Caleb

BAO
3/7/16

Thesis:Dogfightingisacruelbloodsport,thathascontributedtothebadreputationthatBull
Terriershaveunfairlybeengiven.
Subtopics:
1. Historyofthebreed.
Thepitbullisagreatcompanionanimal,andwasn'talwaysviewedthewaythey
arenow.(PitBullTerrier.)
Theywereoriginallyusedasguarddogsandalsoanaidinboarhunting,appears
inpaintingsdatingbackasfarasthe1500s.(PitBullTerrier.)
TheAmericanPitBullTerriercomesfromacombinationofEnglishandIrish
stockbroughttotheUSinthe19thcentury.(PitBullTerrier.)
Easeoftrainingandapredispositiontointeractwellwithhumanswasessential
foralloftheirtraditionaljobs.(PitBullTerrier.)
2. Whyisitcruel?
Agreatnumberoftheseanimalsarekilledorabandonediftheyfailtoperform.
(Bershadker)
However,whenadogloses,thiscancausetheownerofthedogtolosenotonly
money,butstatus,andmayleadtobrutalactionsagainstthedog.(Bershadker)
Methodsforkillingdogsthatarenothumaneincludebeinghungand
electrocuted.(Dogfighting)
Femaledogsarestrappeddownsothatwhenawinningmaledograpesher,there
isnotastruggle.(Dogfighting)
Dogsthatsimplydontwanttofightareusedforbaittoattractastronger,tougher
dog.(Dogfighting)
EventheexactlocationoftheSt.Louisareawherehundredsofdogsthatwere
rescuedhastoremainconfidential,outoffearoftheirpreviousowners
breakinginandstealingthesedogs.Theyareworthupto$5,000ontheblack
market.(Drehle)
Youngchildrenaresometimespresentattheevents,whichcanpromote
insensitivitytoanimalsuffering,enthusiasmforviolence,anddisrespectforthe
law.
(Sisneros)
Asofrightnowthereisnorequiredmandatoryjailtimeforbeinginvolvedin
dogfighting,lettingthepractiseexcelbecausethisonlydisruptsthe
process.(Dearen)
Animalwelfareisnotgiventheattention/seriousnessitdeservesinthecourtsof
today.(Dearen)

 Thereisanabsurdamountofmoneyinvolvedinthepractise.(Dearen)
Focusingmoreonanindividual'sdogfightingbusinessisprovingtobemore
usefulthantheirdrugbusiness.(Dearen)
Oftentimes,peoplemakemoremoneyfromdogfightingthedrugs.(Dearen)
Thereisnotacertainindividualwhopractisesthis,prosecutorshaveseenjudges,
doctors,lawyers,nursesandfirefightersbeinginvolved.(Dearen)
InNewYork,courtsarenotallowedtousepriorconvictionsinsentencing,
basicallygivingrepeatoffendersafreepass.(Dearen)
Ourvictimsdon'thaveavoiceandcannottestifyastowhathappened.(Dearen)
Thedogsoftenlivealone,onchainsthataresoheavytheycouldbeusedtotowa
boat.(Johnson)
Duringthefight,thedogsgoateachotheruntiltheygetagoodgrip,eitherorthe
faceorlegsoftheotherdog.(Johnson)
Carpetsareusedindogfightingringstoprovidebettertractionwhenbloodand
salivahavebeenmixedonthefloor.(Johnson)
Rosiewasadogthatwasrescuedwith45otherdogsfromtwodogfighting
operationsinKalamazoo,shewasforcedtobreedlitters,beingchainedupshe
couldonly10feetinanydirectionandsleptinabarrelwhathadthetopcut
off.(Johnson)
Herrescuersrememberhersweetresilience.(Johnson)

3. Rescuing.
Pushforanantichainingordinancetodeterdogfighters.(Dogfighting)
Thetoughestpartisn'trescuing,it'stherehabilitation,andfindinghomes.(Drehle)
InJulyof2009,thelargestrescueoftorturedpitbullspannedover8states,26
peoplewerearrested,morethan500dogswererescued.(Drehle)
Bustingabreedermeanstakingcustodyofthedogs,thesheriffshasthe
resourcestokeepallthesedogs.(Drehle)
Learntospotthesignsofdogfighting,contactHSUS.(Sisneros)
Ifinastatewheredogfightingisamisdemeanor,writetothe
government.(Sisneros)
ThethreelargestdogfightingbustsinU.S.historyhaveoccurredsince2009,2
yearsaftertheMichaelVickbust.(Dearen)
In201315peoplewerearrested,367dogsrescued,&$500,000incash,firearms,
anddrugswereseizedinAlabama,Georgia,MississippiandTexas.(Dearen)
Themoreinvestigatorslookforprofessionaldogfightingrings,themorethey
find.(Dearen)

