Dog Fighting General Overview
Hanna Gibson
Animal Legal and Historical Center
Publish Date: 2005
Place of Publication: Michigan State University College of Law
Printable Version
Dog Fighting General Overview
"What are the signs that someone might be running a dogfighting operation?"
Dog fighting is an insidious underground organized crime that has reached epidemic proportions in America. Although is now completely outlawed in the United States and in many other countries, it was once completely legal and was sanctioned by aristocracy, embraced by medieval gentry and promoted by colonial and Victorian ruffians. By the twentieth century, the brutality inherent in dog-fighting was no longer tolerated by American society, and one-by-one, individual states began to pass laws banning it. Once outlawed, the culture of dogfighting was pushed underground, where it, like many other criminal sub-cultures and social diseases, continues to flourish.
Dog fighting, which is appropriately called a blood-sport, is the actual pitting of two dogs against each other in a pit or a ring to fight for the entertainment of the spectators. The dogs, usually pit bulls, literally bite and rip the flesh off of one another while the onlookers cheer, scream, and place bets on which dog will win the match. After the fight, both dogs are critically wounded, often with massive bleeding, ruptured lungs, broken bones, and other life threatening injuries. Generally, the loser of a match dies or is killed, unless he has any salvage value to his owner. When dogs are killed after a match, it is not done by humane euthanasia methods, rather the animals are shot, beaten, or tortured. The animals that survive generally never see a veterinarian, regardless of the gravity of injuries or the amount of suffering that the animals will have to endure.
Signs of a Dogfighting Operation
While it takes a seasoned investigator to properly investigate a dogfighting operation, there are several warning signs that dogfighting may be occurring. Of course, only local law enforcement officials and prosecuting attorneys may instigate criminal actions against any suspected dogfighters. However, a concerned citizen who sees evidence of dogfighting enterprises may contact local law enforcement agents who may then launch an investigation. Simply because the following signs are present does not indicate an individual is involved in a dogfighting operation. Rather, these signs are based on data collected from years of dogfighting investigations and prosecutions.
Law enforcement agents may encounter suspicious activity as a result of a citizen complaint, an unrelated investigation, a deliberate investigation or completely by chance. Field agents must be trained to recognize the indicators of potential dog-fighting activity. It is extremely common for agents to come across any or all of the following, often in plain view, when there is a presence of dog-fighting:
(1) Dogs: Certainly not all pit bulls are fought, but officers should be watchful of signs that pit bulls on the premises are being trained or bred for fighting or have been fought. Multiple dogs are generally housed in one location. More sophisticated operations may look more like a kennel; in fact many that breed and fight dogs do so under the auspices of a kennel to deflect suspicion. Less sophisticated dog-fighters, especially the urban street fighters generally have several dogs chained in back-yards, often behind privacy fences, or in basements or garages. Dogs that have been fought have fresh wounds or scars, in various stages of healing, on the head, chest and legs.
(2) People: A dog-fighting data-base should be maintained to track suspicious and known dog-fighters. They will often lead you to other dog-fighters and to multiple locations where dogs are kept and fought. Dog-fighters move their dogs frequently, so it is important for law enforcement to pay close attention to whether a suspect has multiple residences, including out-of-state. Detailed records should be kept of the individuals that come and go from suspicious locations. Surveillance is especially important on nights and weekends, when large numbers of dog-fighters may come together.
(3) Signs of Training or Matches: The presence of a pit is a sure sign of fighting, but agents should pay close attention to blood spattered on any surface. Dogs may be fought or trained in basements, garages, barns, and vacant buildings, so spatters of blood on any interior walls or floors should be closely documented. Dogs are often trained outside, so agents should watch for blood spattered outside, especially near training equipment. When live animals are used as bait, there are generally remains of the animals on site. Agents should look for patches of fur, bones, or decomposed bodies.
Agents should be able to identify the training devices and implements such as: treadmills, catmills (jennys), springpoles (jumppoles), flirtpoles, chains/weights, and any implements used to hang or harness bait animals. Pry bars, bite sticks, or breaking sticks are used to pry the dog’s jaws open when he has gripped onto another animal. Investigators should be trained to recognize these, as they would be quickly overlooked by the untrained eye.
(4) Signs of Transport: Large numbers of portable dog-kennels on site may indicate that the dogs are frequently transported to and from matches and between multiple locations. Adult pit bulls frequently appearing and disappearing from a certain location with no explanation may be involved in fighting.
(5) Vitamins, Drugs, Food Supplements and Veterinary Implements: Most dog-fighters do not take their animals to a veterinarian for treatment for fear of exposure; as a result, it is extremely common to encounter veterinary supplies and manuals during an investigation. (Link to list of veterinary supplies)
(6) Physical Evidence of Bookmaking/Contest: Agents should watch for trophies recognizing match winners, or conferring the titles ‘Champion’ or ‘Grand Champion.’ Other physical evidence to look for include: ledger slips, match results, stats of individual animal’s performance in matches, photos of dogs or matches
(7) Technology: Matches are often filmed, and the tapes can be an excellent source of intelligence gathering. Dog-fighters are increasingly utilizing digital cameras, so when possible, computers should be checked for digital evidence. Many dog-fighters also utilize the internet to maintain contact with other ‘fanciers’, post match stats, to order and sell supplies and dogs, solicit veterinary advice, etc. So, a thorough search should probe both computer files and the internet history. The newspaper can also be utilized to identify potential breeding and selling of fighting dogs. Often classified advertisements for fighting dogs include a reference to ‘game bred’ dogs, or some will actually advertise that the bitch or sire is a ‘Champion’ or ‘Grand Champion’.
(8) Publications: Agents should be able to recognize pro-dog-fighting publications, such as:
* The Sporting Dog Journal
* Your Friend and Mine
* American Game Dog Times
* The Scratch Line
* Face Your Dogs
* The Pit Bull Chronicle
* The American Pit Bull Gazette
* The Pit Bull Reporter
* The American Warrior
http://www.animallaw.info/articles/qvusdogfighting.htm
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
