Dogfighters Go Underground

Yesterday, CNN reported that dogfighters are getting creative. They’re finding new ways to hide their practices, and they’re carrying out dogfights in on-the-move 18-wheelers to avoid being caught. According to the story, some of the abuses detectives have uncovered in this ongoing investigation include: dogs with missing ears and patches of skin; animals with teeth shaved down to the bone; and contraptions, much like treadmills, that force chained dogs to run or be choked.

One of six dogs rescued from a Sumter County, South Carolina, dogfight waits in a kennel last week. Image courtesy CNN/WACH TV

In one case in Ohio, the story says, “A neighbor called police when she saw a mangled dog that had apparently escaped from a home where investigators found 60 chained pit bull terriers, many being starved and wallowing in their own waste. There were thousands of hypodermic needles scattered across the ground. ‘They were using steroids on the animals,’ he said. ‘There was one dog—in such bad shape, man—tethered to a logging chain, and another was kept in a two-foot shed without ventilation or food.’ The suffering is incalculable, and the cost of caring for the animals is steep.”

To read the full story, click here.

What is it that I’m not getting about the appeal of this so-called sport? Am I incredibly naïve in wondering WTF makes people get off on watching this? There is something seriously wrong when people don’t get basic compassion. There is something seriously wrong when a football team will sign a man who engaged in this and profited from it for years. I really, really just don’t understand.

August 12 is "Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day"

Dogs over 2 years old. Big black dogs. Pit bulls. Shy dogs. Petfinder.com is hoping everyone will spread the word to help these harder-to-place animals find homes. They've named this Wednesday, August 12th, "Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day."

Large, black dogs often get looked over at shelters. Photo via www.startseeingblackdogs.com.

Petfinder conducted a survey asking rescue and shelter groups which pets have the most difficult time being adopted. They responded:

• 30% — senior/older pets
• 15% — pets with medical problems
• 13% — victims of breed prejudice
• 10% — shy pets
• 10% — those who need to be the only pet

So sad, right? Riley was incredibly socially awkward and shy when I got her. It just took a little time for her to gain some confidence.

Petfinder compiled a list of “reasons they love ‘special’ pets.” I included a few of them below…

• Older pets are mellower—you don't have to worry about your lamp getting knocked over!
• With "bad reputation" breeds, you get the chance to prove people wrong with your great dog!
• Dark-furred pets make it easy to accessorize—black goes with everything!
• Pets with behavioral issues allow you to form a tight bond as you overcome obstacles together!

For more information on Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day, click here. You can even search for dogs in your area.

Rachael Ray Creates “Mutt Madness”

Rachael Ray announced yesterday that she’s launching a pet charity contest to support “no-kill animal wellness.” She’s looking for 64 qualified organizations to compete in a brackets-style program in which the public will vote for what they feel is the most deserving pet cause in the country. (Entries must be submitted to her website by September 30th.)

Rachael with her first dog, a pit bull named Boo. Jim Wright/AP

According to the Associated Press, “Each of the top 64 groups gets $1,000. Winners of the next several rounds, chosen by online votes, will get another $1,000. The final voting showdown is worth $25,000 for second place and $50,000 for the winner. The champ will be announced in early December, Ray said.”

Rachael—whose first dog was a pit bull named Boo—also started Rachael's Rescue, an organization committed to helping at-risk animals through adoption, medical care, training and outreach.

For more information, read the AP story here, or go to Rachael’s website.

“Breed Profiling”: How Companies Discriminate

A recent story in the Los Angeles Times reported that insurance companies categorize certain breeds as "high risk." According to the story: “It's a trend that began about 10 years ago, at around the same time as statistics were released showing that pit bulls, Rottweilers and German shepherds were responsible for more than half the dog bite fatalities in the U.S. over a 19-year period. Despite opposition from consumers, many insurance companies still maintain a will-not-cover breed blacklist.”

Boerboels are on the list......and so are Akitas.

The lists have evolved to include the following breeds:

• Wolf hybrids
• Akitas
• American Bandogge Mastiffs
• Boerboels
• Chow-chows
• Doberman pinschers
• Olde English Bulldogs (English bulldogs are acceptable)
• Rottweilers
• Pit bull breeds, including American Staffordshire Terriers, English Bull Terriers, Pit Bull Terriers, Presa Canarios and Staffordshire Bull Terriers
• Mixed breeds containing any of the above

If a homeowner has what is considered to be a “high-risk” breed, insurers may jack up the policy premiums or simply decline a policy altogether.

The story continues: “But the ASPCA and defenders of some of the most stigmatized breeds, like pit bulls, say dog aggression is often more about owner behavior than breed temperament. Aggression can be fostered in any breed and has been throughout history, as humans exploited the natural strength of certain breeds, [ASPCA senior director of government relations and mediation Jill] Buckley says. In the middle ages, it was the Great Dane, bred and trained to defend the castle moats. The Newfoundland was the bad boy of the 1800s. Today it's the pit bull. ‘There'll be another breed tomorrow. You can't just keep banning breeds. You have to look at responsible ownership,’ Buckley says.”

What do you guys think of this policy?

D-Bag Michael Vick Goes Free

Mike Vick—the NFL quarterback who bankrolled Bad Newz Kennels, a dogfighting ring near his Hampton, Va. home—was officially released today. After 18 months in jail and two months of home confinement, he can now do whatever he pleases. However, one thing he won’t be doing is playing for the Atlanta Falcons. They released him on June 12^th. (Read this Washington Post story for more information.)

I’ve been reading a lot of the sports blogs, and have been seriously shocked at how many people still believe Vick is an upstanding guy. I could go on an on about what I think of him, but I may get arrested if I told you what I think he really deserves.

My only advice to anyone who isn’t familiar with what he did to those dogs is to read this New York Times article. On his property, Vick's dogs were were beaten, hung, electrocuted, or tied to car axels for months on end. Some were used as bait dogs, only used to be literally ripped apart. Many females had every one of their teeth ripped out of their mouths so that when they were forcibly bred, they couldn’t fight back. This wasn’t a one-time crime; this was something he knowingly participated in, supported, and profited from for years.

These days, Vick is seeking reinstatement in the NFL. (He has stated that he cannot pay his bills working in construction for $10 an hour. Message to Vick: Sell your house, bitch.)

If you’d like to voice your thoughts to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, go ahead and call or email him at Roger.Goodell2@nfl.net (212) 450-2000 or (212) 450-2027.