 The13yearoldgirlwiththeeyeinfectionthatwasusedforbreedingwasthe
kindofdogthatmeltedwhenyouapproachedher,whenshecameoutofthe
rescuekennel,shejustwantedtobeloved,wagginghertail.(Johnson)
Followingtherescue,thedogsconstantlyrelaxinaquietplace,andbeginthe
stepsthroughconfidenceandtrustbuildingexercisesadoptionbeingthefinal
goal.(Johnson)
Uponrescue,Rosiehasafearofloudvoicesandpathways.(Johnson)
Rescuersthoughtthatshewasgoingtobeapermanentfosterdogbecauseofthe
shapeshewasin,shewasneurologicallyimpairedfromanoldskullinjury,had
brokenribsandteeth,andadeformedabdomenwhichisaresultfromhaving
numerouslitters.(Johnson)
Withinamonthofbeingrescued,shewasadoptedintoahomefullofanimals,
andkids.(Johnson)
Heradoptersayingthathethoughthewasrescuingher,butreally,shehad
rescuedhim.(Johnson)

4. Beforethefight.
Theconditioningoffightingdogsmayalsomakeuseofavarietyoflegaland
illegaldrugs,includinganabolicsteroidstoenhancemusclemassandencourage
aggressiveness.(Bershadker)
Clippingearsandtailsaredockedsothatitlimitstheareasofthebodythat
anotherdogcangrabontoinafight,andsecond,itmakesitmoredifficultfor
otherdogstoreadtheanimalsmoodandintentionsthroughnormalbody
languagecues.(Bershadker)
Mostcommonbreedfordogfightinggenerallycalledpitbulls(Dogfighting)
Fightingdogsusuallykeptchaineddownorinpens.(Dogfighting)
Dogsareusuallytauntedand/orstarvedinordertoactivatemakethemeven
angriersotheyredeadlyinthering..(Dogfighting)
Dogsteetharesharpened,andearsarecutoffsothatanotherdogcannotgetahold
ofthem.(Dogfighting)
Someofthedogshadbeenpulledbehindcarstobuilduptheirstamina.(Drehle)
Dogownersandspectatorswagerthousandsofdollarsontheir
favorites.
(Sisneros)
Undercoveragentsarebeingusedasatechniquetocatchdogfighters.(Dearen)
WillieColemanfacedpossibleprisontimebecauseof17felonycharges
associatedwiththepractiseofdogfighting.(Dearen)

 Commonlyusedconditioningtoolsaretreadmills,apolewithanimalhidefor
sharpeningeye,bodycoordination,scalestokeepthedogthecorrectweightfor
thefight.(Johnson)

5. Afterthefight.
Dogswhowinfightsareforcedtofightagainandalsoforcedtohavepuppiesthat
willcostalotbecauseofthewinningdogsgenetics.(Dogfighting)
Onesuccessfuldogspuppiesweresoldandtheprofitwas$100,000ina
year.(Dogfighting)
Thefightendswhenonedogiseitherseriouslyinjuredandcannotfightanymore,
orisdead.(Dogfighting)
Duringaraidonadogfightingoperation,onedogwasfoundandwascoveredin
70%scartissue,anotherwithhalfofajaw.(Dogfighting)
Rehabilitationofthedogsisalongprocessanauncertainone.1stcomesthe
medicalcaretreatingallthewounds,brokenribs,andinternalinjuries,2ndisthe
psychologicalevaluation,howaggressive,traumatized,howfargone?thisisthe
finalstep,andcouldcostthemtheirlife.Iftheydonotpass,inmostsituations
theyareeuthanized.(Drehle)
Dogsthatshowpromisegetputintoakindofhalfwayhousewheretheywillbe
preparedtoadopted,Theyneedtimetodecompress.(Drehle)
Theyhavetolearnwhatacouchis,atv,andhowtoadjustinanappropriateway,
theyhavetobetaughtmanners.(Drehle)
Thisprocesscouldtakemonths,evenafterallthat,theoldfightingdogmightnot
becompletelytamed.(Drehle)
Itstillmightbeunwisetobringoneofthesedogsinyourhouseifyouhaveother
pets,orsmallchildren.(Drehle)
Usuallythekindofpersonwhowouldadoptaretiredfightingdogisananimal
lover,andusuallyananimalloverhasotherpets,thismakesithardtofindan
appropriatehomefortheseanimals.(Drehle)
Fromtheraid,therewerealotmoredogsfitforadoptionthanexpected.(Drehle)
Thehumanesocietyexpectedthatmostofthemwouldhavetoputdownbecause
oftheirinjuries.(Drehle)
Morethanhalfoftheadultdogs,andalmostallofthepuppiesarestillalive5
monthslater.(Drehle)
Around200havebeenplacedinrecoveryprogramsorprivatehomes,andthat
stillleaves100dogsatthewarehouse.(Drehle)
Anumberoftownsacrossthecountryhavepassedordinancesbanningpit
bulls.(Drehle)

 Theseanimalsdemandpitybecausetheyhadthemisfortuneofmeetingupwith
themostdangerousbreedofall:thehuman.(Drehle)
Pitbullshavegottenthisbadreputationbecauseofthetypeofpeoplewhoown
them.(Drehle)
Theirloveofhumansiswhatgetsthisbreedintrouble,becausetheywilltakethe
abuse,butplacedwiththerightcompanion,theirdevotionwillbecomea
virtue.(Drehle)
Dogsusuallydieofbloodloss,shockexhaustionandeveninfection.(Sisneros)

Illegaldrugsareoftensoldandusedatdogfights.
(Sisneros)