U.S. Dog-Fighting Rings Stealing Pets for "Bait"

[joeunderdog]

snip
Duffey knew the dead dogs found in the county's rural areas weren't strays, because the pads of their feet and their nails had not been worn down from a life on the streets. So Duffey checked the lost-and-stolen-animal reports kept by the local humane society.

snip

Duffey says a large number of animals are reported lost in Pima County. Within the last six months, 3,396 animals have been reported missing. Of that amount, Duffey estimates 50 percent may have been stolen.

snip

Last April the alleged publisher of Sporting Dog Journal, which is thought to be the largest underground magazine for the dog-fighting industry, was arrested in New York, according to Vadnal. Vadnal said the last printed edition of the magazine listed about a thousand fight reports. The fights were by "professionals" who breed and fight animals throughout the country for profit, Vadnal said. There are also other, less organized groups who spar their dogs for bragging rights and quick cash.

In such contests, according to law-enforcement officials, two dogs are placed in a pit or similar area enclosed with plywood walls. They attack each other while crowds of up to 200 people watch and cheer. Bets ranging from U.S. $10,000 to $50,000 are made on fights.

more
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0218_040218_dogfighting.html

[hlthe2b]

1. There has to be a very special place in hell...

for people that would do this. There is a case now in Denver where some ass stole puppies from a shelter, purchased various flammable materials (on tape, fortunately) and then proceeded to take them to various locales and set the pups on fire. So far, two pups have been saved in time, though burned, and one died-- one or two more are missing. What kind of sadist would do this? As I mentioned, they have a suspect on tape at a nearby store purchasing the materials, so there is probably a good chance he'll be caught. But, then, will he go to jail for many years? Hell no... Even knowing what we know about animal cruelty and its correlation with later violent behaviors against humans...


My pup is under my desk at my feet as I type... 'think its time for a little hug break!

[saigon68]

3. Its a good thing Tommy Chong is in Prison

The War on Drugs leaves no time for the police to deal with this</Sarcasm>

Does anyone in their right mind--- believe that smoking a joint is worse than this?

The people who do this Stuff are thugs and sadists.

[leftchick]

7. who may also become serial killers....

You are right, Asscrack has bigger fish to catch like the pot heads and porn users... :eyes:

[colonel odis]

16. and usually republicans, i'll wager n/t

[metisnation]

31. This

IS DISGUSTING no way is smoking a j worse than this. It is sad there a millions of people lives affected by this issue...but a guy who does something as sick as this gets off....


:mad:

[SeattleDem]

4. RE: What kind of sadist would do this?

Future serial killers are the kind of sadists that do this. Most serial killers have a history of killing animals in their youth. They move on to humans later. That alone is a reason to prosecute these people fully and have harsh penalties.

[hlthe2b]

9. My point, exactly. Animal cruelty should be a felony.....

Anyone who doesn't think so, should consider whether they want someone who would be so cruel to puppies and kittens living next door to them and their children!

[Norbert]

12. I would have no problem with locking scum like this...

up for an extremely long time.

If they would do this to an animal it isn't far to the next level where they would do similar things to a human.

[progressivebydesign]

2. There is a special place in Hell for these losers. N/T

[jennygirl]

13. I Have a More Despicable Act Than That

Here in Louisiana some assholes was mad at an elderly lady. They stole her cat, dismembered it, made it into sloppy joes (I kid you not; it was all over the news) and ate the poor animal. I felt so sorry for the lady and to this day cannot eat a sloppy joe. BTW the crooks only got eighteen months in jail and probation at the local animal shelter. Creulty know no bounds!

[Cooley Hurd]

5. Sorry. I can't help this, but THESE DIRTY ROTTEN MOTHER...

...FUCKERS who are involved in such a heinous activity should be apprehended and PROSECUTED BEYOND THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW.

As Bill Maher would say, "NEW RULES: People who do this to a dog should be punished in the exact same way they would if they murdered a human being."

God, this really bothers me! I'm gonna go hug my dog now...

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. This has been going on for years...

