Sports Star's Trouble Brings Attention to Dog Fighting

July 28, 2007 — -- In barns, commercial buildings, and even homes, a world that's long been kept secret is quickly coming into focus in the public eye. Authorities say hundreds of millions of dollars are waged on dogfights every year in this country, and thousands of Americans are involved.

"This underground culture of dog fighting has metastasized in communities across this country," says Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society in the United States.

Once mostly a rural spectacle, ferocious dogs can be everywhere nowadays.

"You can go to any county on a Saturday night, and if you know where to go, you can attend a dog fight," says Ron Barber, president of In the Line of Duty, a producer of law enforcement video and Internet training.

Authorities estimate 40,000 Americans are involved in the fights, not counting the spectators. Participants can set up matches by phone and on the Internet. There are entry fees, and the more ferocious the fight, the bigger the prize.

"Some of the big purses are $20,000 to $30,000, and that's not unusual," says Pacelle, "You might see purses in the six figures."

In a country where dog fighting was once considered a sport, it is now illegal in all 50 states.

Investigators say Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was helping run a ring in which pit bulls fought to their death. Authorities say other dogs were put to death.

"They're often angry at the dogs for not performing well," says Pacelle, "and they resort to tactics, shooting the dogs, electrocuting them, even hanging them."

Police found one of the dogs rescued for Vick's property with bite marks on his nose. Vick pleaded not guilty in a Richmond, Va., federal court Thursday in front of U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson. Vick is scheduled for trial on Nov. 26.

He faces an 18-page indictment that carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. He is charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities, and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.

Vick is already being hit in the wallet. Nike suspended his endorsement deal without pay and halted sales of Vick's line of shoes. Reebok is also clearing its shelves of Vick's products, announcing it's stopping sales of Vick's number 7 jersey. Meanwhile, Beckett Media says it will pull Vick football cards from any future releases.

ABC News' David Muir and Rehab El-Buri contributed to this report.