What I Recently Learned About Dog Fighting

Last Saturday I had the pleasure to attend an informative meeting put on by animal control officer Michael Suarez of Von Ormy, Texas. One of the many issues he discussed was how to recognize a dog fighting ring. Some of that information is what I would like to share with you today.

“Dog fighting, which is appropriately called a blood-sport, is the actual pitting of two dogs against each other in a pit or ring to fight for the entertainment of the spectators, some mere children. The dogs, usually pit bulls, literally bite and rip the flesh off one another while the onlookers cheer, scream and place bets on which dog will win the match. Much of the time there is alcohol involved or illicit drug use as well. 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 a humane euthanasia methods, rather the animals are shot, beaten, or tortured, the local flavor is hanging the animal. 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 due to the chance a veterinarian will report the injuries to the authorities.

While it takes an investigator to properly investigate a dog fighting operation, there are several warning signs that dog fighting may be occurring. Of course, only local law enforcement officials, animal control officers, and prosecuting attorneys may investigate criminal actions against any suspected dog fighters. However, a good Samaritan who sees evidence of dog fighting enterprises may contact local law enforcement agents who may then launch an investigation. Simply because the following signs are present does not indicate a person is involved in a dog fighting operation. Rather, these signs are based are based on data collected from years of dog fighting investigations and prosecutions. So even if you think IT is happening, it mat not be, so please do not try and take the law into your own hands.

Law enforcement agents may encounter suspicious activity as a result o f 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 presence of dog fighting: From an animal welfare standpoint, dog fighting is one of the most serious forms of animal abuse, not only for the heinous acts of violence that the dogs endure during and after the fights, but because they literally suffer their entire lives. Dogs that are born, bought or stolen for fighting are often neglected and abused from the start. Most spend their entire lives alone on chains or in cages and only know the attention of a human when they are being trained to fight and they only know the company of other animals in the context of being trained to kill them. Most dogs spend their entire lives without adequate food, water, or shelter. They are not perceived as sentient beings capable of suffering, rather they are commodities that exist for the sole purpose of making the owner money and prestige. The prevailing mindset among dog fighters is that the more the dog suffers, the tougher he will become, and the better fighter he will be. The fighting dogs are not the only victims of heinous cruelty. Many of the training methods involve torturing and killing of other innocent animals. Often pets are stolen or otherwise obtained to be used as live bait in training exercises to improve the dogs' endurance, strength, or fighting ability. If the bait animals are still alive after the training sessions, they are usually given to the dogs as a reward, and the dogs finish killing them.

(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 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 number of dog fighters may come together.

(3) Signs of Training or Fights: The presence of a pit is a sure sign of fighting, but agents should pay close attention to blood spattered on any surface. Many new fighting rings are portable and fold into an unsuspecting pile of boards in seconds. Dogs may be fought or trained in 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 out side, especially near training equipment. When live animals are used as bait, there are generally remains of the animals on site. You should look for patches of fur, bones, or decomposed bodies.

Officers and citizens should be able to identify 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 too 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. Often we carry these item in out truck as well because of catching feral animals.

(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. Again, I have several drop shipments of common drugs to my home weekly, so it is not always as it seems.

(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, stat of an individual animal's performance in matches, photos of dogs or matches.

(7) 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 Pit Bull Reporter
• The American Warrior

The collective American conscience has long been repulsed by the undeniable brutality within the culture of dog fighting, but the law enforcement community has been regrettably lax in appreciating the full scope and gravity of the problem. Historically, the crime of dog fighting was considered an isolated animal welfare issue, and as such was ignored, denied, or disregarded by law enforcement. Within the last decade, however a growing body of legal and empirical evidence has emerged exposing the clandestine culture of dog fighting and its nexus with other crimes and community violence. Dog fighters are violent criminals that engage in a host of peripheral criminal activities. Many are heavily involved in organized crime, racketeering, drug distribution, or gangs, and they arrange and attend the fights as a forum for gambling and drug trafficking. Many communities have been morally, socially and culturally scarred by the menacing pestilence of dog fighting for generations. From a very early age, children in those communities are routinely exposed to the unfathomable violence that is inherent within the blood sport. Even seasoned law enforcement agents are consistently appalled by the atrocities that they encounter before, during, and after dog fights, yet the children that grow up exposed to it are conditioned to believe that the violence is normal. Those children are systematically desensitized to the suffering, and ultimately become criminalized.

I have culled several items from my school books and other publication for this information, it is by no means complete or a “holy grail” of dog fighting signs. Many items were left out for reasons my son and I thought were important for public safety. This is NOT a game, this is not a joke, thousands of dollars are exchanged at cock and dog fight, it may also have illegal drugs or weapons present. Observe, document, report, and let law enforcement do their job. No one wants to get that “call” in the middle of the night, be safe out there.”

by Michael Suarez email: hopefordogsanimalrescue@gmail.com

Michael is an animal control officer in Von Ormy, Texas and also the Executive Director of “Hope for Dogs.”

Here in the small town of Blanco at the local grocery store there is a community bulletin board. On it at certain times of the years there always seems be be a lot of lost pets posted. I have often wondered about that. Are these animals being stolen to be be used a bait animals, or are they unaltered animals that have answered natures call? I probably don't really want to know the answer to that question. Please spay, neuter, vaccinate and microchip your pets! And if you are involved in any way, in dog fighting I hope you rot in hell!