Around 12 years ago a neighbor's cat was cornered on our porch in the middle of the night and kidnapped. The struggle woke both my Mom and I up. I raced downstairs and opened the door to see a man with the lifeless cat in his hands hop into the back of a pick-up truck with a brindled pit bull in the back and tear off.

They found the body of the cat, Ginger, the next day in a local park.

She had been used as bait in training.

Yes, there is a special place for animals like this....

[RebelOne]

8. This has been going on all around the US for years.

There are trucks in Florida disguised as Animal Control picking up dogs for purposes such as baiting and selling pets to laboratories.

[truth2power]

10. I'd volunteer to be on the jury....

The scum that do these things don't deserve to live.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cooley Hurd]

14. "It was cool the first time and I won some coin on a good fight."

WTF????

You're DEFENDING dog fighting and are willing to admit that you've participated in it??? Also, you said this took place in Boston, and then made the statement, "Some cultures don't frown on these kinds of events..." Tell me, exactly HOW the culture in Boston is different from the rest of the Northeast, in that dog fighting is accepted there?

Giving you a chance to explain youself before I tell you how I really feel... :grr:

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[leftchick]

21. "just some dogs"...

apparently tou have no feelings for sentient beings other than humans? That is a fucking shame and sounds like something a moran would say.

[Cooley Hurd]

22. "It's just some dogs for christsakes..."

This has NOTHING to do with cultural differences. This has EVERYTHING to do with animal cruelty. In no way, shape or form did you allude to any ethnicity in regards to the event (not that it would've mattered - dog fighting is sick, barbaric and ILLEGAL). If you're so proud of your activity, why don't you call the Boston Police and invite them over to a match?

[justjones]

23. "It's just some dogs for christsakes"

I'm guessing you never owned a dog, huh? Or maybe you have, but in a way where you treat them like "pets" and not really a part of the family.

I've come across a few people who feel this way, one of which is my brother-in-law, and in their cases, they don't make the best dog owners (and did I mention that I don't really like my brother-in-law, lol).

Just like the previous poster doesn't understand this culture of dog fighting, it seems to me that you don't understand the culture of dog owners. Hearing about dog fights is like hearing about your own dog being subjected to something we consider abuse. And the whole using other dogs as "bait" or cats for that matter, I don't think anyone would argue that it's cruelty.

I understand that Cambodians and other cultures don't think of dogs as we do and even eat them....I don't judge them for that. No ethnocentric bullshit here. However, this is the United States and such practices are illegal for a reason....because it is not a part of our overwhelming culture.

If you attending a dog fight in Cambodia or Laotia, more power to you. But if it was one of those underground one's here....you should have reported it. If not, well, you should have been swept up with the rest of them when the cops raided the place. :evilgrin:

[Sterling]

27. I wonder if it occured to the poster

to contact the police? That is what occured to me when I read his post. Maybe the police would like to talk about his expirience?

[colonel odis]

17. want to tell us where the next one will be? n/t

[Coventina]

32. You need to get a moral compass

and some different friends.

[tom_paine]

15. I'm sorry, but this has been going on for DECADES

I remember seeing similar stories in the 80s.

Hell, when I was a kid there was an episode of "Lou Grant" that dealt with the issue.

Mrs. Pynchon's Pekingnese was purloined. What happened to it?

Don't ask (although this was the 70s...nothing graphic)

[joeunderdog]

18. Centuries. Didn't they light dogs on fire in Tom Sawyer? n/t

[tom_paine]

25. Yeah, but I don't think it was to improve the killer instinct of fightin'

dogs.

Not that I am excusing this fictional (and probably not fictional, but has occurred in the real world) action, just that tehse are two different things.

One is kiddie tomfoolery, the other is a deadly-serious business with adults doing horrific things that they have NO excuse for not knowing it's wrong.

[reprobate]

20. A good friend of mine lost his year old lab pup two weeks ago.

The sherrif office found it dead on the road, chewed up by dog bites. They say there is a ring right here in central florida.

[EV1Ltimm]

24. deplorable.

my dog is getting a hug and half a ny strip steak once i get home.

