Inside the Culture of Dogfighting

July 19, 2007 — -- A makeshift ring is surrounded by dozens or even hundreds of screaming "fans" waving betting cash. Inside, two severely abused dogs tear each other literally limb from limb in a life-or-death battle that experts say is becoming disturbingly common in the United States.

Atlanta Falcon star quarterback Michael Vick's indictment for allegedly operating a dogfighting ring has shone a spotlight on one of the cruelest criminal "sports" in the United States.

Some have made a career out of dogfighting, which can be a lucrative pastime, with millions of dollars changing hands among the estimated 20,000 to 40,000 dogfight spectators and participants in the United States.

Others seem to be seeking an outlet for their own violent or antisocial behavior -- or they look to the dogs as status symbols or reflections of their own perceived toughness, experts say.

While dogfighting is a federal crime, many experts say that state laws, which are usually used to prosecute cases, are just not strict enough to shut the industry down.

Anti-animal cruelty advocates say that while the ongoing Vick investigation has called needed attention to a widespread problem, a number of factors contribute to the growing popularity of dogfighting -- including laws that vary in severity from state to state, the difficulty of investigating the crime, what some say is the media's under-reporting of this criminal activity, and an overall lack of education about the issue.

P.J. Smith of the Atlanta Humane Society characterizes dogfighting as two canines, usually pitbulls, attacking each other inside a ring, with the outcome wagered on by spectators.

Anti-cruelty experts say the fights can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 10 hours, depending on how long it takes for one dog to die or become simply too weak to continue. At the lowest level, experts said $50,000-$60,000 is at stake, while a more sophisticated game has payoffs close to $1 million.

The rearing process for fighting dogs seems about as ugly as the event itself.

The breeders, who have usually stolen the animals or adopted them from shelters, train the puppies to be aggressive and violent toward other dogs. They are kept chained and locked in crowded cages, far away enough not to kill each other, but close enough to put them in a constant state of agitation, said Smith.

Sometimes they use dolls to aggravate the dogs, or steal other people's dogs from their own backyards to use as "bait" in the training, she said. The conditioning also includes steroid injections, and hours running on a treadmill or tied to the bumper of a moving car.