Dog Eat Dog?
Dog fighting has been around for hundreds of years and can be traced back to Europe. The sport of dog fighting is progressively getting more and more popular. It is illegal and considered a felony under federal laws in all fifty states in the United States of America (Dogfighting Fact Sheet 1). Besides the act of dog fighting itself being illegal, there are usually always other criminal activities involved such as: drug paraphernalia, illegal weapons, illegal gambling, and gang activities. Therefore, this so-called sport of dog fighting should continuously stay prohibited, and be more harshly punished by stricter laws. This brutal and bloody entertainment sport, where dogs fight to the death, is an inexcusable example of animal cruelty. Dog fighting is believed to have started in England after bull-baiting was outlawed. Bull-baiting was a spectator sport where a bull had a rope tied around its neck and then tied to a stake in the ground. Bulldogs were then sent to attack or “pin down” the bull by grasping the bull by its nose. Many dogs would receive life threatening wounds or would be killed by the bull trying to escape the torture of numerous dogs attacking him (Luca 1). After this very popular sport was banned people who owned these bull-baiting dogs, also known as bulldogs today, began pitting these dogs against each other. After people began participating in the sport of dog fighting, people began breeding bulldogs with terriers (Background on Dog Fighting 1). This cross breed created the most well-known fighting dog, the pit bull terrier. Although the pit bull terrier is not the only dog used in fights, it is by far the most popular. After this cross breed was created the training of the dogs instincts began. People trained these dogs to be more aggressive than any normal dog. These dogs are taught to never back down; no matter if they are hurt or their opponent cannot fight back. “Gameness—a dog's willingness or desire to fight—is the most admired trait in fighting dogs” (Background on Dog Fighting 1). The willingness to back down was completely bred out of this breed.
There are multiple different types of dog fighters; street fighters, hobbyists, and professionals. The first type of dog fighter is street fighters. Street fighting is normally unplanned and in the spur of the moment. It usually occurs when a few people are walking down the street and harsh, disrespectful, threatening words are exchanged. Claiming that their opponent’s dog is inadequate compared to their own dog, or merely a simple insult to the opponent’s owner. Most of these dogs bred by street fighters are bred to look tough and be a danger not only to other dogs, but to people as well. These dogs are truly a threat to society, but sadly it was the way pit bulls are raised to be, they really have no control over it.
The second type of dog fighter is the hobbyist. Hobbyists are a little more organized than street fighters. Hobbyists have a couple of dogs involved in several organized fights a year. They attend these fights for more of an entertainment purpose, but also make some money off of these fights if their dogs win. Most of them focus more on breeding their dogs and base their income off of that.
The third type, probably the most dangerous, is the professional dog fighter. Professionals own a very large number of dogs, often fifty or many more. Professionals do it all, and make money in every step of the dog fighting process. They generate income by breeding, selling, and of course fighting their dogs. They focus on establishing a strong blood-line for selling, breeding, and fighting (Background on Dog Fighting). A strong blood-line means more money and a better name for their dogs.
