal. The dogs are often raised without human touch, and removed quickly from their mom and littermates. They often spend their lives in dark garages or basements, limited to the space inside a kennel.

            I maintain that pit bulls are victims – not only are they physically harmed in organized fighting, their image has been so tarnished that people believe they are born bad.

            Dogs aren’t the only victims. Primary and middle-school aged kids are commonly invited to watch and even partake in dog fighting activities. It’s “sold” as a “sport,” no different than watching a football game. Of course, it is very different. Gangbangers actually realize that watching the horrific events of a dogfight desensitizes kids to violence. Many polls have confirmed that an astounding number of kids, particularly inner city kids, have witnessed a dogfight. We also know that the same kids who commit violence to animals are then more likely to act similarly to people as adults. What’s more, police who bust up dogfight indicate that in each and every instance other crimes are going on simultaneously – from gambling and drug sales to murder. So, the kids are exposed to those other criminal activities as well as the gruesome dogfight.

            There are countless neighborhoods in America where the only exposure children or often anyone who lives there has to dogs are either those who partake in fights; or big and sometimes dangerous dogs used as a sort of bizarre macho accessory. As a result, people in certain neighborhood are afraid of dogs.

            I can’t imagine a generation of children growing up without a wet dog kiss.

            Bottom line: The real victim of dogfighting is society.

            One way to start making a change could be to follow the suggestion of the American Humane Association (where I serve on the Board of Directors) and encourage the National Football League and their star players to launch a campaign against dogfighting. Rap artists could do the same. Their messages could save lives, canine and human.

            It seems clear blaming the dogs isn’t diminishing dog fighting. An editor of mine said it best, “I can’t even conceive, for the life me, of how anyone could possibly – even for a moment - enjoy watching dogs fight to the death. And if dogfighting is increasing in popularity, then could it be a symptom that something fundamental is going very wrong?”

Special web version © Steve Dale