American Pit Bull Terriers and The Truth Behind Dog Fighting In America

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The latest plea and actions by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and his three other accomplices have brought the underworld of dogfighting to the forefront. Each has pled guilty to various charges revolving around dogs being executed if they did not fight savagely.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, the horrific and brutal sport of dogfighting is growing in America.

An expert on animal fighting with the Humane Society, John Goodwin, stated that there are over 40,000 dogfighters in the United States of America, who are involved in putting on illegal fights, buying and selling dogs and high stakes gambling.

However Goodwin pointed out further that there could be well over 100,000 additional people involved in the more informal dogfighting practice of "street fighting" which is often found within gangs.

Dogfighting is on the Rise

"It's far more pervasive than people think and it's definitely been on the upswing in the past five to 10 years," he was quoted as saying.

Goodwin further stated that statistics from animal shelters give a solid and clear indication that dogfighting is on the rise. He pointed to the facts from fifteen years ago, where 2 to 3 percent of the dogs entering the animal shelters were American Pit Bull Terriers, however now Goodwin stated that American Pit Bull Terriers make up over 33% of the dogs entering the shelter. Even more horrific, Goodwin pointed out a shelter in Jersey, where 65% of the dogs entering the shelter were American Pit Bull Terriers and most showed scars that were indicative of dog fighting.

The American Pit Bull Terrier is the most popular fighting dog because it was bred to recognize other dogs as adversaries, and selectively trained for its specific fighting abilities. The were also bred to be very friendly with people so they could be manageable in the pit.

Pet-abuse.com which runs a database concerning animal advocacy and reports incidents of animal abuse, has statistics clearly indicating that dogfighting cases have increased from 16 in 2000 to 127 in 2006.

Dogfighting in America is a Crime

Dogfighting is a crime in all 50 states. As of the writing of this article, dog fighting is a felony in every state except Idaho and Wyoming where it is a misdemeanor. It must be pointed out that even in most states wehre dog fighting is a felony, it is perfectly legal to own a fighting dog and perfectly legal to be a spectator a dog fight.

President Bush and Dogfighting

In May of 2007, President Bush signed into federal law a bill that strengthened dog fighting at the federal level. The law bans interstate commerce, import and export related to animal fighting activities. Offenders of the new law can be sentenced to three years in jail and subject to a $250,000 fine. Before this bill the maximum time in jail was one year.

Dog Fighting is Big Business

Unfortunately, irregardless of the laws, dogfighting in the United States remains big business. Goodwin further stated that the amount of money involved is impossible to estimate, however many high end purses for dog fights top $100,000.

Also, Goodwin pointed out that there are over a dozen underground dogfighting magazines, and about half a dozen registries that cater exclusively to dogfighters or people who are dogfighting fans. There remains to be a very organized structure for this brutal criminal industry.

Learn How To Properly Train A Pit Bull Terrier Here! A must read.

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