There are many cases of illegal dog fighting that are pretty well-known to the public. Two of those cases involved Michael Vick, and Leshon Johnson. The Michael Vick case is probably the most infamous out of the two. Michael Vick is a professional NFL football player, which brought a lot of attention to this horrid world of dog fighting. Vick, and some of his teammates, purchased a property in Virginia along with some fighting dogs. These men put these dogs through training and practice fights, and the dogs that did not perform well were killed. The dogs that were murdered were done so by being hung, shot, beaten, or electrocuted. There was no mercy shown for these poor animals, and Michael Vick only receives a twenty three month sentence. He killed dogs and used them for his own entertainment and is still allowed to own animals. Another athlete involved in a dog fighting ring was Leshon Johnson, a professional NFL running back. He was found running an extensive, illegal dog fighting ring in Oklahoma. Authorities have arrested twenty two people and have seized nearly two hundred dogs, and most of the dogs have been euthanized due to the fact they are a danger to the public because of the way they have been raised and trained to fight. After all the mistreatment of these dogs, the dogs that died in his care, and the dogs that were destroyed because of his selfishness he only received a five year deferred sentence. People who are convicted with animal abuse, especially to this extent, should not be allowed to own any more pets and should serve longer sentences for the mistreatment and murder of these dogs. There are a few really good reasons to have stricter laws on dog fighting. Two very obvious reasons are animal abuse and criminal activities linked to these illegal dog fighting rings. Animal abuse is a blatantly obvious connection to dog fighting. These dogs are trained to fight to the death. Even if the opponent does not or cannot fight back, the other dog will keep attacking the challenger until they are separated. These dogs are trained inhumanly to see if they even have to ability to fight. They are put on treadmills to run constantly to build stamina, put in pools or tubs filled with water and forced to swim for hours or drown to see their willingness to survive. They are put in test fights to see how well the dogs can perform in a real fight situation. Dogs that do not perform well or lose fights are often disposed of, and by disposed of I mean killed. Owners will either dump, or abandon the dogs on the street to fend for themselves, or, like in Michael Vick’s case, killed in a heartless, coldblooded manor like being beaten or hung or shot. Additionally, the actual fighting dogs are not the only victims in the cruel act of dog fighting. They train their fighters with other dogs that are non-fighting dogs. Those “trainer” dogs are called bait dogs (Destreza 2). Bait dogs are put in the ring with these pit bulls that are trained to attack and kill another dog, needless to say these bait dogs are nowhere near prepared for this training session. Bait dogs usually get their muzzles tied shut for the owner’s fear of their champion dog getting bitten. These bait dogs are typically rendered helpless in these practice sessions. Even if the bait dog begins to protect him or herself, the owner of the fighting dog will kick or hit the bait dog with something hard to injure him or her so the owner’s dog will not receive wounds. The next reason to crack down on dog fighting is the criminal activity that is linked to dog fighting rings. When police raid these dog fighting rings they habitually find illegal drug paraphernalia and illegal weapons. Also, many of these dog fighters are associated with gangs and illegal gambling. When gang members have drugs and weapons everyone knows what happens, murders. Gangs are very dangerous to communities across the nation. They are nuisances to the general public by ruining people’s lives by selling drugs and killing friends and family members. Dog fighting is just another violent entertainment outlet for these delinquents. Stopping these illegal rings will help cut down on drugs and illegal activities. People who fight dogs have an argument for keeping this “sport” around though. The first argument they claim is that the dogs enjoy the fighting. The owners of fighting dogs say that the dogs have been bred to fight over many years. This is their purpose in life, to fight to the death. Just as a hunting dog hunts and police dogs fight crime, these dogs are fighting dogs and should be doing their “job.” Owners claim dogs are constantly wagging their tails during the entire fight showing the enjoyment these dogs have for fighting. They also state that their dogs are a source of income. Breeding and fighting their dogs is just how people make money off of race horses. Race horses are bred to race and good horses are bred to make champions. This generates a lot of money for their owners. Dog fighters say they are doing exactly what race horse breeders do. They breed their champion dogs and sell the puppies to make money and then these puppies are stuck in the same world of fighting as their parents were. The owners of these dogs also say they take exceptional care of their dogs. They say they pay special attention to the dogs’ health and well-being. If a dog gets hurt owners say they take their dog to get medical help as soon as possible, and they will not let their dog suffer. The next reason that people say fighting dogs should be legal is that humans fight one another for money and entertainment all the time. These dogs are like human fighters, they are trained and prepared for their fights and it is up to the dog to perform well and win. Lastly, owners say that their dogs are their property and they should be allowed to do with their property whatever they so desire. They say that outlawing the activity of dog fighting should not be because it is infringing on their rights telling them what they can and cannot do with their property.
