Get involved in cock fighting and dog fighting and you may end up being shot at, dead and incarcerated. Such was the circumstances of Thomas Weigner who was found shot to death after his prized pitbull had won or devoured another dog for $100,000. As reported by Associated Press reported Paul Newberry, this story sheds light on the underground world of dog fighting for huge sums of money and the people who are involved in it.
Being a dog lover, I could not not finish the story without taking my eyes off the page. It was horrible to consider what happened to these creatures. Fortunately, The Humane Society, a group of animal-loving people, was trying to investigate.
Despite the fact there are laws prohibiting cock and dog fighting in many states, many individuals continue to breed and raise these animals for these purposes. Some consider dog fighting as a sport. When investigating the shooting death of Weigner, investigators heard the name of Michael Vick, star quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, from Pittsburg, Atlandta, Dayton, Ohio to Ecuador. They seized on the lead and raided a Vick-owned home in Surry County, Va, as part of a drug investigation involving a cousin of his. The investigators were not ready to find what they uncovered. "Sixty-six dogs, mostly pit bulls, were seized, along with evidence of an organized fighting operation: treadmills rigged up for training, "break sticks" used to pry apart the powerful jaws of fighting animals; blood-soaked carpeting, veterinary medicines for treating wounds and "rape stands" used to restrain female pit bulls during the breeding process."
It is worth nothing that Vick denided any wrongdoing. The drama did not stop there. Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis tried to defend Vick's right to be involved in dog fighting by saying, "it's his property. Portis ended up apologizing after fans started protesting his comments.
In all the states, dogfighting has been known to be a recreational activity for gang members. For example, the Fresno Bulldogs are being watched by the Fresno Police department to stop them from engaging in these illegal activities. Chief Jerry Dyer is not playing games with them either. John Goodwin of the Humane Society of the United States state that up to 40,000 people are involved in dogfighting contests for prize money.
Dogs that are involved in fighting are scarred for life. Those who are involved in it use elaborate means to conceal their activity. After Weigner was killed, authorities found his dog kennel where 26 dogs were being cared for. They continued to comb his property and found more than 300 pit bulls. They also found birthing places to take care of the prized litters.
People or neighbors should know the signs of animal cruelty according to North Caronlina at College of Veterinary Medicine: Punctures and lacerations from teeh, unusually on the face, neck and forelimbs. If you lose your dog, it may be used as a "bait dog" for the training pit bull to devour in order to learn to kill.
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