[KayLaw]

26. Low living pond scum

I wonder how many believe they are Christians. Can you imagine Christ or any decent, moral human being engaging in such unspeakably cruel behavior? How can they limit such evil to only one aspect of their lives? Filthy sociopaths. Put them under the jail.

[dArKeR]

28. Asscroft uses our tax dollars to jail 'pay for relationship' workers,

consulting adults, marriage between humans, jail children and adults for downloading music, a black kid selling joints on the corner... and lets these kind of sick 'deserve to be executed puss' on the streets.

[Chovexani]

29. Sick, sick people

Stuff like this is why I keep my cats inside. There are some sick, sadistic bastards out there.

Of course our Senate Majority Leader would probably approve of this, probably call these people good patriotic Americans. 'Cause, you know, the Lawd gave us dominion over these "dumb creatures". :argh:

[BuelahWitch]

34. I keep mine inside too

Some idiot once told me I was a horrible person because I wouldn't let my cat outside. He asked, "What kind of a life does he have?" I replied, "A damn good one away from kids, dogs, fleas, and any other harm that can come to him!"

[rodbarnett]

30. I did a google search and look at thi S**t

http://www.sporting-dog.com/select-pages/cajunrules.html

http://www.sporting-dog.com/features.html

I can't believe this stuff can be published on the web

[undergroundpanther]

33. Humans

Humans are the most evil animal.
I am ashamed to be counted as one.
Sometimes..no most of the time,I think this world would be better off without the likes of humanity.
So many people have let themselves be selfish domineering cruel.
So many people who are not selfish,domineering or cruel have let the selfish,domineering and cruel people get away with this.

I wish this were not true about humanity,but it is.

Why do we repeatedly let the most aggressive,controlling,deluded and greedy members of our own species get away with this kind of 'entitlement' delusion?(that it is OK to steal pets as long as they are not caught) Money is no excuse for being irresponsible or greedy and cruel..WE say we want to stop it with our mouths.And these bullies know they can get away with it because we time and again we refuse to get ourselves personally involved when corruption,crime or abuse goes on under our noses ,in our neighborhoods, in our church,government or job..

WE let it go on because we are too often preferring to be bystanders.
The criminals stealing pets will keep on stealing pets and making money until they are forced to stop,because they know talk is cheap and when no one lifts a hand to stop them they can do it again and will.The cops might be too busy stopping rapes,domestic violence, murders and speeders,or getting coffee.Their priorities might not be our priorities but that shouldn't deter people from justice.But it does. Because we personally are not victimized by a dog napper or napping dogs ourselves doesn't mean we aren't at least partly responsible for permitting this kind of operation to go on in our own neighborhood.Truth is even when we look away,and swallow our outrage..we are still responsible for what happens in our own neighborhood.

Do you really think these criminals will suddenly grasp the idea of empathy if you talk about it on line enough,and do you think criminals will stop using fighting dogs when they can get 10,000 or more dollars for having an illegal dog fight? Money talks louder than justice,compassion and empathy to the greedy and corrupt among us this crime becomes an unchecked evil when no one does anything to stop it.

To expand this idea,do you really think the bullies in the white house will play fair and relinquish power if they lose the election? It seems Money and threats of debt and homelessness talks louder than justice sanity or compassion twords your fellow human being. Money screams because justice is crippled by our collective apathy and people who think it's not their personal responsibility that this country is so messed up..because they didn't vote for bush,they aren't hurting anyone them self,they are not a republican..ect.There are a million excuses to avoid involvement.

Solidarity,action and Resistance when applied to power talks louder than money.But as it is, it takes alot of suffering to motivate dis empowered people into action.I wish this were not so.

If we don't figure out why we need to get militant enough to protect each other from those who profit from and get off on this violence,destruction,hate,abuse,lies,deprivation,
corruption and suffering ..And act to stop it
when we see it.
If we continue to deny it is happening until it becomes overwhelming,we will in our desperation to escape become just like those who harm us to escape harm ourselves.Revolutions too often set up the same systems of oppression they originally were fought to destroy.Stopping someone does not require abusing them or pretending to have tolerance of abhorrent behaviors you know..