The question is do these dogs truly enjoy fighting? Fighting and training to fight is the only world these dogs know. Pit bulls are people pleasers, so when they get positive reinforcement from their owners while fighting that is what the dog will respond to. The dog thinks that since this is the behavior my master wants; this is the behavior I will give him. Man’s best friend comes into play here because they will do almost anything to please their owners. It has been proven that dogs do not wag their tails just out of pure happiness; it can be caused by insecurity, fear, or aggression. Tail wagging is a form of communication for dogs, and there are rules to understand that explains why a dog really wags his or her tail. The height of the tail and the speed that the tail is wagging is something that will distinguish the real reason for the dogs wagging (Coren 1). Hence, tail wagging does not indicate happiness as believed by the dog fighters. Dog fighters say that pit bulls were bred for fighting so they should be allowed to legally perform their duties just like hunting dogs and police dogs. Dogs that are bred and trained to hunt and dogs that are on the police force are not used for pure entertainment like the sport of dog fighting. Hunting dogs help track and fetch potential food sources for their owners, and police dogs are trained to fight crime and help policemen apprehend dangerous criminals to keep off of the streets. Next, just because humans choose to fight does not mean that dogs should too. The keyword in that sentence is choose, that is something these dogs do not have the ability to do. These dogs cannot choose to fight or to not fight. Humans choose to fight and make a living from that, while the dogs are forced to fight to stay alive. Furthermore, if a person loses a fight they are not harshly punished for losing, but when a dog loses a fight he or she could potentially lose his or hers life. Also, comparing dog fighting to the sport of horse racing is not a very wise association. Both of these sports are for entertainment, gambling, and money. Fighting dogs and race horses are both worked to the bone to become the strongest and fastest, to beat their opponents. There is really no concern for the animals’ well-being; both of these activities are focused around money. If a race horse receives an injury to its leg during a race, it is killed, no questions asked. It is a well-known fact, as well, that fighting dogs that lose are more than often disposed of. Additionally, dog fighters claim they make sure their dogs receive the medical care they need. For most dog fighters that is false. When illegal dog rings are raided police, often times, find a lot of pain killers, sutures, staples and staple guns, along with makeshift “fixes” for their dogs. Most dogs that are involved in fighting will never see a certified veterinarian. One federal prosecutor says he was on a scene where one dog was missing half of his jaw and other were suffering from multiple open wounds (Weir 2). Dog fighting can be traced back hundreds and hundreds of years. There is no doubt that this so called sport has gotten more and more advanced. Medical advances with steroids have made the dogs more aggressive and muscular resulting in a bloodier, more brutal fight. Also, advances in training materials for fighting dogs have given the dogs more stamina, making fights much longer. No matter how you look at dog fighting, no one can deny that many illegal activities are associated with dog fighting rings. Illegal drug paraphernalia, illegal weapons, illegal gambling, and gang activity are almost always involved in this ruthless activity. Dogs should not be considered just a form of property; they are living, breathing beings and deserve respect. Therefore, stricter laws should be in place to help protect these animals.

Works Cited
“Background on Dog Fighting.” Do Something. Do Something inc., Web. 17 April 2013 http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/background-dog-fighting
Coren, Stanley, Ph.D.. “What a Dog’s Tail Wags Really Mean: Some New Scientific Data.” Canine Corner. Sussex Directories, Inc., 5 Dec. 2011. Web. 7 May 2013. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201112/what-dog-s-tail-wags-really-mean-some-new-scientific-data
Destreza, Kathryn. "Dog Fighting: A Basic Overview." Veterinary Ireland Journal 64.5 (2011): 281-284. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Apr. 2013.
“Dogfighting Fact Sheet.” Humane society. Humane Society of the United States, 02 Nov. 2009. Web. 17 April 2013.
Luca, Catherine M. “Bull Baiting.” The Bulldog Information Library. Bulldog Information, Web. 17 April 2013. http://bulldoginformation.com/bull-baiting.html
Weir, Tom. "Vick Case Sheds Light on Dark World of Dogfighting." USA TODAY. 18 Jul 2007: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Apr 2013.