Talk is cheap.Since we don't join together organize or resist corrupt politicians on talk alone what will it take to rouse us? More suffering?A police state? The corrupt among us will assume we will look the other way again when they do awful things to us.Will we look away as our neighbors puppy disappears? What if our neighbor disappears? What if it's our job,our kids,our sanity? What is the difference when a loved one is gone VS a stranger?? Since as a culture we are not encouraged to get involved on a personal level with much we don't try to keep each other accountable to each other personally.And this has been a wonderful benefit for the abusers who think they are 'superior' and entitled to abuse 'inferiors'. Why do we play pretend about how bad it is, as we shuffle around to avoid doing something to defend ourselves or each other? It seems we talk about it just so we can look away more often than not in denial,pretending as if our situation is not our responsibility we talk until it is too late to act..

Some people are so sick they really think they are entitled to be an asshole and get away with it.This idea of "those who are fit to rule are those who realize there is no morality and that there is only one natural right, the right of the superior to rule over the inferior."


What these bullies do not dare say.. is how Dependant they are upon the subjugation and apathy of 'inferior's they are..

The only way these bullies can get away with treating human equals as their inferiors,is when we give them an unspoken permission to be an asshole to us personally.When we swallow our outrage,swallow the offense,tolerate the exploiting,turn away from the crime we give permission...and this apathy/permission is magnified in the collective response..Any collective apathy that people complain about is the apathy of many individuals together.Apathetic individuals are collectively refusing to act and impose any social expectation of ethics,empathy, fairness ,equality and justice upon those who would dominate.When WE allow this injustice,inequality,corruption and abuse to go unchallenged it gets worse because individually WE will not take responsibility and do something ,anything,to stop the belief that some people have that they are 'superior' and entitled to dominate and be an asshole to us.

Corrupt people must be shown what is morally wrong.Everyone who finds dogfighting repugnant must find a way to make it clear to dog nappers that they are not entitled to steal people's pets or to make money off of the suffering and abusing of dogs.
How you drive that point home is up to you because you are responsible for what you do..Some ways to combat animal cruelty are more effective than others.Some are more risky. But it is agreed it appears at least on the consensus here on DU,that Dog fighting rings are wrong as well as stealing people's pets for bait is WRONG.
And that is a start.
What are you gonna do is the next question.

[Voltaire99]

35. A wise post. (n/t)

[Voltaire99]

36. Heartbreaking. But who is surprised?

Humans in America are treated like dogs. Is it any wonder that the dogs are treated like "bait"?

If the day comes when our society doesn't require that people live under bridges; doesn't turn its back on the unemployed; extends health care to everyone; grants equal education to the city and the suburb; and values full employment more than full CEO pockets...

...then we'll probably get around to treating dogs well, too.

On a related note, I hope everyone is reading Francine Prose's brilliant piece in Harper's this month discussing how reality TV is teaching Americans to become more savage.

[undergroundpanther]

37. Real TV

That is why I don't watch this so called "reality" TV.Because it's not the kind of reality I want to live in. So why curdle my conscience with that crap? Fuck "reality" TV.
Someday the barbarians will run out of prey to exploit.. and than they will destroy each other.
The sooner we (liberals)stop acting like their prey,and going along with what they want us to,and stand up for ourselves refuse to participate in what makes neocons happy,resist,refuse,shout back,and assert the kind of reality we want,the sooner the barbaric conservative fundy ones will be forced turn on each other to satisfy their unquenchable anti social mental sicknesses and lusts.
The reality is this ,The neo-cons are mentally ill socialized sociopaths that can fake normalcy and'kindness'enough to win popularity contests by appealing to the sick side of human hearts,and telling lies..they defy logical argument,facts,history,statistics, and social sanity because they are truly normal looking on the outside while being so sick in their conscience as to not have one..They willfully defy society because they are at heart bullies who want to dominate humanity so that they can pour out their psychic toxins and live their corrupt consuming desires to destroy and abuse upon as many victims as they can.